The mountains are calling!

Hiking Mount El Sombroso is not like any other mountain, with its numerous ups and downs towards the end of the hike, its a challenging one. There are more than one routes to hike up El Sombroso; from the Kennedy trail parking lot, or the Limekiln trail. Both the trailheads are situated in Los Gatos, and make for a good workout. This hike does not offer a lot of views unless there are clouds, but it does make for a good hike. I did this hike as a preparation for my JMT, and followed the Kennedy trail to the top. The parking lot for Kennedy trail head is small, and most of the parking is on the road side. If you don’t get here early chances are you will not find a parking spot, but then its a lightly traversed trail.

The hike starts with a steep ascent within the first half mile, and tests your readiness to make it to El Sombroso. The initial stretch ascends quickly before you reach a gate, and then you are walking flat for the next mile or so. The hike starts to gradually ascend as you pass through some trees, and the sun playing hide and seek with you.

The first junction on the trail is when Kennedy trail intersects with Priest Rock trail, that starts at Limekiln trailhead. The junction is about 4 miles from the Kennedy trailhead and gains decent elevation before reaching this point. If you are on the trail early and lucky, you can catch some beautiful views of the clouds. Some parts of the trail are shaded and others are in the sun, until you reach Priest Rock trail junction.

The most difficult part of the hike is between Priest Rock trail junction and Limekiln trail junction. As you proceed from Priest Rock Trail junction, the trail goes through roller coaster of ups and downs that take a toll on your legs. The ups and downs are certainly steep, and you may need to take several breaks to make it through them. The roller coaster of a ride ends in about 1.6 miles, when Kennedy trail reaches the junction of Limekiln trail.

From Limekiln trail junction the next part of the hike has no shade, and you can rest at the junction before proceeding further. The trail gains a little elevation as it runs in parallel with power lines before ending up at an unnamed junction. From this junction you take left and will end up on Mount El Sombroso. There isn’t a peak for Mount El Sombroso, just the end of the trail. There are no views from here, so we decided to proceed back. We followed the same trail that we came in, and ended up at the Limekiln trail junction shortly.

From Limekiln trail junction follow Kennedy trail, and you still need to get over the roller coaster ups and downs before reaching Priest Rock trail junction. The hike back until this point is equally hard both ways and is tiring. The rest of the trail from Priest Rock trail junction is downhill and you can enjoy the views when hiking down. We did meet a few hikers on our way back, but overall it was a pleasant hike with the challenge we needed for our JMT preparation.

Difficulty – Difficult Insanity Level – 2.5 Distance ~ 13.5 miles Elevation ~ 3000 ft Time ~ 4-6 hours

Directions: Kennedy Trail Parking Lot – Kennedy Trail – Priest Rock Trail Junction – Kennedy Trail – Limekiln Trail Junction – Woods Trail – El Sombroso – Woods Trail – Limekiln Trail Junction – Kennedy Trail – Priest Rock Trail Junction – Kennedy Trail – Kennedy Trail Parking Lot