Mount Umunhum is in many ways a symbol of the South Bay, and to have such a resource within spitting distance of Silicon Valley is very special. For example, the [4] Most of the mountain is within the Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve. It was a lot of incline. The summit of Mount Umunhum is dominated by a radar tower that is easily recognizable in San Jose. A mere three feet higher than its neighbor Mount Thayer*, most people recognize it from the huge "box-like structure" that stands on its summit, clearly visible from all around the South Bay. [15] It is a spur of the Bay Area Ridge Trail. Mount Umunhum (Ohlone, meaning resting place of the hummingbird) is the fourth-highest peak in California's Santa Cruz Mountains (after Loma Prieta, Crystal Peak, and Mt. A mere three feet higher than its neighbor Mount Thayer*, most people recognize it from the huge "box-like structure" that stands on its summit, clearly visible from all around the South Bay. The exposure on the northeast face of Mt.Umunhum is one of the best Bay Area exposures of the Coast Range Ophiolite. Aconcagua mountain itself has many routes, photos, and trip reports as children. The verdict is still out on the new elevations, so until USGS provides updated elevations, I will list the elevations of these mountains by their old measurements. 40 reviews of Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve Mt Umunhum Entrance "Start from the parking lot on the wood fire road, Woods Trail (gate SA06). Umunhum Trail continues. Winds increasing (light winds from the W on Thu afternoon, fresh winds from the WNW by Fri night). The object is to insert the numbers in the boxes to satisfy only one condition: each row, column and 3x3 box must contain the digits 1 through 9 exactly once. Bailey, E. H., Blake Jr, M. C., and Jones, D. L. (1970). The Umunhum Conservancy was founded in 2012 to preserve and protect Mt. Camping is not allowed, and there are no usage fees. (1), What's Up With Them White Albinos? The Box seems to be far away: Mt. Mount Umunhum is dusted with snow a few times a year. Aconcagua mountain page is a child of the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits.' All Rights Reserved. The structure is known by several monikers such as "The Monolith", "The Cube", and "The Radar Tower", yet is mostly known simply as "The Box". The road to opening was not an easy one, as the project suffered delays and design disagreements, most notably regarding what to do with the 5 story summit Box. It is sometimes referred to as Mount Um by locals. Umunhum Trail extends from the Bald Mountain parking area to the Summit, crossing through the varied habitats of the mountain and offering incredible views of the valley below, the ridgelines above, and the other great peaks of the Bay Area. Mount Umunhum Area and Trails • U Mt. Almaden Air Force Station operated on Mount Umunhum’s summit from 1957 to 1980. [16], In 2017, the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District granted an easement to the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, descendants of the Ohlone Native American People who inhabited the region before it was settled by Europeans. Now that the required repairs are known, we look forward to their completion. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports. Ununhum. [7] The tower was part of Almaden Air Force Station, a radar surveillance post which operated from 1958 to 1980. From the Dock on Monterey Bay. Mainly near gales. This multi-use trail offers moderate terrain for hikers, bicyclists, and horseback riders; and, at the summit, is the highest point on the Bay Area Ridge Trail. (16), Comments Mt. Moderate gradient. Mt. The plans for the top look nice and there will be a 4.5 mile multi use trail to the summit from Bald Mountain parking for those don't think driving to the top is a true summit. The mountain is situated in Santa Clara County, south of San Jose. This mountain top had been something of a sore spot in the mountain biking landscape of the South Bay for quite a while because, despite being part of the Midpeninsula Open Space (MROSD) parklands, it had been closed to the public until recently. Created: Jun 13, 2013 ... A view of the Box, taken from... Mount Umunhum. Between 1957 and 1980, the infamous Almaden Air Force Station, which occupied the summit area, maintained many radar and transmitting equipment as lookout for Soviet attack planes coming in over the Pacific. After much back and forth, the Box was deemed a Santa Clara County Historical Landmark, and it was decided that the Box would remain intact and standing on the summit. Luckily in the early 2010s, the open space district received a federal grant to clean the summit, restore native plant life, and open the summit to the public, complete with visitor facilities. Created: Jan 15, 2006 McCannster. "In Soviet Russia, mountain climbs you!" Zone = The UTM zone. Size 2500 SF Cost: $625,000. "Knowing that I'm leaving the area soon, my friend at the Umunhum Conservancy invited me along on a supporter's visit. (1), Images If the box is empty then the prominence is less than 500 ft. UTM, E = The UTM Easting coordinate in meters. The summit and surrounding slopes of Mount Umunhum were quite isolated from San Jose, so the station needed something of a self sustaining populace. Umunhum Trail. After more than 50 years of being closed to the general public, the summit at Mount Umunhum is open and accessible for all to enjoy, seeing nearly five times as many visitors as originally expected in its first year alone. Facilities include new pavement, restrooms, interpretive displays and a small parking lot at the summit. Mount Umunhum is one of the highest peaks in the Bay Area. The west side of Mt. Ride to Mount Umunhum from the Lexington Reservoir. [5][6], The mountain is topped by an eight and a half story (84.5 feet tall) concrete radar tower (5 floors interior), known locally as "the Cube" or "the Box". The Mount Umunhum radar tower Topped with its distinctive cube-like radar tower, Mount Umunhum is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the South Bay. Driving up Mount Umunhum Road at sunset. Umunhum was to trespass. As of September 18, 2017, after decades of inaccessibility, Mount Umunhum has finally become open to the public. What could be simpler? Mt. Mount Umunhum (Ohlone, meaning resting place of the hummingbird)[3] is the fourth-highest peak in California's Santa Cruz Mountains (after Loma Prieta, Crystal Peak, and Mt. Umunhum Cube Dawn Ellner (CC BY 2.0) Even from miles away, the profile of California’s Mt. Since 2016 the Conservancy has been waiting for the completion of this engineering assessment. Over a period of several years, all structures (besides the Box) were completely torn down and the summit and surrounding slopes were restored to match more of the natural environment. (Days 6-9): Mostly dry. The mountain is situated in Santa Clara County, south of San Jose. Most of the mountain is within the Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve. It is identified by a 5 story cement tower “The Box”, which is an 85 ton radar antenna used to detect possible threats during the Cold War. Squadron patch One of these community presentations has been scheduled for June 3rd at History San Jose. Umunhum consists of a geologic formation that is known as the Coast Range Ophiolite. Mount Thayer may be even taller than Mount Umunhum! Driving into Almaden Valley you will notice the box on top of the mountain towards the west. During the operating years of the station, the "town" boasted amenities such as residential buildings, a recreation center with swimming pool, a banquet hall, a commissary, and even a bowling alley. This trail is not used a lot, we didn't see a single soul until we reached Barlow Road which takes you to the actual site … Mount Umunhum's summit can be reached via the Mount Umunhum Trail, a 3.4 mile (one way) multi-use trail, or by vehicular access via Mount Umunhum Road. During the off limits years, the mountain could have been considered class S10 on the.