Headed out in the morning to attempt Sugg Peak again. This time I had Susie Kara to show me the route. We got to the trailhead and one car was already there and the sun was just about to rise above Oakzanita Peak.
We made our way along the East Mesa Fire Road, we passed a gentleman heading down, I assume it was his car. Near the junction of the Oakzanita trail, we headed across the meadow toward West Sugg.
There was no trail, just two hikers following their guts. We picked our way through the brush until a slight trail was revealed. Susie kept her eye open for the boundary fences, as these were reference points.
We came to the old Jeep trail that leads back to Oakzanita, but it was severely overgrown. Given the shape of the stuff we were traversing, it might get tougher soon to summit Sugg Peak.
We found Susie’s magic rock and scrambled up. At this point, we were closing in on the summit. We picked our way through the brush until the summit revealed its rocky top.
We signed the register; we were the first in 2019! The views of the Cuyamacas and the Lagunas were refreshing. The wind made it a tad chilly, so we did not linger too long.
From the summit, I could see the route Mark and I tried. This route was 10x easier. We picked our way down, occasionally correcting our route.
Soon we were back at the East Mesa Fire Road and began trekking back to the car. Did pass two other hikers and several mountain bikers. Oh, I forgot to add that Susie did Baden-Powell yesterday. This was much earlier than my previous attempt.
This was my 85th summit and the final push is now underway!
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.