Whale Peak

I was finally able to find time to go hiking with our Associate Rabbi, Matthew Earne. I had been trying to keep Whale Peak as an option for us to summit together, as it is not too difficult, but still provides some challenge and adventure to the outing. The first winter storm was coming to San Diego, but the forecast still looked ok to head out and do it. I did remind him to make sure to toss a rain jacket into his pack.

Once we got to the trailhead, we geared up and began the first climb of the ascent. We began working our way up the steep wash to the first of several mini-plateaus along the route. The trail was easy to spot as we cruised toward the next slope. Cairns would also mark the way. As Scott Turner wrote in Modern Hiker, “Whale Peak trail has a reputation for getting even seasoned and experienced hikers lost.” Since I was the guide for this ascent, I tried to keep my bearings about me as we hiked on. The last time I did this peak, Derek Loranger led the way.

In addition to the route, I was also keeping a watchful eye on the skies for any unexpected weather changes. We could see the rain coming down off to the west on those mountains, but nothing seemed to be approaching us. The winds were light and the temperatures pleasant.

After making our way up the next set of slopes, we soon came to the final steep push to the summit. I told Matt that once it got steep, we would be close to the summit.

We picked our way up the rocks until I spotted the familiar rocks that denote the summit. With the risk of weather looming over us, we did not linger. Tucked well under a rocky nook was the register, which we happily signed, took a few photos, and grabbed a quick snack.

I pointed out various landmarks from our vantage point; Granite, Pinyon, Blair Valley, etc. A few sprinkles were starting to fall, so we donned our jackets and set out to descend. I must have gotten turned around at the summit and accidentally headed east. After about 10 minutes, I stopped to check my location, as I was spotting neither a trail nor any cairns. Remember what Scott said, Whale Peak had gotten me too. We turned around, and climbed back up to the summit, with me apologizing to Matt several times. Back on the summit and oriented correctly, we cruised back down the peak.

The rain never materialized, so we both removed our jackets. We could see some evidence of rain that had fallen elsewhere on the peak; some granite rocks had some small puddles of water, and the soil was slightly damp. What was nice was, that the desert air was now filled with so many joyful odors. You just wanted to stop and breathe it in.

We made our way back down the steep wash and to the car. I had hoped we might be able to also go summit Ghost Mountain, but between the later than planned start and what was sure to be a slower drive home in the rain, we skipped it. This was peak #89 of my #100PeakChallenge.

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.

Wilson Benchmark & Pinyon Ridge

After having fun summiting three peaks the day before, I was looking to continue to pick off the remaining peaks of my 100 Peak Challenge. Given the unseasonably warm temperatures, I knew which hikes I needed to do—the Wilson Benchmark/Pinyon Ridge combination. Matt, a friend of Susie Kara, joined me on this adventure. Once again, we drove out to Ranchita and then down the dirt road to the trailhead. My Subaru Outback had no trouble with the road, but I would not take my Acura on it. We parked, gathered our gear, and headed down the old jeep trail. It was nice not to be bundled up for warmth like the last time I hiked to these summits.

The miles ticked off quickly, and soon we were at the point to leave the trail and ascend Pinyon Ridge. Since I knew from which side to climb the summit block, we aimed for the northeast face.

We climbed up to the top and sat and soaked in the views.

As Matt is relatively new to San Diego, I pointed out the various peaks all around us. The register was tucked away under a good collection of rocks. After a nice rest, we scrambled down and we continued cross-country to the east to rejoin the jeep trail.

Upon reaching the base of the bump that Wilson Benchmark sits upon, we worked our way up. There is no trail at this point, so it is a “Choose Your Own Adventure” type of ascent. Soon, the wooden stake came into view, which denotes the summit. Both a benchmark and a reference mark were quickly found, along with the register. The peaks to the east were more easily seen, so I continued my role as a tour guide. We hung out here for a bit, then decided to head back.

Back on the jeep trail, we cruised non-stop back to the car. Peaks #87 and #88 were done. On the way home, we stopped at the little store in Ranchita to grab a cold drink. The clerk remembered me and we chatted a bit about the day’s adventures. It was a picture-perfect day to have done these two.

