With the stay local restrictions still in place, I decided to explore some of the local peaks listed in the Near By tab of Peakbagger: Santa Monica Ridge, Low South Benchmark, Peak 557, and Sol Benchmark. Since my knee was still not at 100%, these should be perfect to test it out. First up was Santa Monica Ridge, which is located in the Del Mar Mesa Preserve. Odds are I probably have been here, as this is one of my favorite ways to enter Los Peñasquitos Canyon. But for the sake of certainty, I decided to hike out to it.

The morning fog still hung over me as I quickly worked my way to the top of the bump. There is no cairn or other mark to denote it, so I took a screenshot of my location atop the mark and returned to my car. An older couple was just entering the trail, so I let them pass before passing through the gate.

Next on the list was Low South Benchmark, near Fairbanks Ranch. I drove by this every day coming home from work. I found a parking spot and headed up the trail. After a short stroll up the hill, I reached where the benchmark should be. And there, under the power line tower, it was.

Snapping the photo and headed back down, the sun was starting to burn off the fog as I headed for my third destination, Peak 557.

Parking on Artesian Road, I headed down the service road for the SD aqueduct. This peak would have some actual hiking involved, so I was looking forward to it after the two quickies earlier. Crossing the flowing stream, I left the service road behind and headed down the Del Sur Lusardi Connector Trail. Shortly I crossed back over the creak and started climbing up to the summit of peak 557. Some jumps had been added to the trail, so I kept my ears open for any mountain bikers. I did encounter a couple coming down the trail. Sadly they were not wearing any masks. 

I found myself at the summit. There is nothing to denote it, so a photo would have to do. I decided to make it a loop of sorts. The fog had mostly lifted, and Black Mountain stood clearly to the southeast. 

Soon I was passing the sheepherder’s trailer on my way back to the car. Yes, sheepherder. Their sheep used locally to control the grasses and wildfire danger.

The final summit of the day was Sol Benchmark. This little bump sits to the north of Bernardo Center Drive. I pulled off on Camino Crisalida. and parked. Crossing the oddly quiet road, I headed up the dirt service road. Eventually, this rutted road ends and transitions to overgrown singletrack. The trail drops down a ravine before climbing out of it and rejoining the service road. From here a trail leads to the summit. Once there I scoured the brush to see if I might find the Benchmark. But like the others, came up empty. 

I decided to turn this hike into a loop. I worked my way down the hill toward the homes to the west. Unfortunately, there is not a trail connecting to the street. I followed a rain gutter for a while before pushing my way down to the street. With that, the ‘fun’ part was over and after about a quarter mile I was back at the car. Another near-by crossed off the list.

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Since I had some personal commitments in the morning, a full day of hiking was not in the cards. But  I still had a couple of hikes that I had classified as “in-town”. Ted Markus was free and we thought a sunset from atop Mother Miguel would be a perfect choice. We first stopped by A16 to collect our completion rewards for doing the 3-Peak Challenge. Continuing down to Chula Vista, we found parking right next to the trailhead. It was unseasonably warm, so we were both in shorts and short-sleeves as we headed onto the trail.

Recently the trail underwent some realignment and I was curious to see the changes. The trail now follows a switchback route rather than the brutal old direct route. The barbed wire serves as a barrier against using the old trail. The trail is in great shape. So much nicer than Cowles.

We reached the summit with about 30 minutes to kill before the actual sunset. The nearly full moon had risen to the east, and a stream of planes made their approach to the airport passed overhead.

Soon, the sun’s final glow was fading and it was time to begin our descent. Ted was enjoying using the camera on his iPhone 11 to capture the fading glow. Soon we found ourselves back at the car, and peak #80 was now in the bag!

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For most visitors to the Cabrillo National Monument, they will head to the visitor’s center, then the statue of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, then eventually make the small climb to view the Old Lighthouse. But as you work your way up the paved road toward the lighthouse, there is a sign pointing indicating the start of the Bayside Trail.

This ‘peak’, is actually a reverse peak. Derek wanted something along our coast for the challenge, and this hike, although inverted fit the bill.

Once you reach the turn-off from the road, the trail turns to a wide rocky dirt path. A nice bench sits at the top, so that might be a welcome sight upon your return.

The trail works it is way down along the cliffside for 1.6 miles until it ends with a nice view of San Diego Bay. When you are done with the view, you get to hike back up the trail.

