Mount Diablo Lives Up to Its Name

Mount Diablo is not a large mountain.  At 3849 ft it is not even the highest mountain in the Bay area, Mount Hamilton is a full 360 ft taller.  Let me tell you that now the name Mount Diablo brings up fear in me like a drunk ex-girlfriend who has started to tell stories at a party. 

Mount Diablo kicked my ass.  Not just kinda-sorta but an all out extravaganza of ass whooping that you cannot imagine.  I began Mount Diablo because my parents recommended it as a great view in the area and a hiking book recommended its “360-degree vistas and unusual flora”.  How could I possibly have known the evil that lay in the mountain awaiting my arrival?  I usually pick a hike a weekend and this one looked as good as any other. 

The hike started as usual I was traveling at a pretty good speed enjoying the views.  I hiked to a small point named eagle point.  In the book it is described as having “steep drop offs on both sides and fine views all the way.”  I first realized I was in trouble when my right foot starting sliding at one of the ledges.  My other foot decided that this was fine idea and joined the first.  Soon I was skiing down the mountain towards the precipice.  I screamed like a banchee and fell to my butt in the dirt.  Fortunately I was able to wrap my arms around a briar bush kept me from going over the edge.

Bleeding and a bit dazed, I stood up to walk and immediately tripped on a root pivoting myself into the ground yet again.  Sharp, pointy, “hurt-you” rocks were there to keep my hands and knees from hitting the soft dirt below.  At this point I stayed down to think about the absurdity of what had just happened.  I was at the lowest point on the hike, so the hike back was a six-mile hike up-hill.  Bruised limping and bleeding on the trail I must have been a sorry sight because some Mountain bikers stopped.  

One of the bikers questioned, “Dude, what happened to your bike”.  One hundred responses spun through my head about how I had the balance of a cracked up monkey fresh of the Gravitron ride at a carnival, but all I could reply was, “It went over the ledge. I am lucky to be alive.”