A Hike to Mt. Sizer in Henry Coe

Mt. Sizer in Henry W. Coe State Park. is an easy peak to underestimate. From a distance, it doesn't look like much, barely a discernible bump on Blue Ridge. In hiking books, its stats don't look like much either...

• Peak Elevation: 3,216 feet
• Trailhead Elevation: 2,662 feet
• One-Way Distance: 6.4 miles

To novices, Sizer might seem like a cinch, but experienced hikers know better.

Last Saturday, park administrators at Henry Coe finally opened the areas affected by last year's devastating Lick Fire. To celebrate the reopening, I made plans to hike to Mt. Sizer.

Part of the plan involved starting by 8:00 am. Thanks to some several shiny objects, I didn't start until eleven. If it had been summer, I would have been doomed, but temperatures that day barely made it into the sixties. Because of the late start, I scaled back my plans and set Sada's Spring as my goal.

After scooting along Monument Trail, I practiced my downhill skills on Hobbs Road, which descends steeply to Frog Lake. Tackling it directly is brutal on the knees and I loathe side-stepping, so I like to imagine the trail is a giant slalom course. Passing through the "gates" requires "skiing" a serpentine path down the road, which slows me down and seems to lessen the impact on my knees. It has the added benefit of giving me a chance to pretend I'm Alberto Tomba.

Past Frog Lake, Hobbs Road climbed until it reached Middle Ridge Trail and a picnic table, which offers a view of Mt. Sizer and a glimpse into the future - a future involving a very steep climb up Hobbs Road.

Beyond the junction, the trail made a sharp left turn and began a long descent to the Middle Fork Coyote Creek, passing Deer Horn, Skeels' Meadow, and Upper Camp along the way. When I passed this way last year, the creek was hidden by vegetation. The waterway was clearly visible this time.

Past the creek, the real climb began - roughly 1,500 feet over 1.5 miles. On steep trails, I find it helps to focus on the ground five feet in front of me and just keep walking. If I look too far ahead, I tend to psyche myself out. When I reach a natural bend or a place where the trail temporarily levels off, I usually turn around to see how far I've come. The view is often rewarding.

It didn't take long to reach Sada's Spring. I had made good time. A sensible person would have stuck to the plan and turned around, but I told myself, "Sizer is only a few steps away. I might as well check it out."

By one, I was on Blue Ridge Road. The first familiar landmark was Booze Lake. It appeared as though the fire went right from the ridge to the lakefront and simply stopped. The house on the other side looked undamaged.

It was an eerie feeling hiking along Blue Ridge. On one side, everything was green and lush.

On the other side, everything was brown, black, and barren.

Because Mt. Sizer is so unassuming, I nearly missed it. The only indication of its existence was a generic sign that said, "Trail". I ventured a short way down the road leading to what I assumed was private property. Black tree skeletons lined the road and the view was incredible.

After eating lunch and taking more photos, I braced myself for the return journey. It was two in the afternoon and I figured I had two options:

1. I could return the way I came (6.4 miles)
2. I could return by way of Jackass Trail and Poverty Flat Road (8.2 miles)

Because I'm something a loop snob, I chose to take the Jackass Trail. It was the wrong choice.

I was a quarter-mile in when the trail disappeared. The fire had wiped out any hint of it. Toppled trees and tractor marks further obscured the actual path, so I followed the path of least resistance instead. After ten minutes of wandering, I finally caught a glimpse of what I guessed was Poverty Flat Road. I immediately headed for it.

For the next fifteen minutes or so, I ran up and down several steep green hills. When I finally reached the road, my legs were tired. As it turned out, I had emerged on Poverty Flat Road, 0.4 miles east of the other end of Jackass Trail. (And just between you and me, I felt like a jackass, too.)

Poverty Flat Road was kind to me until I reached the Middle Fork Coyote Creek for the second time that day. After successfully crossing it without soaking my feet, socks, or boots, the road got mean and began its ascent.

For the next hour, I endured its slopes and slants. While it wasn't as bad as Hobbs Road, it actually felt worse because of the miles I had already hiked. There were more than a few times when I thought a hint of sunlight at the top of a bend meant the climbing was done. I was wrong every single time.

After what felt like an eternity, I finally reached Manzanita Point Road. I took a five-minute break at the picnic table under the giant oak that stands at the split. It was nearly 5 pm, so I decided to return to Coe Headquarters by way of Manzanita Point Road instead of Spring Trail to save a few tenths of a mile. As I crossed the final bridge on the Corral Trail, a sense of relief and accomplishment washed over me.

In all, I hiked 14.2 miles with over 4,000 feet of climbing in roughly 6 hours. For anyone hoping to hike Half Dome one day, I definitely recommend hiking Mt. Sizer first. It's a good place to practice. One piece of advice: don't do what I did. If you go, stick to the marked roads and take your time.

You can see a few more photos from the hike on Flickr.