Cuyamaca Peak

With the region under a heat advisory, I knew that any serious hiking would require a very early start. I arrived at the Los Vaqueros Trailhead just after 5:15 am, and the parking area was already quite full. It appears that I would once again be hiking Cuyamaca Peak during a trail run. After gathering my gear, I crossed the road. Off near the horse staging area, several large white tents were set up, and quite a few cars were parked along that road as well. This might have been more than just a training run. (Narrator: He was right, it was an actual race). I cruised along Milk Ranch Road, and orange flags denoted the route the runners would be taking. Their route had them using the Middle Peak Fire Road, so it seemed I would have this first mile or so to myself. I stopped a few times to photograph the sunrise.

I hopped on to Azalea Springs Fire Road to connect with the Conejos Trail. The runners would be following the same route to the summit as I was taking, but so far I hadn’t encountered a single one. There were some bugs so I slipped on my bug net. I figured it would be good practice to get comfortable wearing it before some of my upcoming backpacking trips. The miles slipped by, and as I neared the junction with the service road, a pair of race photographers were camped out, ready to capture the runners as they came past. At the junction, I chatted briefly with a race volunteer, who gave me the 411 on the race. There were three races; a 50K, a marathon, and a 1/2 marathon. As I plodded up the service road, runners finally started to appear. Some racers lightly jogged up the 15-20% grade toward the summit, while others fast-walked it. As I neared the summit, I could hear the sounds of cowbells clanging and music thumping. The end of the service road was set up as a check-in point, complete with an aid station for the runners. I gave the volunteers a wave and followed the use trail to the summit proper.

I sat at the summit enjoying my snacks and the view for a bit, but the constant noise from the race did not lend itself to allowing a restful time on the peak. I headed back down along the fire road. Once past the junction with Conejos Trail and the Burnt Pine Connector Trail, I left the race behind for a while. Along the way, I did meet two hikers working their way up the road. We chatted a bit before heading our separate ways. I hopped back on the Azalea Springs Fire Road, glad to be off the warm asphalt of the service road. Once back on Milk Ranch Road, I strolled along, feeling the warmth of the day increase. A runner raced past, which was odd, as the route had them taking the side trail up to Middle Peak, then down its service road. She was too far gone before I had a chance to tell her she missed a turn. I guess when her tracker is short by 2 miles, she might figure out her mistake. Back at the car, I changed and enjoyed some well-earned cold water. As I drove away, I checked the temperature and it was already 84°F! As much as waking up at 4 AM, sucked, beating the heat and knocking out another peak was worth it. Did the 8.6 miles in 3:45, so I was pretty happy with the day’s hike. This is probably my last peak on the San Diego Six Pack of Peaks list until the weather cools in the fall.

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 Arizona-Winter). 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.

Cuyamaca Peak

I have a multiple-day hiking adventure planned in a few weeks to start hiking some of the peaks on the inaugural Central Coast Six Pack of Peak Challenge. One of the peaks, Alan Peak, is an 11-mile round-trip hike. So far, I had not hiked anything more than about 6.5 miles, so I wanted to get in one longer, harder hike before I committed to the drive up to the central coast. I figured summiting Cuyamaca Peak would be the perfect test of my foot and my fitness. This was going to be a solo trip as my usual hiking partners had other commitments. I decided to do my traditional route from Milk Ranch Road. I pulled into the parking area just before 6:30. It was a little brisk, but I knew that was going to quickly change once I started. I cruised along Milk Ranch Road at a nice pace. One of the things I was focusing on was keeping a more steady and measured pace with my hiking. I am still rebuilding from almost a year off the trails, so I need to be mindful of this. Another thing I wanted to do on this hike was not look at my real pace or my location. I knew this trail well, so there was no need to know exactly where I was. I decided to just listen to my heart rate and my breathing and let the trail come as it may.

Not long after starting up the road, a gaggle of wild turkeys ran off the road into a clearing nearby. On the drive in, I spotted a lone deer in the meadow. I wondered if I was going to encounter any other wildlife today. The nice thing about this route is that the 1.6 miles along the road is a nice steady grade and a wonderful way to warm up everything before you start making some serious elevation gain.

