Jacks Peak

Over Thanksgiving weekend, we explored some other hiking trails I hadn't been on in many years.  Jacks Peak sits at the top of the Monterey Peninsula and separates Monterey from Carmel, more or less.  It hosts a handful of homes, great views, and hiking trails that are much less steep than our Garrapata hike in Big Sur that same weekend!

Jacks Peak has 11 trails, and we covered about half of them the day we hiked.

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From the Lower Ridge and Pine trails, you get views of the Monterey Bay, seen here with a nice blanket of fog.  Typical.

Monterey Peninsula and the wharfs.

The Coffeeberry Trail doesn't have as many views, but look at this moss!

The Rhus Trail boasts sea views on the Carmel side.  There's Carmel River Beach, and Point Lobos is in the distance.

Somewhere in there is Mission Ranch!

There was no lack of poison oak signage.  Will's gonna learn some day what it looks like.

 

It was a festive Fall color that weekend.

Jacks Peak is particularly special, because that's where my family lived until I was one year old.  This is the driveway to our old house.  I have no true memories of the place--just a recollection of what our house looked like based on photos from when I was tiny.  But that location sure is a sweet place to live!

I think the highlight of the hike, though, is that I got to visit the site of my very first camping trip, which was in our previous neighbors' side yard (oh, the views!).  I was probably 4 years old, and my Dad took me camping right over that hill below, with the trees.  My Mom and little sister hung out with us until dark, but only I was old enough to camp with Dad overnight; I probably felt so brave.

It was good to be back.