Our friends and I have driven this road back in the 80s. We've been many times, always at night trying to catch sight of the albino cannibal cult. We used fast cars. One time a van pulled out in front of us and tried to stop our vehicle. Saw a glimpse of pale skin and gunned it around the van. Would have gunned it regardless of who, though. You would have to have gone at night. Other occasions I've seen figures in trees. But, I really believe that if there was some cult and missing people the police would have figured it out long ago. I now just chock it up to a scarey good time. Nothing more.
Additional note. At 6:30, where that 1930 bridge is, there use to be a 4WD trail that leads along the hill and then climbs up the very steep hill leading towards the cinnabar mines. This trail was called Suicide Hill as many off road adventurers rolled their vehicle. Within thus trail, there was a cut off 4WD trail that ended back on Hicks Road close to Old Man of the Mountain, that is on the right of Hicks Road when climbing. Large rock formation. A dead infant was found in this area around 1984.
I was so stoked when Mt. Unumhum was finally opened to the public in 2017. I remember seeing that radar tower sitting up on the summit my whole life. When I was little, it was last years it was still an active air station. I actually remember when it still had a radar on top of the tower and even from the valley your could kind of see it rotating.
We used to trespass there all the time. Never got caught but we heard gun shots coming from hicks. Every single time im near hicks i hear gun shots. And the cultists only come out during night,mostly near the mine and bridge
@@lostlakepictures7378 Nice. My parents lived around there when they were first married. The first house they rented together was there, until they bought their first home in Chemekita Park.
@@lostlakepictures7378 I am a Santa Cruz native myself, but did live in west San Jose in my teens and went to the trade school by Capitol Auto Mall. Back then it was called Central County Occupational Center = C.C.O.P.. I think it's called Silicon Valley Technical now?. Anyway.... I was kind of hoping when they opened the park that they would have preserved the barracks and the other structures up there. But was glad they kept the radar tower. It's a pity they didn't make it so you cold tour the inside, and restore some of the equipment. Would have made a great Cold War museum, IMO.
In highschool a couple friends at the time (not including myself) went up into one of those dilapidated houses only to find the inside in perfect condition as if someone was currently living there. Food, jewelry and clothes in the drawers, very strange. But even more strange is the times I've gone at night it's always super eerie. One time I swear we drove past a guy walking on the side of the road only to turn back and see no one. With nowhere he could have gone as it was there area that just goes into forest on both sides. Idk man I only drive there and never get out of the car lol
In the late 70's. while in high school, we were told the albino colony was at the end of Reynolds Rd. It is steep, uphill and is located off Hicks. We would party at the dead-end at night and we're told they would come out and jump on cars.
Benjamin! I live in the area and Hicks Road is my favorite road to drive! Besides the albino cannibals, there are supposedly caves you can explore and an abandoned mental hospital hidden in the mountains. Though mostly find teenagers getting high or getting it on. And fun fact, Mount Umunhum is the second highest peak in the Bay Area. Finally, if you slow down and look off to your right after the curve in the road at 7:07, there’s a great little view of the Bay and the hills around it! Happy trails!
My dad used to drive the family up to the intersection of Hicks and Mt. Umunhum Road in the early and mid 60s. One time it snowed down that low, about 2,000 feet I'd say. Then when in high school, my cousins lived near Almaden Valley, and I had my driver's license then, early 70s, and it snowed again that low, so we went up there to play around in the snow. At the time, the radar base still operated, so the road going up to the so-called Almaden Air Force Base and Mount Um was closed to the public, which was a good 1,000 feet or more higher.
Nice video of my childhood back yard. Thank you. BTW, when you say you reached the "outskirts of New Almaden," you were dead center IN New Almaden! That was the main reduction works & company headquarters. The railroad shipped mercury flasks out of NA from there. Hicks Rd. is New Almaden "outskirts," if you want to be more accurate. Also, another thing you missed was the Pat Tillman memorial. He also grew up in the area and is memorialized there. His and my childhoods were similar in that we grew up hiking and playing in those wonderful hills. And just past the memorial and over the creek is La Foret, a fine restaurant known for its wild game, located in one of many historical New Almaden landmarks. Definitely recommend them for a nice meal ($$$$).
Nice review. I lived in Almaden Valley in the 70’s and we had all heard of the same story. At the time, we all totally believed the urban legend and would always be scared to have our car break down on that road at night. Haha. Lots of fun parties at the reservoir where the shoes on the telephone lines are.
Same! I've never had any bad experiences kicking it on hicks rd and the area throughout the years day or night. We used to Party up there as well back in HS. was always fun going up there
During the early 80s, me and my friends from high school and I used to frequent this area a lot. Even back then there was a legend of mysterious sorts. One time we were hiking along the east side of Guad reservoir and we came across a tree that had the heads from statues mounted on it about 20’ off the ground. It was a chilling experience We also used to hike up the creek that leads to the reservoir, “Bite the Dike” spray painted on the bridge. We’d go up there at night with flashlights hiking along the creek for about a mile or so. We’d smoke brown weed and bring a couple of six packs. No anomalies to report... Just sightings of some 16” sucker fish in the rocky creek Also back during this time we’d park along Hicks road aside the Guad reservoir and with shorts on we’d hike down to said reservoir, cross the creek in the shallows and hike a short distance to a very large rock and jump some perhaps 25-30 feel into the reservoir. Then around 1986 or 87, my g/f and I were hiking in the main quicksilver processing area after a week of steady rain... There were 12” and smaller pools of quicksilver on the ground in spots. Back in the good ol days.
Right! I hosted two awesome parties at the Guad dam (1982 & 83). One party barley got going until the cops showed. I still have the BYOB Posters. Great times. Del Mar HS.
When you head east on Alamitos Road when Hicks dead ends, go west instead. There was a small community of run down individual apartment like buildings my buddy grew up in. They had been there for ages before and were run down by the 90s when my friend was living there. The santa cruz mountains are well-known for its hippie communes too. My guess is they are tied to the legend.
