Stories of Mount Umunhum

Explore the told, and untold stories of Mount Umunhum, one of the highest peaks in the Santa Cruz mountain range. Long closed to the public, this spectacular summit is now open as a part of the Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve.
Find out more at: www.mountumunhum.org
Produced by Charlie Krenz - SVMTB Films; Music: Aqua Velvets;
Almaden Air Force Station archival images courtesy of Basim S. Jaber Historical Archive Collection

[@JackSmith-po8bs]

My family lived on the base in 1971/1972. My dad was the base medic. It was our favorite duty station. It was paradise.

[@Greg_call]

... also, I loved the work the Airmen did each Christmas to place a star on the radar tower. Could see this from my bedroom every Christmas until 1979. Additionally, the radar always added a noise to my AM radio every 7 seconds.... or 15 secs.

[@RobertBanksIV]

family lived there around 1963-64! What a beautiful place.

[@photonjones5908]

Grew up in Scotts Valley in the 70s, I was lucky enough to get to visit the radar station when it was running as part of a summer school class on aviation and aerospace in 1973, almost fifty years ago. We had great schools before prop 13! It was neat to see my hometown from the summit, after that two hour bus ride, with the Monterey Bay and the Santa Lucia range stretching far to the south, and it was amazing and scary to see what the air force was doing for us all up there as the cold war dragged on. It was a coming of age of sorts. I hope to get back up there when I'm in the area again. Great work to restore the mountaintop, btw, and thank you so much for explaining the meaning and origin of the name and the tribe that remain to share them.

[@ChristopherMascarina]

I have been hiking for about 8 years now and I got to say this is a great hiking place for beginners! Great view on top. Well, maintained trail. Bikes ok. Walking strollers are ok. Thanks for the awesome video. Love it. Family friendly. No pets allowed.

[@45salf]

Excellent video. So much going on up there of interest to anyone.

[@imdragonslayer]

Awesome video! Rich history and amazing stories. Thanks for creating this video.

[@baconfister]

Always great to see some familiar faces in the video! Great filming Charlie!

[@bassparanormal]

Hicks Road is so haunted. Just did a Investigation there and It was so scary!!!!!!

[@steveconyers4173]

Drove up there as a teen in the mid 1980s. There was a county gate at the top. We got out to take in he view. A pickup came down from the base on the other side of the gate. Old dude with a shotgun got out and we didn't wait around for him to tell us to leave! Good times.

[@SVSky]

That radar tower is dying to have a hang glider launch ramp put on it.

[@satorimystic]

The Amuh Matsun should paint murals on the tower.

[@jeffwalther3935]

Combat airspace interception and control REQUIRES maximizing range and (combat) time on station. With Mt. Um's 24/7/365-available, 2nd party, remote fuel managers for EACH of these fuel-hungry engines of all the fighters aloft, the telling razor-thin margins could be immeasurably better used, monitored and conserved - so much so it makes the interceptors viable at all; in the absence of later modern AWACS aerial-borne airspace combat theater radar and support. THIS development with the KC 135's for the Air Force and E-2/C-2 Hawkeye for the Navy replaced Mt. Um's radar base site's raison d'etra and the rest is history. Good tour of duty in those days, I'd wager.

[@christoroppolo8742]

Of Course!They we’re testing atomic missiles! And intercontinental radar ! Thanks so much for this information! Peace 👽🔦✌🏻👍🏻👏🏻🛸🙏🕺Christo

[@pappigee8521]

Helmets? wow When my dad was stationed there twice.We as 8 yrs olds would ride the fire trail started by fire dept and helicopter pad we would ride are bikes non professional or Mountain bikes down to the middle base of the mountain still on USAF land by a mp outpost ....No helmet n zoom zoom zoom 😅

[@Greg_call]

Great place but whoa, tick population exploded since the early 80s. Deer ticks all over the umunhum/Guadalupe area.

[@patrick8030]

Please don't call the Santa Clara Valley "silicon"

[@willbill808]

So you can’t be Native American or ex military and be a cyclist? 😂

[@patrick8030]

Crazy - go through all that worthy and great effort to reshape the top of the mountain but then leave the vulgar box out of a very pathetic nostalgia

[@patrick8030]

Maintaining that cold war box on the mountain is pathetic and disrespectful to all Native Americans. It's awful looking too.

[@bassfishingwiththeantichri2921]

There's a serious conflict of interests when the government caters to its own private investment group. (Mid Pen) Its called racketeering. And since the Federal government is the same said "private investment group", they're not going to police themselves.

[@Jdksub]

The “Russians” what a joke