I parked along Farmer Road just before sunrise. Slipping on my fleece, I set off for what I hoped to be the first of five hikes that would complete this year’s San Dieguito River Foundation’s Coast to Crest Challenge. A rooster announced the coming daylight as I made my way toward the junction with the Five Oaks Trail. I cruised along the trail, watching the sun reach out across the mountains. When the Five Oaks Trail rejoined the main trail, I turned back down to the trailhead instead of continuing onto the summit. I must admit it felt weird skipping the summit, but I had a lot of miles to cover today. The descent went quickly, and I was back at the car, ready for hike number 2, the Santa Ysabel Nature Loop.
I parked at the Visitor Center and set off along the trail. I opted to do the loop counterclockwise to get the climb over with first. Being mindful of my pace, I cruised along the loop. The hills were still green, and a small pond still held water. Once down from the ridge, I turned back toward the visitor center. Grazing cows were scattered about as I hiked along. Back at the car, I put on a dry shirt and first stopped at Don’s Market for a cold drink and then at Dudley’s Bakery for a tasty cinnamon roll before driving to San Pasqual Valley for hikes 3 & 4.
I pulled into the parking lot for the longest hike of the challenge, San Pasqual Valley to Mule Hill. The actual challenge is two hikes, but since I was trying to do this in a single day, I planned to link them. I had scouted the trail about a month earlier and knew it was almost completely flat.
I cruised along the farmlands, enjoying a podcast and the smell of fresh soil. As I neared Santa Maria Creek, I saw a sign saying the trail was closed due to herbicide spraying. Darn it! Why wasn’t this posted at the trailhead? I turned back; so much for doing all five sections in a day. While I didn’t do all of it, it was still a great day on the trail.
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, available now!
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.