Alan Peak

I woke to discover that a trash panda had gotten into my cooler and enjoyed the Snickers bar I had wanted to take on the hike. After cleaning up the minor mess, I had breakfast and prepared to head out. Between the overcast skies and being in a canyon, I had actually slept in rather than waking at dawn’s first light. That actually was fine, as most of the hike is due east, so not staring directly into the sun was fine by me. There are several different trailheads to choose from; one is very close to my actual campsite, but that would have added about 2 miles to an already long hike. There is another trailhead near the Spooner Ranch house, but I did not want to park the car there or make the walk down to it. In the end, I parked at the Valencia Peak trailhead. This peak is on the Sierra Club Lower Peaks Committee list, so I was interested in possibly climbing it, but only if I felt up to it upon my return from Alan Peak. As I gathered my gear, a nice three-point buck strolled down the road. The sun was high enough that my hat shaded my eyes, and I set off. The trail starts out mellow for the first mile until it reaches the junction with the Badger Trail and the New Oats Peak Trail. Since I wanted some recon on Valencia Peak, I started working my way up toward it. After a couple of switchbacks, the trail stuck to following the ridgeline. Evidence of geological tilt was very apparent. I reached the turn-off to the summit and continued on. Unfortunately, the trail lost 200+ feet of elevation, and I was not happy. I knew this hike had a lot of ups and downs, so extra gain/loss was something I did not want. This was something I was going to need to factor in for my return.

The trail now linked back up with the Oats Peak Trail and pushed eastward and upward. I stared off along the ridgeline ahead of me, trying to identify which bump was actually Oats Peak and my first planned rest stop. A trail sign said ½ mile to the summit, but of course, there was a minor bump along the way to cross first. Thankfully, this one did have a side route, so I saved about 100 feet of climbing. Once on Oats, a nice double-sided bench called to me to come sit and take a rest. The benchmark was clearly visible atop a metal pole. While I enjoyed a snack and some fluids, three other hikers joined me. They were from Cal Poly SLO’s hiking club, and doing a loop to Oats Peak. We chatted some, and they offered some beta on the trail to Alan Peak, as well as an alternate return route via the Coon Creek Trail. They said it was rather shaded and nice, but it would be about a mile south of my car, so I would have some road walking to do if I opted to take it. We departed the summit together, then they quickly made their turn onto Coon Creek Trail and I continued following the ridgeline. I could spot Alan Peak off in the distance, and also see all the bumps I had to traverse.

The day was warm, but the occasional breeze helped. Overall, I felt okay, I needed just keep my pace in check. I avoided looking at my actual pace and just let my body and the trail tell me what to do. I took a few short breaks, usually under the shade of some trees. Each descent I had enjoyed so far, would become an ascent on my return, so there was no need to push myself for no good reason. I reached a nice shady section, which gave me some relief from the sun. Unfortunately, there was a lot more poison oak to be aware of. This is why I opted for long pants for this hike over the shorts I wore the day before. The trail soon made its turn to the north and I knew the summit was very close. I was running out of gas, but knew it was just one more bump away. I pushed on, and soon the summit sign greeted me, all under the lovely shade of a large oak tree. I shed my pack and relaxed. Since I did have cell service, I checked in with my wife (the campground does not have a signal). I then stretched out and had a lovely and well-earned summit nap. About 30 minutes later, and feeling so much better, I enjoyed my lunch, took my photos, and began thinking about my route back. I knew I was skipping Valencia Peak at this point, but did I want to try the route that the SLO hikers took? Maybe the New Oats Trail might make more sense. I had about 2 miles or so until I crossed back over Oat Peak before I needed to make a decision.

Cruised back along the trail, still being mindful of my pace, as I still had quite a few miles left to cover and those annoying bumps to traverse. As I neared Oats Peak, I made the choice to use the New Oats Trail as my return route. Another factor in all this was that the clouds had started to roll in again, and Valencia Peak was just high enough to be in them. The New Oats Trail gently worked its way down. If I hadn’t been thinking about trying for Valencia Peak, this is the trail I should have used on the way out.

I soon found myself back at the car, and my feet and legs were starting to feel the effects of the long hike, but I had done it! All told, my route logged in at 11.5 miles with an elevation gain of 2,729 feet (remember the summit is at 1,649 feet!). My moving time was 6:17. I collectively took about 1:30 worth of breaks along the entire journey. While I was tired from the effort, this was a major milestone for me. It was just about four months ago I had my surgery, and here I was finishing this hike, as well as doing the two the day before.

