With an early morning scheduled for Monday (6:15 am flight to Seattle), I did not want to summit anything too long. I considered Viejas Mountain, or maybe Oakzinta, but end the I thought doing Big Black Mountain might be the best option.
Like last time I planned to drive up partway. I really am not a fan of hiking on active roads. As I made my way up the road, I passed several Jeeps parked about to also make the drive up. At the turnout, I used last time, another truck was parked. I chatted for a bit, passing along what I remembered of the road. They headed up the road and I took a quick stroll to a nice overview. I got back into the Outback and began the drive to the next turnout. The road took some care while driving, but all those years driving on the forest roads near my folk’s cabin paid off.
Once at the turnout, I parked and got ready to begin the hike. The jeeps from earlier caught up with me. I chatted with the last one a bit. He drove off and I began hiking.
At the summit, it looked like a car lot. I could have driven the Subaru to the top but wanted to make a bit of hike out of it. I followed the use trail up to the actual summit. The views were outstanding.
I found the broken bits of the marker before heading down.
A father and son had joined me near the summit. I pointed out some of the peaks in the distance. It was kinda neat to look at them and know I had stood atop of them. I quickly made my way back to the car and began the careful drive down to the valley floor.
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.