Ted & I decided to work on another one of his remaining San Diego Sierra Club peaks. We had a few to choose from, but in the end, opted to go up Middle Peak. We arrived just after 8 am at the Trout Pond parking area, gathered our gear, and set off down Milk Ranch Road. There was a closure order posted for a portion of the trail, but I did not think we would pass by it. We turned right onto the Middle Peak Fire Road and began working our way toward the summit. We did pass the equipment that was being used for the restoration work, but being Saturday, they sat idle. As we neared the top, I began looking for the cairn that would indicate where to leave the fire road and begin the slog through the brush to the summit. I found it and we set off.
I remembered how much I hated this portion of the ascent. We slowly pushed past the overgrowth, trying to spot any cairns, either referring to my past track or just guessing for a bit. We climbed across slowly rotting trees, and as it had recently rained, they were a tad slippery. I can see why this peak was removed from the 100 Peak Challenge. Unless some maintenance is done for this portion, in a few years, it will become impassable. We pushed forward and reached the summit.
There was a register and a summit sign. The mediocre views I remembered from last time were gone, as the brush had grown over my head. After a quick snack and some water, we beat our way back down to the road. Instead of retracing our route, we continued on the fire road until it reached the Black Oak Trail. We followed it down to Milk Ranch Road, then eventually back to the car. It had warmed up, so we were glad to be done. Just 18 to go for Ted. The stats for the hike were: 6.2 miles, in 3:02, with an elevation gain of 1,197 feet.
I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. I am the co-author of Urban Trails:San Diego, coming in Spring 2026!
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 both the Arizona-Winter and Arizona-Summer). I am looking forward to exploring new summits and new adventures across the southwest.