The first peak of the day was slated to be Grapevine Mountain. The trailhead is just north of the scissors crossing in Anza Borrego. The morning was cool, but not too cold. The route to the summit follows the Pacific Crest Trail for some time, slowly snaking its way back up from the valley floor.
At some time point, it was time to bid fair well to the PCT and begin the off-trail ascent toward the summit.
Carefully weaving my way past the cactus and up the steep slopes, I found myself atop the first summit, but the actual summit was further east. I continued to work my way to the summit. I found the benchmark and the register with no trouble.
I spotted Sentenac Mountain to the south.
I did not stay too long as I knew I had to navigate the steep descent to the PCT and wanted to reach the summit of Ghost Mountain. I picked my way carefully down the slope as the San Felipe Valley spread out before me. Soon I reached the PCT and began retracing my steps back to the trailhead.
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.
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