San Mateo Peak

Since two of the three of us had evening plans, that ruled out any “big” hikes. So, instead, we tossed around a few smaller hikes that might fit the bill. In the end, we settled on hiking San Mateo peak, just an hour north in Riverside County. This peak is on the Lower Peaks Committee list, so we would get to cross off another one. Since the mileage for the peak was going to be just under 5 miles and the elevation gain was not too much, we had a slightly later start than our usual departure times. The drove up to Lake Elsinore and on to the 74 went quickly, as Susie, Ted, and I had not hiked together in a while, so there was a lot of catching up to do. The clouds hung low and as we neared the turn off from the 74 toward the Morgan Trailhead, I was driving in them. I pulled into the parking area and hung my Adventure Pass on the mirror. We gathered our gear and set off.

At about 2/10 mile in, we came upon a register box and we signed in. Almost directly behind is the trail o take up to San Mateo Peak. We made the mistake of continuing along the trail that we had been on for a bit before realizing we were headed the wrong way. The trail was really mellow, so backtracking was easy. The trail follows a seasonal stream for about another ½ mile. Some poison oak lined the edge of the trail, so having long pants was a good idea. We reached another junction that was well signed and the trail began to climb away from the creekbed. Along the route, we would keep our eyes open for the three dinosaurs that are placed along the trail. I have no idea why, but they are there.

The clouds slowly began burning off and the possible summit revealed itself off to the south. Further, in the distance, we could see the towers atop Margarita Peak. The trail had a few ups and downs but mostly kept climbing upward. Finally, we spotted the summit and shortly thereafter were enjoying its views. It had a nice summit block that some of us scrambled up on. Off to the west, we spotted Sitton Peak, and Santiago loomed to our north.

After signing the register, we began to retrace our route. About halfway back, we saw a flag pole atop a small peak to our north that we had missed due to the cloud cover. I located what I hoped was the use trail and made the short climb to it. According to Peakbagger, this was Peak 3065. There was nothing there that gave us any clue as to why there was a flag pole, but a peak is a peak.

We rejoined the main trail and continued down until we actually encountered another hiker heading up. So much for checking “Only Party on the Mountain” on our ascent log on Peakbagger. Soon we were back at the car after a pleasant 4.5 miles in a comfortable 2:36. I logged the total elevation gain at 937 feet. The drive home took a bit longer due to some construction but still wasn’t too bad of a drive.

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.

Mirror Lake

Matt’s alarm went off at midnight, and shortly thereafter it wished him a “happy birthday”. Once it was done singing to him, I did the same. Matt was getting ready to attempt to summit Mt. Whitney, while I was planning to hike as far as Trail Camp. This opportunity for me was fairly last minute, so I had not had the chance to do any training for a hike of the magnitude of the summit. I let Matt focus on getting ready, as I was not scheduled to sync up with David until around 1:30 am. Matt finished up and set off for Whitney Portal. David arrived on schedule and we tossed our gear and began our drive up.

Driving in, we could see headlamps dancing along the trail. When we parked at the portal, the car’s thermometer read 43°F. We grabbed our gear and clicked on our headlamps and set off. There was some comfort having hiked this about 12 hours earlier as we climbed in the darkness. My legs, and more importantly lungs, were feeling good as the trail climbed ever upward. I knew not to compare my pace, as night hiking is always slower. As we made our way up, David was having trouble following my pace. He said to go on and he would meet me at the Lone Pine Lake junction. I continued hiking at a nice pace, being mindful of bears that might be out. All was going well until the long log crossing near the junction. While it had not been an issue in the daylight, this night crossing was nerve-wracking. It was more of a shuffle than actually walking. I reached the junction and waited for David. I found a spot to sit and turned off my headlamp to save my batteries. The stars were majestic as there was no moon to hide their brilliance. In addition, a meteor shower was just concluding, and I spotted one very bright one streaking across the sky. As I waited, several more vaporized into our atmosphere. It had been some time sitting here and I was starting to shiver. I got up and paced a bit to warm back up. I am fairly sure it was below freezing here. Several hikers passed by, but no David. I decided to continue on, knowing David would either turn back and relax back at the portal, or I would meet up with him on my descent.

