Mount Umunhum (Ohlone, meaning resting place of the hummingbird) is the fourth-highest peak in California's Santa Cruz Mountains (after Loma Prieta, Crystal Peak, and Mt. Chual). The mountain is situated in Santa Clara County, south of San Jose. It is sometimes referred to as Mount Um by locals. Most of the mountain is within the Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve.
The mountain is topped by an eight and a half story (84.5 feet tall) concrete radar tower (5 floors interior), known locally as "the Cube" or "the Box". The tower was part of Almaden Air Force Station, a radar surveillance post which operated from 1958 to 1980. The Cube, which housed an 85.5-ton AN/FPS-24 radar, was completed in 1962 and used to watch for hostile aircraft during the Cold War. Its signal put an electronic zip into every radio, TV and sound system within its 250-mile range on every rotation.
The summit was closed to the public due to hazardous materials and unsafe, partially demolished structures from the former Air Force station. Plans are underway to clean it up and restore it for public use. "In 2009, with federal funding, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District removed 3,000 cubic yards of hazardous materials, including lead paint, asbestos, fuel storage containers and PCB transformers; and deconstructed 13,680 tons of concrete, asphalt, wood and other materials." The demolition of the cube was considered, but in May 2016, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors listed it on the County Heritage Resource Inventory, giving it official historic status and protecting it from demolition. On September 18, 2017, the road, a mountain biking and hiking trail to the summit were opened. Facilities include new pavement, restrooms, interpretive displays and a small parking lot at the summit. It is a spur of the Bay Area Ridge Trail.
The mountain is also the site of the Bay Area NEXRAD weather radar. The high elevation is necessary for line of sight in the region's varied terrain, but it also limits the ability to detect storms with bases lower in the atmosphere.
Maps, Directions, and Place Reviews
ReferencesEdit
Weather Satellite Bay Area Video
External linksEdit
- "Mount Umunhum". Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District.
- Mount Umunhum: Return to the Summit. San Francisco, California: KQED QUEST. May 26, 2011. Retrieved January 12, 2012. 10m, 18s.
- "Almaden Air Force Station Veterans Association".
- "Umunhum Conservancy, Inc".
- "Map of Mt. Umunhum".
- "Mt. Umunhum on SummitPost".
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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