After the closure of the Palomar Divide Truck Trail a couple of weeks ago, which forced me to pivot to backpacking Noble Canyon instead, I secured a new overnight permit for Barker Valley. The road had reopened, so that hurdle was no longer in front of me. However, we had some unseasonably warm weather forecast for the start of my trip. Since I was not planning on starting until mid-afternoon and most of the 3 or so mile hike would be descending from the trailhead to Barker Valley, I was overly worried. I made the very familiar drive through Ramona and then Santa Ysabel. After a quick stop for gas at the tribal gas station, I passed on through Warner Springs until I reached the turn-off onto the Palomar Divide Truck Trail. After 8 miles of driving, I reached the trailhead and pulled into a spot off to the side of the road. It was warm, but a nice breeze helped it feel less oppressive. I read over the trailhead kiosk, which I had seen numerous times on my drives up to Palomar High Point, before setting off down the trail.
The trail gently worked its way down, following the contours of the mountain. Sweeping views of Lake Henshaw to the south, and both the Observatories and the Lookout Tower to the north. The trail was slightly overgrown in spots, but nothing too bad. I might return with some clippers to do some trail maintenance, if I felt like making the drive up again. Wildflowers still lined the trail from time to time. Footprints could be seen in the sandy sections of the trail, so it does see some traffic occasionally. About a mile in, a rock arrow pointed the way. This area had a couple of nice campsites on either side of the trail.
After about 1.8 miles, another large rock arrow pointed the way for the trail, which now made a sharp left turn, leaving the ridgeline it had been following. On several maps, a trail is shown continuing along the ridge line, but it appears that it is becoming overgrown. The trail was also starting to become a bit more rocky, so a little more care was needed with my footing as I worked my way down toward the valley. The overgrowth also increased a bit, but nothing a quick push of a trekking pole could not handle. Soon, I found myself in the valley and near the West Fork of the San Luis Rey River. Now I needed to find a campsite and access to water. I carried enough to get me to the campsite and back if things did not work out, but not enough for dinner and breakfast. I passed one campsite, which might have worked, but continued along the trail that paralleled the stream, looking for other camping options as well as water. I came upon a nice campsite near a very large downed oak tree. I had a choice between under the shade of an oak tree or on the open dirt. I brought my REI QuarterDome, so I could lie inside the mesh walls and enjoy the night sky, so the choice of where to pitch my tent was obvious.
I dropped my pack, grabbed my CNOC water bag, and set off to find water to filter. At first, I found a large pool of water with bits of algae floating on top of it. No worse than what I have seen used by those on the Arizona Trail, but I decided to keep exploring before settling on this as my water source. Soon, I heard the sounds of flowing water and made my way back to the edge of the stream. I placed my bag into the gently flowing stream and had 3 liters in a matter of moments. I trekked the 0.3 miles back to the campsite and began to set up camp. As the sun was beginning to set, the mosquitoes were starting to come out in force. I had my bug net, but I forgot to bring any repellent, so I retreated to my tent (killing the few that had snuck inside). I relaxed, staring at the trees around me and the dance of the bugs on the tent’s mesh. I figured this was good practice for my Yosemite backpacking trip. After the sun had set, I ventured out of the tent and made my dinner.
I listened to my audiobook while I enjoyed a freeze-dried lasagna and waited for the stars to come out. Once it was dark enough, I again worked on some astro-photography before turning in. It actually became quite chilly, and I was glad to have my warmer quilt with me. I woke up around 5:30 and made a cup of hot coffee. It was a bit nippy, so I checked my Govee thermo-hygrometer, and it said it was 31°F! Being in a valley meant the cold air had settled here overnight, hence the temperature difference between the summit forecast and my location. I boiled some more water for my oatmeal and began packing up. Around 6:30, I was ready to head back up the trail.
The climb back to the trailhead went fairly smoothly, I only stopped to remove my fleece and adjust my socks. After about 1:30, I again reached the metal gate, and my backpacking adventure in Barker Valley was over. I tossed my gear into the Outback, changed into a clean shirt, and decided to drive on up the High Point. The road became a bit rougher, and I drove the last 5 miles to the summit. The road to the trailhead is doable in most cars (just drive slow and keep your eyes open), but after the trailhead, I would only recommend something a bit more off-road-friendly (like my Outback). Near the summit, I could see the results of the controlled burn that had been performed recently. The tower was staffed, so I was able to drive all the way to the top. I wandered around the summit, snapping a few photos. It was too windy to have a discussion with the two rangers staffing the tower, so I set off back down the road and home.
The final stats for this adventure were 6.9 miles with 1055 feet of gain (most of it on the way back). My descent time was 1:30 (with some filming time included), and 1:27 for the ascent (less time filming). The video of the trip will be on my YouTube channel soon, so go there and like and subscribe!
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.