A Vetern’s Day hike up El Cajon Mountain

Saturday was the County of San Diego Parks and Recreation’s 10th anniversary warrior challenge hike up El Cajon Mountain. Ted and I had done the same challenge on Memorial Day, and by repeating this hike for Veterans Day, we earned some additional patches and challenge coins! We found one of the last spots along the northbound Wildcat Canyon road and gathered our gear. At the trailhead, we signed in with the rangers, each grabbed our carabiner, a snack, and a photo together, then set off. The carabiners would be used to collect knots from each station along the route. Since we both had hiked this peak multiple times, we just threw it into cruise mode and motored along. We would pass fellow hikers from time to time, and even a couple already returning from the summit (we assumed they had timed their hike to enjoy the sunrise). The aid station at the one-mile mark wasn’t staffed yet, so we would have to grab our knot on the way back. We kept a solid pace as we pushed on toward the next station at the three-mile mark. That station was also not staffed yet, so we would also need to stop here on our descent.

The day was warming up, and that early start was a wise choice. Soon we passed that rusting truck, and thereafter the saddle between El Cajon and El Capitan. We had a quick break before the final steep push to the summit. The familiar green trail markers led us up the slope. A few hikers were milling around the summit, and I recognized James Alvernaz. I had met him a few weeks back at the parking lot at the Idyllwild Ranger station; he was headed up toward Tahquitz and I was off to the summit of San Jacinto. We recognized each other and chatted for a bit. After some snacks and grabbing a few photos, it was time to head down. Plus, there isn’t a lot of room at the summit, and it can get crowded up there.

The initial descent was a bit slow, as many other hikers were making their way up. But once we reached the saddle, the trail widened and we could usually pass without needing to stop. At the three-mile station, now staffed, we grabbed our knots, some snacks, topped off our water bottles with some cold water, and continued our descent. As we neared the one-mile station, we noticed a hiker in some distress, and stopped to see if we could help. Another hiker had been cruising down with us, and between the three of us, we got him some electrolytes and some quick energy gels. He had a companion with him, so we let him rest and let the electrolytes start to take effect. Just a few minutes later, a ranger drove up in a small cart, and we let him know there was a hiker in distress by the nearby kiosk. We later learned that they gave him a lift back to the trailhead.

At the one-mile station, we got our final two knots and a few more snacks. Now the conversation turned to essential matters—lunch. We mulled over the options as we continued down. Once at the trailhead, we collected our patches and coins and thanked the rangers and volunteers for their hard work. Once back at the car, we had settled on Board & Brew as our lunch spot. We hiked the 10.8 miles in 5:27. And remembering how we commented on the heat, the thermometer in the car read 88°F!

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 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.

Up atop Viejas Mountain

With Ted away at his youngest son’s “Family Weekend”, I went out with Becca to help her slowly work through her 100 peaks. We had some time constraints, so we settled on Viejas Mountain. I picked her up bright and early; thankfully, we got an extra hour of sleep due to the time change. As we drove to the trailhead, we caught up on our recent adventures — her trip to Seattle to visit her best friend and my attendance at the California Outdoor Recreation Partnership meeting in Carmel Valley. Approaching the trailhead, various signs warned of trespassing on private property and the threat of towing. I pulled up my OnX app and confirmed that the trailhead and the trail were in Cleveland National Forest land. I later learned that the issue is around the road itself. The property owner maintains the road that cuts through the CNF section, and that is the source of the conflict. After the government shutdown ends, I plan to ask CNF about the issue.

Becca remarked, “How would you know there is a trail here?” I said, “Research on doing the various hiking challenges,” and we set off up the rocky trail. The trail scales the west face of the mountain, working its way upward at a steady but steep grade. The trail wasn’t too rutted, but still as rocky as I remembered. The upside of this time was that the skies were clear and the rocks weren’t slick.

When we reached the ridgeline, a fellow hiker and her two dogs were returning from the summit. We chatted a bit about the signs at the trailhead, and she said she had spoken to CNF about it, and they weren’t going to tow. She headed back down, and we continued along the ridgeline to the summit.