Borrego Mountain-West Butte

The second peak of the day was going to Borrego Mountain West Butte. Pulling into the parking area for the Borrego Mountain West Butte, there was one car parked. It appeared I was still ahead of the crowds that come to hike the Slot. To get to the summit of this Butte, I just needed to follow the trail leading east.

As I quickly made my way up to the well-defined trail, I could see several groups camping down in Hawk Canyon. Approaching the top, the trail shifted from dirt to more rocky, but still relatively easy to navigate.

Once atop the Butte, I checked my location to find the actual summit. I remembered that there was neither a register nor a benchmark here. A nice rock formation served as my summit.

The day was indeed warming up, so if I wanted to get at least one more peak in, I needed to hustle down to the car. As I approached the trailhead, the parking area had now filled up with more cars, and I could see folks milling about before they went off down the Slot. Peak #85 was crossed off, and I drove about 15 minutes to the Plum Canyon tour off and my third peak of the day, Sentenac Mountain.

Borrego Mountain-East Butte

As the end of the year keeps getting closer, I have to be mindful of my remaining peaks. Today I planned to summit either 3 or 4 peaks out in Anza Borrego. The forecast was for highs in the mid-80s, so by the fourth peak, it might be too warm to want to do. It also meant back to being at the trailhead at dawn.

First up was Borrego Mountain East Butte. Unlike last time, where I went up the boulder-filled gully, this time I was going to try a different route from the west side. I drove up Goat Trail, a dirt road across from the Desert Ironwood Resort. Just as the road makes a sharp left is a nice parking area and the trailhead.

The sun had just risen, but it had not cleared the Butte yet, so I grabbed my gear and crossed over the land bridge to Butte.

Once across, I began carefully climbing up the rocky slope.

While not the craziness of the gully, this route still took a little care and effort. A few cairns mark the route, but if you have some desert route-finding skills you should be able to pick your way up.

Once I reached the top of Butte, I made my way to the high point and the register. I signed my name as an x2, then took in the views.

As I knew the forecast was going to be in the mid-80s, I did not linger. Back at the car, I was off to Borrego Mountain West Butte, about 10 minutes away. Peak #84 was now done.

Square Top

I knew the attempt to summit Square Top was going to be hard, but this turned out to be the hardest hike I have ever done to date.

Ted Markus and I pulled into the parking lot in Borrego Springs just before sunrise to meet with Greg Gerlach who was accompanying us on this hike and providing the needed 4×4 to the trailhead. Greg is working on his third pass through the San Diego 100, which is slightly different from the 100 Peak Challenge, so teaming up made perfect sense. Greg’s hiking resume is inspiring and it was a great thrill to spend some time in the mountains with him.

Heading north from Borrego Springs, we began our off-road adventure. After a couple of water crossings, the road turns rocky for a bit. This is why we took Greg’s truck and not my Subaru Outback. After about an hour of driving, we reached the Sheephead Canyon Primitive Campground, just past it was the trailhead. We quickly geared up and set off.

Square Top used to be done from a route from the Los Coyotes Indian Reservation, but it appears the road to that trailhead is permanently closed to non-reservation residents. So we need to summit this peak from the east. The trail followed the dry stream bed for a short distance. This would be the only flat section of the entire day. We had a route loaded on our devices, plus a paper map, and left the stream bed and began scrambling up and over the boulders along the ridgeline. In addition to the boulders, the steepness of the ridgeline can not be understated. It would range between 30-50% grade throughout most of the hike.

While we could see Square Top off in the distance when we started the hike, it was now fully hidden behind P3360. After about two hours of hiking, we finally reached this intermediate summit and a well-earned break. There was a register tucked away, so we added our names. Square Top now loomed before us. We scanned its rocky and steep slopes for a possible route up. We agreed on a basic plan of attack, but first, we had to drop down some 300 feet of elevation. Climbing back up that on our return was going to suck.

We found a manageable route down to the saddle and then began to push up. The steepness remained about the same, but toward the base, the boulder field was pretty intense to work through. Some very large rocks served as our intermediate landmarks to aim for as we work our way upward.

