Decided to tackle one of Ted’s remaining peaks on his 100-peak list today. Given his time constraints, Coyote Mountain seemed to fit the bill perfectly. Our drive out had us under overcast skies, but as we dropped down to the desert floor, we left the clouds behind. Unfortunately, not the wind, as it was breezy as we got out of the car. We had the same issue the last time we tried to climb this mountain. The winds were not as strong, and we decided to at least get on the ridge and see how we felt. We crossed the rocky desert floor to the ridge that lay off to the west. As we drew near, we spied some cairns.
Once on the ridge, we could feel the wind, and it was strong enough to move our trekking poles, but nothing beyond that. We decided to continue; however, this was to be a silent climb, as we certainly were not going to be chatting over the wind. The route was almost overmarked with cairns, as well as the fairly well-defined use trail that followed the ridge. For the most part, we kept our heads down to avoid our hats being blown off, and pushed upward. The route goes mostly north, before turning westward to the summit, with a couple of short flat sections. The last time I climbed this peak, I needed to rest from time to time. For this climb, we kept hiking, except to snap a photo here and there.
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We reached the wide, broad summit, found the register and benchmark. I signed us in and opted not to enjoy the can of Coors that was in the ammo box. After a quick snack and various photos, we headed back down as the wind was still blowing and there was nothing on the summit to act as a windscreen.
After a few minutes descending, the winds ceased. Since we no longer had to keep our heads down, we could enjoy the expansive views to our east, and we could have a conversation. Along the way, we met two other hikers taking a short break on their ascent. We chatted for a bit before parting ways. Once at the base of the ridge, we followed more cairns that took us farther east than the route we took on the way in. We passed an old water tank, then finally back onto the road, and then our car. We tossed our gear in and changed into some dry shirts, then drove along the road to inspect a structure near the edge of the dry lake bed. This is a small shack labeled as “The Peace House”, and it was quite interesting. Since it is wildflower season out in the desert, here are the various flowers we spotted along our adventure:
After grabbing some Mexican food in town, we headed home. I logged 5.4 miles, while Ted had us at just under 6. Our total time was 3:43, about 45 minutes faster than my last time. The entire climb was 2,573 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!
With Ted on call, and Rick and Andrea having climbed Sunset Mountain the day before, I set off alone to summit San Ysidro East Peak. Between the recent trek out to Goat Benchmark and my ascent of The Sirens, this area was quite familiar to me. I wanted to give myself as much time as possible to tackle this peak. I debated which route to take: come all the way up from the desert floor or come from Ranchita? I decided to gamble on the Ranchita route, in part because I knew it would be the route Rick & Andrea would probably take for their attempts at both The Sirens and San Ysidro East. Since I wanted to start as early as possible, I left the house around 4:30, planning to pick up breakfast in Ramona. Unfortunately, that McDonald’s does not open until 6, so Jack in the Box it was. I pulled off the side of Montezuma Valley Road just at the border of Anza-Borrego State Park as the pre-dawn glow was starting to fill the eastern sky. I slipped on my fleece, as it was in the upper 40s. I also put on my headlamp, finished my liter of water, and set off along the fence line. The basic plan was to follow the park boundary line until it was time to turn eastward.
This went well until around White Benchmark. Here, my route forced me to climb through a bouldery and brushy section that I did not want to spend the time or energy doing. I worked my way past it all, but I was now in a foul mood. In the sandy sections, I could see my former footprints in the soil, so I now had less effort to spend on navigation. The flowing water had since dried up in the gully. As I approached where we had veered off to ascend Goat Benchmark, I continued east. The gully turns a bit northward, and I remember from years ago that it becomes filled with dry falls and is no longer the easy route it had been. I stood atop a small hill and surveyed my route to the east. Checking my route against my collection of tracks, I saw I was slightly to the north of them, so I dropped down. This next section has gullies which merge and cross with minimal difficulty, but it does take some care. The first one, I remembered to stay to the north of their merger to avoid the dense brush and trees. I found the game trail across the brushy section and climbed back up the small ridge. Another small gully sits on the other side. The challenge here was the steeper sides, so you had to look for an entry and exit slope to traverse it. Then, one final short climb onto Hellhole Flats.
