As I left San Diego under drizzle, I hoped the forecast I read for Tahquitz Peak was correct. Luckily, as I crossed into Temecula, the clouds and rain faded away, and I had clear skies. After grabbing a biscuit and coffee from McDonald’s, I continued the drive up to Idyllwild. Since I was planning on hiking the Devil’s Slide trail, I knew I needed to get a permit from the Ranger Station in town. Since this was a weekday, I could obtain one of the self-issued permits for this hike. Otherwise, I would have had to either get one in advance or wait for the station to open. After filling out the permit and slipping the white copy into the slot, I made the short drive up to Humber Park. A few cars were here when I arrived. Again, the upside of doing this on a weekday. I hung my America the Beautiful pass from my mirror, as either that or an Adventure Pass is required. The air was cool, but once again, I knew once I started hiking, I would be shedding my layers in 5 minutes, so that fleece once again stayed in my pack. The plan was to hike up to the fire lookout tower atop Tahquitz Peak and then loop back through Tahquitz Valley.
The trail begins as a climb straight from the parking lot. Thankfully, the grade is not overwhelming. I suspect it is the altitude that gets hikers as they work their way up. Off to the left, you have a stunning view of Suicide Rock (another trail I need to do). I passed by two springs that were barely flowing. As I neared Saddle Junction, I met a PCT hiker from the Netherlands who was having to hike back down to Idyllwild to get a package. We chatted a bit, she did her first 20-mile day the day before, so she felt she was finally getting her “hiker legs”. I wished her well on her journey. At the junction, I took a right and joined the PCT myself, as I hiked southward toward Tahquitz Peak. The section was a lot more gentle than the 1,700 feet of gain I made coming up from Humber Park. After about 1.4 miles, I came to the spur trail that would take me to the lookout tower. The tower was another 0.4 miles further. Unfortunately, the tower will not be open in 2025 due to structural issues and budget concerns. I climbed the stairs up the tower and began taking in the sweeping views, while enjoying a well-earned snack. A fellow hiker and his dog joined me on the summit, and we chatted for some time before they set off back down. I lingered a bit more, doing some filming before I too set off.
Back at the junction with the PCT, I continued east along it for about 0.7 miles until I left it and started heading north toward Tahquitz Meadow. The creek had already dried up for the season, but the meadow was still beautiful. When I reached the Caramba Trail, I joined it to return me back to Saddle Junction. Once there, I mixed up some electrolytes and broke open a bag of trail mix to enjoy on my descent. I passed a few hikers making their way up the trail. Then I spotted the familiar colors of a ranger hiking up the trail. We stopped and chatted for some time, and she did indeed ask for my permit, which I had. She continued up, and I continued down. The call of some Mexican food in Idyllwild was getting strong. The entire loop was 9.8 miles with 2604 feet of gain in 4:13 (including the stops with the PCT hiker and the Ranger).
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.