Church Mountain — Friday, Oct. 7, 2022

The theme of today: things aren’t always where you expect them to be! Like many others have noted, got briefly fooled by the Google map directions. Go a little further than it says, East Church Mountain Road is clearly marked. At about 1.4 miles the trail itself veers significantly away from the Gaia trail, including the USGS Topo layer, which briefly freaked me out. But since the trail was so clearly defined, and I was 100% certain I had not missed a turn off, I kept going, and it join back up with the map trail. Lastly, there is a peaked to be bagged here (the Church Mountain Old Lookout Site) but it is NOT Church Mountain. Numerous trip reports, and even Peakbagger reports, suggest otherwise so I wasn’t sure what I would find… But sure enough the true Church Mountain is whole different animal, 300 vertical feet and what looks to be very exposed, technical climbing away. Still a great day—coming out of the treed switchback slog into that meadow took my breath away (even more than said switchbacks!).