Cowles Mountain & Pyles Peak

The San Diego Adventure Club was hosting an evening hike up Cowles Mountain and onto Pyles Peak. Since Cowles is so popular, any chance to do it when there is less crowded I will take it. June Gloom was in full force as we set off from the Staging Area near Golfcrest.

We quickly found ourselves at the summit of Cowles, amongst a small crowd of folks. There was a slight breeze, so we did not linger, a couple of quick photos before we headed off toward Pyles.

One of the hikers in the group was excited, as once she summited Pyles, she will have completed the Mission Trails 5 Peak Challenge. We descended down from Cowles and across the saddle.

Some opted to take the side trail to the top of P1380, but with the low clouds, I opted to skip it this time. We made our way up to the summit and again took our photos. It was getting later and a tad chilly. We began making our way back down. The group opted to descend via a use trail near an overlook. I opted not to follow and return the same way.

Once I reached the summit of Cowles, I broke out my headlamp and began the careful trek down. The last thing I wanted to do was to turn an ankle with a simple misstep. There were some city lights to provide some visual treats. I was surprised at the number of people still climbing up with maybe an iPhone to light their way.

These summits complete my second Mission Trails 5 Peak Challenge and #34 and #35 of my 100 Peak Challenge Reboot.

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.

North & South Fortuna

I had hiked the Fortunas a number of times when I lived in Tierrasanta. When summiting them again for the 100 Peak Challenge Reboot, I decided that they should have their own post and not be a part of my Mission Trails 5 Peak Challenge post.

Rather than follow my standard route of up the South Fortuna stairs then over to North Fortuna and back to the Clairemont Mesa trailhead, I opted to approach these peaks via the Oak Canyon route. Since we just had some more rain, I knew that I would have a flowing stream for part of the trail to enhance the scenery.

I parked along the road near the Old Mission Dam and quickly crossed the bridge and onto the trail leading up to Oak Canyon. The rains had certainly created a lot of growth along the trail. The trail to the Fortuna Saddle provided a good hard warm-up.

Once at the saddle, I opted to summit North Fortuna first. I worked my way up toward the peak, which is initially hidden from the saddle. Since it was a late Friday afternoon, the traffic on the trails was light. I did encounter two hikers asking about routes since I carry a paper map, I showed them where we were and the best route back to the visitor center. I let them keep it.

Atop the summit, I could see the clouds starting to form to the east, as a storm was forecast for the weekend. I opted not to sign the register, and then back retracing my route down to the saddle. The new peak marker had not been installed here yet.

The trail up to South Fortuna was a bit easier and much easier than up the stairs. The marker for South Fortuna has been replaced with one that is a bit more impressive. Across the canyon, I could see Kwaay Paay standing tall, and Cowles and Pyles a bit beyond that.

While descending toward the saddle from South Fortuna, a rattlesnake was making its way across the trail in front of me. I let it pass, but it still stopped and hissed at me as I gave it a wide berth.

Retracing my route down Oak Canyon, I pass the Oak tree with a very bent branch. One of my favorite family photos was taken here. I had to reflect that in a few weeks, my twins would be graduating high school and moving on with their lives.

Kwaay Paay

Since I had to drop my daughter and friend off at 5:15 am to catch a train to a youth group event in Simi Valley, I decided to see if I might be able to sneak a short hike in before the predicted rains came. While Kwaay Paay seemed to fit the bill, short and in-town. I drove out to Mission Trails and parked in the lot just outside the locked gate. The skies were gloomy as I made my way down the road to the trailhead. While Kwaay Paay is a short hike, it does offer a nice elevation gain to offset that.

Working my way up, I encountered a few early-morning folks trying to squeeze in a workout before the rains came. The trail has seen some damage from the winter’s rains, so there were a few rutted sections to be aware of.

The cloudy skies did dampen the views at the summit, which was still sporting the old summit sign. The Fortunas were visible from across the canyon.

On the way down I opted to take the east side trail just for something different. This trail follows the eastern edge of the park next to the apartments.