Weird. I’ve been there. Its like a crazy memory from when i was 15. I remember them as white houses. All kinda nice. But just abandoned. And it dead ended shortly after
Thanks for the video. Loved it. I grew up in Almaden, back in the later 70's. I heard about the "Screaming White Albinos". I just had to find out for myself. So I got some friends together and went for a drive. It was night time, sorry don't remember the time after all these years. We drove to the end of Pheasant rd. As the legend back then stated. We rolled down the windows and threw firecrackers and honked the horn. Sure as sh*t we heard the screaming. Then the screaming started getting louder as if they were coming for the car and us. At this point I started the car and we drove off as fast as we could. Now being of a logical mind, the next day I thought about what had occurred. I needed to investigate and find out what it was. So I drove back to where I parked the night before. It was daytime now. I did the same thing and just like the night before the screaming started. Being during the day I figured out right away what is was. Once knowing what it was I use to take girls up there at night. I would shut the car off and roll the windows down and start making noise. When the screaming started and the girls were yelling to leave I would pretend the car wouldn't start. Oh what memories. Now I suppose you would like to know what it was and what started this whole urban legend. Well it was just a simple peacock farm. If you have never heard a peacock scream then Google it. Very chilling. Also loved seeing mt. Umunhum. There was still the radar on top when I grew up and when you listened to the radio it would always cause a beep everytime it went around. After it was closed and the radar removed, I drove to the top. Of course the road was closed and restricted signs, but we went anyway. Awesome memories. Also I have explored quite a few cinnabar mines as well. I have a lot of stories I would love to share.
Above Guadalupe Reservoir there’s a rock outcropping called “Devils Tooth” that’s a little hike up from the road. There’s a great view. And there was a robe wearing group of people that were seen gathered around this big “door to hell” they painted on a big rock by the reservoir. The amount of detail in this door was so creepy, the city painted over it. The Wild Albinos were miners who after repeated exposure to Mercury went “mad” and lived in the mines after they were closed, only coming out at night to scavenge or find a woman.
Hicks Road!!! Big in the 80’s driving across from Los Gatos to New Almaden at night. I about died coming across this post, I thought the albinos died of old age.
OK, now my story, since I haven't seen it, but first, I had a really good friend who grew up on that mountain, told me stories of him being like 12 years old and taking the car for a spin, like full speed, fishtailing at the turns, multiple times, but he never told me anything about the people up there, I didn't know anything about the place until a lot later, I did have my run in with the guy in the pick up truck, it almost seems like a right of passage, but I was parked at the gate, all by myself, talking on the CB radio when he pulled up, I don't remember the exact circumstances, I might have had my window down, or maybe I was standing outside, or maybe he said something, I didn't hear him so I got out of my car, don't remember which, but as he was messing with the lock on the gate he said, "You know you're not supposed to be parked up here" and I told him how I was just by myself talking on the radio, wasn't causing any trouble. he didn't say anything in response, but he unlocked the gate, drove through it, got back out of the truck and locked the gate and drove off. There was another time he had someone with him, didn't get a good view, he looked around my age at the time, he had a little attitude, but the few times I've seen the old man he's pretty much left me alone, like I said, I did get an attitude once or twice, but the way I am, you give me an attitude, I DGAF who are, I'll give it right back. So the story starts out at a different time, but I had gone up there for the first time with a bunch of friends from work, there was about six or seven of us in the back of a B2000, Ray was driving, Julie, his G/F, who no one liked because she never let him go anywhere with us, turns out she became almost like a sister to me, (WHOA!...WTF!?...I looked up on maps for the place I was going to tell you about, man, that place has changed, it looks nothing like it did when I went up there, wow, simply wow, I was going to say, I bet those mountain people are mad, but I'm thinking they're not even up there anymore, the old timers have probably passed, it's a tourist trap now) (Oh yea, I'm talking about Mount Umunhum Road, not Hicks) As soon as we parked at the gate we noticed on a couple mountains over there was some kind of spotlight, or flashing light, like a helicopter, we kept watching it hoping they didn't see us, we talked on the CB for a little bit, talked to each other for a little bit, but we kept staring at this light trying to figure out what it was, we finally decided to go off and explore, so Ray and Julie stayed in the truck, of course, and the half dozen of us hopped the gate and started walking, about a hundred yards down the road I found a little, how should I say, like a little clearing and a small trail, so I went to check it out, oh yea, forgot to mention, since I didn't see this also, but the thing you got to look out for the most, and what really kept us scared was the wild boars, we heard stories how you wouldn't even know they were there and all of a sudden they come running out from the bushes chasing after you, and they were mean, like really mean, their teeth, their tusks, and they can run like 25mph, plus we thought there might mountain lions up there too, heck, we thought the boogeyman was up there too, but my buddy told me about the boars and how he was chased a few times so I got the information about the boars from a credible source. I walk into the clearing with about four of the guys, a couple kept watch on the road, I come up to this mound of dirt and on top of it a whole treasure trove of phorn (had to get past the censorship) magazines, pieces of magazines, and me being the guy I am, I'm just trying to grab as much as I can while trying to keep the other guys away from it, I'm grabbing some, dropping some, grabbing some, dropping some, I basically have an arm full of phorn, when all of a sudden one of the guys on the road says, "Hey, I think that light is coming towards us" All us go back to the road, quickly, and it does look like it has lifted off, someone yells out RUN! and now you've got six guys running full speed down the middle of the road on a dark starry night, now I've never been a fast runner, like ever, and you've got two or three guys way in front of me, but I'm scared, and I'm running with a arm full of phorn, I pass the guys in front like they were standing still, I mean, I was scared, we get back to the truck, I throw my phorn in the bed of the truck, we all climb in and tell Ray to take off. We laughed about that for years, the funny thing we laughed about is how I looked running down the road almost hugging this huge collection of phorn. Well a little while after that I went back up there with Julie and a friend of one of the guys I was with, never met him before, but he was in the Marine Reserves, and he's the one that taught me this great night trick, it may be old news to all of you, to me I'd never heard of it before, but he said, "If you're in complete darkness and someone is about to turn on a light, a flashlight, headlights, an overhead light, close your good eye, that way when the light goes off, your eyes adjust quickly" It actually works, I use it to this day. The reason why it was the three of us is we had heard that there was a haunted house up at the top of the hill, one of my other co-workers said he had been up there late at night and he found the house, but of course he forgot exactly where it was. Plus we had heard there was an old Air Force base up there and they had things like a radar tower in a tree, well, one night we were bored and decided to check it out. We get up there, park next to the gate, and start walking, it was a really nice warm night, when we got near the top the wind would blow and it would be like a nice warm breeze, but we started the hike around 10pm or so, forgot the exact time, and we got back to the car almost at 5am.