At the summit, we posed for a few photos, and I looked again for the actual benchmark. The last time I was here, it was half-covered by the wind shelter. This time, I could not locate it at all. Since we needed to be mindful of the time, we did not linger and began our return. Becca had never learned that you should extend your trekking pole length on a descent, and realized how much adding just a touch of length really helped. Finally, the car came back into view, and our adventure was drawing to a close. Back at the car, we were glad we started early, as the day had warmed up. This hike offers no shade except when the sun is behind the mountain. I recorded us hiking 2.9 miles with 1,455 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!

Alone on South Fortuna

For some reason, I had the desire to climb the South Fortuna Stairs, so I pulled into the San Diego River Crossing Staging Area and grabbed my gear. I headed down the service road to the river crossing. The river was almost completely stagnant as I walked across the small weir. From there, I followed the San Diego River Crossing Trail under the warm sun up to the junction with the Suycott Valley Trail. Now, to lose that elevation that I just gained to connect with the South Fortuna Trail. Being early afternoon on a weekday, there was not another visitor to be seen.

After a short climb onto the ridge, the stairs started to come into view. While it’s not the Manitou Incline, it is still a good, challenging climb. Once I got past the stairs, I still had a bit to go to the actual summit. It was a nice, clear day, so the other peaks of Mission Trails were standing proudly. Maybe someday I will finally do them all in one day…

After a quick break, I continued northward toward the Fortuna Saddle. I opted not to climb North Fortuna today and descended back down to Suycott Valley Trail from the saddle. Along the way, I passed a small memorial for someone who I later learned recently died there in a mountain biking accident. Throughout the hike, the buzz of small planes and the occasional military aircraft filled the air, but I also heard a helicopter. Looking off to the east, I spied Rescue 1 flying toward the Climbers Loop. It appears a climber had taken a fall, and a rescue was underway. I never found out more about the incident. When I arrived back at the trailhead, Mission Gorge northbound was closed. The entire hike was 5.2 miles, in 2:34, with a healthy 1,265 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!

Returning up Van Dam Peak

Continuing to push toward Ted Markus to complete the 100 Peak Challenge, I suggested we hit a couple of local peaks after work. Our first peak was Van Dam Peak, a small peak near the I-15 and CA-56. This peak is very popular with mountain bikers, so climbing this peak during off-hours is a safer call. We parked next to the school and started our ascent. We could see how the trail has been enhanced for mountain bikers; built-up turns and jumps being the most obvious.

Soon we found ourselves at the summit, took a few quick photos, and hustled back down as we wanted to grab one more peak before meeting our wives for dinner. The hike was 1.37 miles long, which we did in 37 minutes, and had an elevation gain of 350 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!

Climbing Bernardo Mountain

I met Becca at the Piedras Pintadas Trailhead for a hike up Bernardo Mountain. She had never climbed it, and since she only had a few hours, this seemed like a perfect choice. We finally had our first heat wave, so we agreed on an early start to try to beat the heat. The parking lot was empty when I arrived, and Becca arrived soon thereafter. We grabbed our gear and set off down the bike path, then across the bridge. The lake is still mostly dry, as work continues on the Lake Hodges Dam.

The summit was hidden under the marine layer as we turned off the main trail and onto the Bernardo Mountain Trail. A stream of trail runners came down the trail, and we let them pass. We continued along the trail, and mountain bikers would pass us from time to time, along with some other hikers and runners.

We reached the summit, and enjoyed it to ourselves for a bit, and took in the views, as the marine layer had burned off. Puffy clouds hung across the sky as we made our way back down from the summit. More and more hikers and bikers filled the trail, reminding me why I usually hike this peak during the weekdays. When we got back to the car, the temperature was in the mid-80s at 9:30 in the morning. I tracked the hike as 6.6 miles in length and did it in 2:59, and had 832 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!

Way up in Elfin Forest

I wanted to get in a few miles before it got too hot, so I decided to take a hike in Elfin Forest. It had been a while since I hiked any of the trails out there. The parking lot doesn’t open until 8, so I didn’t rush to leave the house. About ten cars were already in the lot when I arrived at about 8:40. I grabbed my gear and set off. After crossing Escondido Creek, the trail begins its ascent via the Way Up Trail.

Nicely designed Trail markers called out the mileage and elevation. There were additional markers for those who might need assistance from emergency personnel. I passed a couple enjoying the shade of one of the shelters that are installed throughout the reserve. Once at the main trail junction, I decided to continue on up to the summit of Mount Israel, off to the west.