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With that behind me, I began rethinking my exit. Did I want to have to climb all that again? I have done it three times now and I wasn’t sure. I figured once I was coming back down from San Ysidro East, I would make the call. If I went down to Borrego Springs along the Kay ridge, I would contact Anita and have her come get me (she hates it when I hitchhike), or I would let her know that I am returning the way I came, but I still had time to make that call.
Hellhole Flats cruised by. I dodged and weaved around the plants, aiming to the north of Lookout Knob, then toward the saddle near the northeast corner of the flats. Once there, I found some shade and rested. The day wasn’t too warm, but there was no need to sit under the sun while having some snacks and fluids. Now, for the climb up to San Ysidro East. In just over 3/4 miles, I would gain close to 1,200 feet. I plotted my way up the steep slope, ignoring past tracks and using my best judgment to find my route. For the most part, there weren’t any issues, other than the steepness. The terrain varied from rocky sections to sandy portions to clumps of cacti needing to be avoided. Once near the San Ysidro ridge, I began turning westward toward the summit. The grade eased, but still climbed to the peak. After one last push upward, I was on the summit of San Ysidro East again.
The entire climb from my resting spot to the summit took just over an hour. I snapped some photos and began looking for a nice spot for a much-deserved rest. I actually found a pseudo-cave where I sat down. The coolness of the rock against my back felt great as I ate my lunch and other snacks. I did look around to see if there was a register tucked away, but did not find one. After about 30 minutes, and tending to an issue on my foot, it was time to set off. I soon had to decide on my exit route. Feeling better, both physically and mentally, I opted to retrace my route back to Ranchita. I will say staring across Hellhole Flats and seeing White Benchmark at almost the same elevation did make me question myself.
My route down led me to a small, open area, and I wandered over to the western edge to see if I might take it down, as it would be slightly more direct. In looking over, I had no real idea what lay below me, so I returned to my general path as before. One thing to note on this descent was returning through Hellhole Flats. I worked my way down toward the west, but if I had needed to climb The Sirens, I would have taken a more eastern line and stayed higher to avoid losing unnecessary elevation.
Back on Hellhole Flats, I put on my headphones and listened to an episode of Backpacker Radio about off-trail trips. Talk about timing! Once past the two gullies, I knew the next big effort was about to begin. I methodically plodded upward, often following my own footprints. I would take a few quick breaks to rest before pushing on. Once I could rejoin the gully, I knew the effort level would become easier, and I focused on that microgoal. Back in the gully, I then focused on the turn southward. This isn’t too hard to spot, as the gully does widen, and my footprints helped as well. Now to continue climbing and navigating past White Benchmark. I really did not want to repeat the effort I exerted on my outward route. Once I reached the boundary fence, I hugged it. When the fence ended due to terrain, I opted to take the easier route southward. Technically, I crossed onto private property, but I tried to stay as close as I could to the boundary and, when I could, take the eastern path. Once past the section to the west of White Benchmark, I crossed back on state land and continued southward. The sounds of cars zooming along Montezuma Valley Road started to fill the air as my podcast finished. Back at the car, I changed into a dry shirt, slipped off my gaiters, and let various people know I had made it. I stopped at Don’s Market in Santa Ysabel for some cold drinks. The entire hike was 13.2 miles and took me 9:30 to complete. I have included the elevation profile to help the reader better understand the challenges posed by these peaks. What is interesting is the elevation gain value(s).
App
Elevation Gain
Distance
GaiaGPS
3,616 feet
13.2 miles
Runkeeper
4,241 feet
13.42 miles
CalTopo
4,435 feet
13.44 miles
OnX Backcountry
4,738 feet
13.4 miles
Strava
4,518 feet
13.43 miles
Quite the mystery as to the differences in elevation gain. I might have to dig deeper into how each platform calculates its value.
Now for my opinion on the route options to climb San Ysidro East and The Sirens. I think I would rather make one solid climb from the desert floor. The section around White Benchmark is less than pleasant, and the section leaving Hellhole Flats on the return is also quite taxing. My times to about the same point (junction between the peaks) were both around 3:30 elapsed time, but I find the straightforward nature of just climbing the ridge “easier”. While it is a steep ascent and descent along the ridge, not having to deal with the terrain when leaving Hellhole Flats and returning to Ranchita is a plus.
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!
