Near the top of Blue Ridge
Another beautiful spring weekend in the Bay Area means two things: allergies and hiking. I don’t let the first get in the way of the second, although here I sit on Monday regretting it a little bit (acHOO!) Despite my sniffles and sneezes, I joined some friends for the classic Henry Coe hike to Mount Sizer. Although it is a relatively uninteresting bump along Blue Ridge, Sizer is the highest point in the park and that makes it a worthy destination.
Poppies and Burn Zone
Henry Coe is a hard park to hike in. I’ve heard that people don’t hike Coe to train for the Sierra, they hike the Sierra to train for Coe. When starting from the park headquarters, all the trails pretty much start off relatively harmless, but if you want to get anywhere you’re going to be doing a lot of steep up and down. The ridges in the park run north-to-south, but many of the trails run east-to-west. Sizer is on Blue Ridge, which is two ridges over from the Headquarters. So to get to Sizer, it’s about seven miles of up and down one way.
There is no ‘go up to get to the peak, go down to get back’ here. It’s up and down the whole way. While I appreciate the variety, it does get a bit frustrating to continue to lose the elevation you’ve just worked so hard to gain. The peak is only a few hundred feet higher than headquarters, yet a there-and-back hike involves a minimum of 4500 ft of climbing. Still, it’s a fun hike that gives a good workout, some amazing wildflowers (at this time of year), and nice peeks into the deep Coe backcountry.
I last visited Sizer back in March 2007. Since then, the enormous Lick fire passed through the area and it was amazing to see the differences. Previously I was a bit disappointed in the lack of views from the top of the ridge, but all of the vegetation has been burned away and the views are amazing. Wildflowers are enjoying the replenished soil and are blooming everywhere. It is definitely interesting to see the contrast.
If you do a loop that takes you through Poverty Flat, don’t miss the bonus peak! Right next to the trail is a little knoll that is labelled on the map as “Jackass Peak”. I couldn’t resist bagging another named peak so I took the extra two minutes to run up to the top.
If You Go
- There is currently a day use fee of $8 to park at Headquarters. There is no gate so you can come in early and pay via the iron ranger.You’ll want an early start, especially if you want to get up the “Shortcut” while it’s still cool in the morning. This is a stretch of trail about 5 miles in that climbs 1700 feet in 1.3 sun-exposed miles.
Style:
Loop Dayhike or Backpack
Distance:
16 Miles
Elevation Gain:
+/- 4400 ft
Trailhead and Permit Notes:
Henry Coe day use hours can be found by visiting the park’s website or calling. Given the difficulty of this hike, it is important to arrive upon gates opening to get an early start as possible. An entry fee applies ($8 as of this listing). If considering a backpack for this hike, contact the park for current reservation and permit requirements.
Camping Tips:
Coe Ranch Campground, at the park headquarters, has 20 sites available for reservation. If you want to get an early start on this hike, it is advisable to camp the night before so you don’t have to wait for the gate to open in the morning.
If you choose to backpack this loop, pick up your permit at the park headquarters before heading out. Backcountry campsites are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. There are several opportunities to camp on this loop, many of which include places to fill water: Frog Lake, Coyote Creek, and Poverty Flat.
Useful Guides and Gear:
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sweet photos – that trillium was off the hook – and the globe lilly so sweet! Looked like a lovely day and Coe so green. Thanks for posting and inspiring outdoors time! Got my long weekend hike up on my site- saw some cougar track I think and deconstructed some amazing what I think is coyote scat totally filled with bone, and a few nice sunset shots.
Absolutely beautiful photos. Thanks for sharing.
I love this time of year in the foothills. Right now I’m visiting family in Redding so I can hike and see the flowers.
Rebecca – I love Henry Coe wilderness! I love its tough ups and downs! I love your photographs! You have the eye of a true artiste! And, my, you do get out and about like no one’s business (but your own)!
We just climbed the two peaks yesterday in the rain, mist and fog. Went the counter-clockwise way, doing Jackass Peak first. What a bear of a hike. Saw wild pigs, turkeys and many newts. I will probably come back in spring to see what I hiked.
I did this in 5 hours, not very enjoyable but doable.
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