Big Black Mountain

Whenever I would talk about my remaining peaks, I would mention I needed to do summit Big Black Mountain. Almost everyone would ask, don’t you live almost next to it. I would then inform them that there are 3 Black Mountains in San Diego. The one I needed to summit was just a bit north of Ramona.

This hike fell into the category of the kind I don’t like, hiking on an active road most of the way. One option was to wait for the Forest Service to close the road due to weather, and then do the entire 14 miles without the fear of a motorcycle or 4×4 running you over. The other option was to simply drive most of it, then cap it off with a short hike. Given I am always cautious with my foot now, I choose the latter option. Jacob Posner was able to tag along, has needed some training miles for an ascent on Mt. Shasta later this year.

We drove out to the turn-off and began our off-road adventure up the mountain. The road was a standard dirt road as we climbed higher and higher. I had spotted a nice turn out that would give us about a 4-5 mile round trip hike. Basically, enough so we could enjoy Burger Bench afterward with no guilt.

Jacob loaded up his pack with his 25-lb bag of ice and up we went. I kept an ear out for vehicles, and also curious to see if the Subaru could have kept going.

Today was perfect, nice skies, the temperature was lovely. As we reached the end of the road, we both concurred that we could have driven, only one spot would have taken a touch of care to navigate. We did hear, then spot a lone motorcycle working its way up the road behind us. He parked and we chatted some. He was also a hiker and new to the area. I gave him pointers of my favorite hikes and the recommendation of some book 😉

To reach the actual summit, which is home to a weather station, we followed the trail for about .2 miles. Once there we took a break, enjoyed the views and chatted. Jacob is finishing his last semester at Cal, then off to work at Boeing (having done an internship at SpaceX). If you know my other passions, you know we had plenty to talk about…

We headed back down the trail, then the road. Two more motorcycles passed us going up while we returned to the car. We kept an ear open for when they were headed back down. While driving down, we encountered two 4x4s heading up, so in part validating my choice. And of course, the burger and beer were tasty and cold.

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.

Morena Butte

After my successful failure of Half Dome, my foot’s plantar fasciitis reared up again. Something about favoring one foot over the other while hiking Half Dome 😉 I took a more aggressive approach and strapped on a walking boot for several weeks to let it heal. After some PT, it was finally time to test my foot out. Of my remaining peaks, Morena Butte seemed to fit the bill. I drove out to Lake Morena County Park, I opted to pay the 10 and park closer to the trailhead near the low-water launch site. You can park just outside the park for a longer hike.

High above the lake looms Morena Butte, a three-peaked mountain topped with huge expanses of gorgeous granite slabs. The day was perfect, as first followed Ward’s Flat Trail. This a closed dirt service road that heads toward the south side of the dam. After about 1.5 miles, a nice rock arrow points the way on to the Hauser Overlook Trail.

Here is route becomes more trail-like as you being to climb through the chaparral. Once you reach the end of the trail, you will hopefully see the start of almost a goat-trail up the steep side of the mountain.

I carefully worked my way up, scampering up the rocks until the trail began to reform. According to my GPS, I gained almost 600 feet of elevation in just over .5 mile. Looking back I was rewarded with some nice views of the dam and the lake. After cresting a small summit, the triple peaks of Morena Butte came into clearing into view. The highest of the three is the southern one, so I made my way toward it.

Once on the top, the butte is a massive granite slab littered with pink boulders. A few puddles were scattered about from some recent rains. I found the register tuck away near the top of the south summit. While resting and enjoying the view, another hiker came along. We chatted a bit, she mentioned she was also chasing the 100 Peak Challenge. We had a pleasant chat before I headed off.

I first wandered over the eastern side of the butte to get a full view of the valley and the lake. Forgetting to turn my tracking on, I then made my way to the western edge. Towards the top of the peak if you go towards the left you will get a great big flat rock that has an awesome view of the valley below, and the base of the rock is a plaque that was put there a few years ago.

Having done enough exploring for one day, I started to retrace my route, although I must confess I did consider taking the longer route that connects with the Pacific Crest Trail instead of returning down that steep slope. In the end, I figured the devil you know versus the devil you don’t.

The return to the car was uneventful. My foot was feeling mostly ok, which was a good sign. I passed by an old foundation with a chimney that is still standing and makes you wonder what was originally there. Back at the car, I realized I forgot my cooler on the kitchen counter, but no worries as there is a country store just outside the park, so I stopped in and grabbed some cool drinks :).

Ramona Grasslands

One of the hikes on this year’s Coast to Crest Challenge was out at the Ramona Grasslands. This was going to be a nice sauntering kind of hike, perfect since I was recovering from plantar fasciitis. I pulled into the parking area and headed off. The trail is nice and wide, as it worked its way through the grasslands. The Ramona airfield sits off to the northeast. Like all the Coast to Crest Challenge hikes, there was a designated selfie spot, in this case out toward the north end of the trail.

I passed a few folks out enjoying the trail. One couple was walking their horse back to their trailer. He was rehabbing from an injury and needed the exercise.

I was enjoying myself as I reached the spot. This would be a lovely hike to bring a picnic on and enjoy the views.

Soon I found myself back at the car. As I drove past all those cars with folks working their way up to the Potato Chip, I felt sorry that just down the road is a lovely gem of a hike.

Gaskill Peak

Now that I am finding my trail legs again, it was time to go back and summit Gaskill. When Ted and I tackled Lawson Peak, we did not continue onto Gaskill, as I had a sick daughter to attend to.

We followed the same route as before, we looked at the trail leading up to Lawson and joked if either of us wanted to scramble up the chimney again…

The route follows the road for about a mile until the trail to Gaskill appeared. Along the way, a motorcycle passed us. We were not entirely sure why he needs a machete on his back.