Rick and Andrea decided to hike up to Kay Benchmark, and I decided to tag along and continue toward The Sirens and/or San Ysidro East Peak. At least that was the original plan. I got to the Anza-Borrego Visitor Center and waited for the rangers to open the gate. While waiting, I got a text from Rick that they were running late and I should go ahead and start. The rangers finally arrived at 7:20 to unlock the gate. I quickly paid my day-use fee and parked, then grabbed my gear and set off for the ridgeline. I cruised up the ridge toward Ode Benchmark. Once there, I quickly signed the register and snapped a few photos. From there, I began the steep climb up to Kay Benchmark. From time to time, I would glance back to see if I could spy Rick and Andrea. I could see their car parked next to mine. I got through the bouldery section near Kay without any real issues. Once at Kay, I took a short break and scanned my next section. I was going to follow Greg’s descent route to reach the saddle between The Sirens and San Ysidro East.
The route-finding went fairly smoothly, and soon I was closing in on the saddle. While my route was a bit higher than Greg’s, it was still 1000x better than the route I took down back in 2020. Now at the saddle, I had to decide which peak to attempt first. I decided to go for The Sirens because it was “easier” and I was mindful of the time. With that in mind, I opted to head for The Sirens. I turned southward and roughly followed the contour line to its base. Once there, I recalled that the best way up its very steep and rocky slope was to approach it from the western side. I found the slab section I scaled that last time, and followed it up. At the summit, I got a message from Rick that they had just reached Kay, almost due east of me. In fact, we did shout at each other from our respective summits, but nothing intelligible. As I ate my PB&J and drank some electrolytes, I learned that part of the reason I did not see them on the ridge was that they ascended from the small saddle just west of Ode. While we were texting, they offered to pick me up in Ranchita if I wanted. I debated this for a bit and decided to go that way. I knew I wouldn’t have time to climb San Ysidro East, so this would at least give me some insight into my options for my return.
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After signing the register, I found an alternate path down from the peak and headed back to the saddle to drop down into Hellhole Flats. Once down, mostly following a small drainage path, I cruised along, aiming for the north of Lookout Knob. As I drew near the western edge of the flats, I again worked my way down through some rockier sections until I reached another drainage. I followed it to where it met with the drainage from the west, as that was the one we used when we recently climbed Goat Benchmark. But here, where they met, the brush was too dense, so I headed back north along that drainage for a short bit, then exited and continued westward.
Now, I began the climb out of Hellhole Flats. For the most part, I stayed hiking westward, skipping the detour to Goat Benchmark. I snacked a few times to keep my energy up, as this is still a modest climb. Soon, very familiar terrain came into view, including some recent footprints. The water was still flowing in that one section of the drainage, and there was even a thin sheet of ice next to it. Once I turned southward and was more exposed, I donned my wind shell, as a cool wind was blowing! One of the sections that I disliked last time was the section passing White Benchmark. This time, I decided to see if it was easier to just try to stay along the fence line as best as possible. While I might have drifted off the state park land, I never crossed the fence itself; this was the right choice for this section. I continued along the fence line until I reached the road, and Rick and Andrea were waiting for me. We had been texting back and forth, and they had only arrived about 15 minutes earlier. They then kindly shuttled me back to my car. Now for the big question: which route is better?
Since I need to return to climb San Ysidro East, I have to decide which route to take. Both routes have pros and cons. Honestly, I don’t know which way I will take. It probably depends on whether I am hiking it solo or with some friends, and whether they need a peak along the way. The upside is that I am now familiar with both options.
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!
With the re-emergence of Lake Manly at Badwater Basin, I decided to drive out to Death Valley National Park to see it. With two campsites in the park still closed due to the severe storms, I opted to stay at Stovepipe Wells. This is a first-come, first-served site, so I made it my first stop to secure a site. With that chore done, I headed down to the heart of the park; Furnace Creek and the Badwater Basin area.
After grabbing my passport stamp, swapping my plastic Junior Ranger badge for a wooden one, and picking up a few souvenirs, I headed directly down to Badwater Basin. The winds were calm, so the shallow lake reflected the surroundings nicely. After enjoying the views for a while, I headed back to the car for lunch. Being mid-week, there were no issues parking, but I had heard the weekend was a different story.