Just past the Lone Pine Lake junction is the entrance to the Whitney Zone. I stopped for a photo and continued on. To the east, the predawn glow was starting to appear. I kept climbing toward Outpost Camp, the next milestone for me on this hike. The mountains were slowly being bathed in light. The trail eases some as it makes its way through Bighorn Park, the creek flowing next to the trail. As I neared Outpost Camp, I could see the tents scattered about and continued on, trying to be quiet for anyone who might still be asleep.

From there I would have another set of switchbacks to climb until I reached Mirror Lake. My plan was to reach it by sunrise, then enjoy a second breakfast and coffee before pushing on. Waiting for David put me behind schedule, so I watched the sunrise while I was on the switchbacks.

As I reached the junction for Mirror Lake, I could start to feel the altitude and was glad to be taking a break. I found a nice flat patch of granite near the south shore and pulled out my water filter, but for some reason, I could not get it to work. It might have been clogged from the last time I used it or for some other reason. I had enough clean fluids to get down, so that was not an issue, but I did not have enough to continue on nor make my breakfast. I snapped some photos of the peaks reflecting down onto the water. Several groups of hikers passed by as they made their way forward. While I was bummed about not reaching my goal, this hike had been a spectacular one. I hung out here for about 30 minutes, soaking it all in.

As I made my way back, I would mention to ascending hikers to be on the lookout for a fellow in a green and white Celtic jersey and to make sure to wish him a happy birthday! One set of hikers asked if I was Chris and relayed a message from David that he would meet me at Outpost Camp.

There, as promised, was David. He said it just wasn’t his day on the mountains, and with that, we began heading down toward the trailhead. Along the way, we spotted some deer and some pikas. More hikers continued on, some with full backpacks ready to make camp, probably at Trail Camp. In fact, one of those folks turned out to be a friend of a friend who recognized me. We made it back down to Whitney Portal just before 9 am. I hiked a total of 8.6 miles in 6:26. My final altitude was 10,655 feet, meaning I climbed 2,386 feet. After driving back down to Lone Pine, David hopped into his car to race back to his hotel in Ridgecrest to grab a shower. I gathered my gear from the hotel and set off. As I drove away, I looked off to the west, hoping that Matt would be successful and one day I might stand atop that summit. Later that evening, I got a message from Matt that he made it and 15+ people wished him a happy birthday!

Lone Pine Lake

Matt Hanan reached out to me and asked if I would be able to join him in climbing Mt. Whitney on May 31st. As much as I wanted to climb to the highest peak in the lower 48, I had not been training for it, and did not want to hamper Matt’s attempt if I ran into issues. Also, May 30th is my wedding anniversary (29 years), so I would need to make sure missing most of that day was ok. Anita gave her approval, provided I did not actually attempt the summit. We agreed that I would not climb higher than Trail Camp and at my own pace, letting Matt stay focused on his ascent. Since Matt had one more space on his permit, my friend David also planned to meet us there. His plan was to probably stick with me as he had no desire to summit Whitney again, but loved just spending time in the eastern Sierras. I left San Diego mid-morning and drove up to Lone Pine. I met Matt at the motel and quickly changed into my hiking gear. The plan was to drive up to Whitney Portal and hike up to Lone Pine Lake, which is just before the boundary of the Whitney Zone. This would give us some hiking time at some higher altitudes, before the bigger hikes the next day. We found a spot and parked Matt’s car, fully cleared out as this is active bear country and the last thing you want is to return to your car to find it had been torn open by a bear looking for a snack.