Maybe go with a group? I have my own paranormal group in Milpitas and planning and planning on doing exorations. Interested in going still? Just bear in mind I have to take the pandemic into consideration
So we're walking down the road, trying to stay quiet, don't want to get attacked by animals, or people, and what made it more exciting is we had to dodge cars a few times, that actually made it more fun, of course we always had time, once you see headlights you just hide behind some bushes, until we got near the top. We had been walking a long time when all of a sudden we saw headlights, the problem we had is on one side of the road it appeared that it was a drop off, and on the other side of the road was the mountain, we literally had nowhere to go so we started running, it was every person for themselves, we were trying to find a point where we could jump over the guard rail and be on flat land, or at least a bush, but it looked like a sheer drop off everywhere you looked, at the very last second, I'm talking like really a second, I jumped over the guard rail, and it was a drop off, but not straight down, I still had to hold on to the guard rail to keep from sliding down, but as soon as I hopped over, the car turned the corner, thank goodness he didn't see us. The funny part about that too is when we got back together we couldn't find Julie, the Marine had ran ahead of me so he walked back to where I was, I climbed back onto the road, and we started walking back, but we couldn't find Julie, we made one turn, no Julie, two turns, no Julie, almost at the third turn, our whispering of JULIE! JULIE! is getting louder, and she's like, "Here I am" and she looked scared, like really scared, but she started smiling and we all had a good laugh about how close we had gotten to getting caught, she had hopped the guard rail almost as soon as we started running. By this time it feels like it's been hours since we've been walking, I kind of threw out an idea of maybe coming back another time but earlier, but it was like, nah, we came this far, might as well go all the way. We keep walking until we get to this chain link fence about ten feet high, like right in the middle of the road, on one side was the mountain, so you couldn't go that way, and on the other side it looked like a drop off, and it was lit up, and what looked like an apartment building on the road right above the fence, we were like, great, what are we going to do. I decided to check it out myself first, Julie and the Marine were in the dark about 25 yards away watching, I start to walk at a brisk pace keeping an eye on the building, looking for movement, and when I got a few yards away I saw that you could actually walk around the fence, there was solid ground, in fact it looked like there was a well used trail right next to it, like that's the way the animals went all the time. I'm like, cool, but as soon as I got almost right next to the fence a bigger spotlight came on, they had a motion sensor spotlight on the fence, I about fit myself, I stood there for a few seconds waiting for the, "HEY! YOU!, and when I didn't hear it I walked around the fence and signaled to the other two, they came over and we continued the journey. It turns out we weren't that far from the top, but it felt like forever, we were still scared we would get caught, so every movement made us jump, the wind would blow, we would jump, if the bushes moved we would jump, we finally get to the top, now at this time we weren't using the flashlight we brought with us, for obvious reasons, and when we got to the base we still didn't use it, we were that scared, but it was so dark you couldn't see anything, we found the pool, that you could tell what it was right off the bat, but we couldn't tell what the other buildings were, we used the flashlight a couple times, with our hand covering the lens, pointing straight at the ground so we could see where we were walking, and turn it right back off again, we never actually went into any of the buildings, heck, we couldn't even tell what they were, but man, if I knew then what I know now, I would have appreciated the history a lot more, I would have known what to look for, and realize the importance of each find, the Commissary, the PX, sorry, BX, PX is Army, the barracks, movie theater, Officer housing, I'm not even sure what was there when we were there looking around, I didn't even know there was an Air Force base on top the mountain, and I've been here my whole entire life. I do remember that there really wasn't a lot left over, the buildings that were there were extremely run down, but still, there were still some there, maybe not the entire base, but at least enough to know that this was actually a base, and now everything is gone, everything except the cube, but now it's a park, nothing of the Air Force base is left, that saddens me because I was there when it was still there, and now it's gone, and I can't find any pictures of it on Google, but at least we got a chance to see it before it got destroyed, I just wish I would have went back more times besides just once. We weren't there for too long, not even a half hour, if at that, we left and walked back to my vehicle, which was actually still there, in one piece, with no nasty note on it, or a parking ticket, I drove them home and that was that. By the way, this was back in the summer of 1989, in case anyone wanted to know.
You take me on a journey, so thanks, well informed stuff about your 919 and those shots of san fran brings back loads of memories of my several holidays in Saus, cycling over the bridge and into san fran, thanks man, appreciated and also your kindness with those bars to the hungry.
Back in 1982-3, this was a scary area at night. There are three albino families living in the woods just when Hicks Road makes the steep climb to Umunhum Road. Two unsolved murders happened in 1983. Hicks road was also known for multiple auto accidents resulting in some pretty bad injuries. The hub caps were targets for the felons that hang out around this area. Guadalupe Reservoir had two teenagers from Del Mar High School drown... at the large 🪨 Rock. Much history of this area. Multiple unsolved crimes.
me and friends were driving through this at 11pm and the car turnt off because of the alternator and we had no signal for miles and had to walk until we were able to get an uber 2 hours later.
Great video. I was wondering about a mile before the reservoir on the left-hand side used to be a boarding stables where my friend used to keep her horses. I noticed you didn’t mention that and it was probably back in 06 that she boarded there so I’m just wondering if you saw a boarding stable. I always got the creeps when I was there and my friend who was ill with cancer, a week before she passed her youngest horse died in that boarding stable under very mysterious circumstances.
I grew up in the Guadalupe Hill area Spent a lot of time in the mountains Smoked a lot of weed back in the seventies Use to get a keg of beer have a big bonfire in camp in the hills Not always got albinoes it has gear monsters I don't know what to believe but adult really matter to me I've seen HIM HD NEIL AKA THE KRONK
I live in San jose and always thought, the name of the mountain is a rough anagram and could spell unhuman. Second what if the albinos were actually the tall whites aliens.
I drive Hicks road 2-3 times a week to fish at the reservoir. I actually saw my car parked on the side of the road in your video. I thought you did a very decent job of highlighting the area. It’s under pressure from people littering on the roadside and along the shores of both reservoir.
