Ed Levin Park, Monument and Mission Peaks Hike

Monday: (02/12) Up early to head East to Ed Levin Park for a hike. I stopped at Happy Donut for breakfast, my usual egg, bacon, and cheese English muffin. I was early for the hike but I prefer that to being late. I listened to the radio while I waited. Jacob, our hike leader is a fast hiker. He had announced that they would be doing 3 mph for this hike. My normal is closer to 2 mph. I advised Jacob that they shouldn’t wait for me, I’d get to the top eventually. This hike was supposed to be 13.6 miles and five hours, per Jacob. It brought us to both Monument Peak and Mission Peak. I lost sight of the pack about a mile and a half out. I did see them leaving Monument Peak as I was arriving. I explored two potential peaks one about .5 miles away. I wasn’t sure what peak they had explored. As I was approaching Mission Peak I passed the pack headed home. They had finished lunch there. Must have been a short stop, possibly because it was really windy. As I settled down on a rock with a view for my lunch, the wind stopped. I enjoyed a nice rest with views of the entire bay and watching the hawks flying below. I also got a look at a fox crossing the trail just ahead of me as I left the peak. It was a long return hike about ⅔’s of it on a different trail. While they all probably met their planned return at 2pm, I arrived back to the start at 1555 completing 14 miles in 6 hours 55 minutes. I picked up dinner at the Lucky Chinese restaurant in Mountain View. Dawn and I shared the chow fun noodles, sweet and sour pork and salt and pepper fish. After a dinner and a nice shower, I settled in for the night.

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