The trail begins almost across from the pit toilets. We each grabbed a wag bag and stuffed them in our packs. The trail headed east for a bit before turning back west. This was my first time here, so I was soaking in the beauty that was all around me. The next day, when I would be on this section of the trail, it would be pitch dark. The grade of the trail wasn’t too bad, but I could definitely feel the altitude.

Matt had been here several times before, so he led the way. Lone Pine Lake sits about 1,750 feet above Whitney Portal, so we had some gain before us. We continued plodding along, taking some short breaks to let me catch my breath. We crossed the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek with no issues. Matt said the fun crossing was just before the junction with the trail down to Lone Pine Lake. As we climbed up the switchbacks, the views to the east were breathtaking. Soon, we came to the main crossing of Lone Pine Creek. This crossing is a long series of logs spanning the wide flow of water. Matt mentioned in previous years water had been flowing almost over the tops of them. Sadly, now it is well below that level. Once across, we reached the junction and made a short 0.1 mile jaunt to the lakeshore. A few folks were milling about, including one person hoping to catch some fish.

With a very early start time, we did not linger as we wanted to get back down into Lone Pine, grab dinner and hit the sack. I tracked our hike at 5.7 miles in 3:05 with 1,750 feet of gain.

Border Field State Park

We parked in the small parking lot and headed down Monument Road. After about 2/10 mile, the road turns south toward the border. You can continue straight along the Beach Trail, but we stayed on the road. The road then turned west again. Off in the distance, we could see our eventual destination, Friendship Park. The park has been closed for some time due in part to Covid and other factors.

After a short climb up the small plateau, we had reached the very southwestern corner of the United States. The border wall loomed to our south and continued into the actual ocean. But around us were shaded picnic tables, interpretive signs, and good views across southern San Diego. After taking in the views, we retraced our route back to the car and then headed into Imperial Beach for some fish tacos at Coronado Brewery.

Be mindful that due to the low elevation of the park, the park is sometimes closed to flash floods, especially in winter.

Sitton Peak

Since I have a busy schedule of hiking adventures planned for the coming month, I wanted to get some longer miles in to build up my fitness. Unfortunately, I did not have time to spend hiking my two remaining peaks on the San Diego Six-Pack of Peaks (Palomar High Point and El Cajon Mountain). So, instead, I turned to work on the SoCal Six-Pack of Peaks list and decided to climb Sitton Peak once again. I arrived at the trailhead just before 6:30 am. One other car was in the parking lot. I grabbed my gear and quickly and carefully crossed the highway.

After signing in at the trailhead, I set off down the trail. I was surprised at the number of wildflowers that still dotted the sides of the trail.

The miles passed quickly, and I soon found myself at the side trail I would take to the summit. Anyone who has done Sitton Peak will tell you most of the hike is fantastic, it is just that last 4/10 mile that is the tough part. I began my climb, remembering my previous times in this section. This time it seemed easier. My footing felt more sure, and the effort was actually a little easier.

As I neared the summit, I could hear voices. The hikers from the other car were sitting on the summit enjoying a well-earned rest. We chatted a bit while I ate my snack and took a few photos. The marine layer covered the coast. I really do need to do this hike on a truly clear day. Since I wanted to be home by lunch, I bid farewell and set off back down. I cruised down the trail, keeping an eye out for any snakes that might be out.

Thankfully, just a handful of lizards enjoying the morning sun. Once back at the trailhead, I stopped at the Candy Store and treated myself to a fresh peanut butter cookie and a cold soda. I had a hiccup with my tracker, but I covered the hike in 3:56, hopefully, that is a good sign for my legs for all the miles they will be seeing in the coming weeks.

Hot Springs & Corral Benchmark

Since I am halfway done with the San Diego Six-Pack of Peaks, I figured I would cross another one off the list, Hot Springs Mountain. If I was going to do this peak, I had to sync up with Gina Norte and do it with her again. I met her at her house and then drove up toward the summit. The upside of being the trail manager for Los Coyotes is you have some additional access. We parked the car, grabbed our stuff, and headed toward the summit. The bugs were out and I had a few extra bits of protein along the way. I almost broke out the bug net but opted not to.

