By Carol Pogash

Nov. 4, 2014

FREMONT, Calif. — At three miles long and 2,000 legs in level, the hike up Mission Peak just isn’t for the faint of heart: The path is dry and almost bald, and climbing it may be painfully hot. The incline close to the top is rocky and preposterously high.

However for those that ensure it is to your top, the payoff is big. As well as a view that is panoramic of Francisco, Oakland, San Jose and, often, the Sierra Nevada tripped against a cornflower sky, there was a pole to rise, one where hikers can pose in a triumph stance for an image that proves they managed to get. About four years ago, cellphone images of climbers in the pole close to the top with hands outstretched like eagle wings started cropping up on Facebook, Instagram, Yelp and sites that are even dating.

Exactly what happens to be a rite of passage for many has converted into a nuisance for the neighbor hood. Continue reading →