I initially thought about hiking over from Marian Campground to San Emigdio on Sunday, but I knew that after the effort Sawmill took, plus planning to stay up a bit late to catch the meteor shower, that was not going to be in the cards. Instead, once we were back on Hudson Ranch Road, we then turned onto Forest Route 9N34 and began driving up. This road was a little rougher than the one to the campground, but nothing an Outback couldn’t handle, so the Rubicon had no issues. We stopped at an incredible vista then backtracked a touch for me to walk up to the peak. The rest of the group opted to see the old quarry just to the south.

At the summit, a pile of rocks surrounded the register. After scaring a lizard away, I removed the register to see my friend Greg Gerlach’s name twice on the main page. I added mine and returned it to its spot on the summit. While the mountain itself has 1000 feet of prominence, the actual summit affords no views to speak of. I retraced my steps with my legs feeling the Sawmill hike earlier in the day. We continued our off-roading adventures by taking the 22W12 that led directly back to our campsite. The campground had filled up with folks coming to watch the Perseid meteor shower slated for later in the evening. We had another fine dinner. I turned in early, figuring at some point during the night I would wake up and enjoy some of the light show. I was too worn out from the Sawmill hike to stay up until midnight when they were slated to be at their peak. I did wake up around 1 am, and saw a few shoot across the sky, before crawling back into my tent and drifting back to sleep.

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Since Campo Alto was just up the road from the trailhead, we made the short drive to see it. This was where we initially had planned to camp this weekend, but some campsites were closed due to tree hazards, and ours was one of them.

Dave parked near the summit and I took a short walk— first to the radio tower then over to the actual summit of Cerritos Noroeste. I looked to see if there might be a register, but given its proximity to the campground, I doubted it. I grabbed a few photos and went back to the Jeep and some more adventures…

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With Sawmill Mountain such a long drive from San Diego, I looked to do it as some kind of overnight adventure. I knew I was not ready to backpack it again, so I convinced my good friend Dave to come do it as a traditional camping trip. He has an awesome off-road trailer and a Jeep to pull it, so we would have a very comfortable stay. Initially, I reserved a spot at Campo Alto Campground, but due to some tree hazards, they canceled us. Looking around I found Marian Campground. The campground is primitive, and despite what is stated on the website, there are no pit toilets. I met Dave at his house and transferred my gear to the trailer and we set off. After a quick stop to pick up his oldest son in Santa Monica, we made it to the campground in the late afternoon. The drive up the dirt road was not a problem, and we only dropped into 4wD due to the weight of the trailer and the four of us. We pulled in and had our pick of the five spots. After setting up, I went off to bag my first peak. Just to the west of the campground stands Brush Mountain, #115 on the Sierra Club Hundred Peaks Section list. I followed the steep road toward the summit, enjoying the views. Once I reached it, according to my GPS, I looked around for a register but came up empty.

I decided to continue along the road to Brush Mountain-North Peak, as I thought I read the register was there. Again no luck, but still had rewarding views. I retraced my route and was greeted by the rest of my campmates busily finishing up making dinner. Grilled chicken, veggies, and rice. A nice step up from a Mountain House Meal! We enjoyed a nice fire for a while, then around “hiker midnight” we turned in. Tomorrow we were driving over to near the campground we initially wanted to stay at and hike Sawmill Peak from the West Tumamait trailhead. I have never hiked this section so it was going to be an adventure!

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After the punishing heat atop Santiago, I knew I wanted to hike somewhere cooler this weekend if possible. After some research, Toro Peak, technically Toro Peak – West Peak, seemed like a nice option. The actual climb to the summit wasn’t too long, and to offset the drive, there were camping options. So, after checking with the family, I loaded up the Subaru for the adventure. The one gamble was all the sites, known as Yellow Post Sites, are first-come, first-served. So, there was a chance they could all be taken by the time I got there. I left mid-afternoon on Friday and made my way out to the Santa Rosa mountains. I pulled into the Santa Rosa Pit Stop and grabbed some firewood. Most of the Yellow Post Sites have fire rings and picnic tables. Alas, most do not have bathrooms. I turned off onto the dirt road that I would take up the mountain, keeping an eye out for cars and looking for points of interest. The road was fair, a little rocky at times, and there are sections where passing might be troublesome. Any regular truck or SUV would do just fine on it. As I made my way further and further up, I passed the painted rock and trees that offered their insights on past wildfires.

