After spending the night at my wife’s uncle’s house in Encino, I awoke early and drove to the Mishe Mokwa Trailhead in the Santa Monica Mountains. The goal today was to complete a 7+ mile loop that included 6 summits on the Lower Peak Committee list. I pulled into an empty parking lot and gathered my gear. Crossing the road, I set off along the trail, hoping that not bringing a jacket wasn’t a mistake, as the clouds were all around me. I came to the first signed junction and headed off toward Sandstone Peak. The trail was in great shape, and I was making good time. A couple of hikers passed me, returning from what I assume might have been an attempt to watch sunrise from the summit. I found the turn off to the peak and worked my way up. A plaque honoring Mr. W. Herbert Allen, who donated many acres of land to the Boy Scouts, was mounted on a nearby rock. There was an attempt to rename this peak in his honor in the 1960s, but the petition was denied because of a Department of the Interior policy against naming geographic landmarks after people who were still alive. The clouds prevented any sort of views, and I knew that was going to be the case for the rest of the day. 

I made my way back down to the Backbone trail and continued my clockwise route. The track I was using as a guide featured a short side-hike to the summit of Pico Raquelita. While not on the list, I figured, why not bag another peak? After a little bushwhack, I reached the summit and quickly returned to the main trail. I found the use trail leading to the top of Boney Peak not long after rejoining it. I was surprised by the lack of cairns to guide hikers, especially given that this area is fairly popular. I found the primary summit block and called it “bagged”. There was no need to climb it for the view, as there was none. I opted for a more direct route back to the main trail, guessing my way down.

Next up was Inspiration Point, just a short walk to the memorial for William Plants, an Eagle Scout who died on the trail in Kings Canyon National Park at the age of 16. Two hikers were just leaving as I arrived. Atop the memorial is a sighting disc to help pinpoint the various landmarks that could have been seen, but not today.

The trail came to a junction, and I turned to the south to hike to Exchange Peak. I passed some old water tanks, then onto a use trail toward the summit. While the route was mostly findable, I again wondered about the lack of cairns and how they might be useful.

After a snack, I headed northward toward Tri-Peaks. My route would become less defined as I left the Backbone Trail for a while. There was signage to help guide me, so I never felt lost. I reached the summit and understood the reasoning behind the name. I milled around the base of the Tri-Peaks before continuing northward toward the final peak of this loop, Big Dome. 

My route turned eastward, and just after Pop Top Peak, which I technically skipped, the trail veered off toward the summit. I missed the first trail up, and had to back-track to it from the east side. Again, just more views of the gray clouds.

I rejoined the Mishe Mowka Trail and continued eastward. I passed by Split Rock, stopping at the picnic table to adjust my shoes before continuing on. I opted not to take the unmaintained trail to view Balance Rock because visibility was so poor. I slipped in my headphones and enjoyed a podcast as I motored home.

A couple of signposts asked visitors to position their camera, take a photo, and email it to the researchers. This citizen scientist’s effort to catalog the recovery from the 2018 Woolsey Fire is really impressive. I snapped my photos to send later. Before too long, I reached the junction near the start of the trail. There, a gentleman was plucking up the red flags I had spotted from time to time along the trail. I initially assumed they were there for a trail race on Saturday. They actually were guides for hikers from a nearby retreat. We chatted a bit as we made our way back to the trailhead. He went over to his clients, and I to my car. I changed for the long drive home and set off. This was a great day of peak bagging, knocking 6 more off the LPC list. I might need to return on a clear winter’s day to enjoy the views, but it was still a good day on the trails. The final stats were 7.5 miles in 4:25 with 1,443 feet of gain

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The start of my Los Angeles Lower Peak adventure was to finally climb Cahuenga Peak and see the backside of the Hollywood sign. I left early to try to avoid as much of the traffic as possible. Parking on Lake Hollywood Boulevard, I gathered my gear and set off. I turned onto Wonderview Drive, passing some lovely homes. I slipped around the gate (which I later learned only looks locked), but I retrieved a lost water bottle from the hillside, so I figured I had done a good deed to go off-trail slightly. Once past the water tank, I spied the actual trail to my first destination, the Wisdom Tree atop Burbank Peak. A plaque gave some history about this portion of Griffith Park. The trail climbed quickly to the summit. The Wisdom Tree was the sole surviving tree from the Burnham Fire and has garnered celebrity status. I took in the views, under the May Grey, and continued along the ridge trail toward Cahuenga Peak, my actual goal, as it is the one on the Lower Peaks Committee list. The trail had some ups and downs; I am sure a bit more challenging for non-hikers, but I kept hiking along.

