The second peak, Ant Benchmark, was just a short drive north from the Three Sisters trailhead. I pulled into the turnout just before the boundary of the Inaja Indian Reservation. I grabbed my gear and headed back down Boulder Creek Road.
The trail was in the same shape as Sunshine Mountain, passable but with a lot of growth. After about .5 miles, the descent ends, and I head out across the golden meadow.
From there I began working my way up the summit. I remembered the actual summit was set back, so I knew I had more climbing than what I initially saw.
I never found a real path up. Mostly I tried to use the rocks and stay to the northeast side. Apart from the initial effort to bushwhack on to the slope, it went fairly well.
Once at the true summit, I sat and flipped through the register, recognizing many fellow peak baggers.
There were three marks on the summit as well. It was getting warm, so made my way back down the mountain.
So I was crossing back across the meadow and back up the old Jeep road. That was my 60th peak of my 100 Peak Challenge!
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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