@@fishwet4908 you are correct. Good point! The reservoir is well signed with "Warning: Contaminated Fish" all over the place. Methylmercury contamination is ubiquitous in this and Almaden reservoirs, thanks to the extensive quicksilver mining in the area. I have a few pounds of mercury from New Almaden. And a bunch of stories!
Have fished the reservoirs up top. So I have driven it in the dark and I admit it is creepy as heck. Never "seen" anything out of the normal but I was chased by a freaking wild turkey that scared the heck out of me.
@@10mm not to far from where you spoke with that lay guy. Keep heading south on that road. It won’t look like a bridge from the road so look carefully. If your heading south on that road access to hat under bridge will be on the left side. I would look during the day, it’s hella creepy at night. Also, the albinos your looking for might be at the end of that road. North bound.
This is my back yard and commute route. I ride this both ways day and night on a almost daily basis. Hicks has surprising lots of traction cause of the very abrasive road surface, but it also eats tires. I had a Road5 that was toast after 3.5k miles commuting this road. Normally the Road5 last near 10k miles. On my Miata, PS4S rated for 20k miles are done in about 6k miles. The hub caps is where lots of cars crash usually going south too hot into the corner just past that mud slide barrier. Last crash I saw was a convertible Mustang flipped wheels up. You missed the rock climbing wall and boulder. The helipad is only 5+ or so years old, along with Mt. Umunhum Rd., it used to be a dirt/gravel road, and is actually a private road but took over 30years for all the stakeholders to agree on opening it up to what it is today. Local teens crash on Hicks Road all the time. Hicks Road is what I refer to as Heisenberg Hills, cause this area is where all the meth labs are.
hicks rock and thier is albinios i know where the old hospital from the minning days are thiers actually 3 and they are grand structures its very old infectiouse illness quarentine hospital ward like plantation buildingsand later coastal deffense tunnels that run through mt um and all over the bay western defense hub from the golden gate to monterey and in the east bay as well riddled with underground secret locations long forgoten work of the army corp of enginers
you missed alot,after the red fence after you pass the church make the first right after the red fence follow that rd till you get to the end their will be a bar blocking the rd walk and follow that but becareful their is mountain lions bobcats and coyotes but youll see what im talking about if you try it!
@@10mmthankfully no lol but ive explored around a while. Theres the miata in that reservoir and at the guadalupe reservoir when the water levels are somewhat low you can see a vw beetle in the water kind of close to hicks rd and the dam entrance that leads you to the trail
I made a movie for a high school class at the rock. And he missed Devil's Tooth. Haven't been up there in AGES! But I've been riding and driving Hicks Rd. for almost 40 years and have never seen an albino or wild boar. Oh well.
Ahhh....those Albinos were killing and grilling when I was a teen in the 70s. Took my wife, who I first took out when she was 14, up to Hicks Road... She lived in SJ all her life and she never heard of Hicks Road
Did you ever go back? It’s not true about the albinos. I’ve asked deputy sheriffs who had this area on their patrol. None of them seen any albinos , not in the day or at night.
Our friends and I have driven this road back in the 80s. We've been many times, always at night trying to catch sight of the albino cannibal cult. We used fast cars. One time a van pulled out in front of us and tried to stop our vehicle. Saw a glimpse of pale skin and gunned it around the van. Would have gunned it regardless of who, though. You would have to have gone at night. Other occasions I've seen figures in trees. But, I really believe that if there was some cult and missing people the police would have figured it out long ago. I now just chock it up to a scarey good time. Nothing more.
Thanks for sharing! I think there's more to this area than meets the eye.
Additional note. At 6:30, where that 1930 bridge is, there use to be a 4WD trail that leads along the hill and then climbs up the very steep hill leading towards the cinnabar mines. This trail was called Suicide Hill as many off road adventurers rolled their vehicle. Within thus trail, there was a cut off 4WD trail that ended back on Hicks Road close to Old Man of the Mountain, that is on the right of Hicks Road when climbing. Large rock formation. A dead infant was found in this area around 1984.
I was so stoked when Mt. Unumhum was finally opened to the public in 2017. I remember seeing that radar tower sitting up on the summit my whole life. When I was little, it was last years it was still an active air station. I actually remember when it still had a radar on top of the tower and even from the valley your could kind of see it rotating.
We used to trespass there all the time.
Never got caught but we heard gun shots coming from hicks.
Every single time im near hicks i hear gun shots.
And the cultists only come out during night,mostly near the mine and bridge
I remember waiting my whole life to go up there 😆
Likewise. Almaden Valley, Leland alum here
@@lostlakepictures7378 Nice. My parents lived around there when they were first married. The first house they rented together was there, until they bought their first home in Chemekita Park.
@@lostlakepictures7378 I am a Santa Cruz native myself, but did live in west San Jose in my teens and went to the trade school by Capitol Auto Mall. Back then it was called Central County Occupational Center = C.C.O.P.. I think it's called Silicon Valley Technical now?.
Anyway.... I was kind of hoping when they opened the park that they would have preserved the barracks and the other structures up there.
But was glad they kept the radar tower. It's a pity they didn't make it so you cold tour the inside, and restore some of the equipment. Would have made a great Cold War museum, IMO.
My friends and I used to think that building at the top of the mountain was an asylum where they kept the albinos
Now THAT would be something! Hey thanks for subscribing by the way I appreciate that.
In highschool a couple friends at the time (not including myself) went up into one of those dilapidated houses only to find the inside in perfect condition as if someone was currently living there. Food, jewelry and clothes in the drawers, very strange. But even more strange is the times I've gone at night it's always super eerie. One time I swear we drove past a guy walking on the side of the road only to turn back and see no one. With nowhere he could have gone as it was there area that just goes into forest on both sides. Idk man I only drive there and never get out of the car lol
It's a weird road that's for sure. Thanks for subscribing by the way, I appreciate that!
Weird. Was the house at the end of the road. Or the white houses that are abandoned?
In the late 70's. while in high school, we were told the albino colony was at the end of Reynolds Rd. It is steep, uphill and is located off Hicks. We would party at the dead-end at night and we're told they would come out and jump on cars.