Each of the Yellow Post Sites is numbered, and I decided to see if #5 was still available. After one tricky section, I pulled into the spot. There was a nice level section for the car, so I parked and began setting up. The nice thing about car camping is it really doesn’t take long to set up. Just to the north of my campsite was the summit of Santa Rosa Mountain (HPS #67). I grabbed a trekking pole and strolled up the road. Atop the summit there is a huge fireplace, all that remains of a cabin that once stood there. I scrambled to the top of the summit rocks and took in the view. A hint of smoke filled the air from the Bonnie Fire, burning off to the west. There are actually two Yellow Post sites here as well, and I did consider relocating, but since it was just me, I was fine with my site. As I returned back down from my stroll, some ideas for a work project had gelled in my head, so I grabbed my notebook and sketched them down. Depending on where I stood, I had some cell signal, so I checked in with the family. Peakbagger showed another summit just off to the southwest of me, so I was off for another mini-trek.

I climbed the short slope onto the ridgeline and then followed it for a short while until I reached its summit. I brought my Garmin, just in case. Once at the summit I found a nicely shaded rock and wound up taking a short nap. Once back at camp, I began prepping my fire and watching the sun slowly set. The moon had risen and I could see Toro Peak directly off to my east. That peak is on the Santa Rosa Indian Reservation and is off-limits. I tried to spot the “replacement” peak but had no luck. I lit my fire and later enjoyed my dinner and beverages. With the bright moon, I knew that any real star-gazing would not be in the cards, so I crawled into the car and went to sleep. 

For some reason, I did not sleep all that well. I woke up just before dawn and was thankful to get a lovely photo of the pre-dawn sky. Rather than start from where I had camped, I decided to continue driving toward the trailhead and start somewhere closer. According to the map, there was a vault toilet about a mile to the east at a cluster of three campsites. I parked at the one closest to the road. All three were empty, so I did not have to worry about waking anyone up. As I gathered my gear, a rainbow appeared to the west. I already had a few sprinkles coming down on me when I was packing up, so a rain jacket was added to the pack. The first part of the hike followed the main road toward Toro Peak. 

I spotted the cairn that marked the steep gully that I would follow up to the saddle. I left the road and began working my way up the steep and pine needle-covered slopes. To give a sense of the steepness, the average grade was about 28%, and coupled with being at almost 8,000 feet, my lungs were working overtime. Once at the small saddle, I turned westward for the final push to the summit. It had sprinkled on me from time to time on my ascent, so I did not expect to linger too long on the summit. I found the register and signed in. The views were breathtaking, but I was mindful of the weather, so I headed back down. Pictures never do justice to the steepness of the terrain, but trust me, it was steep! Once back on the road, I quickly cruised back to the car. I did not have a real breakfast, so the Paradise Valley Café was calling my name. All told the hike was 2.6 miles and had an elevation gain of 775 feet. 

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As my backpacking trip in Little Lakes Valley drew near, I began to have concerns about the weather. While the chance of an afternoon thunderstorm is common during this time of year in the Sierras, I began thinking of having some backup plans just in case there was some serious weather. Whitney Portal has been closed twice, Death Valley, Mojave National Preserve, and Joshua Tree were all affected by some significant rain events recently. With a 6+ hour drive to reach the trailhead, I’d be arriving probably in the early afternoon, then possibly hiking out to my planned campsite under the threat of rain or worse. So I began exploring other ideas. One that came to mind was to visit the Ancient Bristlecone Forest, which lies to the east of the town of Big Pine. I could explore the two groves of bristlecones in the afternoon, then spend the night at the nearby Grandview Campground. The next morning, wake up, make the drive to the trailhead, and make camp well before any weather that might appear.