The summit was empty and we spent just a little bit of time here before heading over to the abandoned lookout tower for a bit. We surveyed possible routes for an attempt to summit Obie Benchmark, but that was for another day. As we cruised back down from the summit, the first wave of hikers began to make their way up. We chatted with some before parting ways.

Our next goal was to visit Corral Benchmark. This peak sits off the main trail. Since I was with Gina, we could climb it. The route up was pretty straightforward and we soon found ourselves at the summit. A register sat off to the side, and a tribal benchmark was affixed to a nearby rock. We had a snack and took in the views. May Grey socked in the coast. In fact, I had a little rain on my way here. Off to the west stood SquareTop, Collins, and Knob. To our southeast, Cody, and Pike. These were some stunning vistas. I was honored to be able to view them.

We grabbed our packs and rejoined the main trail. Soon we were back at Gina’s car and making the drive back down. I bid farewell and began driving back home, with a stop at Dudley’s for a well-earned sandwich.

Clevenger Canyon-San Pasqual North Trail

The North County Sierra Club has been running the 50 hikes for 50 years Challenge, where over the course of a year you hike a list of 50 hikes and earn some prizes along the way. I did not learn about the challenge until it was well underway, plus the peaks of Anza-Borrego tend to call my name during the winter. I was able to do 25 of them and earn a patch (I am a sucker for patched). But several folks were able to hike all 50! On Friday, I was able to join two of them, Yosina and Annie as they hiked up Clevenger Canyon North.

We were joined by some of their other friends at the trailhead and set off down past the graffitied boulders until we reached Santa Ysabel Creek. A trickle of water was still flowing as we crossed over and would now start our climb up the canyon wall.

Toward the summit, we spied some young turkey vultures hanging out just ahead of us. More were off to the east. They took flight once we passed, their massive wings carrying them away. Soon, we were at the summit and we took a break. The ladies broke out their signs and smiles and took their completion photo together.

After the short break, we headed back down the trail. This is the best part of the hike, not because you are headed back to the trailhead, but instead of just looking at the canyon wall, you are now rewarded with the vistas of the San Pasqual Valley.

After the short climb up from the creek, we were back at our cars and parted ways. I logged the hike at 5.3 miles with 1,490 feet of gain.

Cowles Mountain & Pyles Peak

With “May Grey” in full force, I figured an early morning hike up Cowles Mountain, and then over to Pyles Peak would be a good choice. I needed to photograph the new summit marker that now sits atop Pyles Peak, and having a nice layer of clouds to keep the sun away sounded perfect. Since Covid-19 is still an actual issue, I opted not to take the shorter (and generally crowded) route up from Golfcrest to the summit to Cowles. Instead, I planned to either take the Barker Way route or the Big Rock route. In the end, I settled on the Barker Way route, mostly since it was a bit shorter than the Big Rock route. I found a spot on the street near the trailhead, grabbed my gear, and set off.

I actually had another choice to make almost immediately—do I take the service road all the way to the summit of Cowles, or do I take the trail to my left? The trail won the coin toss. There was no actual coin tossing, as trails will almost always win for me. The trail worked its way up the south side of Cowles, passing through the chaparral. Occasional steps helped lessen the grade as I kept climbing. I passed a connector trail that I could take to rejoin the service road, but I kept going, as there was another one closer to the summit that I planned to take. The trail I was on would actually connect with the route up from Golfcrest, and I had no desire to do that. From there I followed the service road to the summit of Cowles. I had never been on the service road, and was surprised at how steep it was.

At the summit I grabbed a quick photo of the marker and continued on. The marine layer hid much of the view, plus I still had another 1.5 miles to the summit of Pyles.

