Decided to knock out one of my two remaining Coast to Crest Challenge hikes this morning. The partially cloudy skies made it a perfect day to head out to hike some of the Upper Santa Ysabel Trail. Given that this trail is shared with off-road traffic, doing it on a regular weekday is ideal, plus having the shade from the partially cloudy skies is an added bonus. I drove out to Pauma Valley and turned on the dirt road that I have previously taken up to the top of Big Black Mountain. The road was in fair condition—don’t know if I would take a Prius on it, but any 2WD SUV-like car would do just fine. When I got to the wide junction with the Upper Santa Ysabel Trail, I pulled off and parked. I originally had planned to hike a longer portion of the trail, but needed to be back in cell coverage by 9ish. I figured I could still hike enough to make it count for the challenge. I grabbed my smaller daypack, trekking poles, and my hat, and set off.
The road, on which I could have kept driving, descended toward a small wash, before climbing back up a bit. There are lovely oaks along this section of the trail. I cruised along, enjoying the views of the dry creek below and the vistas back to the west. I reached a turnaround spot for vehicles, and in looking at my watch I realized that I needed to turn back. I reached my car and drove back down the mountain, getting back into Ramona and therefore cell coverage. This was a nice stroll, and I think I might try hiking the rest from the other side to “complete” the trail sometime soon.
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.