San Mateo County Highpoint Trip Report
Long Ridge
Date: December 18, 2005
Author: Peter Maurer
I got a last minute notice from Loro Paterson about a visit scheduled to this
private highpoint. So I adjusted my holiday schedule and, along with my 11-year
old son, drove down to the Bay Area to bag this peak, since 5 years ago I was
unsuccessful due to the then-recently-installed electric fence. Several HPers
met at the entry gate to this and other homes in the area in a driving rain,
probably the heaviest storm to hit the area so far this season.
Not to be deterred, however, we car-pooled into the property and parked
at the base of the hill below the now-completed home.
We made a quick scamper up to the top, took some photos, said thanks to the
property owner whose impression of us as complete lunatics is now confirmed,
and hurried back to our vehicles. The visibility was not more than 100 yards,
the wind was howling and driving the rain horizontally, and we were all soaked in minutes.
However, we bagged our peak and it was all worth it. (Right?) It is
a wonderful area for hiking and on a warmer, sunnier day I'd recommend taking
the time to enjoy the rugged coastal mountains, with views to the San Francisco
Bay and Pacific Ocean. One great thing about the Bay Area is its wealth of
publicly owned open space and miles of recreation trails. It would have been a
great opportunity to meet and strategize about other difficult-to-access HPs
(one fellow climber had just completed an ascent of South Butte in Sutter County) but,
with that day's weather, we all dispersed and went our separate ways.
For us it meant driving a few miles north to Alice's Restaurant at the
junction of Highways 35 and 84 for some warm food and beverage.