After not being able to backpack Sitton Peak the day before due to the parking issue at San Juan Trailhead, I opted to hike the Oriflammes in the Laguna Mountains instead. I made the all-too-familiar drive through Ramona and Julian and parked at the small turnout next to the Lucky 5 Ranch. This would be my third time on some portion of this trail, twice before when I climbed Roost Benchmark, and the previous summit of Oriflamme Mountain. The truck trail appeared to have been recently graded, and I wondered what the rest of the route would be like. I did recall a few good-sized ruts, so not something I would take my Subaru down.
Soon, I passed the junction with the PCT. We are near the end of the NOBO season, but it was still early in the morning, and I doubted I would encounter any thru-hikers yet. I continued working my way down. The car thermometer read 41° F when I left, but I knew it would be warming up, and I would have almost no shade. The ruts were still there, but a Jeep would be fine. In fact, I think some of the tire tracks I saw were from one.
Some wildflowers dotted the sides of the trail. Soon, I reached the point where I would leave the truck trail and climb through the chaparral to the summit. A cairn marked the exit, which had not been there when I first climbed this peak. I weaved my way through the brush without too much difficulty. Soon, I found myself on the summit. It was a nice, clear day, so I had some sweeping views of the desert to my east. If there is a register located here, I did not find it. I knew that there was no benchmark, so after a few photos, I set off to climb Oriflamme Mountain North Peak. I did not attempt it the last time I was here due to time constraints, but now I had the time. North Peak is one of the peaks on the original San Diego Peak Club list, which is the “mother” list for both the San Diego Sierra Club list and the 100 Peak challenge list. While I could have followed the brush-covered ridgeline down to the North Peak, I opted to descend back to the road, follow it to a spot, and climb it from there. Once I reached a point close to a straight line to the summit, I scanned for an entry point into the chaparral. I found one and began weaving my way through the scrub. Initially, it was a bit bothersome, but I quickly found a fairly clear route and was atop the summit with less trouble than the primary Oriflamme. Here, I did find a register and added my name to the list of those who had stood atop this peak. I could see Roost Benchmark off to the north, but I did not bring enough water to continue on.
I made my way back down to the truck trail with no major issues. Now the “fun” would begin, as this is an inverted hike, meaning I now had to make the climb up to the trailhead. I slipped on my AirPods, listened to the season finale of “It’s Story Time with Wil Wheaton,” and started back up. Along the way, about 30 members of the Laguna Mountain Hot Shots were making their way down to do some fire prevention work. I thanked them for their efforts. Soon, the climb came to an end, and I tossed my gear into the car. I took the 8 home, since by the time I got back into town, it would be lunchtime and I could swing by Mi Ranchito and grab a well-earned burrito. With that second ascent of Oriflamme, I need just four more peaks to finish the 100 Peak Challenge a second time. The final stats were 6.0 miles, with 1,156 feet of gain in 2:54.
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.