I started along the Ridgeline Road, then hopped onto the Equine Incline Loop Trail. While a bit rockier, I soon found myself at the Elfin Forest Overlook. Several more shade structures are here, along with a memorial pole for those who have lost their dogs. Just beyond the main area is the actual summit of Mount Israel. After a few photos, I opted to take the Manzanita trail instead, following the same route back.

This trail was also a rocky one, so a bit of care was needed. When this trail met with the Ridgeline Trail, I took a short walk to the Ray Brooks Overlook. It was warming up, and while the shade was nice, I wanted to get back down. I followed the Ridgeline Trail until the Mariposa Trail. I had never taken this one, so off I went.

It was a short little trail that quickly linked back up to Ridgeline Road. Before heading back down, I did a quick loop through the Ridgetop Picnic Area. I could feel the day continuing to heat up, so I cruised back down. When I reached the junction with the Botanical Trail, I decided to take it. All along the side of the trail, information plaques highlighted various plants and other items of interest. After a simple rock crossing of the creek, I returned back to the staging area. My wandering in Elfin Forest covered 4.7 miles with 1,055 feet of gain in 1:49.

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!

Up Clevenger Canyon North

Both Ted and I are researching new packs for our upcoming hike of Mt. Whitney. We are both trying to find something with enough room for the food and gear we will need, but that is light and comfortable for the 22 miles that the packs will be sitting on our backs. I have one option, my Osprey Daylite Plus, but I am also going to try the Osprey Hikelite 26 Pack. While I have used the Daylite Plus on some longer hikes, my back always seemed drenched. Ted is also working through various pack options, and wanted to try my Osprey Stratos 36, which I typically use. Initially, I thought about hiking one of the hikes on the 2025-2026 Coast to Crest Challenge, but none of them seemed like a good test of the pack for Ted. So, I instead picked one of the 100 Peak Challenge hikes that Ted still needs to do, Clevenger Canyon North. We made the short drive out to the parking area and gathered our gear. The marine layer still hung above us, making the day a bit humid as we set off down toward the creek. We noted the rocks were covered in graffiti. Once at the creek, which was lightly flowing, we began the climb in earnest.

Sadly, the graffiti continued on the trail. I only hope that those who did this got a nice case of poison oak. We kept climbing the south face of the peak, and the sun was slowly burning through. There is no shade on this hike, so I recommend either starting early or waiting for the cooler months to do it. I checked in on Ted of how the pack felt, and he said it was pretty good. After a bit of climbing and seeing even more graffiti, we reached the turn-off to the Clevenger Canyon North Viewpoint. We followed a small spur trail to the viewpoint, where the famous chairs could be seen across the canyon. After scrambling down from the rocks, we set off to also climb Peak 1820, which sits just to the north of the viewpoint. I pulled up a previous track and set off through the low brush. After weaving our way through, we reached the summit. After a few more photos, we headed back down the trail. The descent went quickly, and we pushed back up to the parking area. Ted now has 20 peaks left for the 100 Peak Challenge. I logged this trek at 4.9 miles in 2:29, with 1461 feet of gain. As to whether Ted is going to use that pack on Whitney, not sure yet…

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!

Up Battle Mountain

Battle Mountain is a quick but steep little hike, and since Ted needed it and we needed to kill a bit of time before lunch, it was a perfect choice. I grabbed only my poles, and Ted grabbed his and a small bottle of water and set off.

The trail climbed up and around the slope of the hill until it reached the top. It was warm under the bright June sun, and I was glad we were not tackling anything bigger this late in the morning. At the summit, two Canadians visiting for a wedding were also enjoying the view. We snapped their photo and took a few of the scenery before heading back down. We picked up some trash along the way, as well. Back that car, we changed into dry shirts, stashed our gear, and headed to Mi Ranchito for lunch. The hike up Battle Mountain was all of 0.5 miles with a healthy 267 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!

