Mount Umunhum: Return to the Summit - KQED QUEST

QUEST treks 3,486 feet to the peak of Mt. Umunhum rising steeply above the Silicon Valley. During the Cold War the Air Force installed a sprawling radar station at the top of this mountain. For over 50 years the summit has been off limits to the public. Now it's being cleaned up and will soon be opened again as open space.

[@Turkn8or]

I was stationed there as a AC&W operator (radar) for 2 1/2 years from 1973 to 1975. Many fond memories!

[@RabbitGorilla]

Hi Stevan, awesome! Are you live near by the place?

[@MrJest2]

The 15 or so elementary school age children were bussed down to our school every day. I became acquainted with many Air Force families during that time frame.

[@balthazarthedonkey]

this was great to wathc, my father was stationed here around '74. great place to grow us a kid. lots of fond memories.

[@kaylasellers158]

It's more about the fact that this Mountain is sacred land to the Amah Mutsun tribal memebers. It's not just a military land mark. It's a beautiful sacred site that I got the privalage to see this week.

[@mdhookey]

It's been nearly a decade since this was posted, and much has changed. Having hiked up Umunhum yesterday, I have to say what they've done to the area around the former radar station is amazing. Lovely, easy going hiking paths up the mountain, nice new bridges, great views, historical markers, restored habitats and spaces for the Ohlone people, and fantastic views of the Silicon Valley. Highly recommend it to anyone who wants a good weekend out.

[@Greg_call]

Wow, what great memories here! KEEP THE TOWER!

[@loribrantley1518]

My Dad was there from 73-75 His name was Boyce Brantley. First Sgt.

[@amerinde]

We thank your dad for his service! Those were the tough cold war days.

[@ericrolland9092]

I love to ride my motorcycle to the summit. I feel a strange connection to the mountain. I wish I could have seen it back in the early 60s. Would have been a great place to have been stationed!

[@DougHarts]

I think they need to leave the radar tower. It is an icon of the valley.

[@nganthony8646]

I hope that I'll hike up there someday. The views look amazing.

[@roywhiteo5]

+Anthony Nguyen should be ready in the fall

[@gustavpostreich5565]

I was an A1C AN/FST1-2 Analog/Digital Processing Repairman stationed there 1962-1964 time-frame.

[@slaterama]

I rode up Umunhum with my 81 year old father on 9-10-11, it was a memory I'll never forget. The video is on You Tube... just type in Umunhum Scooters. I think they should leave the square radar tower too... we are a part of the history too. Leave it and tear down the rest.

[@RabbitGorilla]

Please keep the historical cube. It is the landmark in the area.

[@NickB1967]

I am amazed that the base housing didn't get sold off for living space. Sure, it is remote, but so is Tracy or Los Banos and people are commuting from there.

[@TheOnlySilverUnicorn]

I think you misheard her by about 20,000 ft. She said that it is 3,486 ft high, which is enough to tower over valleys that sit at sea level, but is not a very high altitude. By comparison, the city of Denver, Colorado sits at 5,430 ft above sea level, and the people who live there are just fine.

[@davidcasteel3992]

At 1:38 in the video is a picture that is not of the old Almaden AFS, but instead is of the old Mt. Hebo AFS, Oregon located on the coast about 20 miles south of Tillamook, Oregon and 60 miles west of Portland, Oregon, on (what else) Mt. Hebo. I know this because I was stationed there 1960-1962; not only that--I took that picture! It was taken from the old Fire Tower just east of the site in September 1961 as an Ektachrome slide using a KODAK Baby Brownie Special camera on size 127 film. The photo used in the video has been cropped from the original square format. The scan of the original slide is found here: www.flickr.com/photos/8712554@N02/8279287432/in/album-72157632263974192/.

[@JWKessler]

The 24 tower should be preserved and used as a viewing platform and memorial to all who served at the cold war radar sites. I was stationed at a similar station in North Carolina and would love to see that era preserved in some meaningful manner.

[@Fisarmonica23]

it did not turn into a ghost town; my mother worked there until the late 1980s. she'd drive several miles and a govt. van would pick up a few employees and bring them to the summit. I visited her there as she petformed various secretarial and accounting tasks. She was allowed to purchase All sorts of food items in the the Commissary at a greatly reduced cost. the summit has spectacular views.

[@RandomRandomPro]

Definitely agree with DougHarts, though I think it would be a bit expensive attempting to restore the building as well as removing all of the hazardous material that it's built out of. All I can say is... goodbye to Santa Clara's best defense against Zombies!

[@bassfishingwiththeantichri2921]

My father and his friend joined the military right out of high school in Gilroy because they wanted to "see the world." My father joined the army and was sent to jump school in Germany. His buddy joined the navy and was sent to Mt. Umunhum. The military isn't a travel agency.

[@AWDfreak]

I hope I can someday hike to the peak of Mount Umunhum without worry of trespassing or unlawful entry... The closest I've been to it so far were through Mt Umunhum Road and Summit Road.

[@TMoneyBeats]

Hope you were able to accomplish your dreams now that it’s open. 😄

[@AWDfreak]

@@TMoneyBeats I sorta did a couple years ago, or maybe it was a year ago. Amazing how much things change in even less than a decade.

[@TMoneyBeats]

@@AWDfreak It truly is amazing. I didn't even know it was accessible until some time recently ago so I'm looking to get some videos for my beats up there as soon as I can. Glad you were able to go friend.

[@JWKessler]

The building is a solid concrete structure that was designed to survive a bomb hit. It looks as if they are removing the toxic materials from it already, and restoring it to make it safe for public access should not be terribly difficult.

[@TheShadowCat]

@DougHarts If you watch the plans they have drawn up, it looks like the radar tower will be there.

[@backpain4]

i went u their around 5/7/2011, and i got to see dome cool things up their, the view, the sounds, and every was great, but i got caught, and the sheriff said that their was dangerous crap in the box, I don't care!!! i wanted to she that g**Damned box...you only live once, and i am glad i took a Saturday to see this historic landmark in its current state, if in is restored ill have one problem, hicks road, the only road up to unminum, is my race track, now it will have more traffic, o well.

[@Sovereign_Citizen_LEO]

My father took me up there to the base of the tower shortly after it was closed (about 1981/82). Loma Prieta has a much better view though (even though it's not easily accessible/open to the public).

[@winehiker]

Restore the land! Leave no trace.

[@kaylasellers158]

winehiker tear down the station and restore it to it's beautiful tribal area respectfully

[@southtext3400]

they are keeping the tower

[@NickB1967]

DON'T demolish the historical base! Make it a Cold War museum or something

[@amerinde]

@2:44 run time of your commentary, you say 23,486' height but it is actually 3,488'. In your description above you're almost right saying it's 3,486' to the peak. You can click on the 2.44 link in blue and it will take you to that spot in this video.

[@padepede]

Around 02:44, the narrator claims that Mt. Unumhum is 23486 ft high! I hope supplemental oxygen cannisters will be available for visitors.

[@Kcoaco]

Stolen lands; beautiful view of the landscape though 🖤