Continuing my local peaks adventure, I headed out to summit Stonebridge Hill and Sycamore Ridge. Both these bump-lets are located in the West Sycamore section of Mission Trails.
I parked next to the closed parking lot. There were about 8 cars already there at 7:30, but it was a Saturday. I grabbed my gear, and slipped my buff on, then hit the trail.
The empty trail was nice and wide, and I soon came to Stonebridge Hill. A quick jaunt through the low brush to the high point, which was marked by a small cairn.
Back in the main trail, the Sycamore Ridge was just a few minutes away. With no visible high point, I counted it as ‘summited’. Rather than simply turning back, I opted to make this a loop. At this point the trail splits, one route continues toward Goodwin Ranch, while the other follows the ridge northwestward. I picked the latter for today’s adventure.
The trail now turned to singletrack, so I would need to keep my ears open for others. I knew from the cars at the trailhead that mountain bikers were probably out enjoying the trails as well. About 5 minutes later I spotted my first one. I stepped aside and let him pass.
I continued to work my way down the ridge, I would encounter about 10 more riders throughout the hike. I had no trouble hearing them coming and they were quickly past me.
Once at the bottom of the ridge, I continued west, the sides of the trail were dotted with flowers. Passing a grove of eucalyptus, the trail curves around a nice house tucked away. Crossing a dry stream, the trail made its way west. In the distance, I could see a group of people flying radio-controlled airplanes. I turned on to the cement road and climbed up the hill to the houses near the start of this hike. Once back up on the ridge, I walked along the street back to my car.
All told 4.7 miles with about 536 feet of elevation gain. On the way home, I stopped at O’Brien’s bakery to pick up our bread order. A nice brioche loaf for French Toast for Mother’s Day!
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.