I made it back to the car, and about 3 minutes later the rain came. This was peak #28 of the #100PeakChallenge Reboot.

Stanley Peak

My late afternoon meeting was canceled, so I decided to head out to Daley Ranch and hike up to Stanley Peak. I opted for the approach from the main entrance this time instead of taking the Caballo Trail.

The area still was carpeted in green grasses and a few flowers. A small stream still flowed across the trail. As I worked my way toward the peak, the seasonal ponds were filled with water.

The summit was quiet, just the sound of the road below. I opted to make the route a loop, in part to enjoy the green meadows.

As began my return to the car, I began seeing a lot more people out enjoying the trails.

This peak was the 25th peak of my 100 Peak Challenge reboot.

Clevenger Canyon-San Pasqual North Trail

As part of my 100 Peak Challenge Reboot, I hiked this peak again. I decided to hike Clevenger Canyon North today as I wanted to see San Pasqual Creek actually flowing, as well as get it summited again before the heat of summer hit. So down the trail, I went.

The graffiti on the rocks near the trailhead has been cleaned up, but I quickly got a taste of how overgrown the trail has become. The wild mustard has exploded all over the hillside making the trail hard to see at times.

The creek was still flowing nicely and was able to cross it with a small hop. The rocks here are unfortunately covered in graffiti. Now the climb up began. The trail is in need of some serious attention. The overgrowth slowed me down as I would push past it. About halfway up I did spot a small rattlesnake along the trail. I encouraged him to move along, once it was far enough away, I continued on.

The breeze kept the temperatures nice, along with the “May Gray”. I reached the viewpoint and snapped a few photos. I then decided to continue northward on the trail to investigate if there was a route to Peak 1820.

This trail wasn’t too bad compared to the mess on the way up. I eventually reached an unreadable sign and turn back. Along the way, I saw enough of a route to weave my way to the actual top of 1820. The views were nice, and since it was Star Wars Day, I needed to check on the availability of the special Lego set. I worked my back down the trail without incident. Although another car had parked at the trailhead, I never saw them.

Bernardo Mountain

With my restarting of the 100 Peak Challenge, I needed to summit Bernardo Mountain again. Since it is so close to my home, I wanted to do this peak after work. Ted was available to tag along, so off we went.

As we crossed over the David Kreitzer Lake Hodges Bicycle Pedestrian Bridge, the water shimmered beneath us. Around us, the hills were still green.

The wide trail wraps around toward the west, crossing a small stream along the way. On this portion of the trail, you will encounter mountain bikers and other folks using the trail.

Soon after the stream crossing, you will reach the turnoff for the trail to the summit.

The trail begins its climb up the mountain from the north side. After a few steeper sections, you reach the summit. Here you are rewarded with some sweeping views of Lake Hodges.

We cruised back down, keeping an eye out for snakes along the way. The sun was just setting behind the hills to the west as we crossed back over the lake.

Clevenger Canyon-San Pasqual South Trail

Just past the San Diego Safari Park are the trailheads to San Pasqual North and South. These trails are also referred to as Clevenger Canyon North and South. The south trail is the more visited trail of the two, in part for its views of the San Pasqual Valley and the famous chairs near the summit.

The south trail is well trafficked. Unlike the north trail, it does offer a bit more shade in a few spots. The parking for the trailhead is right after a bend in the road, so be prepared. If you miss it, continue on to the parking for the north trailhead and turn around there.

The actual summit that is listed on the 100 Peak Challenge is Peak 1755, which is not the peak at the end of the trail, but rather a bit before the famous chairs. Since I had other commitments this weekend, none of my remaining peaks were doable, so, I finally decided to formally summit Peak 1755, aka Clevenger Canyon South. I had read that portions of the trail had a nice display of wildflowers, and I was curious to see how it was recovering from the fire last summer.

Ted Markus and I headed up the trail. The fire scars were there. The burnt bushes dotted the hillside. The fire break could also be seen. However, we were surrounded by flowers as we worked our way up.