Interesting, guess I better go back and check it out! Thanks for subscribing by the way I appreciate that!
we gon handle them
Benjamin! I live in the area and Hicks Road is my favorite road to drive! Besides the albino cannibals, there are supposedly caves you can explore and an abandoned mental hospital hidden in the mountains. Though mostly find teenagers getting high or getting it on. And fun fact, Mount Umunhum is the second highest peak in the Bay Area. Finally, if you slow down and look off to your right after the curve in the road at 7:07, there’s a great little view of the Bay and the hills around it! Happy trails!
Cool thanks for the info you could be a tour guide! What's the scoop on the caves and the mental hospital? Any idea where exactly they are?
@@10mm i think she’s talking about the place off reynolds road but it isn’t even worth it with the asshole park rangers
When I was young I could hear the Radar Turret spinning around from my bedroom window late at night. The Good Old Days of the cold war...
My dad used to drive the family up to the intersection of Hicks and Mt. Umunhum Road in the early and mid 60s. One time it snowed down that low, about 2,000 feet I'd say. Then when in high school, my cousins lived near Almaden Valley, and I had my driver's license then, early 70s, and it snowed again that low, so we went up there to play around in the snow. At the time, the radar base still operated, so the road going up to the so-called Almaden Air Force Base and Mount Um was closed to the public, which was a good 1,000 feet or more higher.
Yo mama still twerk for quarters?
Nice video of my childhood back yard. Thank you.
BTW, when you say you reached the "outskirts of New Almaden," you were dead center IN New Almaden! That was the main reduction works & company headquarters. The railroad shipped mercury flasks out of NA from there. Hicks Rd. is New Almaden "outskirts," if you want to be more accurate.
Also, another thing you missed was the Pat Tillman memorial. He also grew up in the area and is memorialized there. His and my childhoods were similar in that we grew up hiking and playing in those wonderful hills. And just past the memorial and over the creek is La Foret, a fine restaurant known for its wild game, located in one of many historical New Almaden landmarks. Definitely recommend them for a nice meal ($$$$).
My mistake thanks for sharing and thank you for subscribing I appreciate that!
Nice review. I lived in Almaden Valley in the 70’s and we had all heard of the same story. At the time, we all totally believed the urban legend and would always be scared to have our car break down on that road at night. Haha. Lots of fun parties at the reservoir where the shoes on the telephone lines are.
Cool thanks for sharing! Thanks for subscribing too that means a lot. Anything weird ever happen to you?
@@10mm Nope. Nothing ever really happened to me or anybody. Haha. Just a lot of crazy fun times. It was the 70's after all...
@@revazquez Nice man! Glad you had a good time growing up there.
Same! I've never had any bad experiences kicking it on hicks rd and the area throughout the years day or night. We used to Party up there as well back in HS. was always fun going up there
During the early 80s, me and my friends from high school and I used to frequent this area a lot.
Even back then there was a legend of mysterious sorts.
One time we were hiking along the east side of Guad reservoir and we came across a tree that had the heads from statues mounted on it about 20’ off the ground.
It was a chilling experience
We also used to hike up the creek that leads to the reservoir, “Bite the Dike”
spray painted on the bridge.
We’d go up there at night with flashlights hiking along the creek for about a mile or so.
We’d smoke brown weed and bring a couple of six packs.
No anomalies to report...
Just sightings of some 16”
sucker fish in the rocky creek
Also back during this time we’d park along Hicks road aside the Guad reservoir and with shorts on we’d hike down to said reservoir, cross the creek in the shallows and hike a short distance to a very large rock and jump some perhaps 25-30 feel into the reservoir.
Then around 1986 or 87, my g/f and I were hiking in the main quicksilver processing area after a week of steady rain...
There were 12” and smaller pools of quicksilver on the ground in spots.
Back in the good ol days.
Now you would be eaten alive by ticks.
Guadalupe Reservoir = 1980's night-time remote party location. Cloudy memories :-)
Cheers man glad it took you back, thanks for subscribing by the way I really appreciate that!
Right! I hosted two awesome parties at the Guad dam (1982 & 83). One party barley got going until the cops showed. I still have the BYOB Posters. Great times. Del Mar HS.
I always went at night. I dont even recognize it during the day lol
It's weird at all hours haha hey thanks for subscribing man I appreciate that!
When you head east on Alamitos Road when Hicks dead ends, go west instead. There was a small community of run down individual apartment like buildings my buddy grew up in. They had been there for ages before and were run down by the 90s when my friend was living there.
The santa cruz mountains are well-known for its hippie communes too. My guess is they are tied to the legend.
Thanks for sharing I'll have to go check it out!
Weird. I’ve been there. Its like a crazy memory from when i was 15. I remember them as white houses. All kinda nice. But just abandoned. And it dead ended shortly after
Thanks for the video. Loved it. I grew up in Almaden, back in the later 70's. I heard about the "Screaming White Albinos". I just had to find out for myself. So I got some friends together and went for a drive. It was night time, sorry don't remember the time after all these years. We drove to the end of Pheasant rd. As the legend back then stated. We rolled down the windows and threw firecrackers and honked the horn. Sure as sh*t we heard the screaming. Then the screaming started getting louder as if they were coming for the car and us. At this point I started the car and we drove off as fast as we could.
Now being of a logical mind, the next day I thought about what had occurred. I needed to investigate and find out what it was. So I drove back to where I parked the night before. It was daytime now. I did the same thing and just like the night before the screaming started. Being during the day I figured out right away what is was.
Once knowing what it was I use to take girls up there at night. I would shut the car off and roll the windows down and start making noise. When the screaming started and the girls were yelling to leave I would pretend the car wouldn't start. Oh what memories.
Now I suppose you would like to know what it was and what started this whole urban legend. Well it was just a simple peacock farm. If you have never heard a peacock scream then Google it. Very chilling.
Also loved seeing mt. Umunhum. There was still the radar on top when I grew up and when you listened to the radio it would always cause a beep everytime it went around. After it was closed and the radar removed, I drove to the top. Of course the road was closed and restricted signs, but we went anyway. Awesome memories.
Also I have explored quite a few cinnabar mines as well.
I have a lot of stories I would love to share.
Do more road reviews
Try redwood gulch near Stevens creek res
Thanks for the tip I'll have to check it out
Above Guadalupe Reservoir there’s a rock outcropping called “Devils Tooth” that’s a little hike up from the road. There’s a great view.