Although the forecast looked great for the trip, after looking closer at my backup plan, I decided it was even better than my original one. I left San Diego around 5:30 am, mostly to reduce my time getting through traffic. While I had some, soon I was cruising up the 395 toward my first stop, Copper Top BBQ in Big Pine. I pulled in just after they opened and ordered lunch. As I ate my lunch, I called my daughter who was getting ready to come home from her summer internship in Sen. Feinstein’s office. With lunch done, I refueled the Outback before heading east on the 168. The road quickly began climbing away from Owens Valley and I could see evidence of the recent rains strewn across the road. After about 20 minutes, I turned north onto White Mountain Road. The road continued to climb…7,000 feet, 8,000 feet… I passed the entrance to Grandview Campground and considered tossing my tent in a spot to hold it. The campground does take reservations, so there might not be an available site. I decided since it was a Thursday, I should be ok. Plus I was planning to sleep on my Luno air mattress that fits in the back of the Outback, so I did have a lot of flexibility as to my potential camping options if for some reason the campground was full.

The paved road kept climbing toward the Ancient Bristlecone Forest Visitor Center. I pulled into the parking lot and was pleasantly surprised to see about 15 or so other cars here as well. I grabbed my slack pack and headed to the gorgeous visitor center building. Inside I looked over the various exhibits and then spoke with the volunteer about my planned hike. One of the other reasons for this hike was to make sure my foot would be able to handle the planned hiking I had ahead of me. Plantar fasciitis had flared up in my right foot recently, and while I have been treating it aggressively, it would still have bouts of pain. Plus all that driving did not help matters.

There are three trail options; the short 1-mile Discovery Trail, the 3-mile Cabin Trail, or the 6-mile Methuselah Trail. I picked the Cabin Trail as it was about the same length as the planned hike for tomorrow. If my foot had issues with that length, better to know now. The trail climbed a short hill before leveling out as it neared the Cabins and Mexican Mine site. This is what the information sign said about the site:

THE MEXICAN MINE – 1863

THE FIRST NON-NATIVE EXPLORERS in the White Mountains were miners looking for gold and silver. You are at the site of the old Reed Mine, first established in 1863 – one of the earliest mines in the White Mountains. It was named after Reed Flat, the open sage-filled “meadow” just across the road west of here. The mine looked promising and plans were made to bring in a large crew to begin full scale production. Lead and zinc ore were extracted in small quantities but nothing resembling the “intense development” that was planned. Imagine the frigid weather, supply problems and other hardships that plagued the miners – all this at 10,000 feet!

The mine changed hands several times and was finally sold to the Mexican Mining Company of Carson City, Nevada and renamed the Mexican Mine. Abandoned in the early 1950’s, it reverted back to public ownership. The buildings and shafts have not been stabilized and are not safe for entry.

Continuing on past the ruins, the trail began climbing again. While not steep, we were at 10,200 feet. That was another bonus for me, to spend some time at altitude doing some acclimatization before heading off with a full backpack. 

I passed a nice bench that I am sure has seen many winded hikers. After passing the remains of the upper mine, I continued up toward the saddle between the Schulman Grove Overlook and Mexican Mine Peak. Bristlecone trees dotted the landscape, each one a unique shape. 

The trail now descended until it connected with the Methuselah Trail. I had yet to see another hiker, and the peacefulness amongst these ancient trees was welcomed. Once I was on the Methuselah Trail, I did pass a few others who were making the longer journey to try to see the oldest known living thing. I wanted to make sure I could do my actual planned hike, so I resisted temptation and continued on back to the visitor center.

More incredible bristlecones lined the trail, and views of Nevada and Death Valley to the east, as I continued on. Soon, I was back at the visitor center. My foot was feeling the hike and the drive, so I decided not to attempt the Discovery Trail. I did, however, inquire if they had a special Junior Ranger badge. I had picked up the booklet for the Inyo National Forest from the Eastern Sierra Visitor Center in Lone Pine, which is worth the stop as well. It turns out they do, so I took the booklet, did the activities, and earned another one for my collection.