At this point, I started to have some real trouble. The effort was really getting me and I had to take a lot of breaks as we slogged forward. Both Ted and Greg were very supportive and accommodating as I sat and caught my breath. I really considered turning back several times; this was harder than any summit I had previously done. But I knew if I did turn back I would probably never have another chance, and my 100 Peak Challenge would be over. I dug deep and found the will and energy to push on.

Soon we started to encounter the denser brush that surrounded the summit. I knew the summit was close, we had agreed that if our descent was in the dark, it was ok with all of us. Greg really knew what this summit meant to me. Slipping past the brush, the summit plateau was reached, and we soon found ourselves at the summit block. We had done it!

We signed the registers and took a short break. Without climbing gear, the actual summit block is unreachable. All this work and we don’t actually get to stand on the actual top… We did not stay too long, as we all knew the effort that still lay ahead of us to get back to the trailhead.

We began our careful and slow descent, doubling checking our tracks so as not to get off course. As we approached the boulders near the base of the summit, working through this section again sapped my energy. Greg and Ted continued to lead the way, and I plodded slowly along behind. I dug deep once again and began the ascent up P3360. But I knew once I crossed the summit, it would be all ‘downhill’ from there.

The sun was setting, casting a rosy light on the Santa Rosa Mountains to the east, meaning our last mile was going to be in the dark. Obviously, this was going to slow our pace even further, but we had prepared for this in case this happened. As we carefully picked our way back down, the steepness was a constant issue. I could not believe that we had gone up this! I missed seeing deer go prancing by, but Ted and Greg saw them. I was too focused on the descent and not injuring myself and missed them.

Finally, we reached the stream bed and began heading back to Greg’s truck. I ran out of my water with about a quarter-mile to go, so I was looking forward to the cool drinks in my cooler.

All told, this hike was a mere 5.3 miles on my device. Ted and Greg had different mileage from their devices. Our elevation gain was 3,617 feet and I had us on the trail for 11 hours, 10 of it actually hiking. We all agreed that this was one beast of a summit. While we were proud of making it but were certain we would never do it again.

The Thimble

After two failed attempts at summiting The Thimble (see here for those trip reports), I headed back out to try again. Originally, fellow 100 Peaker, Gail Welch was going to guide me up, but she took a tumble on the ice and was out of commission. Matt Hanan, an SD100 Peaker, had to do solo Dad duty, so I headed out to Ranchita alone.

Pulling into my now familiar turn out, I headed out along the road toward my challenge. A nice breeze kept the temperatures pleasant as I work my way up the road. Just past the crest in the road, my first view of The Thimble came into view. I studied it imposing face and attempted to scout out my route up it. I had a GPS track from Hann Asoy’s successful summit, so I had that to fall back on, but I wanted to try this on my own.

I worked my way up through the brush looking for the end of the barbed wire fence. The route gets close to some of the private property, so I was trying to be mindful. The slope quickly grew steep, somewhere between 30-50%. My route weaved around the granite boulders and past the brush. Once in and while I did need to push through some to continue my climb.

As I drew near the summit, a thicket of brush stood before me. I tried seeing if there was a route to the left side, but it was too thick. Nothing appeared in the middle. I was thinking I might need to descend and look for an alternate route. I texted my wife and let her know my status, I figured I still had another 30 minutes of climbing ahead of me.

I decided to see if there might be a path near a large granite boulder to the right, and there was! I squeezed past the brush and the summit lay before me. So much for another 30 minutes of climbing!

Sadly the register seems to be missing, but the views were incredible! I might have let out a shout upon reaching the top… The Thimble had been conquered! San Ysidro stood to the north, Bonny, and White to the south. The Salton Sea was visible in the distance.

After a brief break, I began a careful descent. It is almost easier to find a nicer path when going down. Once off the peak, I cruised back down to the car, stopping at the Ranchita General Store for some cold drinks before the drive home.

With that my #78 peak of #100PeakChallenge was done!

Bonny & White Benchmarks

With the weather starting to turn, it was time to start thinking about my remaining peaks in the desert. While the true desert was still a tad warm still, the weather for the peaks near Ranchita was nice enough for them to be attempted. My feet were still a tad sore from the summiting of Sheephead Mountain and Manza Benchmark yesterday, so I did not feel like hiking out to Wilson Benchmark. Instead, I opted to do White Benchmark and Bonny Benchmark.

