Black Mountain is a prominent peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains, which is quite popular with hikers and mountain bikers, with several trails leading up to the top. I had been considering doing a hike from Rhus Ridge, a trailhead off Moody Road, for some time. It’s a challenging, but well maintained trail with steep sections and the views are quite rewarding. I didn’t want to do an out and back, which is the shortest option, as I wasn’t excited about descending the trail, being as steep as it is in parts. So I mapped out a loop that took me down through the Monte Bello, Los Trancos, and Foothills preserves, mostly along Page Mill Road, via Page Mill Trail. This would be a much longer hike, but I felt that I would enjoy it more than just going to the top and back on the same trail.
With a route mapped out, I started early to beat the heat. The morning was foggy as well, and so I enjoyed conformable conditions for the steep early section. The views were nice as I climbed, and eventually I was above the fog layer, which was also diminishing as the morning wore on. I was happy to catch sight of the cell towers at the peak as an indication that I was almost to the top. The fog was still extending its fingers though the forest lower down, but I experienced sunny skies as I descended.
I was happy to finally reach Foothills Park and make my way along Moody Road to return to the start. Definitely it was one of the longer hikes I’ve done, but I really enjoyed the trek.
July 7, 2026 by Mike
Category: Hiking