The original plan was to summit Indianhead via Palm Canyon, but the forecast temperatures led us to postpone our attempt to a later date. Since we had planned for a pre-dawn start, I had booked a campsite at Borrego Palm Canyon Campground. I opted to keep the reservation, spend the night out there, and hike something else in the morning. After setting up my Luno mattress, I relaxed around the campsite a bit until the sun dipped below the mountains. I opted to bring a new backpacking meal, Chicken Tikka Masala from Bowl and Kettle, to try out. I also brought some naan from Trader Joe’s, which I warmed over the campfire. As the sunlight faded across the desert, I sat back and enjoyed my meal. My fire burned faster than expected, with a combination of dry wood and a slight breeze, so I turned in early and listened to some lectures.
The alarm went off just after 5 am, and I made some oatmeal and coffee as I quietly broke camp. I decided to climb Villager Peak as my replacement for Indianhead. For those who are familiar with Villager, it is still a hard hike. It’s just under 14 miles round trip, but for the most part, a straightforward ridgeline to the summit. There are trees at the summit, so if I cared to take a nap in the shade, I could. The trailhead was empty when I pulled in. Driving over from the campground, I saw the temperature dip into the high 40s. Here it read in the low 50s, so I left my fleece in the car. Between the coming dawn and the quarter moon hanging in the western sky, I had plenty of light to set off across the desert floor to the Villager Ridge. I found the use trail shortly after leaving the trailhead, and cruised along. I crossed over the Rattlesnake Wash and up the steep slope to begin climbing.
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The sun finally rose above the mountains to the east, and a light breeze began to blow. Between the cairns and the use trail, there were no issues as I kept plodding along. From time to time, a steeper section would require some additional effort, but nothing too sustained, and a flatter section would follow to allow for some recovery. My left calf was feeling a bit off, and it gradually tightened as I hiked on, despite attempts to stretch it out. As I passed Mile High off to the east, the Salton Sea finally came into view. I looked across at that peak and gazed at what I had hiked down and up when I had summited it. While I still need to climb it again, I think I will take an alternate route down.
The Backpacker Radio Podcast kept me entertained as the summit drew near. I crested the small false summit and soon found myself staring at the rock cairn that denotes the summit. I took some photos, signed the register, and then enjoyed my lunch while gazing across the vista. While it was pleasant at the summit, I knew that it was going to get warmer as I made my way back down. Plus, I didn’t want my calf to tighten any further, so I got moving. If I had stayed about 15 minutes longer, I might have gotten great shots of some F-35s flying over.
The descent went smoothly with the calf causing very little discomfort. I was right about it getting warmer. I had brought a sun umbrella, but the breeze was just a bit too strong for me to use it. As I got lower, various flowers were now open to take in the sun’s rays. I would stop and photograph some, but otherwise kept a steady downward pace. I finally saw the glint from my car, and a few others parked next to it. I have to assume those adventurers were off toward some other destination, as I had not seen a soul.
Once back on the desert floor, I tucked my trekking poles away and broke out the sun umbrella for the final 1.25 miles back to that car. I am glad I had it, as I later learned that the temperature was in the upper 80s! I tracked the hike at 13.65 miles in 8:32, and an elevation gain of 4,854 feet. This was my 99th peak toward completing the 100 Peak Challenge a second time.
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.