And there was a robe wearing group of people that were seen gathered around this big “door to hell” they painted on a big rock by the reservoir. The amount of detail in this door was so creepy, the city painted over it.
The Wild Albinos were miners who after repeated exposure to Mercury went “mad” and lived in the mines after they were closed, only coming out at night to scavenge or find a woman.
Thanks for sharing man
Hicks Road!!! Big in the 80’s driving across from Los Gatos to New Almaden at night. I about died coming across this post, I thought the albinos died of old age.
Glad it took you on a little trip down memory lane! Thanks for subscribing by the way I really appreciate that!
OK, now my story, since I haven't seen it, but first, I had a really good friend who grew up on that mountain, told me stories of him being like 12 years old and taking the car for a spin, like full speed, fishtailing at the turns, multiple times, but he never told me anything about the people up there, I didn't know anything about the place until a lot later, I did have my run in with the guy in the pick up truck, it almost seems like a right of passage, but I was parked at the gate, all by myself, talking on the CB radio when he pulled up, I don't remember the exact circumstances, I might have had my window down, or maybe I was standing outside, or maybe he said something, I didn't hear him so I got out of my car, don't remember which, but as he was messing with the lock on the gate he said, "You know you're not supposed to be parked up here" and I told him how I was just by myself talking on the radio, wasn't causing any trouble. he didn't say anything in response, but he unlocked the gate, drove through it, got back out of the truck and locked the gate and drove off. There was another time he had someone with him, didn't get a good view, he looked around my age at the time, he had a little attitude, but the few times I've seen the old man he's pretty much left me alone, like I said, I did get an attitude once or twice, but the way I am, you give me an attitude, I DGAF who are, I'll give it right back.
So the story starts out at a different time, but I had gone up there for the first time with a bunch of friends from work, there was about six or seven of us in the back of a B2000, Ray was driving, Julie, his G/F, who no one liked because she never let him go anywhere with us, turns out she became almost like a sister to me,
(WHOA!...WTF!?...I looked up on maps for the place I was going to tell you about, man, that place has changed, it looks nothing like it did when I went up there, wow, simply wow, I was going to say, I bet those mountain people are mad, but I'm thinking they're not even up there anymore, the old timers have probably passed, it's a tourist trap now) (Oh yea, I'm talking about Mount Umunhum Road, not Hicks)
As soon as we parked at the gate we noticed on a couple mountains over there was some kind of spotlight, or flashing light, like a helicopter, we kept watching it hoping they didn't see us, we talked on the CB for a little bit, talked to each other for a little bit, but we kept staring at this light trying to figure out what it was, we finally decided to go off and explore, so Ray and Julie stayed in the truck, of course, and the half dozen of us hopped the gate and started walking, about a hundred yards down the road I found a little, how should I say, like a little clearing and a small trail, so I went to check it out, oh yea, forgot to mention, since I didn't see this also, but the thing you got to look out for the most, and what really kept us scared was the wild boars, we heard stories how you wouldn't even know they were there and all of a sudden they come running out from the bushes chasing after you, and they were mean, like really mean, their teeth, their tusks, and they can run like 25mph, plus we thought there might mountain lions up there too, heck, we thought the boogeyman was up there too, but my buddy told me about the boars and how he was chased a few times so I got the information about the boars from a credible source.
I walk into the clearing with about four of the guys, a couple kept watch on the road, I come up to this mound of dirt and on top of it a whole treasure trove of phorn (had to get past the censorship) magazines, pieces of magazines, and me being the guy I am, I'm just trying to grab as much as I can while trying to keep the other guys away from it, I'm grabbing some, dropping some, grabbing some, dropping some, I basically have an arm full of phorn, when all of a sudden one of the guys on the road says, "Hey, I think that light is coming towards us" All us go back to the road, quickly, and it does look like it has lifted off, someone yells out RUN! and now you've got six guys running full speed down the middle of the road on a dark starry night, now I've never been a fast runner, like ever, and you've got two or three guys way in front of me, but I'm scared, and I'm running with a arm full of phorn, I pass the guys in front like they were standing still, I mean, I was scared, we get back to the truck, I throw my phorn in the bed of the truck, we all climb in and tell Ray to take off. We laughed about that for years, the funny thing we laughed about is how I looked running down the road almost hugging this huge collection of phorn.
Well a little while after that I went back up there with Julie and a friend of one of the guys I was with, never met him before, but he was in the Marine Reserves, and he's the one that taught me this great night trick, it may be old news to all of you, to me I'd never heard of it before, but he said, "If you're in complete darkness and someone is about to turn on a light, a flashlight, headlights, an overhead light, close your good eye, that way when the light goes off, your eyes adjust quickly" It actually works, I use it to this day. The reason why it was the three of us is we had heard that there was a haunted house up at the top of the hill, one of my other co-workers said he had been up there late at night and he found the house, but of course he forgot exactly where it was. Plus we had heard there was an old Air Force base up there and they had things like a radar tower in a tree, well, one night we were bored and decided to check it out. We get up there, park next to the gate, and start walking, it was a really nice warm night, when we got near the top the wind would blow and it would be like a nice warm breeze, but we started the hike around 10pm or so, forgot the exact time, and we got back to the car almost at 5am.
Great video man! I enjoyed watching, keep up the good content! 👍🏻
Thank you and thanks for subscribing I really appreciate that
Damn, I'm new to the bay area and REALLY want to explore this now, but don't want to go by myself lmao.
Ah you'll be fine...probably
Maybe go with a group? I have my own paranormal group in Milpitas and planning and planning on doing exorations. Interested in going still? Just bear in mind I have to take the pandemic into consideration
dont go alone at night
Especially the mine
So we're walking down the road, trying to stay quiet, don't want to get attacked by animals, or people, and what made it more exciting is we had to dodge cars a few times, that actually made it more fun, of course we always had time, once you see headlights you just hide behind some bushes, until we got near the top. We had been walking a long time when all of a sudden we saw headlights, the problem we had is on one side of the road it appeared that it was a drop off, and on the other side of the road was the mountain, we literally had nowhere to go so we started running, it was every person for themselves, we were trying to find a point where we could jump over the guard rail and be on flat land, or at least a bush, but it looked like a sheer drop off everywhere you looked, at the very last second, I'm talking like really a second, I jumped over the guard rail, and it was a drop off, but not straight down, I still had to hold on to the guard rail to keep from sliding down, but as soon as I hopped over, the car turned the corner, thank goodness he didn't see us. The funny part about that too is when we got back together we couldn't find Julie, the Marine had ran ahead of me so he walked back to where I was, I climbed back onto the road, and we started walking back, but we couldn't find Julie, we made one turn, no Julie, two turns, no Julie, almost at the third turn, our whispering of JULIE! JULIE! is getting louder, and she's like, "Here I am" and she looked scared, like really scared, but she started smiling and we all had a good laugh about how close we had gotten to getting caught, she had hopped the guard rail almost as soon as we started running.