Atop Cahuenga Peak, I enjoyed the view of Lake Hollywood below me and Mt. Lee to the east. 

The trail connected to the Mt. Lee service road and, in a short distance, the backside of the Hollywood sign. I walked up the small hill to see the entire sign. After snapping a few photos, I headed back. While the overcast skies kept the day cool, I certainly wasn’t going to have an iconic photo of the LA skyline today.

I retraced my route and was soon back at the car. Next up was Temescal Peak, out near Encino. My stats for this hike were x.x miles, in x:xx with xx feet of gain.

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Since I could not easily link up with Sara to hike more of the PCT with her, I decided to go peak bagging instead. I decided to try to knock out some summits on the Hundred Peak Section list just north of Paradise Valley Café.  I parked the car at the side of the road, slipped on my fleece as it was a bit cold, grabbed my gear, and headed off. The route took me past a few lovely homes before heading into the wilderness. The trail was easy to follow as it worked its way eastward. The peak of the day was to be Gold Hill. While not on the list, I decided to climb it anyway. At the junction, there was a very detailed sign telling “a brief history of mining ‘round these parts”. As I made my way up, I found some of the old foundations of various buildings. Once at the summit, I soaked in the view, especially of Thomas Mountain to my west. I returned to the junction and continued following an old 4×4 road up the mountain toward Butterfly Peak.

Along the way, I passed a gated mine shaft and another informational sign, this time about bats! My route now began climbing in earnest, but the views were lovely. Soon, I came to another mine shaft. This one was a vertical shaft that had been filled with mining items. After surveying it a bit, I continued up toward the saddle. Once there, I turned northward toward Butterfly Peak. I actually turned too soon, but did find another mine shaft, and this one was completely exposed. I pushed on up, picking my route through the brush and rocks. The peak came into view, and the final effort to the summit. Once there, I slipped off my pack and soaked in the views. I found the register and signed in under two of my friends who were here last year. I turned my gaze to the east and Ken Point, my next possible summit. First, I had to bushwhack my way down to the old road. Once there, I started toward it, but the cross-country adventure to the summit and the descent left me less than motivated to push on, so I turned back.

I crossed back over the saddle and down the trail. When I reached the information sign for Gold Hill, I headed southward toward Rock Point. I spied the cairn for the trail to its summit. In addition to the cairns, colored ribbons also help mark the route. Once at this summit, I found some shade and enjoyed my lunch. Off to the north, I could see San Jacinto, and from my vantage point, it was completely devoid of snow. I am sure Sara will appreciate this when she hikes over it.

Once back on the main trail, I began following those ribbons, as they matched the route I had been using. Unfortunately, I found myself at a gate reading “private property”. Oops! I had followed a trail leading me to the edge of Paradise Ranch. A counselor was nearby, and I asked if I might pass through and she kindly let me. Turns out those ribbons were theirs and not from a trail race. This facility is a wilderness camp for kids in Riverside County. This is why I am not including the actual track, as I don’t want anyone to accidentally make the same error. Once back at the car, I changed into a dry shirt and made the short drive to Paradise Valley Café for a second lunch.  My adventure covered 9.26 miles in 6:56, with a total gain of 2,465 feet.

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After not getting out over the weekend, I really wanted to spend some time on the trail. Since one of my 2026 goals was to reach the halfway point on the Lower Peaks Committee list, I decided to try to knock off two more. The drive up to the trailhead was uneventful, with just a quick stop for breakfast and gas from Costco. The gate was open on Warm Spring Truck Trail (Forest Road 1N12), so I could go up to the junction with the Morton Ridge Trail. I found a spot to park, gathered my gear, and set off. The air was cool, almost cold, from the storm that had passed through. My route took me up a well-graded road to the Morton Peak Lookout Tower. While the lookout tower is closed, a sign on it says they hope to restore it and reopen it for visitor use. Low clouds diminished some of the views, and I did not linger before setting off for my second summit of the day, Cram Peak.

