The last MMS Junior High trip of this year was to Mt. Diablo State Park, which is around a one-hour drive away from the Junior High. It was four days and three nights long, and we camped on the side of the mountain, around halfway up.

Arrival and Setting Up

On Tuesday morning, we had everything packed into boxes, crates, and coolers. The school vans were packed by midmorning, and we arrived at our campsite just before lunch. From there, people were bustling around setting up tents, chairs, and handwashing stations, and by the end of the day, we had a van as a pantry and a kitchen set up with folding tables, coolers, portable stovetops, and trays of food being prepared. 

The campsite was beautiful, overlooking the lower west side of the mountain, and furnished with oak trees and native plants. This photo is from the Boundary campsite, which is one of the two sites we had for tenting. The other one, called Stagecoach, was used for tents as well as the kitchen and the main gathering area.

Sunset on the first day – Evening Activities 

The sunset view from the Stagecoach site was stunning, and we got to experience it all through dinner and evening activities. On the first night, groups got assigned random boxes of items and had to make a short skit with all the props. Each skit was hilarious and spontaneous, having been thought of on a whim and constructed in maybe 15 minutes. Even though it was chilly, the sun was setting, and we were all in a strange and new place. Everybody was smiling. It was a great introduction to the trip.

Day Two: Breakfast and Hot Chocolate

All the mornings were cold, especially the second day. We were allowed to come out of our tents at around 6:30, and when I woke up, there were already pots of water boiling for washing dishes, making breakfast, and serving hot chocolate. For breakfasts and dinners, two groups of people were assigned, one for cooking and one for cleaning, and by the time everyone was awake, the breakfast crew had already set up tables of food for breakfast and packing lunch. Even in the chilly weather, it was an amazing opportunity to strengthen bonds while spending the morning with friends over warm food and hot chocolate.

First Hike: Four Summits

We were split into three groups, and on the second day, two of them went to the summit of Mt. Diablo, and one of them went to a place called Rock City. Of the two groups that went to the summit, one group hiked from the campsite, and one group hiked from a parking lot a little ways from the peak. 

I was in the long hike group where we did a trail called Four Summits. In this picture, we reached the second summit of the hike and were rewarded with this beautiful view of the land to the west of the mountain. The hike was long, but the temperature stayed so low that we could see our breaths until we reached the top summit, which made the sun bearable. 

The view from the tower at the top of the mountain was incredible, and it gave us a 360° view of all the towns around Mt. Diablo. We could even see Mt. Tam. It was an amazing opportunity to connect with my hiking group, as we stayed on the trail for around six hours and walked for a total of over seven miles.

Morning Campfires 

On the morning of the third and fourth days, we were allowed to have fires in the pits around the Stagecoach camp. By 6:45, people were gathered around the fires, chatting and drinking hot chocolate. I sat down with people I didn’t always talk with, and it was nice to connect with people over the campfire, even when it was cold out and the sun hadn’t completely risen yet.

The Second Hike

After breakfast on the third day, we prepared for another day of hiking. The people who did the long hike on Wednesday were also doing a long hike on Thursday to a place called Rock City. The other group that went to the Summit last time also went to Rock City, but they took vans to the main trailhead, so they got there a lot sooner in the day than we did. My group took a few fire roads and trailheads until we reached a place to stop. Although it wasn’t yet Rock City, there was a huge boulder in the forest that we could climb on and explore, and some students even reached the top.

Rock City

We reached Rock City after a few more minutes of hiking and stopped to have lunch at the base of one of the rocks. The area was like a natural playground, with steps carved into boulders and rocks, and caves to crawl into. We had free range throughout the area and were able to climb and jump from place to place. There were a lot of different places to explore, and before we moved on, we played a round of hide and seek.

From the main area of Rock City, we continued hiking through the boulders to the main peak of the trail. The edges were fenced off, and we got to look over the valley of Rock City and the towns below. All in all, this hike was around 8 miles, and even though it was steep and hot, I’m so grateful I got to participate in this.

To conclude, I think this trip was a fantastic experience, from the time I got to spend with friends and classmates to the hiking and nature I was surrounded by. I found myself learning more about both the people around me and the wildlife and environment, and I’m so glad I went.