By this time it feels like it's been hours since we've been walking, I kind of threw out an idea of maybe coming back another time but earlier, but it was like, nah, we came this far, might as well go all the way. We keep walking until we get to this chain link fence about ten feet high, like right in the middle of the road, on one side was the mountain, so you couldn't go that way, and on the other side it looked like a drop off, and it was lit up, and what looked like an apartment building on the road right above the fence, we were like, great, what are we going to do. I decided to check it out myself first, Julie and the Marine were in the dark about 25 yards away watching, I start to walk at a brisk pace keeping an eye on the building, looking for movement, and when I got a few yards away I saw that you could actually walk around the fence, there was solid ground, in fact it looked like there was a well used trail right next to it, like that's the way the animals went all the time. I'm like, cool, but as soon as I got almost right next to the fence a bigger spotlight came on, they had a motion sensor spotlight on the fence, I about fit myself, I stood there for a few seconds waiting for the, "HEY! YOU!, and when I didn't hear it I walked around the fence and signaled to the other two, they came over and we continued the journey.
It turns out we weren't that far from the top, but it felt like forever, we were still scared we would get caught, so every movement made us jump, the wind would blow, we would jump, if the bushes moved we would jump, we finally get to the top, now at this time we weren't using the flashlight we brought with us, for obvious reasons, and when we got to the base we still didn't use it, we were that scared, but it was so dark you couldn't see anything, we found the pool, that you could tell what it was right off the bat, but we couldn't tell what the other buildings were, we used the flashlight a couple times, with our hand covering the lens, pointing straight at the ground so we could see where we were walking, and turn it right back off again, we never actually went into any of the buildings, heck, we couldn't even tell what they were, but man, if I knew then what I know now, I would have appreciated the history a lot more, I would have known what to look for, and realize the importance of each find, the Commissary, the PX, sorry, BX, PX is Army, the barracks, movie theater, Officer housing, I'm not even sure what was there when we were there looking around, I didn't even know there was an Air Force base on top the mountain, and I've been here my whole entire life.
I do remember that there really wasn't a lot left over, the buildings that were there were extremely run down, but still, there were still some there, maybe not the entire base, but at least enough to know that this was actually a base, and now everything is gone, everything except the cube, but now it's a park, nothing of the Air Force base is left, that saddens me because I was there when it was still there, and now it's gone, and I can't find any pictures of it on Google, but at least we got a chance to see it before it got destroyed, I just wish I would have went back more times besides just once. We weren't there for too long, not even a half hour, if at that, we left and walked back to my vehicle, which was actually still there, in one piece, with no nasty note on it, or a parking ticket, I drove them home and that was that.
By the way, this was back in the summer of 1989, in case anyone wanted to know.
You take me on a journey, so thanks, well informed stuff about your 919 and those shots of san fran brings back loads of memories of my several holidays in Saus, cycling over the bridge and into san fran, thanks man, appreciated and also your kindness with those bars to the hungry.
Thanks for subscribing I'm glad you liked the videos!
Back in 1982-3, this was a scary area at night. There are three albino families living in the woods just when Hicks Road makes the steep climb to Umunhum Road. Two unsolved murders happened in 1983. Hicks road was also known for multiple auto accidents resulting in some pretty bad injuries. The hub caps were targets for the felons that hang out around this area. Guadalupe Reservoir had two teenagers from Del Mar High School drown... at the large 🪨 Rock. Much history of this area. Multiple unsolved crimes.
whered u get those grips for the side covers? or did u just cut some down? thanks
took some bulk material and cut it up
I live in San Jose but still never been to Hicks road of any of the other places for all these kinds of legend adventures...
It's worth checking out in my opinion. Thanks for subscribing by the way I appreciate that!
My friend found the first real images I've seen of possible cult members: ua-cam.com/video/YF4YuK6b02c/v-deo.html
Heyy , ivee celebrated that i didnt get got by cannibals at that intersection before!
My man! haha
Live right by it always go on it lol hope to see you out there!
And I always wonder about the hubcaps too lmao
Drivin through it couple times never seen the things you saw so looks like I’m going to take another drive
For sure man drive safe!
me and friends were driving through this at 11pm and the car turnt off because of the alternator and we had no signal for miles and had to walk until we were able to get an uber 2 hours later.
That sucks! Yeah the mountains block reception pretty well
Who did your eyebrows?
Nice tour. What motorcycle is that? Honda 919?
yessir!
@@10mm nice. I am trying to get one here in Germany but they are not easy to find. I am in love with it, the style and the engine.
@@phonecameravideos They're great machines, I highly recommend them.
Gotta love the guy fishing in contaminated waters😂
Catch n release
The entire guadalupe is full of mercury
Great video. I was wondering about a mile before the reservoir on the left-hand side used to be a boarding stables where my friend used to keep her horses. I noticed you didn’t mention that and it was probably back in 06 that she boarded there so I’m just wondering if you saw a boarding stable. I always got the creeps when I was there and my friend who was ill with cancer, a week before she passed her youngest horse died in that boarding stable under very mysterious circumstances.
Sorry about your friend. I did see some stables around there.
@@10mm thank you for letting me know.
I grew up in the Guadalupe Hill area Spent a lot of time in the mountains Smoked a lot of weed back in the seventies Use to get a keg of beer have a big bonfire in camp in the hills Not always got albinoes it has gear monsters I don't know what to believe but adult really matter to me I've seen HIM HD NEIL AKA THE KRONK
I live in San jose and always thought, the name of the mountain is a rough anagram and could spell unhuman. Second what if the albinos were actually the tall whites aliens.
