McGinty Mountain

Since I had hiked both the Kanaka Flats Loop and Arrowmaker Ridge High Point the day before, I was looking for something a bit shorter. McGinty Mountain fit that requirement nicely. I convinced Dave to tag along for the hike. Drove out to Jamul, and pulled into the parking lot which was filled with about a half dozen cars. We grabbed our gear and head out onto the trail.

We began quickly climbing toward the false summit, passing three hikers who were training for an upcoming Sierra backup trip.

Soon the summit came into view and we continued our climb. I pointed out the abandoned mine across the divide.

Upon reaching the summit we meet two other hikers.

Unfortunately, flying termites were swarming about, so we grabbed a few photos and quickly headed back down.

The hike back to the car went quickly. Since we did it slightly faster than planned, it was too early for lunch, so a refreshing Jamba Juice filled in. This was peak #44 of the 100 Peak Challenge Reboot. Now to plan the hikes for the July 4th weekend…


I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. In 2019, I became the third person to complete the San Diego 100 Peak Challenge. Not stopping with that accomplishment, I set my sights on the harder San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list, which I completed in 2021. In addition, I have conquered several Six-Pack of Peaks challenges (SoCal, San Diego, Central Coast, and Arizona-Winter). Beyond attempting the San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list a second time, I am looking forward to exploring new summits and new adventures across the southwest. 

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