My next stop was to hike the Natural Bridge Trail. This is a short, easy trail up to the bridge, then onto a nice, dry fall.
Next, I opted to take the Artist Palette drive and make the short hike to view the stunning, colorful views. The afternoon light really brought out the colors.
I then made the 30-minute drive back towards Stovepipe Wells, but stopped at the Mesquite Dunes first. I hiked out to the tallest dunes and watched the sun emerge from the clouds. The light and shadows across the dunes were incredible. The recent rains made the sand a bit firmer, so that was nice.
Back at my campsite, I set up my Luno mattress and got a campfire going. I ate my dinner under the glow of the fire, as the stars slowly began to appear in the night sky. After the fire died out, I crawled into the Outback and read a chapter of my book before turning in for the night.
I awoke before sunrise, quickly broke camp, and drove south again to Zabriskie Point to watch the sunrise. It was fairly overcast, so it wouldn’t be as dramatic as it could be. Properly bundled against the cold, I watch the sun’s rays illuminate the mountains to the west, including the snow-covered Telescope Peak.
After some hot oatmeal, OJ, and coffee in the parking lot, it was time to head home. Rain fell intermittently along the drive as I listened to two guest lectures for one of my classes. I stopped at the NASA Goldstone Visitor Center for a quick tour, then grabbed lunch at the Original Del Taco, before the final drive home.
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!
The plan was to hike out to Goat Benchmark with Rick & Andrea, and if I was feeling up to it, I might push on to The Sirens and San Ysidro East. With the access closure from Lease Road, the only real option for us to hike to Goat Benchmark was to start from Montezuma Valley Road. I had hiked portions of this route, as far north as White Benchmark, but not between that point and the route I had taken before on my trips into Hellhole Flats. I arrived a bit early and saw the sunrise was really putting on a show, so I continued past our meeting point and drove farther along Montezuma Valley Road to a couple of turnouts to capture it. What a sight!
We were meeting at 7, so I turned around safely and met them at the fence line of Anza-Borrego State Park. The general plan was to head north, following the fence line (and the terrain), then link up with the gully descending toward Hellhole Flats. I was almost over a cold, so I wasn’t sure I had the energy to make the whole trek, but I carried enough to do so. At a minimum, I would have eyes on that new section that I would have to traverse at least once more with Ted to hike up to San Ysidro Peak. The recent rains made the ground a bit soft and damp. The brush was low, so our pants should remain dry. This new route adds about 1.5 miles to the junction of the routes and about 1,000 feet. We worked our way northward, following small use trails and trying to avoid unnecessary climbs. As we approached White, the route options became more complex, with more boulders and steep sections to contend with. We tried to follow the contour lines, but eventually opted to head up toward White Benchmark and a gap to its north. In hindsight, I think it would have been easier just to follow the slope south toward White, then cut across near the summit to that gap. That is what I did upon my return, and that is the better route.
After passing White, we tried to stay on the east side to avoid the property line. A small bump sits just to the north of White, and we found ourselves unable to continue. We debated heading straight east and down a steep slope, then up toward Goat from there, but we opted to try the west side and hug the property line. After a couple of downs and ups across some minor gullies, we turned onto one that would eventually link with the gully that I have used in the past. Once in it, we cruised along. At one point, we had a bit of flowing water that appeared briefly, then faded back underground. I kept a mindful eye for the turn off to Goat. I spotted a familiar landmark, just a small bump, and knew we were getting close. One thing I remember about Goat is that it is not the pile of rocks you think it is, nor the next one… Once there, we took a short break, and I pulled out my wind shell, as it was chilly and breezy. We had been adding and removing layers throughout the hike. We signed the register and snapped a photo of the benchmark. Rick and Andrea were hoping to continue and make it to Webo. I kept debating about my options. I had broken down the various sections for my attempts, and it seemed too much, as we had lost some time on the way out. Plus, the weather was supposed to worsen in the afternoon. I made the call that I was going to retrace our route. I then suggested, since they would be at Webo, why not just take the ridge down rather than slog back the way we came? I could drive down to the parking area and shuttle them back. So, that became the new plan. I gave them a few navigational pointers, and we parted ways.