I turned on the Azalea Spring Fire Road and had that first steep section to push through before reaching the junction with the Conejos Trail. The beginning of the trail was a tad overgrown, and if you were not looking for it or the trail sign poles, you might miss it. The overgrowth soon faded, and the steep and rocky aspects of the trail took over. I wondered if Hurricane Hillary had done any damage to the trail, and if the storm had done any, if the repairs were already done. I kept an ear out as I passed near Conejo Spring to hear if it might still be flowing, but I only heard the sound of some birds. Along the way, I encountered a backpacker who had spent the night at the summit (which I believe is not allowed). We chatted some, and he was planning to head over to Middle Peak. While it had been a few years since I did it, I gave him a few bits of information. The key point I stressed to him is there is almost no view at the summit! He asked about water, so I told him I did not think the spring was running, so he would have to continue on to another water source.

The trail reached the service road, and I took a quick break. I needed to take care of a hot spot that was forming and to put on the rubber tips for my trekking poles. No need to wear down the tips on the pavement. While I knew I was not quite at the summit, as I still had about 1/2 mile to go, I was feeling good about the effort so far. I plodded up the road, and green pine cones were scattered around. Some damage from the storm I suspected. Soon, the end of the road came into view and after a short bit of off-trail, I was at the summit of San Diego’s second highest peak.

I found a nice shady spot and enjoyed some snacks and electrolytes. I had the summit to myself, so I just took in the sweeping views to the west. I took my photos around the summit and began the long descent. I passed the junction to the Conejo Trail and kept walking down the steep service road. The sun was making the asphalt nice and toasty, so I was looking to get back onto the Azalea Spring Fire Road and have a little less reflective heat. Along the way, I passed a couple making their way up. They were training for some hiking in Scotland in a few weeks while they visit their daughter. I wished them well as they pushed on.

Once off the service road, I cruised on. At Azalea Spring, I met up with that backpacker again. He was filtering some water before continuing on. He decided to skip Middle Peak and was going to head over to Cush-Pi (Stonewall Peak). Being from Florida, he was certainly feeling the altitude. I left him to filter the water and continued on. The bugs were starting to become annoying in the shady sections, almost to the point of breaking out the bug net. But I knew that I did not have that much further, so I would just swish them away. Soon, the car came back into view. The parking area had filled up, including a horse trailer. Given I only saw two other hikers after Azalea Springs, I wondered where they were out exploring? All told I hiked 8.6 miles with 1,860 feet of gain. My moving time for the hike was 3:50! I was really pleased to see that. I probably spent 15-20 minutes talking to some of those people I passed on the trail.

Cush-Pi

Good to be back on the trails after visiting family. Didn’t feel like tackling any of my remaining Six Pack of Peaks this weekend. So instead I suggested we try to knock a few more peaks off Ted’s remaining 100 Peaks. First up we climbed Cush-Pi (Stonewall) after parking across the road at the day use area at Paso Picacho. The shade was nice, as it was going to be warm as we worked our way up the peak. We passed a few groups of hikers heading down from the peak, but otherwise it was pleasantly uncrowded for such a popular peak.

Once at the summit, there were a couple folks soaking in the view. They soon headed back down and we had to peak to ourselves for a bit. I pointed out some of recent summits, Oakzanita and Sugg off to our south. Since we were hoping to bag two more today, we headed down. A few more folks passed us as we cruised back to the car. Now on to Pine Mountain.

Cuyamaca Peak (via Conejos Trail)

WIth my recent summit of Hot Springs Mountain, I was down to only one more peak to complete the San Diego Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge — Cuyamaca Peak. Initially I had planned to save doing it until a nice fall day, but we still had some nice spring weather so I decided just to go knock it off the list. The past few times I have summited this mountain I had been working on the 100 Peak Challenge, so getting Airplane Ridge and Japacha Peak had been on the agenda. This time I did not need to revisit those summits, so I looked at some of the other possible routes. For many, they simply take the newly re-paved fire road to the summit from the campground. This was the route I did the first time years ago. While it is the shortest route, it is steep and all on a paved road. I had no desire to take this route again. Instead, I opted to use some of the trails on the north side of the mountain.

