Completed: May 7, 2023 | Elevation: 2,812′ | Trail: Black Mountain via Old Ranch, Bella Vista and Canyon Trails (Out & Back) | Distance: 5.1 miles
With only an afternoon to spare, my scan of our unfinished Nifty Ninety list for short hikes led to this one in Los Altos. It wasn’t the fastest 43-miles given the windy nature of Page Mill Road, but at least no bridge was involved and we’d be able to tack on another easy peak – Windy Hill – on our way back home.
Neither of us had been to Monte Bello Preserve, which was also part of the appeal. After a very scenic drive, we pulled into the parking lot, which fortunately still had plenty of spots.
The trail began not far from the restroom and rather than taking a left we continued straight on it. Within a few feet, we were greeted by views of endless grassy fields and rolling hills. As we curved around the hill, there was a stone seat from which to take in the vista. Following signs to stay on Canyon Trail, we eventually merged onto a wide dirt path that proceeded under the canopy of trees. After 0.2 miles we turned onto Bella Vista Trail, which climbed gradually, following the contours of the hill. This portion of the trail was out in the open and we got hit with gusts of wind.
Continuing our ascent, we came to an intersection and stayed right to continue on Old Ranch Trail. After another mile of hiking we came to Monte Bello Road, and could see communication towers come into view, a sign we were getting close. While the road kept going, we turned right towards Black Mountain summit, marked by a scattering of rocks and boulders. A few people were sitting in quiet contemplation, soaking in the beautiful panorama. We walked to the opposite side of the trail and could see Cupertino, including Apple’s UFO-shaped headquarters, sprawled out before us.
On our return we cut through the Backpack Camp and were surprised to find a working pay phone. Seemed anachronistic. We then stayed on Monte Bello Road for a short while before getting back onto Old Ranch Trail and re-tracing our steps back to the car.
It wasn’t quite 5:00 P.M. yet, and with the longer days, we knew we would have plenty of time for our hike to Windy Hill.
Follow our progress bagging the Bay Area’s Nifty Ninety here.
Coda
This was a pretty hike, not too difficult, and took us about 2 hours. I don’t know what this place looks like in the summer, but it was great to see it in all its various shades of green. Another aspect of the hike that I found surprising was the expansiveness of the views. It was a contrast to the drive—Page Mill Road is a narrow, winding road, shaded by trees—which probably conditioned me to expect something similar for the hike.