Sweeney Ridge

DATE: Thursday, November 19, 2020
DISTANCE: 6.6km / 4.1 miles
ELEVATION GAIN: 207m/ 679’
TIME TAKEN: 1:16
SUMMIT: Sweeney Ridge: 378m / 1240’
GOLDEN GATE NATIONAL RECREATION AREA
SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA
SOUNDTRACK: Ancient Empire: The Ridge

PHOTO ALBUM
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Sweeney Ridge protrudes over 1200’ feet above the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, a semi wild area south of San Francisco, between the towns of Pacifica and San Bruno.

It was November of 2020, and my two younger brothers and I had begun staging regular meetups at Axell's practice space in San Francisco's Tenderloin to write songs for a new Owl record. There was no clear path forward for our the last album we had recorded to be released, so we just decided to write a new one. The pandemic putting a halt on any gigging or touring possibilities gave us unlimited time to compose new music for the time being.

Today I was on my way from San Jose to the band writing session in San Francisco, but I had time, on purpose or accident, I don't remember, to squeeze in a short hike before the day's light was lost. I pulled off 280, up through the orderly suburban homes of San Bruno, and arrived at the Sneath Lane Trailhead just before 4:30PM, time for a clean, quick execution of the hike. There was no challenge presented, the route was a paved road, and I made quick work of it, gaining elevation and soon catching a glimpse of San Andreas Lake, coiled down in the depression of the San Andreas Fault like a snakeinthegrass. Dusk and the aromatic scents of coastal shrubs swirled around me as I went higher still on the utility road, now seeing the crown of Mount Diablo in the eastern distance. The next thing to come into view was the San Bruno Mountain ridge and the city of South San Francisco in a pile at it's feet. Making the crest of the ridge, I caught the sunset, what was left of it at 4:56pm, as the fiery glow dissolved into the pacific fog down by Montara. It was quite a magical sight I must admit. From here it was only a few minutes to the Sweeney Ridge high point, which was just slightly off the road, and seemed to be marked by a stick in the ground. After this, and one final glance around at the panorama, I quickly descended to the van and continued on to band practice in the unsavory depths of San Francisco.

FURTHER READING 
• Bay Area Hiker: Discusses Sweeney Ridge
• Hiking Project: Useful information
• Sweeney Ridge on PEAKBAGGER