It was still early, so I decided to drive up and see the Patriarch Grove, home to the largest of Bristlecones. This would let me see more of the road to the start of the hike up White Mountain, which is on my bucket list. Just after Schulman Grove, the pavement ended and became a well-graded dirt one. But for the most part, it was in fine shape. After about 30 minutes and some gorgeous views, I came to the turnoff to the grove. The quality of the road became rockier and I took extra care as I drove the one mile to the parking area. I had some cans of tire sealant just in case. The parking area was empty. I followed the path toward the Patriarch Tree and stood before its immense size. A marker told a bit about the discovery of this tree. I continued on the trail for a bit, being mindful of my foot. Once I had seen enough, I returned to the car. While the Cottonwood Basin Overlook Trail was only ½ mile, I did not want to risk bothering my foot further. The call of Little Lakes Valley was too strong. 

I drove back down toward Grandview Campground, but before I got there, I stopped at the Sierra View Overlook. This was a short walk to a small bump that offered a great view of the Eastern Sierras, and as a bonus is listed on Peakbagger. 

I pulled into the campground and surveyed the possible open sites. The first couple did not work as the parking area was not flat, but I did locate one that fit the bill perfectly. I inflated the system, broke out my folding chair, and enjoyed the mountain air. After dinner, I tried to enjoy a campfire, but the wood I bought in Big Pine was just too wet to stay lit. I finally gave up and hit the pillow. I recently bought window shades for the rear windows and was glad I did, and it helped keep the full moon’s light out of my eyes.

I woke just before sunrise, had some coffee, and repacked what I needed to. The plan was to grab breakfast at the Rock Creek Lake Resort and then hit the trail by mid-morning. Once I made it back to Big Pine, I took advantage of having a cell signal again and took care of a few things before I continued on toward Little Lakes Valley. 

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Since two of the three of us had evening plans, that ruled out any “big” hikes. So, instead, we tossed around a few smaller hikes that might fit the bill. In the end, we settled on hiking San Mateo peak, just an hour north in Riverside County. This peak is on the Lower Peaks Committee list, so we would get to cross off another one. Since the mileage for the peak was going to be just under 5 miles and the elevation gain was not too much, we had a slightly later start than our usual departure times. The drove up to Lake Elsinore and on to the 74 went quickly, as Susie, Ted, and I had not hiked together in a while, so there was a lot of catching up to do. The clouds hung low and as we neared the turn off from the 74 toward the Morgan Trailhead, I was driving in them. I pulled into the parking area and hung my Adventure Pass on the mirror. We gathered our gear and set off.

At about 2/10 mile in, we came upon a register box and we signed in. Almost directly behind is the trail o take up to San Mateo Peak. We made the mistake of continuing along the trail that we had been on for a bit before realizing we were headed the wrong way. The trail was really mellow, so backtracking was easy. The trail follows a seasonal stream for about another ½ mile. Some poison oak lined the edge of the trail, so having long pants was a good idea. We reached another junction that was well signed and the trail began to climb away from the creekbed. Along the route, we would keep our eyes open for the three dinosaurs that are placed along the trail. I have no idea why, but they are there.

The clouds slowly began burning off and the possible summit revealed itself off to the south. Further, in the distance, we could see the towers atop Margarita Peak. The trail had a few ups and downs but mostly kept climbing upward. Finally, we spotted the summit and shortly thereafter were enjoying its views. It had a nice summit block that some of us scrambled up on. Off to the west, we spotted Sitton Peak, and Santiago loomed to our north. 

After signing the register, we began to retrace our route. About halfway back, we saw a flag pole atop a small peak to our north that we had missed due to the cloud cover. I located what I hoped was the use trail and made the short climb to it. According to Peakbagger, this was Peak 3065. There was nothing there that gave us any clue as to why there was a flag pole, but a peak is a peak.

We rejoined the main trail and continued down until we actually encountered another hiker heading up. So much for checking “Only Party on the Mountain” on our ascent log on Peakbagger. Soon we were back at the car after a pleasant 4.5 miles in a comfortable 2:36. I logged the total elevation gain at 937 feet. The drive home took a bit longer due to some construction but still wasn’t too bad of a drive.