I pulled into the parking lot near the Trout Pond trail, just a bit north of the Paso Picacho Campground. This the same starting point you would use if you were going to hike up Middle Peak. There were a few cars here as I gathered my gear. It was still a bit nippy, so I pulled on a fleece. The forecasted high on the summit was in the low 50s, so I was probably going to want it later even if I warmed up while I was hiking.

After carefully crossing the highway, I headed down Milk Ranch Road. The grade was nice and gentle and had some lovely views. I passed the turn off that would take you up toward Middle Peak. After about 1.4 miles I came to the junction of the Black Oak Trail to my north and the Azala Springs Fire Road to my south. Walking around the gate, I continued on for about a quarter of a mile until I reached the Conejo Trail. My route now turned from nice wide roads to a more traditional trail. I continued to have a nice view of Cush-Pi (Stonewall) to my east. Over the next 1.5 miles, I would gain almost 900 feet of elevation. I could occasionally hear some voices ahead of me, and since I was making good time, I figured I would probably catch up to them. As I turned the corner of one of the switchbacks, I recognized Amber Haslerud from the San Diego Hiking Society. She and her boyfriend were also climbing Cuyamaca today. I stopped and chatted a bit. I loved following Amber’s hiking journeys, so it was a treat to finally meet her face to face. I wished them a good hike and continued on. The trail still had some nice wildflowers along it, so I seemed to be grabbing my phone to snap a photo quite often.

The Conejo Trail meets up with the Lookout Fire Road about .4 miles from the summit. However, I still had over 300 feet of gain until I summited. As I made my way to the top from the road, I spied two teeny tiny patches of snow tucked in the shade. The summit sign was still there, so I took my summit selfie then wandered over to take a few more photos of some of the interesting landmarks, the NASA benchmark, the Forest Service carving, and of course the view. I had a quick snack and was just about ready to leave when Amber and John arrived. Since this was their first time at the summit, I showed them how to get to the top. Once there, I gave them a quick tour of the summit. We chatted some more, and then I let them enjoy their accomplishment by themselves.

Since I found much of the Conejo Trail a tad rocky, I opted to take a slightly different route back to the car.

So, I stayed on the fire road until it met up with Azala Springs Fire Road. I followed it for about .6 miles until I reached the spring. Now if I had parked at the campground, there is another trail that would take me there, but I continued north back toward Milk Ranch Road, and eventually my car. My entire hike clocked in at 8.73 miles with 1,862 feet of gain in 4:02 (including all the chatting).

Cuyamaca Peak (via West Mesa Trail)

Since I could not tackle any of my remaining Sierra Club peaks this week, I opted to finish the Six-Pack of Peaks- San Diego collection. I had been saving Cuaymaca peak for the fall, in part to enjoy some fall colors along the hike (I had also saved Mt. Wilson for the same reason, but the Bobcat Fire changed those plans). But also, to see if the SDGE construction closure order would finally be lifted. Ted Markus and I arrived at the Harvey Moore Trailhead just before 7 am. On the drive out we did catch a lovely sunrise. It was a brisk 44° as we set off. I was also testing out a new daypack, an Osprey Stratus 34. After last weekend, I realized I need a slightly bigger pack for longer hikes.

After carefully hiking across the bridge that spans the Sweetwater creek, we hopped onto the West Trail for a bit until it connected with the Monument Trail. The fleece I had on at the start was too warm, so it was time to test out the storage of the new pack. The pack has a small sleeping bag compartment, so I stuffed the fleece in there without an issue. We worked our way up the trail toward our first goal, Airplane Ridge. When I did this hike last year, I missed it and had to scramble back. This time I was a bit more attentive to the short cross-country scramble. Upon the small summit, we took a quick break. I opted to shed another layer before continuing on. There is no benchmark nor register, just a mystery can with a San Diego Adventure Club sticker. That will have to do.

Ted and I continued to make good time, and soon we came to the junction with the West Mesa Trail. This is one of my favorite sections, as there is something about a meadow that I like. Once across the meadow, we turned on the Burnt Pine trail. After a quick snack, we would travel through some of the only remaining pine trees that survived the fire. Intermixed with the pines were some oaks, so we got some lovely fall color. As we drew higher, small stretches of snow still remained, tucked in the shady northern sides of the trail.

