Mt. Allison is a part of a ridge that towers over the southern part of Fremont, and also includes Mission Peak, which is slightly more prominent due to its rugged appearance, and Monument Peak. Mt. Allison, at 2,664ft (812m), happens to be the tallest of the three. Most people reach Mission Peak as a part of a very popular hike starting from Stanford Avenue in Fremont (as I did in 2011), however the last portion of the trail is closed to bikes. So I set my sights on its slightly taller and rounder sister.
To avoid crowds, I chose to ride up from Ohlone College and hit the trail just as the sun burnt through last of the morning clouds. Most of the trail is a fire road that seemed quite steep in the burning sun. A wooded single track section in the middle was a welcome change. Six miles, and some 2700 vertical feet including some 20% grades later, I stood on top of Mt. Allison. I was her only lover, which was a welcome respite from the crowds that I saw going up Mission Peak. I savored the ride down - riding my bike through her blonde hair - dry grass of the late summer. I stopped at a hang glider/paragliding launch site on the ridge below Mission Peak. Three people took off as I watched and they soared above the slopes on rising currents of air. I went down lower still, over the curves of Allison's sides, and into the narrow exciting slit in the forest. It was a rush all the way down to the trailhead...
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| Launch site | Good winds | Almost ready | Getting the wind in... | Fly, Forest, fly | Flying |
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| Soaring | Second paraglider | Launching spot | Off he goes | Windward couple | |
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| Paragliders |
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| Peak Trail and Mission Peak | Downward curves | Between the earth and the sky | Forested mid-section | Down is easy | Trail |
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| Looking back up | Curva fatale | Moving electrons |
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