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I did this peak after work again. Thankfully, I remembered all my gear this time. I opted to take the entire Switchback Trail to the summit.

While the skies were overcast, as June Gloom was in full force, flowers did line the sides of the trail.

Encountered a couple of mountain bikers working their way up, and a few other trail users during the entire trip.

I returned from the summit the same way as my first time at the peak.

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This peak was added as a replacement for Peak 4156. Since I had to drop my daughter off at school for a very late start, I thought I would head over to Torrey Pines and get a quick hike in.

I found parking along the coast and headed south along the Coast Highway. The “trail” follows the road to the top of the bluffs. Tourists, joggers, and bikers were making their way up and down (not the bikers, new rules for them – one-way only now).

Leaving the western parking lot, I followed a well-maintained trail for a bit. Most will continue on down toward the beach or an overlook, but to reach Red Butte, you make a right turn. The trail passes through a nice short shaded section (this might be a precursor to a portion of Agua Tibia).

The butte is a small area, with a few folks atop it admiring the view. I snapped a few photos and head back down (that work thing…). I opted to take the other trail back, making it a small lollipop hike.

I wanted to go to the top of the Torrey Highland and photograph the benchmark, but that trail was closed for maintenance. Coming down the road, you are rewarded with some lovely views of the Los Penasquitos Marsh.

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When I decided to reboot my 100 Peak Challenge, I figured I should start with the peak in my backyard, Black Mountain. Normally I hike it via the Nighthawk trail, but this time I decided to do it via the service road. 

The road is mostly on the southwest side of the mountain, so I was glad to be doing it early in the morning before the became too warm. Once I reached the summit, Rancho Peñasquitos, Carmel Valley, and Del Mar lay before me. 

I snapped a few photos and headed back down. Now to work out the details of this reboot. Now that I have a lot more knowledge about almost all of the hikes I need to do again, I am sure I can work out a smarter strategy for hiking them.

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The starting point for this hike is the same parking area that I used when I did the Del Dios Gorge hike for the previous year’s Coast To Crest Challenge. This time I was headed west through a portion of the Santa Fe valley.

The trail begins by following the edge of a private golf course, then ducks beneath a bridge that crosses the San Dieguito River. 

After a while, I came to the first of a series of switchbacks that I would encounter. The trail dipped down into a small canyon before climbing up the second series of switchbacks that would take me toward the eventual selfie-spot. 

From here I had a nice view of the valley. After taking the picture, I retrace my route and called it a day.

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Denk Tank Mountain is located in the Rancho La Costa Preserve and is a trek up switchbacks that offers panoramic views of the Batiquitos Lagoon, the Pacific Ocean, and the city of San Diego. I decided to summit this peak one Friday after work since the family was not going to be home and I work in Carlsbad. Well, the best-laid plans…I packed everything except for my hiking shoes. I opted to race home and fight the traffic back to the trailhead.

The trailhead is near the beginning of Corte Romero street, where you’ll see a wooden trail marker with a pouch for informational brochures.

The trail up Denk Tank mountain is a narrow single track that winds through the coastal sage scrub. There is a network of trails that criss-cross the mountainside, so depending on your mood, energy or time can make this hike fit your needs. I knew I was going to be fighting daylight and opted for the quickest route up.

Along the way, I did encounter a few mountain bikers enjoying the trails as well.

As you near the summit you will see a wood awning in the distance. Follow the trail straight toward the awnings to complete your hike to the summit of Denk Tank Mountain. At the top, you’ll find two benches and a picnic table where you can sit and relax in the shade. Additionally, there is a workstation for mountain bikers.

With light fading, I began my trek back down to the car. Soon, I was rewarded with a spectacular sunset.

I made my way down in no time, taking care in the dark with my footsteps, looking forward to tomorrow’s summits…

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While three of the hikes on this year’s San Dieguito River Foundation’s Coast to Crest Challenge have been peaks, this hike was a nice flat stroll along the end of the San Dieguito River as it empties into the Pacific Ocean. 

After crossing under the 5, the trail headed due west until it reaches Jimmy Duarte blvd. after crossing over the River, I headed westward. Passing the newly opened Viewpoint Brewing, I reached the designated selfie spot.

This hike’s selfie spot is the viewing platform for the wetlands. I snapped my photo and headed back. Sadly I needed to be home for dinner, and could not stop off and sample some of their brews.

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