I had originally planned not to be hiking this weekend, as SpaceX was conducting a launch and land landing from Vandenberg AFB. But between the road closures forcing a fairly distant viewing spot and Covid, I opted to skip the 5-hour drive up to Lompoc. I was tracking the progress of the launch on my phone. As we reached the turnoff to Japacha, I pulled up YouTube to watch it. I missed the actual launch but followed the first stage’s return to the landing site. With that event done, we set off to summit Japacha peak. We weaved our way through the brush, following just a hint of the route. I had to double-check my previous track a couple of times to get us to the summit, where we took another short break. I signed the register seeing that the last person to sign in was almost a month ago, and the one before that about the same amount of time. Cuyamaca stood towering over us just to the north, so we once again headed off.

We then reached the fire road that would lead us to the summit, about .4 miles away. Technically, this is still closed, but all reports stated the SDGE closure was not being actively enforced as they are no longer working on that project. There is a reforestation effort closer to the campground, and when that is occurring the closure is in effect. The road was steep, but the new tarmac was nice, no more crumbling asphalt to worry about. As we drew close to the summit, a new fence now surrounded the towers, so we hiked to the end of the road and followed the trail to the summit.

Ted and I took our photos, then found some nice spots, socially distanced, and had our lunch. We found the NASA mark, two reference marks, a metal plug atop one of the high rocks, and some rock graffiti from long ago. We set off down the fire road, and we finally started to encounter some other hikers, whereas up to that point we had only seen one trail runner.

We debated on what route to take; retrace our ascent or head down the fire road and take one of the connecting trails? We opted for the latter option. While the new pavement is nice, it is still a steep road. As we made our way down, some heavy equipment was parked along the side of the road in support of the reforestation.

Once we reached the Fern Flat Fire Road, we left the pavement behind. The road also looked like some recent work had been done, and sure enough, we passed the parked grader that was smoothing out the ruts. This stretch was a pleasant stroll this time. Last time, I was hustling to make it back to the car to attend a birthday party for a friend. The only issue this time was I seemed to be developing some blisters on my pinky toes. At this point, I figured I was close enough to the car to not deal with them.

Soon we spotted the parking lot and our three-peak adventure was over. Ted got to cross off three more peaks on the 100 Peak Challenge, and I completed the Six-Pack of Peaks – San Diego collection! The entire hike was about 14.2 miles, 2,780 feet of gain in 6:53 of hiking time.

Oakzanita Peak

The late-season heatwave certainly altered my planned hike for this Saturday. I had hoped to take a friend out and summit Lawson and Gaskill. But with the forecast in the low 90s, almost no shade on the trail, and rocks that will get quite toasty, this hike was not in the cards. Looking over my remaining peaks and Oakzantia seemed to be a safe replacement.

I got to the trailhead at sunrise. I debated if I should use the East Mesa Fire Road or the Oakzantia trailhead. Since I did the Oakzantia trailhead last time, I opted for it so I could compare my pace. The air was still cool as I followed the Lower Descanso Creek trail. A little water still flowed in a few spots along the trail.

This trail rejoins the East Mesa Fire Road for a short time, hence why I considered the other route. Once you have rounded the meadow, I headed on the Upper Descanso Creek Trail. Crossing back to the south side of the creek, it was now time to begin working my way to the summit. I still enjoyed the shade, but the sun was starting to illuminate Cuyamaca’s peak to the north.

I was making great time along the trail and soon I came to the junction with the spur trail to the actual summit. The trail did become slightly more overgrown in sections. The summit loomed over me, now bathed in the morning light.

The summit offered some great vistas. Thankfully the bugs were not too bad. This peak does not have a register and a non-standard Benchmark. It also has a rail to tie up your horse.

Coming back down I was passed by a gaggle of trail runners. Three hikers passed me making their ascent. Back at the car, the thermometer read 80 degrees at just after 9 am. This was my 61st peak of my 100 Peak Challenge!

Sunshine Mountain

I initially did not think I was going to get any peaks this weekend, as my son is about to head to Israel for 10 months on the Nativ College Leadership Program. But, I was able to squeeze in two peaks in the early morning.

