Cold Canyon Trail, Lake Berryessa, Napa

I’m in Napa! First time. Well, not the fancy wine-swirling town but a big lake in Napa County. Looks a lot like some of the lakes and hills around the Southeast. A difficult hike – not overly long, maybe 4-5 miles or so – but a lot of open ground meant little shade. Overall, a rigorous trail. I had to get back home by mid-afternoon to take care of something so I hoofed it as did a couple of other folks from the group. Would have been nice to be more leisurely. The lake was a stunning blue. I was surprised to only see a few boats out there. I’m told that the lake is the water source for much of the North Bay and also provides some hydroelectricity. Sounds feasible.