The trail worked its way to up the steep slope to the peak. There we explored the first set of rocks. Ted went over to see if we could scramble atop the other set. Not finding a safe route, we opted not to attempt it.

We retraced our route, as the heat began to rise. Once back in the car, some well earned Mexican food and a fresh Alpine Brewery beer were in order.

Raptor Ridge Trail

Not being a wine drinker, I never really had gone exploring Highland Valley Road. I would look out to the east as I crossed over Lake Hodges, and wonder what might be out there. Well, my hike up to Raptor Ridge was going to answer some of those questions. This hike is one of the five hikes that make up this year’s Coast to Crest Challenge.

Parking at the Old Coach Staging area, I headed north for about a quarter-mile before crossing Highland Valley Road. There I would follow the San Dieguito River on a nice wide trail.

Eventually, the trail would turn east. There is a nice stopping point before it begins its climb to the top of the hill. The trail will narrow into a single track as is works its way to the viewing spot. Here you are rewarded with a lovely view of the San Pasqual Valley. You can spy the San Diego Zoo Safari park to the northwest.

This was yet another gem along the entire trail. I will say there is not a lot of shade, so plan accordingly.

Piedras Pintadas Trail

I pulled into the dirt parking lot just off West Bernardo Drive. Today’s hike would be along the Piedras Pintadas trail which is along the south shore of Lake Hodges. I grabbed my gear and headed past the informational kiosk and onto the trail. For a portion of the trail, numerous interpretive signs are posted along the trail, describing the life of the Kumeyaay people who once inhabited the area.

The trail will cross over a creek that feeds into Lake Hodges. The scenery will change from the dry grasses to more riparian as you follow the creek. I also passed the memorial sign for Chelsea King, who was murdered along this trail in 2010.

I then began to make a small climb toward the self spot. If you are able to hike after some rains, you will pass by a flowing waterfall.

The trail now turned northward. I opted to take the west branch at the Y. Soon I reach the top of the lollipop and was greeted with a nice vista with Lake Hodges and Bernardo Mountain. I took my required photo and continued up the small ridge. Near its summit is a nice bench to enjoy the view.

I made my way back down to the hill and found myself back at the car in no time at all. If you are looking for a longer hike, you can easily connect it to the Bernardo Bay Trail.

Bell Bluff

Ted and I were back at it. Today’s summit was Bell Bluff, located just a bit south of Alpine. We parked the car a bit away from the trailhead, as parking can be tight along the road. The trail passes better two homes before crossing the Sweetwater River. When we did the hike the riverbed was almost bone dry. However, the river bank was a bit steep, thankfully a rope was available for an assist.

As we crossed the sandy riverbed, we could not find the exit. We spent a good 20 minutes wandering looking for the trail. Finally we found it a bit further to the west. We followed what appeared to be an old Jeep trail for some time. Bell Bluff loomed before us in the distance.

Then the double cairns marked the turnoff toward the summit. The gentleness of the previous miles was replaced by some 700 feet of gain over about a half-mile. Partway up we have to work our way up one Class 3 section.

The summit had its benchmark still intact, and a register safely stored in an all too familiar red can.

We could see the north side of Lawson, which we recently summited, and Gaskill which still beckoned. Working our way back to the car, laughing at our earlier misadventures with the crossing…

Climbing back out of the river on the way back to the car.

Battle Mountain

If you have driven the 15 near Lake Hodges, you probably have seen the white cross on a hill to the east. This is Battle Mountain, which got its name from a battle that was held at a mountain nearby called Mule Hill in 1846. Mule Hill/Starvation Mountain got its name after the battle when the soldiers ran out of food and had to kill some of the mules in order to eat.

The actual hike up, if you can call it that is a quick one but steep. Perfect for a workout… I had been saving it for the end of the year, but my plans changed so I decided to do it during a break from some chores…

The cross on top of the hill was built by Jack Templeton in his backyard. He lived below the trailhead and would frequent the hill regularly. Apart from the noise coming from the 15, the views are quite nice.

McGinty Mountain

Located near Jamul, stands McGinty Mountain. Jerry Schad, the original author of Afoot and Afield in San Diego, wrote

While there is not as much foot traffic on this trail as nearby Mount Woodson, Iron Mountain, and Cowles Mountain, the views at the summit are equally as stunning and worth taking in.

A nice-sized dirt parking lot is available next to the trailhead. A kiosk provides some information about the trail and the area. I was joined by my friend Michael and his son Jacob.

The trail follows the side of the mountain, using a series of long switchbacks. You gain some elevation quickly, so make sure you stretch first. After a bit, the grade will lessen, keep an eye on your route as the area is riddled with side trails. Usually, the heavier trafficked path is the correct one.

About 2.2 miles in, the grade will increase again, but as a reward, you will see one of the old mines off in the distance. It is easy to miss but the picture below shows where to stop to see it.

Soon, you will reach the summit of McGinty Mountain after a little rock scrambling.

Once you reach the summit, you will be rewarded with views of Mount Helix and Cowles Mountain to your west and San Miguel Mountain and Tecate Peak to the east.

Viejas Mountain

Although I did not make out to Ant Benchmark the day before, I opted to summit Viejas Mountain instead. This peak is just to the west of the casino, so it was an easy drive to the trailhead. Mark and I arrived at the trailhead a bit after sunrise.

There is no disguising what this hike is, it is just a steady climb upward. It was a cool morning with a bit of a breeze blowing. Soon, we reached the summit and took in the views while we rested. There is a rock wind shelter that has been built, sadly from rocks that used to denote the winter solstice by Kumeyaay Indians.

I was able to find two markers, but not the formal benchmark nor a register. A few others had joined us on the summit, and after chatting some, we headed back down the trail. In the distance, El Cajon Mountain beckoned for another day…