The stream was still trickling as we enjoyed the small section of shade. After a while, the flowers lessened as we kept climbing.

At the junction, we followed the use trail for a short jaunt to the summit of Peak 1755. There is no benchmark or register located.

After rejoining the main trail we continued on to the chairs. The fire has destroyed the stairs to the chairs, so a little scramble is now required to reach them. The views did not disappoint.

We pushed on to the end of the trail before turning back. Coming back down we met quite a few folks making their way up. Nice to have this peak formally done.

Tecate Peak

The road to Tecate Peak starts a mere 1500 feet from the border. The road follows the wall for a bit before beginning its steep ascent to the summit.

The road was tougher than the road up to Otay Mountain, so I was glad I spent so much of my youth riding motorcycles along the dirt roads of the Sierras. Along the way, I passed two groups of hikers descending.

As I neared the summit, I found a nice spot to park and get some dirt under my feet. The view was equally spectacular. Far to the north, I could spy San Gorgonio’s snow-capped summit. So many other peaks I have summited also filled my view.

There isn’t a marker here that I could spot, but there is a metal post in concrete. I headed back down the road, never spotting another car. Looking forward to attempting the Sombreros later this week. If you choose to hike this peak, the round-trip distance is about 10 miles, and completely exposed.

Otay Mountain

As the peak count dwindles, I still had Otay Mountain and Tecate Peak to summit. They are not technically challenging, just follow the road to the summits. Now, mind you these are long roads.

So, I figured to shave off some miles by driving partway up. First up was Otay Mountain, I turned onto Otay Truck Trail from the trailer park and began my climb. The Subaru handled the road with no issues. Along the way, I passed only one hiker working their way up. I parked at Doghouse Junction and chatted with the Border Patrol agent who was also parked there. From there I headed up to the summit along the road. The views were spectacular. I picked a great day to go.

I did find one marker but knew that would be it.

On the way down had a chance to chat with another agent who was scanning the terrain…

I opted to take the truck trail down toward the gun club, as it was in the direction of Tecate Peak. Working my way down the mountain, I chatted with three motorcycle riders taking a break. Further down, I passed two other cars beginning their ascent. If you choose to hike this summit I would recommend the route from Modern Hiker, it has a round trip distance of 15 miles.

False Gower

Since my wife and daughter were driving up to LAX to pick up my son from his trip to Florida in the Subaru, I was somewhat limited to my peak options. Thankfully, Mt. Gower near Ramona fit the bill.

I opted to start the hike by using the water tank short cut. Parking at the culdesac, I tried to be respectful of the homeowners, as I readied myself. I headed up the access road to the water tank, then pass around the fencing to join the trail. For those wanting a longer hike, there is another trailhead near the end of Gunn Stage road.

The trail will basically follow a ridgeline eastward, rising and following, but generally working its way up. After passing a small meadow, you will begin the push up the peak. Along the way, you will pass Mt Gower’s famous teeth.

A short time afterward you will reach a wide flat granite slab. This is where the defined trail will end. I took a moment to enjoy the view. A pair of hikers were working their way back to the trailhead, we briefly chatted and continued on our way.

Following Scott Turners’ advice, I checked my GPX route and began working my way up the slope. It was a mix of digital routing matching and experience to reach the top.

Mt. Gower is an interesting peak. There are actually three peaklets here. False Gower is the first peaklet that you will encounter, and for most this is good enough, even for the 100 Peak Challenge.

There was a bit of breeze at the summit, as a storm was due in later that night, so I did not linger.

I decided to work my way through the brush southward to the true summit. My phone weighed out, so no route data, and no photos. It took a bit to make it there. Like the reports on peakbagger.com, no benchmark or register was located.

Checking with the family, to hear my son landed safely after being delayed from the previous day, I began heading back down. As I drew closer to my starting point, I encountered a few more hikers beginning their ascent of Mt Gower. Back at the car, I loaded up and headed home.