I worked my way down the trail, losing about 300 feet of elevation before making a small climb and then more descent. Finally, I reached the start of the climb to the other summit. Once I reached it, two other hikers were taking a break here. I was on a work call, so I couldn’t stop and chat. I photographed the new marker and began back down.

The towers atop Cowles loomed to the south and I climbed back toward them. So far my neck, which had been giving me issues, was feeling ok. Once back at the Cowles summit, I snapped a few more photos. In case you are wondering, crossing back over a summit does not count as a new ascent.

I followed the service road back toward the connector, but instead of completely retracing my route, I opted to stay on the service road all the way down. Once back at the car I tossed my gear in and headed home. The peacefulness of the hike let me explore some ideas around a new interface design I am creating at work. Sometimes it is best to step away from the screens to give yourself some time to focus. I logged my hike at 5.8 miles in 2:39 and over 1,764 feet of net elevation gain. Now to finish that trail guide…

South Fortuna*

Since all the construction blocked my access from the West Fortuna Staging area last week, I decided to use the southern approach. This route crosses the San Diego River, since we hadn’t had any rainfall in some time, I knew it would be safe to cross. This is not a route to take if there is any real water flow. Sadly, this crossing can be deadly.

Once safely across, I began the steep climb to connect with the Suycott Valley Trail and then dropped back down to link up with the South Fortuna Trail. From there I started climbing up toward the infamous “South Fortuna Stairs”.

At the base of the stairs, I took the photos I needed for the trail guide I am writing for SoCal Hiker and headed back. I really had no desire to summit this peak again, as I had been there since the new summit marker was installed. The return to the car went quickly, and a few more folks were milling around the river as I crossed back over.

North Fortuna

I needed to think through a presentation I was making the next day, so I figured a nice hike would help me focus. Since I needed some photos for some trail guides I am writing, I decided to hike up the Fortunas in Mission Trails. I wanted some better photos of the “infamous” South Fortuna stairs and the new summit marker atop North Fortuna. As I neared the parking lot, I remembered there was some construction happening on this side of the park, courtesy of the San Diego Water District. I looked over the map and realized that I wasn’t going to have an easy route to get to the South Fortuna stairs, but I still had a route to North Fortuna.

I crossed the bridge into the park and headed north toward the Rim Trail. Clear signs warned me about various closures and detours. Cruising along the trail, I could see two work areas, to the northwest and southeast. The work was supposed to be done in early 2022, but construction is rarely on time. I reached four corners and had a decision to make – I could take the Suycott Valley Alternative Trail to connect to the Fortuna Saddle Trail and then the summit, or I could take the Shepherd Ridge Trail to approach the summit from the north side. Since I had never done North Fortuna from the north side, my choice was an easy one.

I had passed a few folks on the trail, but as it was about 4 pm on a Thursday, I did not expect to see many. The trail took me northward, getting closer to the northern edge of the park and the 52 freeway. The evening commute was starting to pick up. The trail connects briefly with the Perimeter Trail before turning southward to begin the real climb up North Fortuna.

While it wasn’t the South Fortuna Stairs, I did have a small section of stairs to assist me. After crossing a false summit, the real summit was just a short bit away. I snapped my photos and took a short break before continuing southward toward the saddle.

I took the saddle back down to the west until it reached Suycott Valley Alternative Trail. Normally, I would stay on this trail, but the construction closure prevented that. As I made my way on the trail back toward Four Corners, it was clear that this trail was heavily favored by mountain bikers, and was glad I was here on a weekday. I would not recommend this trail on a weekend. Once back at Four Corners, I retraced my route to the car. Just before I started the short climb from Four Corners, two mountain bikers came screaming down the wide trail, reaffirming my thoughts about weekend use. As I made my way back to the car, I passed several more mountain bikers. Back at my car, I saw that both sides of the street were now packed. This route was 5.75 miles with 1,112 feet of elevation gain.