I found some nice use trails to return me to the main gully, then to the side gully to begin my journey south. I was able to follow our route in with no issues. As I approached White, my right knee began to ache. Not sure if it was cold, or overused, but I was not happy. I wondered if the soft terrain had put some stress on it… Since I was so close to White, I opted to climb it formally. As I mentioned earlier, our route out almost took us to its summit. I climbed the rocks to the top, and then took a quick break for a PB&J. Both Rick and I had cell coverage, and they were atop Webo hunting for the benchmark and the register. They found the benchmark, but the register could not be located. The same was true for me. I could see a pile of rocks on top where one might have been, but no more. I did not look that hard to see if it had been relocated. I then headed southward, not following any particular track, letting the terrain guide me. Since my knee was hurting, I skipped climbing some of the other benchmarks scattered along the way. It had gotten colder and windier, so I was wearing all my layers. Ignoring my knee, I suspected I made the right call to not stay out longer.
Back at the car, I changed and drove on down to Borrego Springs. I grabbed a cold soda from the market and played on my phone a bit while I waited. I got a check-in message from Rick, and eventually made my way over to the parking lot for Hellhole Canyon. I relaxed for a bit until I spotted two tired but happy hikers emerging from along the trail. They tossed their gear in the back, and we made the drive back up to Ranchita. As we drew near where we started from, rain was falling! Boy, did we all make the right choice. It would have sucked hiking back in that! I tracked my hike at 8.3 miles over 6:15 with 2,087 feet of gain.
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 August 2023, Hurricane Hillary caused significant damage in portions of Southern California. In Anza-Borrego, one of the lasting impacts of that storm has been the closure of the road to Sheep Canyon. While the road would close seasonally during the summer to protect the Big Horn Sheep, since 2023, it has remained closed to all vehicles. The primary issue is that Coyote Creek was rerouted onto the road near the Third Crossing. This closure has made climbing five of the peaks on the San Diego Sierra Club list even more challenging, as if those five weren’t hard enough. With some weather in the forecast, and me getting over a slight cold, I decided to hike out to the Sheep Canyon Primitive Campsite and get a sense of what the hike out to the trailhead for three of these peaks would be like. As I drove through Ramona and Santa Ysabel, I could feel the wind blowing against my car, and I wondered if I might have issues down in the desert. Thankfully, as I made a quick stop at Christmas Circle in Borrego Springs, the winds were calm as the sun rose between the clouds. I then drove north until the pavement ended and continued on the very well-groomed dirt road. One challenge of reaching the closure point is that there are two crossings of Coyote Creek. The first crossing was minor, but the second one was a bit more intimidating; the Outback fjorded it without issue. I parked next to the closed gate and gathered my gear.
I enjoyed the sounds of the flowing water as I carefully worked my way along its banks toward dry ground. The water was flowing right down the road, its original channel, just to the west. I continued on, following a well-defined trail and collection of footprints. After navigating another couple of wet sections, I came to the infamous “Boulder Alley”. I remember climbing up this in Greg Gerlach’s truck, wondering if the Outback could safely handle it. I could see the storm damage, but nothing a little grading couldn’t repair. Once over this hill, Collins Valley lay before me, along with my first views of Square Top, Palm & Elder, and Collins Benchmarks. Knob lay hidden behind Palm & Elder. The road was in fine shape, and I made great time. I came to the junction of the Santa Catarina Marker and opted to visit it upon my return. After another 0.6 miles or so, I came to another intersection, this one for the Sheep Canyon Trail. I had seen this marked on my maps, so I opted to give it a go. The route was incredibly well blazed, makers clearly guiding you across the desert floor (the footprints also helped). Eventually, it rejoined the road and continued westward toward Sheep Canyon. The road turned southward and crossed a wide wash; there it split. The road continued southward toward Cougar & Indian Canyons, a place I have been meaning to explore, or westward to the Sheep Canyon Primitive Campground. I stuck to my primary objective. I wandered the various campsite, fire rings, picnic tables, and even a couple of pit toilets. I stared at the bouldery face that I climbed to reach Palm and Elder to my north, and the ridgeline I followed when I summited Square Top, while enjoying a well-earned snack.
