Rose Peak Snow

I joined Gary Gellin for a 19 mile roundtrip hike up 3,817 ft Rose Peak in the Ohlone Wilderness. A rare snowstorm swept through the hills and mountains above 1,500 ft in the Bay Area and the objective was to see lots of snow and views. Our wishes came true with 6-8 inches of fluffy, light powder near the summit and over a foot in some spots! The weather was spectacular with crisp, sunny conditions. We enjoyed stupendous views north to Mount Diablo, south to Mount Hamilton, the greater Bay Area, and the backside of Mission Peak  – basically 360 degree views. The snow was spotty until about 2,500 ft, but then it quickly became a winter wonderland. We spotted two coyotes and a plethora of coyote tracks. We also saw cattle tracks as the herd had moved to lower elevations after the snow. Instead of starting in Sunol, we parked along Welch Road and took the Eagle View Trail which travels through a nice canyon and provides great views of the Mission-Allison-Monument ridgeline. Here is a 9.5 minute video I created that is filled with lots of action and tons of great photos! Complete album here.