Bro great content
thanks man
Review San Felipe road in east San Jose
I drive Hicks road 2-3 times a week to fish at the reservoir. I actually saw my car parked on the side of the road in your video. I thought you did a very decent job of highlighting the area. It’s under pressure from people littering on the roadside and along the shores of both reservoir.
Catch anything good lately? I'd probably do catch and release only because of mercury levels.
I wouldn’t eat any fish caught around these parts. The fishing ok not great. It’s close enough for a nice drive.
@@fishwet4908 Good! Maybe that's what happened to the albinos, they ate too many bad fish!
@@fishwet4908 you are correct. Good point! The reservoir is well signed with "Warning: Contaminated Fish" all over the place.
Methylmercury contamination is ubiquitous in this and Almaden reservoirs, thanks to the extensive quicksilver mining in the area. I have a few pounds of mercury from New Almaden. And a bunch of stories!
Ha, ha. I hadn't reached the point where he zooms in on that very sign. Well, my memory still seems to work!
7:00 incredibly steep on 🚲
“I wonder why people never visit us out here.”
Have fished the reservoirs up top. So I have driven it in the dark and I admit it is creepy as heck. Never "seen" anything out of the normal but I was chased by a freaking wild turkey that scared the heck out of me.
Oh great now we got cannibal Turkeys on the loose haha
You missed the bridge under the bridge. That’s where all the animal sacrifices happened.
Where's that at man?
@@10mm not to far from where you spoke with that lay guy. Keep heading south on that road. It won’t look like a bridge from the road so look carefully. If your heading south on that road access to hat under bridge will be on the left side. I would look during the day, it’s hella creepy at night.
Also, the albinos your looking for might be at the end of that road. North bound.
What’s the song ?
It's a track by Goldenbeets that I bought the rights to.
This is my back yard and commute route. I ride this both ways day and night on a almost daily basis. Hicks has surprising lots of traction cause of the very abrasive road surface, but it also eats tires. I had a Road5 that was toast after 3.5k miles commuting this road. Normally the Road5 last near 10k miles. On my Miata, PS4S rated for 20k miles are done in about 6k miles. The hub caps is where lots of cars crash usually going south too hot into the corner just past that mud slide barrier. Last crash I saw was a convertible Mustang flipped wheels up. You missed the rock climbing wall and boulder. The helipad is only 5+ or so years old, along with Mt. Umunhum Rd., it used to be a dirt/gravel road, and is actually a private road but took over 30years for all the stakeholders to agree on opening it up to what it is today. Local teens crash on Hicks Road all the time. Hicks Road is what I refer to as Heisenberg Hills, cause this area is where all the meth labs are.
Hey thank you for the insight that's super cool! Really cheese-grates your tires eh? Sheesh
you missed the giant rock at the end of guadalupe reservor people used to jump off the rock when the reservor was full
Cool! Thanks for sharing.
hicks rock and thier is albinios i know where the old hospital from the minning days are thiers actually 3 and they are grand structures its very old infectiouse illness quarentine hospital ward like plantation buildingsand later coastal deffense tunnels that run through mt um and all over the bay western defense hub from the golden gate to monterey and in the east bay as well riddled with underground secret locations long forgoten work of the army corp of enginers
you missed alot,after the red fence after you pass the church make the first right after the red fence follow that rd till you get to the end their will be a bar blocking the rd walk and follow that but becareful their is mountain lions bobcats and coyotes but youll see what im talking about if you try it!
I guess I better check it out! Thanks for subscribing I appreciate that!
Went up there a lot in high school. There are wild boars up there in the hills, come prepared.
What's the horror movie on Hicks road?... I wanna check it out
I think that's what it's called, just "Hicks Road"
@@10mm I will check it out... I like watching movies from San Jose... Last one i watched was Rivers Edge... That was a good one
@@dano.dazombie_official what’s that movie about?
You should explore the actual woods next time for sure
Theres the chassis of a NA miata in that reservior on alamitos, right by the road.
Yours??
@@10mmthankfully no lol but ive explored around a while. Theres the miata in that reservoir and at the guadalupe reservoir when the water levels are somewhat low you can see a vw beetle in the water kind of close to hicks rd and the dam entrance that leads you to the trail
@@Sergio-es6rv Interesting I'll have to check that out thanks for sharing! Thanks for subscribing too I really appreciate that man!
It’s not an albino cult there use to be a camp for albinos so they could feel normal not get staired at.
Tf is a random dude doing walking on the road 14:08
People are wild bro
You missed "The Rock" which would be on you left at exactly 6:20
I made a movie for a high school class at the rock.
And he missed Devil's Tooth. Haven't been up there in AGES!
But I've been riding and driving Hicks Rd. for almost 40 years and have never seen an albino or wild boar. Oh well.
Old dude at 11:30 looks to be a confused Harley rider...don't expect too much valid info from that guy.
crackheads live in the area
Ahhh....those Albinos were killing and grilling when I was a teen in the 70s. Took my wife, who I first took out when she was 14, up to Hicks Road... She lived in SJ all her life and she never heard of Hicks Road
That's what I hear! Thanks for watching and subscribing I appreciate that!
Looks like a 2 headed ghost under area closed sign. 6:29
Ain’t nothing but rich people on that road 🤣🤣🤣
Darn if you never slow down!!
You missed going to Mount Umunhum. Great view from the top.
? Except he did go to the top
wow nice trip
It was fun! Thanks for watching and thanks for subscribing!
I love San Jose . So beautiful.
Dangerous
No it's not!!!!!
Lol yea Idk about that. I live here and yea nah
@@WarpedBlinds you live on the west lol
@@14ma99 Lol idc if you dont believe me. I went to this exact park and took a lot of LSD. Hell of an adventure I'll tell you that lol
Go at night
You missed the actual Albino Village, it was covered in the clouds when you drove up mount Umuhnum
Interesting can you point out the GPS location using google maps?
It's pronounced "Um-i-num"
Did you ever go back? It’s not true about the albinos. I’ve asked deputy sheriffs who had this area on their patrol. None of them seen any albinos , not in the day or at night.
Yeah I've passed through a couple more times.
There cross you stopped at must have been a memorial to someone who I died as crosses usually are symbolic of
Tryin Goin The Other Way To Get There At Night Go Higher