DISTANCE: 12.17 km / 7.56 miles
ELEVATION GAIN: 522 m / 1711 ft.
TIME TAKEN: 3:45
SUNOL REGIONAL WILDERNESS
ALAMEDA COUNTY, CA
SOUNDTRACK: Bloodcum: Son Of Sam
SUMMITS
Flag Hill 415m / 1,360ft.
Sam's Peak 434m / 1,423 ft.
PHOTO ALBUM
MAP
I had been hanging out in San Jose for the past couple of days, so Amber gave me a ride in the morning to Sunol Regional Wilderness, where I would meet up with my brother Alex, and we would ride back to Oakland together, after a hike. I felt the door slamming shut of the shelter in place order, like shit was about to get really weird. Indeed, I did not see Amber again for 23 days after that. Alex was still on his way when I got there, so I wandered around for a bit, making sure I knew where the trailhead was at. It was a cloudy morning still, and I could see mists writhing through the green hills as I wandered up Hayfield Road. Alex showed up soon, and we set an agenda for the day, going up Flag Hill, and then whatever we felt like after that. It was Saturday, so the crowds were already intensifying in this popular park. I was still figuring out how to deal with hiking during the Covid -19 pandemic, and I would soon learn to never go out on weekends, except to the most remote locations.
We dealt with the weekend mobs, and ascended Flag Hill. The sky was opening up to patchy blue, and the views opened up to the south, towards Little Yosemite and Calaveras Reservoir. I don't know what the fuck cows have to do with a "wilderness" area, but their presence was everywhere. Flag Hill was a well formed rocky outcropping which Alex and I had seen from one of our previous brotherly hikes, to Mission Peak the year before. Now we looked at Mission Peak from Flag Hill, and also at another nearby mountain that was kind of pointy and looked cool. We decided to go to it. I misread the map, and we started taking a trail that I thought would go there, but it was the Welch-Flag Hill Trail, and though it was beautiful countryside, it went down into canyon, and we had to backtrack to get on the right path. Now bear in mind that Alex and I, this whole time, due to the misty, rocky nature of the landscape, are bantering in stupid Scottish accents that we learned from watching Trainspotting too many times as young lads.
"It looks like me bonnie highlands of me youth."
"Aye, aye it does. The bonnie crags upon the loch."
It went on like this for quite some time, and you would have not have been amused. But we were. Anyway, we backtracked on the Flag Hill Loop Trail, and turned north-west on an unofficial trail that seemed sure to lead us to the pointy mountain. Whether this trail was hewn by human shoe, or cloven hoof, I know not. It's not on the official park map. In short order we arrived at the summit, and found a benchmark which told us that this fine pointy thing was called Sam's Peak. How epic. Thank you Sam. Allright then. We enjoyed a fine view of the Maguire Peaks from there, and scurried across the rocky highlands under a sky which never became fully sunny, nor did it become fully cloudy again. To the north could be seen Sunol and Pleasanton Ridges, and to the south, Calaveras Reservoir, with a dull shine like a lead mirror. We returned the way we came, passed through the intersection of the loop on Flag Hill, and descended back to the parking lot. Feeling toothsome, we got some falafel in a strip mall in Pleasanton on the way back to Oakland.
ON PEAK NAMES
Flag Hill: It's doesn't have a flag on it, maybe it did at one time, it isn't a particularly flag shaped hill, whatever that would be. But I will accept this name as it is.
Sam's Peak: Falls deeply into the category of "named after an old dead white guy," probably a rancher or prospector. I'm not going to contest this one because I don't have the energy right now. Sam's Peak it will be.
FURTHER READING
Redwood Hikes: Excellent description and photographs of flag hill and lil' Yosemite
Bob Burd: Bob goes to Flag Hill and Sam's Peak
East Bay Wild: A step by step guide with nature and geology information
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