Every year, the trail to the top of El Toro, the distinctive peak overlooking Morgan Hill, is officially opened for a day and a hike is organized by the town's historical society so the public can enjoy a view from the top.

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When I first climbed El Toro three years ago, there were perhaps a hundred people making the early morning journey. This year's group was at least three times larger.

When I left the house at 7:55 AM, I thought I was giving myself plenty of time to reach the Morgan Hill Library, the starting point of the hike. I even took a second to photograph El Toro from my front yard.

The event was advertised as starting at 8 AM, with a geology talk preceding the hike. So it was a bit of a shock when I arrived at eight and saw the last of the crowd disappearing behind the library and making its way to the peak. Either the geologist's lecture had been extremely short ("Look. Rock!") or it had been given well before the advertised time. In either case, I signed in as quickly as I could and sprinted to catch up with the main body of the group (not an advisable move before a steep ascent).

The hike to the top of El Toro is a short, but challenging one. Over a distance of 1.5 miles, one climbs a thousand feet to reach the peak, which stands at a lofty 1,420.3 feet above sea level.

The first half-mile of the hike was an easy stroll through the neighborhood that sits in the shadow of El Toro. It was somewhere along this stretch that I caught up with Ann (an elite reviewer on Yelp) and her friends.

The ascent began during the second half-mile, but the trail was still on paved road. The last half-mile was the most difficult. The trail became a gravelly dirt path and the final stretch reminded me of the final approach to Half Dome.

Every year, a local Boy Scout troop installs a rope cable system to assist hikers to the peak. This year, they also dug steps into the hillside to make the climb easier.

Including the wait time on the cables, it took approximately thirty minutes to summit the peak. As soon as I reached the top, I immediately started taking photographs of the town below.

I also played a short round of "Can You Find...?" with another local.

Stranger: Can you find the library?
Me: (pointing) Right there. Can you find the post office?
Stranger: Hmm... can't say I can.
Me: I win!

Okay, I didn't say that last line, but I might have been thinking it.

After finding my house, the train station, the Trader Joe's, my favorite sushi restaurant, and a few other local landmarks, I circled the peak, taking photographs to the south...

And north...

As you can see from the photographs, it was an overcast morning.

I was backtracking when I came across a group of familiar faces -- faces familiar to me because of their hiking blogs. I must admit I was a bit star-struck. There was Tom (Two-Heel Drive), Russ (Winehiker Witiculture), and Rebecca (Calipidder). I also met Rebecca's husband, David, who related a recent encounter with poison oak, a topic of immediate relevance because El Toro is covered with it.

Soon enough, I was making my way down the same way I had come up. The descent was tricky. The elderly couple ahead of me were having a tough time of it. They kept slipping and sliding. Luckily, they made it down alive. (A piece of advice: If you ever climb El Toro, remember to bring gloves and don't wear shorts.) Next year, I hope the Boy Scouts install a zip-line.

Before leaving El Toro, I took one last photograph.

When I returned to the library, I picked up my "Made it to the Top" certificate. It's now proudly displayed on the front of the refrigerator.

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

For accounts of the climb that area actually fun to read, you should check out what Tom and Rebecca wrote.

Update: Ann also wrote a review about the hike on Yelp.