Decided to knock out Sunshine Mountain and Ant Benchmark. I had hoped to do them when I did Eagle Peak, but the heat said no! I reached the trailhead for Three Sisters just before sunrise. To my delight, Cedar Creek Road was open! Woot!! That meant one less mile of hiking! Pulling into the turnout, two cars were parked. I guess it is hunting season… I quietly got ready and headed out.

The trail is overgrown, like many of the more obscure ones. I reached the base of the mountain just after it became illuminated by the rising sun. I saw a set of cairns, checking my previous track, I set off up the mountain.

I picked my way through the brush, I lost the cairns for a while, and just relied on my guesses through the brush and rocks. Once I picked the cairns back up the route became easier.

At the summit and took in the view. Eagle Peak was to the southwest of me. There is no benchmark, but I signed the register again. The forecast was that it was going to reach the upper 80s, so I did not want to goof off too long at the summit.

I made my way down without any issues, I found the main trail again without issue. This was the one hiccup we had when I first did the peak. Quickly I was back at the car and off to my next peak. That was peak #59 of my #100PeakChallenge!

Sunshine Mountain

I set off down the closed road to the trailhead for peak #2. This was going to add about .5 miles each way. The road seemed fine. When I reached the trailhead, I headed down a very overgrown road. I was glad to have hiked it before and had my route loaded for reference.

Passing by the pond, doves flew out from the brush as I walked by. My energy levels were a bit low, but I decided to push on a bit. As the trail began to climb, I just did not have it in me. So I decided to turn back. The mountain will be there another day.

Partway back, I stopped in the shade and cooled off some. As I returned to the car, I saw a family getting ready to head down to Three Sisters. I cautioned them, about the difficulty and the effects of the heat. I got back into the car, and it read 90° F! That was unexpected, I knew that was the forecast, but at 9:30! No wonder I ran out of gas. I called it a day and headed home.

Stonewall Peak

Since I had the day off, I thought I would head out to Cuyamaca State Park and try to summit two peaks, the first peak of the day was Stonewall Peak. I parked in the day-use lot, after paying my $10 fee, headed across the 79, and began working my way up.

I started with Stonewall first since I knew I would have some shade for a nice portion of the ascent. The trail worked its way back and forward toward the summit. This is a popular peak, so I also wanted to try to avoid crowds as well.

The summit’s final section came into view, reminding me of Moro Rock in Sequoia. I had the granite summit to myself for a bit and soaked in the sweeping views. I picked out the various peaks that I have summited.

Soon I was joined by three other hikers. We chatted a bit and then left them to enjoy the summit by themselves.

As I quickly descended, I encountered more and more hikers making their way to the summit.

Back at the car I had a quick snack and got ready to hike up Middle Peak. This was was the 46th peak on my 100 Peak Challenge!

Middle Peak

Having summited Stonewall Peak earlier in the day, I set out for Middle Peak. The trailhead is 5 minutes north of Stonewall Peak, so it was a perfect choice as a twofer.

As I parked, quite a few horse trailers were parked nearby. I reapplied my sunscreen and headed along the Milk Ranch Road until the turnoff to Middle Peak. For most of the ascent, it follows a slightly rocky fire road, but you are rewarded with great views of Stonewall Peak, Cuyamaca Peak and so much more.

Near the summit, I began looking for the cairn that denotes the start of the use trail to the actual summit. My first attempt was only partially successful, as I only made it partway through the brush.

This time the trail was better marked, as I picked my way through the brush. I did encounter a beehive along the route but was able to bypass it without issue. The trail at times was hard to see, so a little faith was needed. It was an adventure to the summit, but soon the summit revealed itself. A register was tucked under some rocks. I signed in, took my photos, and enjoyed a snack.

I was worried about finding the route back down but had no trouble. I even found those bees again 😉 A light breeze helped cool me off as I descended. A slight bruise on my foot was bothering me. I will have to see how it feels tomorrow and what I attempt. I did encounter one other hiker just as I was nearing the junction.

It felt good to have done two modest peaks in a day. This was my 47th summit and having actually reached it this time made it extra rewarding.