One of my favorite threads at the BAHiker.com bulletin board asks folks to share the steepest local hikes.
There’s wide consensus that a section of old gravel road at Henry Coe State Park known as the Hobbs Road Short Cut (above) takes the prize, with 1,500 feet of climb in 1.3 miles — a 22 percent grade. I introduced myself to this beast at the height of summer a few years back and learned the folly of setting out on very sunny days with highs in the upper 90s, then tackling one of the area’s most notorious hills. Can’t remember sweating that hard, before or since — went through two gallons of water was still thirsty when I got done.
Another doozy is the Mount Olympia Trail (above) at Mount Diablo State Park; I’m pretty sure it’s steeper than the Short Cut. I tried it once as a rookie, managed to get lost on the way back down and had to do even more climbing to get unlost. Stayed away for a very long time till I did the famed Diablo Three Peaks route; it was still a monster climb but expecting pure hell made it seem like an almost acceptable purgatory.
Yet another doozy: The Washburn Trail (above) at Grant County Park. I’m not sure of the elevation gain, but it familiarized me with the concept of a “point of despair,” the realization after the first mile’s slog that there are more miles to follow, all up.
The common thread among all these “trails” is that they’re really just old gravel roads designed for motorized travel, not remotely suited to hiking. I climbed ’em for the same reason I’ve gone from valley level to summits of Mount Diablo, Mission Peak and several sites along the spine of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Not because they are fun, but because of some inscrutable imperative that they must be done.
Must be that climbing to high ground conferred survival benefits on our oldest ancestors and their genetic gift to us is that urge triggered by the sight of a hill.
The shortcut is steep, but relatively short.
My vote goes for sheer uphill hell are the northside routes up Diablo.
Funny how perceptions differ — I had my mind so steeled for a death march up to Mount Olympia at Diablo that my memory of the hike now is that it didn’t seem so bad. But when I did it the first time, people with me said Olympia was much worse than Eagle Peak, the route you took.
I’ve not done the Short Cut…yet. Maybe this fall. But Mt Olympia paled, in my estimation, to the first four miles of the Ohlone Trail out of Del Valle. Maybe because it’s so hard packed and slippery it seems more difficult. But nothing causes me more grief than that stretch, that almost impossibly steep, unrelenting grade.
And that’s probably why I’ll start my 4th of July by getting out on it!
Hi Bob, if you do the Short Cut this fall, I might suggest making a backpacking overnighter of it. It took me almost 2 hours to climb the Short Cut back on June 9th and it was still a long haul back to park headquarters from the top. If you turned around at the top and returned the way you came, the hike up Hobbs Road on the other side would probably be pretty tough, especially so soon after tackling the Short Cut. When I did it on June 9th, I was weak and wobbly at the top and opted for the easier hike down the Blue Ridge Road looping back through Poverty Flat (about 15 miles). I’m not the fittest person around and overall, that was a 9-hour hike for me. Blue Ridge Road does have some deeply rutted areas but I
I started out on a ride at Coe last year and ended up confronting the short cut on my mountain bike. I got about 100 feet and that was that. The next 40 minutes or so was a monstrous grunter carrying / pushing my bike to the top . . .”Sizering” it up, I’d say it’s the toughest, steepest around, although there’s a short section of hill at Wildcat Canyon, on the San Pablo ridge outside of Richmond, that may be steeper.
You made it up the Short Cut in 40 minutes? Wow! I have to bow down to you and do obeisance. That is more than twice as fast as I can do it. Wow. I can’t even imagine doing that! Wow!!!
Cynthia – it was probably more like 80 minutes!!
Ahhh, that seems like a more human time. 🙂 I imagine there are people who are so super fit that they could do it in maybe a half hour or so. Maybe if I were 30 years younger I might have been able to do it in an hour with training. I don’t know. These days I feel lucky though if I get up it in under 2 hours. I’m curious though, how long does it take other people to climb it?
By the way, I gather there is a trail at Garland Ranch in Carmel Valley (if I have the right park) that has a 30% grade to it. I have never been there and I don’t know how long it is though. And of course that is a little outside of the Bay Area. Close enough though that one of these days I will go check it out. http://www.mprpd.org/parks/garland.htm
Day before yesterday, my gf and hiked Coe for the first time and made it up the shortcut in under 45 mins (including the many pauses for breath). Toughest 45 mins of hiking i have ever done.
Did the Ohlone trail from Del Valle to Rose Peak in May, with 35 lbs gear, Don’t remember it being nearly as tough as Hobbs road.
The same goes for Knibbs Knob in Uvas Canyon, which i did in march (also with a 35 lb pack) Long and Tough but no “Shortcut”
Another brutal climb i did was at Grant park, ascending up Los Huecos Trail. Some parts of it are just stupid steep. I’ve not gone up washburn yet, but i can see how even without much net elevation gain, it is possible for a trail to be utterly sadistic.
I have yet to do any steep climbs at Diablo. Debating whether to summit via Eagle pk or mt.olympia…
Only time I’ve ever gone UP the shortcut it was this time of year too. Damn near died (only a slight exaggeration).
Washburn Trail at Grant is definitely a doozie … in spring when the hills are green it’s not quite so bad.
Since I had the day off I drove on down to Carmel Valley today and hiked that 30% grade at Garland Ranch. Ok, it was steep, it was hard but it wasn’t that hard as it is only about half as long as the Short Cut, if that. The trail in question at Garland Ranch is Snively’s Ridge Trail and it varies from 20% to 30% according to the map. The trail is single track and you do climb quick but I think the Short Cut still rules. My two cents anyway.