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Matt’s alarm went off at midnight, and shortly thereafter it wished him a “happy birthday”. Once it was done singing to him, I did the same. Matt was getting ready to attempt to summit Mt. Whitney, while I was planning to hike as far as Trail Camp. This opportunity for me was fairly last minute, so I had not had the chance to do any training for a hike of the magnitude of the summit. I let Matt focus on getting ready, as I was not scheduled to sync up with David until around 1:30 am. Matt finished up and set off for Whitney Portal. David arrived on schedule and we tossed our gear and began our drive up.

Driving in, we could see headlamps dancing along the trail. When we parked at the portal, the car’s thermometer read 43°F. We grabbed our gear and clicked on our headlamps and set off. There was some comfort having hiked this about 12 hours earlier as we climbed in the darkness. My legs, and more importantly lungs, were feeling good as the trail climbed ever upward. I knew not to compare my pace, as night hiking is always slower. As we made our way up, David was having trouble following my pace. He said to go on and he would meet me at the Lone Pine Lake junction. I continued hiking at a nice pace, being mindful of bears that might be out. All was going well until the long log crossing near the junction. While it had not been an issue in the daylight, this night crossing was nerve-wracking. It was more of a shuffle than actually walking. I reached the junction and waited for David. I found a spot to sit and turned off my headlamp to save my batteries. The stars were majestic as there was no moon to hide their brilliance. In addition, a meteor shower was just concluding, and I spotted one very bright one streaking across the sky. As I waited, several more vaporized into our atmosphere. It had been some time sitting here and I was starting to shiver. I got up and paced a bit to warm back up. I am fairly sure it was below freezing here. Several hikers passed by, but no David. I decided to continue on, knowing David would either turn back and relax back at the portal, or I would meet up with him on my descent.

Just past the Lone Pine Lake junction is the entrance to the Whitney Zone. I stopped for a photo and continued on. To the east, the predawn glow was starting to appear. I kept climbing toward Outpost Camp, the next milestone for me on this hike. The mountains were slowly being bathed in light. The trail eases some as it makes its way through Bighorn Park, the creek flowing next to the trail. As I neared Outpost Camp, I could see the tents scattered about and continued on, trying to be quiet for anyone who might still be asleep.

From there I would have another set of switchbacks to climb until I reached Mirror Lake. My plan was to reach it by sunrise, then enjoy a second breakfast and coffee before pushing on. Waiting for David put me behind schedule, so I watched the sunrise while I was on the switchbacks. 

As I reached the junction for Mirror Lake, I could start to feel the altitude and was glad to be taking a break. I found a nice flat patch of granite near the south shore and pulled out my water filter, but for some reason, I could not get it to work. It might have been clogged from the last time I used it or for some other reason. I had enough clean fluids to get down, so that was not an issue, but I did not have enough to continue on nor make my breakfast. I snapped some photos of the peaks reflecting down onto the water. Several groups of hikers passed by as they made their way forward. While I was bummed about not reaching my goal, this hike had been a spectacular one. I hung out here for about 30 minutes, soaking it all in.

As I made my way back, I would mention to ascending hikers to be on the lookout for a fellow in a green and white Celtic jersey and to make sure to wish him a happy birthday! One set of hikers asked if I was Chris and relayed a message from David that he would meet me at Outpost Camp. 

There, as promised, was David. He said it just wasn’t his day on the mountains, and with that, we began heading down toward the trailhead. Along the way, we spotted some deer and some pikas. More hikers continued on, some with full backpacks ready to make camp, probably at Trail Camp. In fact, one of those folks turned out to be a friend of a friend who recognized me. We made it back down to Whitney Portal just before 9 am. I hiked a total of 8.6 miles in 6:26. My final altitude was 10,655 feet, meaning I climbed 2,386 feet. After driving back down to Lone Pine, David hopped into his car to race back to his hotel in Ridgecrest to grab a shower. I gathered my gear from the hotel and set off. As I drove away, I looked off to the west, hoping that Matt would be successful and one day I might stand atop that summit. Later that evening, I got a message from Matt that he made it and 15+ people wished him a happy birthday!