Epilogue

Once back at camp, I relaxed some before enjoying dinner. Sadly, my campfire would not stay lit, so I threw in the towel and went to bed. I relocated the containers I left out last night into the car with me, so as not to have a repeat of the previous visit from the local “trash panda”. I woke up a little earlier the next day. I opted for a quick snack and a coffee at camp and a ‘real’ breakfast instead in town. My legs and feet were feeling the two days of hiking, so my optional 4th peak seemed unlikely. As I drew near Gavoita Peak, I saw that it would be completely socked in. That peak also has some great views, so I decided to drive on by and head home. I knew I still had another trip up here for the rest of the challenge, so why not wait until then?

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 both the Arizona-Winter and Arizona-Summer). 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.

Hazard Peak

After climbing Bishop Peak in the morning, I drove over to Montaña de Oro and set up camp at the Islay Campground. The general plan for the afternoon was to relax at the campsite for a while, then head over to the trailhead to hike up Hazard Peak. I hoped that the marine layer would stay away long enough so I could enjoy the view of Morro Bay directly to the north of the peak. As I woke up from a short nap, I could see that the clouds were starting to roll in, so I gathered my gear and made the short drive to the trailhead. The route I wanted to take starts next to Camp KEEP (Kern Environmental Education Program) which is a residential outdoor science program. The camp was quiet, I am guessing due to it being Labor Day. I did not see any signs prohibiting me from hiking along the service road to the camp, so I continued on. I reached the Heidra Trail and left the service road behind. The trail was a bit sandy until it reached the junction with the Hazard Peak Trail. There another surprise greeted me, a lovely swing hanging from an eucalyptus tree. I snapped a few photos for my friend Amber who is obsessed with hidden swings, then continued on.

I got a few views of Morro Bay and its famous rock before the cloud cover obscured the view. The trail was pleasant and I cruised along toward the summit. I reached the junction with the Canyon View trail. If I had wanted to come directly from the campground, this is the trail I would have used, but it is a bit longer. From this intersection, the summit was just about a mile away.

As I looked up toward it, I wondered if I would be fully in the clouds or not. I soon drew near and spotted the two benches and picnic table that reside at the summit. I was not in the clouds but had no view to speak of. I took a short break, snapped my photos, and headed down. Some mountain bikers had joined me, and I let them pass before starting my descent. A couple of trail runners raced upwards as I made my way back. Soon, I was back down, and as I neared my car, I spotted several deer nearby. That was a nice surprise. I snapped a few photos, then made the short drive back to my campsite. I finished getting ready for the evening, made some dinner, enjoyed a fire, and went to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a big day with an attempt at Alan Peak, over 11 miles of hiking, and the largest elevation gain to date for my foot. Hazard Peak was 5.25 miles round-trip and a mere 970 feet of gain.

Bishop Peak

4 a.m. came very early, but if I wanted to get past Los Angeles on Labor Day, this was the price I had to pay. The goal for the next few days was to camp at Montaña de Oro State Park and climb several of the peaks that are on the inaugural Central Coast Six Pack of Peaks Challenge. The freeways were fairly empty as I made my way northward, taking a short break along the way for some more coffee. As I neared Santa Barbara, my navigation app had me take Hwy. 154 over the mountains and past Lake Cachuma. Initially, this was a little surprising, but it had been years since I had driven through here, so why not? One of the peaks on the challenge has its trailhead off this highway, so refreshing my memory of the road would be another benefit. I cruised past the very full lake until I rejoined Hwy. 101 and continued on toward San Luis Obispo. The first peak that I was attempting was Bishop Peak. This peak is a 1,546-foot volcanic plug that is right in town. It is the tallest of the Morros or “Nine Sisters”, a chain of similar peaks stretching to toward Morro Bay. I opted to start my hike from the Highland trailhead, as it was the shortest. There is no parking lot, so I had to find some street parking a bit down the road. This was starting to remind me of Cowles Mountain. After grabbing my gear, and electing to use my new smaller pack for this hike, I trodded up the road. Several nice homes lined the east side of the street. The trailhead had the basic safety information and leashes you could borrow for your dog. That was a nice touch. Sadly, all the dogs I did encounter were unleashed. The trail works its way around the back of a couple of the homes, and under some lovely oaks before beginning to climb toward the summit.

The area around the peak was turned into a preserve by some of the early residents of the area, and their efforts were memorialized on two plaques alongside the trail. The trail worked its way southward, still mostly under the shade from the oaks. Some poison oak did line the side of the trail, and I made sure to mention that to an SLO student hiking with her parents. Bishop Peak offers some rock climbing opportunities, so there were a few spur trails to climbing areas that were marked by signposts, but I continued along the summit trail.