As I headed back, I began thinking about how we might shuttle our water cache, and maybe some firewood? At the junction with the Sheep Canyon Trail and the road, I opted to take the road this time. Here, I hiked across softer sand than I had underfoot on the trail. When I reached the junction for the historical marker, I took the short detour to view it. It offers a nice view of the Lower Willows area. You can see the palms and other plant life growing along the creek. I hiked back down Boulder Alley, enjoying the podcast I had been listening to. Before too long, I was back along the flowing waters of Coyote Creek and then to my car. After again making the two water crossings in the Outback, I headed home.
The entire hike was 8.7 miles, in 3:10, with 689 feet of gain. The scouting trip was an overall success. I don’t see any issues, hiking out to Sheep Canyon, camping for the night, then tackling Square Top or Palm & Elder Benchmark. For Collins and Knob Benchmark, I would like to explore setting up our base camp in Salvador Canyon.
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!
I drove to the end of Pinyon Wash and parked, finding one other car there when we arrived. Jeremy and I gathered our gear and set off. The plan was to hike down to Split Rock and try to find any of the pictographs. Our adventure began with a bit of scrambling over some rocks before exiting into a nice wash. Jeremy had never done any desert hiking, so this was a new experience for him. The wash worked its way through the canyon before opening into a vast open expanse. We continued southward, finally exiting the state wilderness and onto the road. We heard the sounds of a motorcycle, but never saw it. Whale Peak loomed over us to the southwest.
After our route turned eastward, we found some rocks to take a short snack break. A light breeze kept the day pleasant. Before too long, Split Rock came into view. We had passed one set of morteros along the way, but found many more here. A truck was parked nearby, but we never saw the owner. I scanned the rock for any pictographs and wandered the hillside as well. I came up empty. Our route was basically a lollipop, and this was the top of the lollipop, so we began our arc back toward the stem.
The wash we were now following was a bit narrower, so we had to navigate around some vegetation from time to time. After about a mile, we left the wash and began hiking across the open desert. More “firsts” for Jeremy. We would weave around the agave and other plants, following a generally northwesterly course for about 1.75 miles, until we met back at the point where we had exited from the canyon at the start of this journey.
When we reached the boulders at the beginning of the hike, I decided to take the east side to see if there might be an easier path down. While it initially seemed easier, we found a few drops that took a bit of care to descend. I managed to get Jeremy down safely. Once back at the car, we drove back to the highway and into Borrego Springs for some tacos. We did stop to view the latest sculptures, a rattlesnake and a roadrunner. Now properly fueled, we headed home, but did stop for a pint of cider at Calico Cidery.
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!
With a series of storms on the way, I wanted to get another desert hike in before they arrived. I opted to return to Joshua Tree to hike up Monument Mountain, a peak on the Lower Peaks Committee list. Since it requires about 5 miles of off-road driving along Pinkham Canyon Road, I wanted to do it now in case there was an access issue. The road wasn’t too bad. I wouldn’t take a Civic on it, but nothing was too bothersome. The mountain is quite visible, with a prominence of over 1000 feet.
Mountain prominence is a measure of a peak’s vertical separation from its surroundings.
I parked near where several other hikers had started from and gathered my gear. Angling across the desert floor, I made my way to the base of a ridge. Double-checking my track, which I would do from time to time, I began my climb. The route was pretty uneventful; the ascent wasn’t too steep, except for one small section, and there were a few use trails.
The summit was actually hidden by the various ridges and minor false summits along the way. With regards to those, you can usually sidehill past them with no trouble. Finally, the well-defined summit came into view. I drew next to its base and worked my way up its rocky slope. At the summit, I found the register in good condition, along with the benchmark and two reference marks. I enjoyed a snack and the vistas. Once properly refueled and hydrated, I picked my way down the rocks and back onto the ridgeline.
I was able to follow even more of the faint use trail on my descent. As I came down the final ridge, the sun’s glint bounced off my car, acting as a beacon. Along the desert floor, I spied several different flowers blooming.
Back at the car, I enjoyed some cold water before driving back along Pinkham Canyon. I stopped at the visitor center to give a quick report on the road and hike, knowing the storms might make that information worthless. The parking lot was full, and I had to circle around once to find a spot. I had considered making the hour drive to Malapei Hill and climb it, but opted not to deal with the holiday traffic and save it for another time. This was my 22nd LPC peak, and it took me 3:39 to hike the 5.8 miles.
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!