A Challenge on El Cajon Mountain

As we approached the parking lot for the trailhead, cars lined both sides of Wildcat Canyon. I decided to gamble and see if there might be a spot still in the lot, and there was! Ted and I gathered our gear and walked over to the sign-in tent. Today was the Warrior Hike Challenge up El Cajon Mountain in honor of Memorial Day. We attached our commemorative carabiners to our packs and small American flags as well and set off. The overcast skies were welcomed as we made the first climb of the day. The 1-mile Celebration Station was still setting up as we passed by. Wildflowers dotted the edges of the trail from time to time. We were making good time as we continued pushing onward. The trail splits around the 2.5-mile mark, and we opted to take the trail to the left. This section is one of the steeper portions of the climb, but I felt good pushing upward. When the trail came back together, we saw the 3-mile Celebration Station about 100 yards down the other trail. We decided to stop at it upon our return. I was curious about what our time to the summit might be, as I was feeling good.

From time to time, hikers who had gotten an even earlier start were making their way back from the summit. A small stream was still flowing across the trail, just before the final climb. We passed the abandoned truck, and soon the junction with the trail to El Cajon Mountain and El Capitan. Now we followed the single-track trail up the last bit to the summit. As expected, the summit was crowded, but we found a spot to take a break and refuel. I pulled up my tracker and saw that we had reached the summit in 2:27!

After snapping some photos, including with the summit sign, we set off back down the mountain. We would pause from time to time to allow the uphill hikers the right of way. Once at the junction with El Capitan, we decided to make the 0.2-mile trek to visit that summit. In all my times up El Cajon, I never hiked over. As we approached the summit, the ruins of the building came into view. I joked this was practice for seeing the hut atop Mt. Whitney. After snapping some more photos, we returned to the junction and went back down. One of the challenges of this hike is that you have two modest climbs to make upon your return, so we were mindful of that.

At the junction with the spur trail to the old mines, we opted to make the 0.1-mile trek to see them. We took a few photos in the entrance to one of the mines, but opted not to go exploring further. Once back on the main trail, we soon came to the 3-mile Celebration Station. We grabbed some free snacks and one of the cords we needed to earn our commemorative patch and challenge coin.

As we continued down the trail, my knees were feeling the steep descent, and Ted’s foot was also feeling it. The miles ticked by, and off in the distance was the blue tent of the 1-mile Celebration Station. One final climb brought us to it, and we got our second cord and another round of snacks. As we headed to the trailhead, the thought of burritos filled our heads. Back at the trailhead, we got our last cords, earning the patch and coin. If we repeat this hike for Veterans Day, we can earn two more coins. After tossing our gear back into the car, Ted and I compared our recorded stats, which did vary quite a bit. Ted’s Garmin recorded 12.02 and Strava on his phone recorded 11.89! My tracker logged the hike at 11.5 miles in 5:51 and 3,152 feet of gain. With that summit, my San Diego Six Pack of Peaks was completed. Now to start on the SoCal Six Pack.

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!

Reflecting along South Clevenger Canyon

I pulled into the empty parking lot for South Clevenger Canyon under cloudy skies. This hike was to be my last to complete this year’s San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy’s Coast to Crest Challenge. I had been saving it in hopes of enjoying some wildflowers along the trail, but the lack of rain at the right time nixed that. I grabbed my gear, including a rain jacket, just in case, and started up the trail. Having hiked this trail numerous times, I cruised along, reflecting on the previous year and the year to come, as this was my birthday hike.

The past year has been one of some great joys: my cervical fusion fixing my neck issues, losing over 50 lbs, and co-writing a hiking book with a good friend. There has also been some sadness: getting laid off after 9 years and losing my sister to COPD. As I reflected on all that, soon the metal chairs atop that boulder came into view. I pulled myself up the rock face using the ropes (I miss the stairs) and sat, soaking in the views off to the west. Today was not really a day to sit and relax, so I carefully scrambled back down and retraced my route. My thoughts turned to the year ahead. There is a lot of uncertainty in the world, and I can control only so much. For me, spending time outside will provide the grounding I will need to navigate the road ahead. Before too long, I neared the trailhead. A couple of hikers passed me, just starting their journey up the trailhead. As I reached the car, I needed 0.01 more miles to log a perfect 4.0 track, so I took a few extra steps in the parking lot to solve that “problem”. With that, my hike was done, 4.0 miles in 1:39 and a healthy 1135 feet of gain. Now, if it weren’t Passover, I would have had some well-earned Mexican food and a beer….

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!

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