Located just off the 880 freeway in Fremont, California, Mission Peak stands at 2,520 feet in elevation and has become a cultural icon for the city of Fremont. It belongs to a small range that includes two other nearby peaks and overlooks Silicon Valley and the East Bay. There are a few different paths that lead to the summit, but the most popular is a 6.2-mile round trip trail that begins in a small parking lot off Stanford Avenue. With the exception of the final quarter of a mile trek to the summit where the trail turns rocky and rugged, the route is a ten to twelve foot wide cow path composed of hardened mud and crushed limestone. The first time I visited in March of 2019 it was a chilly, foggy morning with low visibility, but I knew there was something special about this place. The whole tone and feel of the trail was so serene. Maybe it was the cows grazing off to the side of the path or perhaps it was the robust, green fields of grass along the slopes of the mountain. Either way, it had something. The following day, the clouds had dissipated, and it was clear as crystal outside, so I decided to go back. After climbing my way up the steep, winding path, I was in absolute awe of the view when I reached the summit. Mission Peak is perhaps most well known for having a seven foot monumental pole at the top, which is intended to be a symbol of environmental awareness. It was built with several metal tubes through the sides of it, all pointing to certain Bay Area landmarks. The 360 view includes San Francisco Bay, Silicon Valley, the Marin Headlands, East Bay, South Bay, and the distant Sierra Nevada mountain range. The city of San Francisco can also be seen on clear days.
Since my second visit, I've become hooked, and I now visit the peak on a regular basis. My favorite method of getting up there is hiking 3.1 miles from the parking lot at a brisk pace, spending a few minutes enjoying the view, then running 3.1 miles back down to the trialhead. My favorite part is when I get about three quarters of the way up. The path levels out into a ridge with several rocks and cairns off to the right. Beyond the cairns is a stunning view of Mount Diablo, the High Sierras in the distance, and an ocean of green mountains as far as the eye can see. The positive energy, tranquility, and beauty of the mountain form a creative mindset, and I've conceived some of my most imaginative ideas related to my career, writing, music, and life in general while visiting the mountain. The experience of being at Mission Peak allows me to approach life from a more clear and creative standpoint. I love listening to chill music on my iPod, like hip hop, psychedelic rock from the 60's and 70's, and cheesy 80's pop songs while power hiking to the summit, but during the faster, more intense run back down to the parking lot, I prefer to crank more energetic and straight forward rock music like the Sex Pistols, Motley Crue, and 90's Green Day.
Despite all this, like I mentioned above, not everyone in the Bay Area shares the same sentiment towards Mission Peak as I do. Several avid hikers in the community will tell you that it's overly crowded. This is a justifiable stance, especially taking into account the parking situation. The parking lot at the Stanford Avenue trailhead is an absolute joke. There are only forty spots, and parking frequently overflows onto the streets in the surrounding residential neighborhoods. To me, it's worth the five to seven minute walk to the trailhead, and although some residents of the area have complained about the streets being cluttered with parked cars, my response is they should have known what they were getting themselves into when they moved there. In reference to the high volume of visitors at the mountain, the most common words of distaste that I've heard about Mission Peak are "I hike to get away from people". I will say, yes it does get rather crowded, especially on weekends during mid morning. Some people hate that. Me? I love it. Every time I go there I encounter all kinds of people. Solo hikers like myself, couples, families with teenagers and young kids, white people, African Americans, Latinos, Asians, Middle Easterners, you name it. People from all ages and all backgrounds. I have no issues with the crowds because I think it's the coolest thing in the world to see all these people out and about exploring and being active. Mission Peak has a way of bringing people from all walks of life together with a goal of reaching the summit to enjoy the views and take pictures. Speaking of pictures, another common miff that I've heard is that people only hike to the summit for the Instagram post. So? What's wrong with that? The views from the summit are breathtaking, and the pole is iconic. Many hikers pose for pictures next to the pole at the summit, but not before completing a steep and strenuous hike to get there. If people truly only wanted an Instagram picture out of it, they could easily type "Mission Peak Summit" into Google images, photo shop themselves into the picture, and post it.
Love it or hate it, Mission Peak is a cool and inspiring place. My response to the disparaging statements is to give it the benefit of the doubt. Very rarely is something amazing or awesome the first time we experience it. Sometimes we need to adjust our thinking and see things from a different point of view. I hope that Mission Peak continues to experience a high volume of visitors and that the naysayers will give it another chance. In the meantime, I'll keep enjoying it!
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