The trail arcs around and heads northward. It is here that you start to get some great views of the town, Cerro San Luis Obispo to the south (another one of the plugs), and Laguna Lake. This is also where you start to actually gain some elevation. As I climbed, the hikers that I passed reminded me more and more of the ones I encountered on Cowles. Thankfully, no one was sharing their “killer” tunes as I made my way up the switchbacks. I wasn’t racing toward the summit, knowing I had another longer hike planned in the afternoon, and my longest hike to date planned for the next day. But, soon, the pair of benches that serve as the informal summit came into view. The true summit actually requires climbing gear, so for most, this is our summit. I took a moment or two to take some photos and enjoy some shade next to some rocks. A memorial plaque was affixed nearby for a hiker who had fallen to his death. I was starting to get a little hungry, so I started back down the trail. Back at the car, I headed into town for my planned lunch of some delicious BBQ tri-tip. For those who don’t know, tri-tip is to SLO as fish tacos are to San Diego. With my belly now full, I made the 30-minute drive to Islay Campground, with a quick stop at the Ralphs for some last-minute provisions. The hike was 3.1 miles round-trip and had an elevation gain of 956 feet.

Pamo Valley

I knew when I hiked this trail with the family that it was a gamble, as it might be included in the 2023-2024 Coast to Crest Challenge. Well, I lost that bet, and this trail is one of the five hikes. I really didn’t mind hiking it again, as it is a very pleasant stroll along the valley. Given how easy the trail is, I had hoped one of my friends could join us, but he had prior commitments, so it was just Ted and I. We pulled into the parking lot, and there were about 5 or 6 cars parked. The skies were overcast again, thankfully not due to an incoming tropical storm, but just some “standard” monsoonal stuff. We grabbed our gear and headed out northward along the trail.

When I did this hike about a month or so ago, portions of the trail were overgrown, but now the grasses near the trail had all been cut. We cruised along the trail at a nice pace. I spent part of the time outlining my upcoming camping and hiking trip to the central coast. Along the way, a trail runner passed us, with a dog following behind. The dog stopped to say hello to us, and we learned that the dog did not belong to the runner and that apparently lived at one of the ranches in the valley. The dog trotted back toward the runner and we continued on. The trail ends at the intersection with the road that goes up “Big” Black Mountain. We had a quick snack, and I took my trip photo at the nearby sign.

We began retracing our route, passing a hiker who was headed up Big Black Mountain for some training for the Grand Canyon. We wished him well and to be careful on the road. A bit later, we spotted the dog again. He had trotted back to us, and for the next couple of miles, mostly hung out with us. He did run ahead and play in the water for a bit at one point. Turns out, he is a fixture on the trail. Larry Edmonds sent me a photo of the dog from a few years ago. He has no collar, so we can’t tell you his name. Soon we reached the parking lot and my final Coast to Crest Challenge was complete. I am thinking of stringing all five together in a point-to-point fashion and doing them in one day, but that is for another time. One other thing to note is I swapped out my pack. I picked up an Osprey Talon 6 for these lighter hikes. My regular day pack just seemed like overkill. The pack worked well, although I will need to adapt to using bottles instead of a bladder. The hike was a pleasant 6.3 miles that we covered in 2:15, with just about 470 feet of gain.

Cuyamaca Peak (via Conejos Trail)

I have a multiple-day hiking adventure planned in a few weeks to start hiking some of the peaks on the inaugural Central Coast Six Pack of Peak Challenge. One of the peaks, Alan Peak, is an 11-mile round-trip hike. So far, I had not hiked anything more than about 6.5 miles, so I wanted to get in one longer, harder hike before I committed to the drive up to the central coast. I figured summiting Cuyamaca Peak would be the perfect test of my foot and my fitness. This was going to be a solo trip as my usual hiking partners had other commitments. I decided to do my traditional route from Milk Ranch Road. I pulled into the parking area just before 6:30. It was a little brisk, but I knew that was going to quickly change once I started. I cruised along Milk Ranch Road at a nice pace. One of the things I was focusing on was keeping a more steady and measured pace with my hiking. I am still rebuilding from almost a year off the trails, so I need to be mindful of this. Another thing I wanted to do on this hike was not look at my real pace or my location. I knew this trail well, so there was no need to know exactly where I was. I decided to just listen to my heart rate and my breathing and let the trail come as it may.

Not long after starting up the road, a gaggle of wild turkeys ran off the road into a clearing nearby. On the drive in, I spotted a lone deer in the meadow. I wondered if I was going to encounter any other wildlife today. The nice thing about this route is that the 1.6 miles along the road is a nice steady grade and a wonderful way to warm up everything before you start making some serious elevation gain.

I turned on the Azalea Spring Fire Road and had that first steep section to push through before reaching the junction with the Conejos Trail. The beginning of the trail was a tad overgrown, and if you were not looking for it or the trail sign poles, you might miss it. The overgrowth soon faded, and the steep and rocky aspects of the trail took over. I wondered if Hurricane Hillary had done any damage to the trail, and if the storm had done any, if the repairs were already done. I kept an ear out as I passed near Conejo Spring to hear if it might still be flowing, but I only heard the sound of some birds. Along the way, I encountered a backpacker who had spent the night at the summit (which I believe is not allowed). We chatted some, and he was planning to head over to Middle Peak. While it had been a few years since I did it, I gave him a few bits of information. The key point I stressed to him is there is almost no view at the summit! He asked about water, so I told him I did not think the spring was running, so he would have to continue on to another water source.

The trail reached the service road, and I took a quick break. I needed to take care of a hot spot that was forming and to put on the rubber tips for my trekking poles. No need to wear down the tips on the pavement. While I knew I was not quite at the summit, as I still had about 1/2 mile to go, I was feeling good about the effort so far. I plodded up the road, and green pine cones were scattered around. Some damage from the storm I suspected. Soon, the end of the road came into view and after a short bit of off-trail, I was at the summit of San Diego’s second highest peak.

I found a nice shady spot and enjoyed some snacks and electrolytes. I had the summit to myself, so I just took in the sweeping views to the west. I took my photos around the summit and began the long descent. I passed the junction to the Conejo Trail and kept walking down the steep service road. The sun was making the asphalt nice and toasty, so I was looking to get back onto the Azalea Spring Fire Road and have a little less reflective heat. Along the way, I passed a couple making their way up. They were training for some hiking in Scotland in a few weeks while they visit their daughter. I wished them well as they pushed on.

Once off the service road, I cruised on. At Azalea Spring, I met up with that backpacker again. He was filtering some water before continuing on. He decided to skip Middle Peak and was going to head over to Cush-Pi (Stonewall Peak). Being from Florida, he was certainly feeling the altitude. I left him to filter the water and continued on. The bugs were starting to become annoying in the shady sections, almost to the point of breaking out the bug net. But I knew that I did not have that much further, so I would just swish them away. Soon, the car came back into view. The parking area had filled up, including a horse trailer. Given I only saw two other hikers after Azalea Springs, I wondered where they were out exploring? All told I hiked 8.6 miles with 1,860 feet of gain. My moving time for the hike was 3:50! I was really pleased to see that. I probably spent 15-20 minutes talking to some of those people I passed on the trail.

Santa Fe Valley Trail

The past two times I had hiked this trail were after work. Since I was working from home this morning, I decided to do it bright and early. I pulled into the empty parking lot just after 6:30 a.m., grabbed my gear, and headed toward the trail. The skies were overcast as I cruised along the trail with the groundskeepers working the nearby golf course.

The trail crosses quite a few small bridges as it follows the San Dieguito River. Then the trail reaches the other element known for the switchbacks that carry you up from next to the river and toward a hill above it. You certainly are rewarded with some nice views after making the short climb. I snapped my challenge photo and retraced my route. Just one more hike and the 2023-2024 Coast to Crest Challenge will be complete.

Santa Ysabel Lower Truck Trail

The hike along the Santa Ysabel Truck Trail was back on this year’s list of hikes for the Coast to Crest challenge. I really enjoyed doing it last time, so I was looking forward to hiking it again. Since the hike is a fairly mild one, I invited my friend Jeremy to join Ted and me on this adventure. We pulled into the parking lot and got our gear together. The skies were slightly overcast from the incoming Hurricane Hillary as we set off.

We cruised along the trail, catching up about our recent college graduates, various trips we have taken, and life. Soon we reached the junction with Orasco Guejito Truck Trail and took a short break. I warned Jeremy that our return would be a touch harder, as you don’t directly feel it, but you are following the San Dieguito River, and water only flows one way…

Along our way back we encountered some cyclocross riders trying to get some outside time in before the rains and winds hit. When we got back to the car, two horse trailers had arrived. Since we did not encounter them, I assume they were off enjoying the Pamo Valley trail. We drove back home and enjoyed a well-earned lunch at Mi Ranchito in PQ. Three hikes down, two to go! The stats for the hike were 6.7 miles with 600 feet of gain in 2:44.

San Emigdio

I initially thought about hiking over from Marian Campground to San Emigdio on Sunday, but I knew that after the effort Sawmill took, plus planning to stay up a bit late to catch the meteor shower, that was not going to be in the cards. Instead, once we were back on Hudson Ranch Road, we then turned onto Forest Route 9N34 and began driving up. This road was a little rougher than the one to the campground, but nothing an Outback couldn’t handle, so the Rubicon had no issues. We stopped at an incredible vista then backtracked a touch for me to walk up to the peak. The rest of the group opted to see the old quarry just to the south.

At the summit, a pile of rocks surrounded the register. After scaring a lizard away, I removed the register to see my friend Greg Gerlach’s name twice on the main page. I added mine and returned it to its spot on the summit. While the mountain itself has 1000 feet of prominence, the actual summit affords no views to speak of. I retraced my steps with my legs feeling the Sawmill hike earlier in the day. We continued our off-roading adventures by taking the 22W12 that led directly back to our campsite. The campground had filled up with folks coming to watch the Perseid meteor shower slated for later in the evening. We had another fine dinner. I turned in early, figuring at some point during the night I would wake up and enjoy some of the light show. I was too worn out from the Sawmill hike to stay up until midnight when they were slated to be at their peak. I did wake up around 1 am, and saw a few shoot across the sky, before crawling back into my tent and drifting back to sleep.

Cerro Noroeste

Since Campo Alto was just up the road from the trailhead, we made the short drive to see it. This was where we initially had planned to camp this weekend, but some campsites were closed due to tree hazards, and ours was one of them.

Dave parked near the summit and I took a short walk— first to the radio tower then over to the actual summit of Cerritos Noroeste. I looked to see if there might be a register, but given its proximity to the campground, I doubted it. I grabbed a few photos and went back to the Jeep and some more adventures…

Sawmill Mountain (via West Tumamait Trail)

After a decent night’s sleep in my tent, we made a lovely breakfast of real scrambled eggs, toast, and coffee before heading out. The plan today was to drive over to the West Tumamait trailhead and approach Sawmill from the west. When we arrived at the trailhead, three other cars were parked alongside the road. We found a spot, grabbed our gear, and began our trek.

Our route started with a steep 1/2 mile descent along a ridge. I think we would lose about 500 feet of elevation, which would taint us on our return. Off to the east stood Grouse Mountain. We reached Puerta del Suelo and now it was time to start regaining the elevation we lost and more. I could feel the altitude and where my recovery was and I was feeling all of it as I plodded upward. I told Dave and two of his sons to go on ahead and met them at the junction with the trail to Grouse. While they were fine having me set the pace, I felt too guilty about my slow pace.

We regrouped at the junction, and I took a short break. For the most part, I kept plodding along, never stopping for more than a breath or two. We continued climbing, passing the turn-off to Sheep Camp. I gave them the directions to look for the turnoff to Sawmill. As I approached it, they were not there. Another hiker was just coming from the other direction and I asked if he saw three hikers, he replied that he just saw them. So with a strong shout, I yelled and got Dave and the boys to return. Where there had usually been an X made of tree limbs to mark the trail, it wasn’t there and they walked past it. Now back together, we strolled up to the monument. After snapping some photos, we enjoyed a well-earned lunch. However, the final climb back to the trailhead weighed heavily on my mind.

Dave, unfortunately, developed a blister that we had first addressed back at the Grouse junction stop. It was still bothering him, so he applied some duct tape to the area. Once that was (hopefully) resolved, we set off and began to retrace our route. Along the way, I crossed paths with a pair of hikers I met while making the climb to the Grouse Junction. They were doing the whole traverse from Mt. Pinos to Cerro Noroeste. Turns out one of them was also doing the Six Pack of Peaks Challenge, so we chatted some before parting ways. We again regrouped at Grouse Junction. Neither of the boys felt adventurous enough to make the climb to it, so we continued on. I ate an energy chew just to give me a little more juice before the big climb. At the saddle, a hiker who had been with us on Sawmill was enjoying a snack after hitting Grouse and then going cross-country to his usual turn-around point. I said goodbye and began to climb.

My goal was to try to be mindful of my heart rate and pace myself. Some afternoon clouds had formed and gave me some shade which I welcomed, as a modest portion was exposed. Soon I spotted the trailhead and pushed on. That route was certainly a harder option than the traditional route from the east. All told the hike covered 5.8 miles with 1,485 feet of gain.