I awoke just before sunrise. After a nice warm breakfast, I drove down Geology Tour Road to the start of the hike. The road was in pretty good condition, except for two rutted spots that were muddy and had been “enjoyed” by others. At marker 14, I turned off the road and parked. I left a note in the window, grabbed my gear, and set off.
I worked my way eastward toward the wash, which I would follow southward for about 1.5 miles, when it split into two forks. Here, a large cairn marked the exit from the wash, and the climb would begin in earnest. My route took me up a gully and toward a small saddle. A lone boulder just to the east of it helped give me a target to aim for. Once along the ridge, it was now a “simple” process to follow it in a generally southward direction, ever climbing. The route would alternate from mild to steep. After a very convincing false summit, the true summit of Bernard Peak came into view. I scrambled to the summit. A light breeze helped temper the day’s warmth. I found the benchmark and a reference mark. I signed the register before setting off for the next peak (Little Berdoo) after addressing a hot spot on my foot.
I dropped down to another saddle, sad to lose some elevation, but I did pick up an excellent use trail for a while. My route arched over to the summit. Here I found the benchmark, reference mark, and the register. The Coachella Valley was spread out before me as I enjoyed a snack and some electrolytes before heading back.
My route back went well with a few drifts off track, but I quickly corrected my navigation. I enjoyed a Walking Tamale, a new trail food for me, during one of the mellower sections to keep my energy levels up. Way off to the north, I could see the volcanic rocks of Malapai Hill and Geology Tour Road, as I kept descending. Soon, I passed that lone boulder again and down to the wash. Initially, I planned to follow the wash back to the road, then to my car, to avoid the open desert portion again. With a quick check against the saved GPX track I had been using, I saw that I was drifting to the east, so I was going to have some last open desert hiking before reaching the road.
Once back at the car, I enjoyed some cold water, as the day was now in the mid-70s. The thought of hiking up volcanic rocks to the summit of Malapai Hill on a warm day with some tired legs was not something that appealed to me. Tonight’s campsite was down at Cottonwood Springs, so I had a bit of a drive to recover from the day’s efforts. I stopped at the visitor center to ask about the road to the Monument Peak trailhead. The rangers said that up to that point, an AWD car would have no issues. Past that, well, you’d better have a real 4×4 with recovery gear. I got the same campsite as I had last year. The light pollution is a bit worse here, so astrophotography wouldn’t be as good. I quickly set up camp and started cooking while I started a campfire. Unlike last night, there was no breeze, so it was an enjoyable night to enjoy a nice beer and watch the fire.
I awoke slightly before dawn and captured a short time-lapse of the sunrise.
After some oatmeal, OJ, and hot coffee, I decided not to attempt Monument Peak. My legs were still spent from the past two days, and as I still needed to climb Malapai Hill, I knew I had a return trip to Joshua Tree in my future. With that decision, I headed home very satisfied with the hikes and camping. The entire multiple peak hike covered 8.7 miles in 5:44. The total elevation gain was 2,221 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!
After climbing Mount Mel, my next hike would take me to the Queens: Queen Mountain and Queen Benchmark. I turned on Big Horn Pass Road, then continued northward onto O’Dell Road. The parking lot was empty, as expected on a Monday. I gathered my gear and 3 liters of water before setting off. The hike actually begins along an old jeep road, so I cruised along toward the base of the mountains. The road eventually faded into a well-worn trail and started its climb. Cairns dotted the way as well. From time to time, I would add or repair them. The steep climb came to a small plateau, then over to a gully for the final push to the saddle between the two peaks.
I opted to make the short climb to Queen Mountain first. A nice, wide slab led to the actual summit. After locating the reference mark and soaking in the views on this HPS peak, I returned to the saddle and then arched around the north side of Queen Benchmark. Once at the summit, I signed the register and found the benchmark. I didn’t stay too long, as I still needed to get back to the car and set up camp at Jumbo Rocks Campground.
The descent went reasonably smoothly, and I was soon back at the car. The campground was a short drive away, and before too long, I had camp set up. After a nice dinner next to a warm campfire, I enjoyed some astrophotography before turning in. Tomorrow was going to be a big day, hiking two more HPS peaks, Bernard and Little Berdoo Peaks, and if the legs have any gas left in them, Malapai Hill. The hike was 3.97 miles long and had a healthy gain of 1,204 feet, which I did in 3:00.
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!