After making breakfast at home, I pulled into the familiar turnout for this hike just past the Anza-Borrego State Park sign. Grabbing my gear and applying a good application of sunscreen, I set off across the desert floor. The first peak I wanted to summit was White Benchmark about 2 miles away and some 1,000 or so feet of elevation to be gained. Although I passed by Bonny, I wanted to summit it on the return route.

I followed the faint use trails, dodging the pointy pain planets along the way, toward the summit of White Benchmark. The breeze kept any bugs away and made the temperature perfect. Soon the summit lay before me. I scrambled up the summit block and was again rewarded with a tremendous view of Anza-Borrego to the east. I don’t think there is a register here, just the benchmark.

After a brief break, I began my descent, however, two other peaks were on the agenda; Bonny and Clyde. Following the ridgeline down from White, I began working my way to Bonny, but first up was Clyde. While not on any list, I felt I had to do the pair. Actually, it is basically on the route down from White, so it is not a problem. I scrambled a good way up the summit but did not climb the final portion since I was out here solo.

From there I made my way toward Bonny. Once I reached the peak, I worked my way along the south side until I reached the ledge on the west face. I carefully worked way along with it until I reached the summit again. There are two marks here, along with a register.

After a quick break, I carefully headed back down from the summit. Unlike my last two times to the peak, I opted not to go visit Hut Benchmark. Instead, I angled across along the desert floor following more faint use trails until I returned to the car. With that, peaks #75 and #76 were done!

Villager Peak

In my push to complete the 100 Peak Challenge, I wanted to attempt summiting Villager. This is a beast of a hike. As Susie Kara puts it, “Think of it like Coyote Mountain times 3!” The approximate round trip distance is 14 miles with an elevation gain of over 4,800 feet. The summit sits at 5,756’, so you are going to feel this hike! Unfortunately, none of my usual hiking partners were free, but my lovely wife said I could attempt this hike solo. Little did she know when I was planning to hit the trailhead… Since the furnace is awakening out in Anza Borrego, I needed to try to get some of the hike done under the cover of darkness. I forgot how beautiful the night sky is in the desert. Borrego Springs is a dark sky city, so the stars and the Milky Way shone brightly. I had to fight the urge to skip the hike and simply enjoy the heavens.

Loading up over 4 liters of fluids and switching on my headlamp, I headed across the desert floor. I tried to follow the trail to the base of the ridge. There was no moon, only my headlamp to guide me. I overshot the ridge and found myself heading up a wash. Quickly backtracking, I soon found the use trail that leads up from the desert floor onto the ridge.

The loose rocks clattered under my feet as I pushed upward over the first steep section of the ascent. The trail would oscillate between flatter sections and steep rocky sections. The use trail weaves past cacti with blooms waiting to open. The sun finally rose over the Santa Rosas, illuminating the desert. I carefully passed the steep drop-offs and continued ever upward. The trail would fade away at times, but it was quickly found again. The sections around miles 4 and 5 took some extra time to ascend. Reviewing my topo map, I knew I had some calmer sections on which to recover from those efforts.

The Salton Sea finally appeared from behind Mile High. I looked across at that peak, knowing it is also on the 100 Peak list, but the thought of dropping 1000’, then climbing that again to the summit seemed well beyond my conditioning. The plants continued to change as I continued to gain elevation. The gentle breeze helped keep the temperature down, plus the elevation helped as well. I knew the descent was going to be toasty, but for now, I would enjoy the wonderful weather. With one final push after a short descent from the pre-summit, I found myself on the summit of Villager! There is no Benchmark, but a full ammo box for the register. I took a short nap under the shade of a Pinyon.

Then back down the ridge. I did not expect anyone else on the mountain, but just as I was surprised on Coyote Mountain, the same occurred on Villager. First was a group of 6 hikers pushing toward the summit. They were followed by two more hikers, however, they were planning to continue on to Rabbit Peak after camping somewhere. About a mile or so later, I met two more hikers who were planning the do the grand loop. I wished them all good luck.

I carefully worked my way down those tricky sections and kept pushing downward. