Up on Tecuya Mountain

After spending the night at Mt. Pinos campground, I set off to hike up Tecuya Mountain (#110), which is on the Sierra Club Hundred Peak Section list. Yes, I am also slowly working on another peak list. There are a couple of routes to the summit, and I opted for the easiest. My legs were feeling the 14 miles from the day before. I turned onto Forest Road 9N21 and began driving the fairly well-groomed dirt road. I stopped briefly to move two modest-sized rocks out of the way, as they had tumbled from the hillside. Apart from a couple of minor ruts, the road was in fine form which I suspect is from the logging that is occurring toward the top. A fire occurred here not too long ago, and loggers were removing the dead trees for lumber. The firewood I used last night, I suspect, was from here, as some pieces had some char about them. I had a track from Keith Winston, and he marked the spot where he parked before setting off. The road seemed to be better than what he wrote, so I drove on to his second waypoint. Along the way, I spotted a small herd of deer, including several bucks. They stared at me for a bit before bounding off. I reached the second turnout and, looking at the very steep climb the road took, I knew that this was as far as my Outback was going to go.

I parked under some shade, grabbed my gear, and started up the road. Pictures don’t do it justice as to how steep that road became. Caltopo says it was 30+%, and my calves believed it. Thankfully, the grade eased, and I hiked through some nice forest, with views of the mountains peeking through. The road dipped down to a small saddle before making another steep climb. Once over it, I took the short spur to the actual summit where I had some nice views. Off to the southeast, I could see the I-5. I did not find any markers, so I began my return. I picked up a glass bottle that had been tossed aside and made another short side jaunt to another viewpoint. This one offered views northward and of the Central Valley. After carefully descending those steep sections, I was back at my car and ready for the long drive home. I spotted two more deer on the way out, but could not get a photo in time. Thankfully, the drive home was just about three hours, not bad for the day before a holiday weekend. The hike covered 1.39 miles and had a healthy 480 feet of gain, which I did in 38 minutes.

I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. I am the co-author of Urban Trails:San Diego, coming in Spring 2026!

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). I am looking forward to exploring new summits and new adventures across the southwest.

An afternoon saunter to Sawmill Mountain

After climbing Strawberry Peak in the morning, I drove over to hike the Mt. Pinos-Sawmill Mountain combo. I pulled into another nearly empty parking lot, broke out my camp chair, and enjoyed a tri-tip sandwich I bought at the local market (along with the firewood for later). Properly fueled up, I set off under the shade of the pines toward the first peak, Mt. Pinos. The section is a pleasant stroll up toward the high point of Ventura County. Soon, the familiar communications tower appeared. I grabbed a few photos from the summit and continued on. Just a short distance later is the Tumamait Trailhead and the Condor Viewing area. After briefly enjoying the panoramic view to the southwest, I continued on.

The trail now began descending, with some helpful switchbacks, down to a saddle and losing just under 500 feet of elevation. Here began the climb up to Sawmill Mountain. The temperatures were pleasant, and the light breeze felt great as I regained almost all the elevation I had just lost. The marker for the turnoff of the main trail was just as I remembered, and soon the tall rock cairn came into view. Unlike Mt. Pinos, which did not have any signs, Sawmill had two. I had a snack and some electrolytes before snapping more photos. Although I technically finished my SoCal Six Pack of Peaks Challenge with the summit of Strawberry Peak, I have a goal for myself to climb all 12 on the list this year. Just 5 more to go! The hike back to the car went quickly, even with the section down and up from that saddle. The entire hike took me 2:58, and covered 7.35 miles with a 1,427 feet of gain. All told for the day, I hiked 14.19 miles in 6:19 with 3,222 feet of gain.

Thankfully, I wasn’t driving back to San Diego then. Instead, I was camping at the Mt. Pinos campground. I was able to get the same spot as last year. After unloading and setting up the Luno mattress, I got the fire going. The breeze had picked up, so it was a tad cool. I only brought a fleece, so I did feel it more than I would have liked to. After a nice steak dinner, I watched the fire for a while before dousing it and turning in for the night. I had accidentally left my tripod back at the trailhead, so no real astrophotography on this trip. I awoke at first light and quickly made breakfast and then broke camp. I drove back to the trailhead to see if the tripod might be there, but no luck. Next up was hiking up Tecuya Mountain before driving home.

I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. I am the co-author of Urban Trails:San Diego, coming in Spring 2026!

Sweating on Strawberry Peak

I pulled into an almost empty parking lot at Red Box Gap to begin a multi-peak adventure. It was just a bit before 8:30, and I could feel the day warming up. Thankfully, I knew that Mt. Lawlor would be providing some shade during the first part of the hike. I cruised along the trail, filming bits and pieces of it. Once I reached the Lawlor Saddle, the real effort was about to start. The climb went well, as I was about 25 lbs. lighter than the last time I hiked this peak. I pushed past those annoying false summits until the true summit came into view.

Sadly, upon reaching it, I saw the registers open and their contents scattered about. Some graffiti also adorned the rocks. I looked around to find the summit signs, of which this peak always had several, were missing. I found some shade on the west side of the peak and had a snack and some much-needed electrolytes. I did not linger, as the entire descent back to the saddle would be in full sun. Once past the saddle, I still had stretches of shade to bring me some relief from the ever-warming day.

Back at the trailhead, two women were sitting under the shade of a tree with fully loaded backpacks beside them. I chatted with them a bit and learned they were hiking the entire Gabrielino Trail. I wished them well on their adventure and headed to my car. My Govee, a Bluetooth thermometer that I usually have on my pack, said the temperature was 88° F! I believed it. I drank some ice water, and then set off to my next stop, Sawmill Mountain. My ascent of Strawberry was done in 3:21, covered 6.84 miles, and had 1795 feet of gain.

I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. I am the co-author of Urban Trails:San Diego, coming in Spring 2026!

Back to Wooded Hill

After our adventure on Monument Peak, we made the short drive to the Wooded Hill Trailhead. I was just here about two weeks ago on one of Larry Edmond’s Hike of the Month. Unlike the 10+ miles we did that day, today was just a simple loop up to the summit and back. The parking area was almost completely full, probably with mountain bikers enjoying the trail. We cruised along the trail and quickly found ourselves at the summit. I scrambled up the summit block first, then Becca gave it a go. There really aren’t views from this summit, as the name “wooded hill” is quite correct.

On our return, we meet 3 bikers taking a breather, and a short time later another making her way up. Before too long, we were back at the car, and our morning of peak bagging drew to a close. Our loop through Wooded Hill was 1.4 miles and took us 46:47.

I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. I am the co-author of Urban Trails:San Diego, coming in Spring 2026!

A “Monument”-al hike

After helping Ted knock out a few peaks on his 100 Peak Challenge list, it was time to help Becca with a couple. First up was Monument Peak out in the Laguna Mountains. She had never been out there, so the drive up Sunrise Highway was fun. We pulled into the empty parking area and headed out. We sauntered along the trail until it reached the Big Laguna Trail and took it a short distance until we turned northward on the PCT. It was long past the “season” for northbound hikers, but it is still fun to think of all those hikers and their stories passing through. Our time on the PCT was short, and we turned onto the trail that would take us up to Monument Peak. It was certainly a bit overgrown, and I would not recommend wearing shorts.

The communications towers came into view, and we soon were strolling up the road to the summit. Becca kept gazing at the vast green forests to the west as we approached the summit. Then at the summit, she turned to the east and was completely blown away by the sweeping view of the desert! I mean, really taken aback by that view. It is quite something, and I understand the grandeur of it all. After snapping some photos, we began our descent.

I missed the slightly overgrown junction just after we left the road and we found ourselves headed toward a small knob to the south of Monument Peak. OnX Backcountry showed a trail of some sort leading down from the summit back to the PCT, so I was game to trek on. Plus, we were talking about 1/2 mile of “adventure”, so I had no worries about a little exploration. We followed a use trail to the top of this unnamed knoll and again enjoyed a nice view. I found the descent trail and began a slightly steeper route back to the PCT. Along the way, we met two hikers working their way up. Turned out they missed the turn to Monument Peak earlier, and when they saw us descending, they decided to head up. After chatting a bit, we parted ways. This was Becca’s first time doing some light bushwhacking. I let her know to just wait, as there is some more type-2 fun to be had on other peaks. Once back on the PCT, we cruised back to the car. Our adventure was 3.4 miles, and we did it in 2:04 with 537 feet of gain.

I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. I am the co-author of Urban Trails:San Diego, coming in Spring 2026!

Up Battle Mountain

Battle Mountain is a quick but steep little hike, and since Ted needed it and we needed to kill a bit of time before lunch, it was a perfect choice. I grabbed only my poles, and Ted grabbed his and a small bottle of water and set off.

The trail climbed up and around the slope of the hill until it reached the top. It was warm under the bright June sun, and I was glad we were not tackling anything bigger this late in the morning. At the summit, two Canadians visiting for a wedding were also enjoying the view. We snapped their photo and took a few of the scenery before heading back down. We picked up some trash along the way, as well. Back that car, we changed into dry shirts, stashed our gear, and headed to Mi Ranchito for lunch. The hike up Battle Mountain was all of 0.5 miles with a healthy 267 feet of gain.

I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. I am the co-author of Urban Trails:San Diego, coming in Spring 2026!

A loop around Double Peak…

After climbing Denk Mountain, Ted and I made the short drive to hike up Double Peak. We opted for the shorter route from the Ridgeline trailhead instead of from Discovery Lake. When we arrived, the lot was completely full. Thankfully, two hikers had just finished, and we were able to grab their spot. The day was warming up, as the June Gloom was starting to burn off. We set off down the well-groomed trail toward the peak. Soon we came to the junction with the steep use trail to the summit and began powering our way up. I remembered this section from the last time I hiked it and could tell the difference in my fitness, as I drew close to the top.

At the top, we passed by the amphitheater and headed to the main viewing section. Some other hikers were milling about, as were some who simply drove up. After quickly taking in the views, Ted asked if there was an alternative route down, and I said yes, but it is a bit longer. We took the trail west down a steep, but much shorter section to the sidewalk. From there, we left the sidewalk and joined the trail we had been on earlier. We cruised along it until we returned back to our starting point. Skipping that descent was fine by me. This lollipop hike was 2.91 miles in 1:06 with 623 feet of gain. Better still, it gets Ted another peak closer to his 100! Since it was still early, we decided to make the short climb up Battle Mountain before lunch.

I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. I am the co-author of Urban Trails:San Diego, coming in Spring 2026!

Denk Mountain via Copper Creek

I have climbed Denk Mountain twice before, but from the western side. After watching Rick’s video of hiking from the Copper Creek trailhead, I decided to go that way next time. Since Ted was restricted on how long he could go hiking, I suggested we stay in town and work on some of those peaks he needed on the 100 Peak Challenge list. Since Denk Mountain was still on his unclimbed list, this would be a perfect opportunity to explore the eastern and southern sides. We found parking near the entrance to a large building and set off along the trail. The June Gloom was strong, and thus the air was humid. We hiked past the buildings, and then came to a locked gate and a nearby kiosk. The trail followed Copper Creek toward the southwest, crossing over it several times. A small weir had been built in a narrow part of the canyon; however, access to it was restricted.

Soon, we came to the Whiptail Loop Trail and saw the edges of the fire that had burned here about a month or so ago. We decided to continue on to the Horned Lizard Trail and use it to begin the actual climb to the summit. Our route mostly skirted the burn area, as the trail had been part of the fire break. There were still some bulldozed fire breaks on the slopes, which had notices posted to keep out. The trail worked its way upward through a series of switchbacks. While this area is popular with mountain bikers, so far we had only seen 3 trail runners. The wooden shade structure came into view, and soon we were atop the broad, flat summit.

After a quick snack and some water, we headed down the trail on the northeast side. We stuck to the main trail and, after passing a few other hikers, were soon back at the car. I enjoyed this route over the route I have used before. All told, we covered 4.3 miles in 1:37 with 680 feet of gain. Now on to the second peak of the day, Double Peak.

I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. I am the co-author of Urban Trails:San Diego, coming in Spring 2026!

Conquering San Bernardino Peak

One peak on the Six Pack of Peaks Challenge list that I have never been able to climb was San Bernardino Peak. Initially, the 2020 El Dorado Fire closed the surrounding area, and the 2024 Line Fire closed it again. Finally, the trail to the summit was open again, so I decided to finally climb it. There is a short section of driving on a forest road after passing the fire station in Angelus Oaks, which was not an issue for the Outback, but other cars might need to take care on this short section (one of the two cars at the trailhead was a Prius). Just after 6:30 am, I pulled into the dirt lot for the trailhead. As I gathered my gear, a nearby coyote was howling away. I had already gotten my free day hike permit from the San Gorgonio Wilderness Association, so I knew I was good to go. After checking the information kiosk and remembering to hang my America the Beautiful pass from my mirror, I set off on my journey. The trail passes by a bench and a commemorative cairn that was built in 2017 as a reconstruction of the cairn that was erected for the San Bernardino Initial Point’s sesquicentennial anniversary (2002). The trail quickly leaves the trees and, for almost the rest of the hike, travels through the region burned by the El Dorado Fire. The trail has been repaired, but the scars of the fire remain. Probably, the biggest issue is the lack of shade along the trail, so an early start is highly recommended, along with sun protection and extra water.

