Napa County Highpoint Trip Report
Mount Saint Helena - East Knob (4,200+ ft)
Date: March 14, 2007
Authors: Sue Ann Miller and Frank Price
Previous reports continue to be useful and the trail has been improved,
particularly the majority of it that leads hikers past the Robert Louis
Stevenson monument at his Silverado Squatters cabin site. There appears to be
more parking than previously described and there are a couple post markers for
the trail and summit. The round trip to the actual summit in Sonoma County,
which we of course did after having a snack at the Napa CoHP, is 5.1 miles each
way from the parking lot. The sign at the start of the trail (0.1 mile from parking)
says 5 miles. A post sign where the trail joins the road says it is
about a mile to that point and 4 to the summit and another post marker up the
road encourages you that you have walked 2.1 miles from the parking lot and have
only 3 more to go to the summit.
There are two pines growing out of a clump of high chaparral scrub in front of
the microwave towers on the East Knob but we found no clear register around any
rock piles in that area, which is clearly the highest ground.
Unfortunately, we had no materials to leave in replacement.
We had hot weather (80+ degrees) for March,
but continued on to summit in Sonoma County.
As a side note, like the Covills, we include non-hiking stops in our HP
itineraries and we had come from Point Reyes via Jenner. Murphy's restaurant is
now apparently The River's End and it was closed the day we hoped to grab a good lunch.
The flowers and all views, including sea lions, elephant seals, and whales, were excellent.