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Matt Hanan reached out to me and asked if I would be able to join him in climbing Mt. Whitney on May 31st. As much as I wanted to climb to the highest peak in the lower 48, I had not been training for it, and did not want to hamper Matt’s attempt if I ran into issues. Also, May 30th is my wedding anniversary (29 years), so I would need to make sure missing most of that day was ok. Anita gave her approval, provided I did not actually attempt the summit. We agreed that I would not climb higher than Trail Camp and at my own pace, letting Matt stay focused on his ascent. Since Matt had one more space on his permit, my friend David also planned to meet us there. His plan was to probably stick with me as he had no desire to summit Whitney again, but loved just spending time in the eastern Sierras. I left San Diego mid-morning and drove up to Lone Pine. I met Matt at the motel and quickly changed into my hiking gear. The plan was to drive up to Whitney Portal and hike up to Lone Pine Lake, which is just before the boundary of the Whitney Zone. This would give us some hiking time at some higher altitudes, before the bigger hikes the next day. We found a spot and parked Matt’s car, fully cleared out as this is active bear country and the last thing you want is to return to your car to find it had been torn open by a bear looking for a snack. 

The trail begins almost across from the pit toilets. We each grabbed a wag bag and stuffed them in our packs. The trail headed east for a bit before turning back west. This was my first time here, so I was soaking in the beauty that was all around me. The next day, when I would be on this section of the trail, it would be pitch dark. The grade of the trail wasn’t too bad, but I could definitely feel the altitude. 

Matt had been here several times before, so he led the way. Lone Pine Lake sits about 1,750 feet above Whitney Portal, so we had some gain before us. We continued plodding along, taking some short breaks to let me catch my breath. We crossed the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek with no issues. Matt said the fun crossing was just before the junction with the trail down to Lone Pine Lake. As we climbed up the switchbacks, the views to the east were breathtaking. Soon, we came to the main crossing of Lone Pine Creek. This crossing is a long series of logs spanning the wide flow of water. Matt mentioned in previous years water had been flowing almost over the tops of them. Sadly, now it is well below that level. Once across, we reached the junction and made a short 0.1 mile jaunt to the lakeshore. A few folks were milling about, including one person hoping to catch some fish.

With a very early start time, we did not linger as we wanted to get back down into Lone Pine, grab dinner and hit the sack. I tracked our hike at 5.7 miles in 3:05 with 1,750 feet of gain. 

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After watching the SpaceX launch of the NROL-87 mission up in Lompoc, I decided to add in Gaviota Peak before heading back home to San Diego. I pulled into the parking lot at Gaviota State Park around 1:30 pm and changed into my hiking gear. There were about 4 other cars parked in the small lot. The park does charge a $2 self-pay fee to use the lot. There are no bathrooms here or any other amenities. While there is parking outside the official lot, I felt like supporting the park.

The route to the summit has two options–the slightly more direct fire road or the Trespass Trail. I was a little tight on time due to a slight delay in the launch, so I was going to take the fire road both up and back. Many hikers take the fire road up and return down the Trespass Trail. 

The route immediately begins its climb right at the start. After a short while, the noise from the 101 faded away, and I was left with just the sounds of my boots on the dirt. At the 1/4 mile mark, the trail splits between the Trespass Trail and the fire road. I kept to the left to stay on the fire road. 

As I worked my way up to the summit, a few wildflowers would dot the side of the road. I saw the side trail to the hot springs but didn’t have time to go visit them. The route is a steady, constant climb. I later reviewed my route in CalTOPO and the grade was an average of 20%. So you will get a nice workout as you make your way up, but you are rewarded with some really nice views of the surrounding area while you keep climbing.

The road came to a T junction just before the summit. This gave me the first real view of the coast. Simply stunning! The last 2/10 mile to the summit is a bit steeper. Once at the summit, the large metal can that serves as the register was clearly visible, signaling the summit of Gaviota Peak. I did locate the reference mark, but the true benchmark is either lost or under that can. The can holds a large collection of registers, so I opted not to sign in. After snapping my photos, I retraced my route back down to the car. If I was going to take the Trespass Trail, I would have continued over the summit. That trail follows the ocean side of the ridge, so you will have more ocean views to take in, but it is about another mile longer. 

This hike is #70 on the Sierra Club Lower Peaks Committee list, and my 12th summit. I logged 5.8 miles in 2:34 with 2,106 feet of elevation gain.

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