This peak sits off to the west along a descending ridgeline. I found the use trail and set off. This use trail has not seen much traffic and can become a bit overgrown from time to time. The grasses were still wet, so soon my shoes and lower pants were soaked. What was either an old firebreak or an actual road would also appear as I continued hiking along. Whatever it had been, it had been modified with what could best be described as moguls, which made for a lot of zig-zagging. Soon, the peak was finally ahead of me. Some of the clouds had burned off, so I could now see some of the lightly snow-capped mountains around me. This area suffered some damage from the Line Fire back in 2024, and burnt pages from the register lay scattered about. After a few photos and a snack, I set off to begin my climb back up toward Morton Peak. 

The return went fairly well. Some wildflowers were still blooming, adding some color to the scenery. My podcast kept me entertained, and before too long, I was back on the service road. Along the way down, I passed two other hikers making their way up the road. Once back at the car, I set off to find some lunch. Since I was near Redlands, I picked up some cookies from my daughter’s favorite bakery, Cookie Co., to freeze and bring with me when I visit her in late May. The entire hike was 7.5 miles, with 1,458 feet of gain, and I took 3:39.

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I decided to try and knock another peak off the Lower Peak Committee list by climbing Sierra Peak near Corona. The drive up went quickly; I missed my usual breakfast, as it is Passover, but the large coffee from McDonald’s still helped. I parked at the trailhead and set off and I could spy the communications towers up at the summit. The trail did not waste any time and began climbing. Various wildflowers were still present as I worked my way up. I knew from trip reports that I had some pretty steep sections ahead of me, and they were not kidding. I was not looking forward to descending these sections later.

A nice breeze helped offset the warming day, as well as keep any bugs away that might be around. After the third steep section, I spied the service road (aka Main Divide) and knew that the summit was drawing near. A mountain biker was taking a break as I reached the road. We chatted for a bit before I cruised on toward the summit. Once there, I found a spot to enjoy a snack and the views.

After snapping some photos, it was time to head back down. While the views of the inland empire were stunning (except for the almost complete lack of snow across the mountains), I needed to be very focused on my descent.  Not only was it steep, but the footing at times was less than ideal. Thankfully, I survived all the sections without landing on my rear. Along the way, I did stop to photograph the various wildflowers I enjoyed on the way up. I also spotted the rusty frame of an old car I had missed before. Soon the houses came back into view, and I knew I was almost done. That was my 29th peak off the list. The hike was 6.5 miles with an elevation gain of 2,286 feet. I was up and down in 3:38.

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With my spring break plans in flux, and the desert still too warm for any significant peak bagging, I opted to knock out a couple of peaks on the Lower Peaks Committee list. I made the drive up to Chino Hills State Park to do a loop that would have me pass over Gilman Peak and San Juan Hill. Starting from the Rimcrest Trailhead, I began my clockwise trek heading down toward Telegraph Canyon. The morning was cool, and the plants that encroached onto the trail were still damp with the morning dew. Soon, the legs of my pants, and my shoes, were soaked.

Once I reached Telegraph Canyon, I hiked in solitude until I reached the Gilman Peak Trail. I then began the climb toward my first summit. Some wildflowers dotted the hillside, but it was mostly black mustard, which is actually an invasive plant. The summit of Gilman Peak soon came into view, and I found the California Highway Marker atop it. A snowcapped Mt. Baldy loomed to my north, making for a lovely sight. After a quick snack, I followed the North Ridge Trail for a bit before dropping back down. A shaded rest area could be seen, along with an informational kiosk. I mixed up my electrolytes before beginning the climb up out of the canyon and onto San Juan Hill.

Once on the South Ridge Trail, I made the short climb to the summit of San Juan Hill. Here I found the reference marker and the concrete summit marker from 1896. Again, I enjoyed the clear views from the summit before heading back to the car. I began passing others out enjoying the trail. Soon, I spotted the trailhead where I started, and my loop was done. This loop was 9.7 miles with a total gain of 1412 feet, and I covered it in 3:34.

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