Tooth Rock

UPDATE: This peak and trail are now closed to the public.

As you head east along Poway Road, you might notice a solitary rock perched atop a small hill to the north. This is locally known as Tooth Rock. It is a short hike to the summit. The trailhead is on Range Park Road. I convinced my wife to join me on this adventure. The trail starts off fairly flat before climbing steeply to the summit.

Once at the summit, you are rewarded with a nice view of Poway.

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.

Double Peak (via Discovery Lake)

This is another great peak to summit after work. Located up in San Marcos, I was able to drive to the trailhead on the way from work.

The trail is well maintained and well used by locals for exercise. In fact, part of the route goes through a neighborhood. Once at the top you have some incredible views of north county.

One thing to note, you can actually just drive to the top of this summit 🙂

Twin Peaks

This is a great hike to save for the summer for a quick after-work summit. That is what I did. I had done this peak a few years previously after finding it in Afoot and Afield but decided to formally do it again. This peak is just south and east of the Target in Poway, so it was immediately recognizable to me. The trailhead is next to Silverset Park.

The trail works its way up to the summit with no real issues. It is a nice reminder of all the ‘hidden’ hikes and peaks that are tucked away in town.

From the summit, you have some nice views of Poway and beyond. I opted to continue the loop, and head down the backside of the mountain. This route is a touch steeper and I am glad I had my hiking poles.

Mount Israel

On a semi-rainy afternoon, I, along with a few friends decided to head out to Elfin Forest and hike up to Mount Israel. Parking in the main lot for the reserve, we crossed over the stream and began climbing up the Way Up Trail.

Once we reach the overlook to the Olivenhain reservoir, we continued on west to the summit. The rains held off, but the cloudy mists still made for a damp, but refreshing hike.

We headed back down the trail to the car, dried off, and headed home. Only later did I learn I missed the turn to the actual summit.

Bernardo Mountain

Standing over Lake Hodges is Bernardo Mountain. This became another of my new trails once I moved to Rancho Penasquitos. This is a great hike without the crowds that swarm to Iron Mountain or Mt. Woodson. Starting from the parking lot on West Bernardo Drive, you soon cross the beautiful bridge over the lake.

With any luck, there will be water at this end of the lake. Many years ago, I was kayaking on Mother’s Day (with the wife’s OK) and stopped under the I-15 to call my mother, just because.

The 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. But once the trail to summit breaks off from the main path and turns north again and away from the lake, the number of folks you will encounter will drop off.

The trail begins its climb up the mountain from the northside. After a few steeper sections, you reach the summit.

As a bonus, this summit is one of the five portions of the San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy’s 2017 Coast to Crest Trail Challenge.

First steps…

I had been getting bored with sea kayaking of late. As much as I love the smell of the ocean, and the lap of water against my boat, paddling in the same waters, again and again, was becoming monotonous. So, I decided to spend a bit more time on the trails. In the early part of 2017, I stumbled on the Anza-Borrego 5 for 50 Challenge. The Anza-Borrego Foundation was celebrating its 50th anniversary by inviting folks to complete 5 hikes throughout the park. So I laced up my boots and headed out. I was able to convince a few friends to tag along for some of them.

I then began looking through my worn copy of Afoot and Afield in San Diego for new places to explore. It was then I learned about Derek’s 100 Peak Challenge. So now armed with a completely insane opportunity, I set out to see what I could accomplish. Now, the ‘official’ challenge is supposed to be in a calendar year, but I am opting to see what I can complete within 365 days (give or take). Plus, some 30+ hikes are all located in Anza-Borrego, so when I started this adventure, the heat made this highly prohibitive. My initial goal was to hit 50 by year’s end (Spoiler: I did ). I am going to use this blog, to serve as my hiking register for this challenge. So, lace up the boots, grab your poles and let’s summit a peak!

5 Peaks of Mission Trails

I used to live in Tierrasanta and Mission Trails was my go-to place to hike. When the twins were little, I would do a loop with them in the jogging stroller. There are five summit-able peaks in Mission Trails: Cowles, Pyles, North Fortuna, South Fortuna, and Kwaay Paay. I summited these peaks again as part of the park’s 5 Peak Challenge. The first set of summits was the Fortunas. These will give you a nice workout, especially up the “stairs” to South Fortuna. I bagged Kwaay Paay after work. This peak is a great little summit, as it gets a lot less traffic than the other four. Cowles Mountain is one of the most popular hikes in town. So, I opted to approach it from the backside to avoid some of the crowds. Once at the summit, Pyles is a short hike from it, and the crowds drop away as you head toward it.

Iron Mountain

When I moved to Rancho Penasquitos, my go-to hikes shifted from Mission Trails to the peaks like Black Mountain, Iron Mountain, and Mount Woodson.

Iron Mountain looms over Poway at the end of Poway Road. This hike has become more popular over the years. Now, as I drive by the trailhead, the parking lot is often full. The hike is a straightforward trail to the summit. This hike does have the honor of the first time I hiked with Scott Turner, the co-author of Afoot and Afield in San Diego.

If you want to avoid some of the crowds, there is an alternate path for part of the summit via the Ellie Lane Trail.

Woodson Mountain (via Lake Poway Trail)

Commonly known as the Potato Chip, is another very popular hike in San Diego. The number of cars along Highway 67 always amazes me. The improper gear people are wearing even more so. That said, it does afford some nice views of north county.

I did this summit back on October 16, 2011, from the Lake Poway side. This route is longer than the route starting on the 67, but not as steep. Unless you are a Poway resident, a small fee is required to park at the lake. Also, if you are wanting to summit before sunrise, this trailhead will not be officially open.

The trail is fairly straight-forward, fully exposed, so bring your water, hat and apply sunscreen.

Once at the top you can enjoy the Disneyland-like line to scramble over and stand atop the Potato Chip. I did this hike before the rise of social media, so there were only about 3 other hikers there when I summited.

The actual summit is a bit past the Potato Chip near the towers.

I would recommend tackling this peak during the week to avoid the crowds.