After about 3.5 miles and some helpful switchbacks, I reached Manzanita Flats. For about 1/2 mile, the trail was a bit more mellow, and I could cruise along for a bit. Here I met a gentleman also working his way up. We chatted a bit and discovered we both have Mt. Whitney permits and were using this hike as part of our training. I wished him luck on this ascent, as well as his attempt at Whitney.

The trail began climbing again and started to turn southward from what had been a mostly eastward direction. At about 5.8 miles, I reached Limber Pine campground and took a well-earned break. I had kicked around the idea of doing this peak as an overnight, but wanted to first do it as a day hike, so I would have a better sense of the level of effort required. But from what I have heard, the sunset views from here are outstanding! After a snack and some fluids, I set off, as I had about 2.2 miles left to go to reach the summit. About 1/3 of a mile later, I came to the Limber Pine Spring, which was still flowing nicely. I did not need water yet, but I had packed my Sawyer Filter and CNOC water bladder for later. Soon, I came across the Washington’s Monument Plaque. The protective covering made it hard to read the actual plaque, but this is what is on it:

Washington’s Monument

This plaque was set in commemoration of the sesquicentennial anniversary of the establishment of the San Bernardino Mountain Initial Point by Colonel Henry Washington, U.S. Deputy Surveyor, on November 8th, 1852.

A few hundred feet along the ridge to the south you will find the remains of Washington’s monument representing the first step in the land development of Southern California by the organized measurement and numentation of all public and private property in the region.

This plaque is dedicated in memory of Ira Alexander for his contributions to the surveying profession

Dedicated October 12, 2002

I decided to save going over to the actual Monument upon my descent. Shortly thereafter, I met the owner of the Prius on his descent. We chatted a bit, and he was proud as this was his first 10,000 summit. I congratulated him and we went our separate ways. I spotted the spur trail that would take me to the summit. Another nice thing was that I had left the fire-damaged region and had green trees around me. I made the short push to the summit!

A register box sat chained to a rock, and a simple summit sign lay nearby. I took in the views of San Jacinto Peak, San Gorgonio Mountain, and Mt Baldy, before finding a nice log to rest upon and enjoy my lunch. After a nice break, it was time for the 8 miles back down to the car.

The trail overall was in good condition, and I expected to descend at a nice pace. I remembered to take the turnoff to view Washington’s Monument. After seeing it, I continued down the Limber Pine Spring. I filled my CNOC and filtered into my new M!go Water Bottles. With fresh, cool water, I set off once again. Few clouds had formed, so their shade was welcomed, but even so, the day was not too warm, and a light breeze also kept things pleasant. The miles ticked by, and with about 3 miles to go, I took another break for some snacks and electrolytes. Roof tops of buildings in Angelus Oaks started to become visible, but I still had about 1.5 miles left to hike. Finally, I caught the glint of sunlight off my car and knew I had finished my hike up San Bernardino! The entire hike was 16.02 miles, which I covered in 7:04 (not counting time at the summit). The total elevation gain was 4,715 feet, which I felt.

I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. I am the co-author of Urban Trails:San Diego, coming in Spring 2026!

Atop Modjeska Peak

After my road walk up Santiago Peak, I decided to make the relatively short climb up Modjeska Peak. In the past, I could have taken the connector trail from the saddle over to partway up the peak. However, a small landslide had appeared to wipe out a section of that trail. So, instead, I returned to my parked car and took the other road to the summit. There is a fire break cut through here from an older fire. Unlike the road up Santiago, this road was quite rocky and certainly not one I cared to drive. When I passed the junction to the connector trail, I then had the choice to take the short, albeit steeper and direct fire break to the summit, or follow the road around the side of the mountain. I was feeling good, so I pushed up the steep fire break.

From the summit, I could take in the extent of the fire on Santiago Peak. I found the summit sign and took a few photos. It was starting to warm up, so I was ready to return to the car. Rather than deal with that steep rocky fire break, I took the road back. While not exactly rock-free, the grade was certainly less. Once back at the car, I pulled in behind 3 vehicles that were also heading down. Before too long, I was back in Silverado Canyon and headed home. The side trip up Modjeska Peak took 42 minutes to cover the 1.65 miles and 432 feet of gain.

I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. I am the co-author of Urban Trails:San Diego, coming in Spring 2026!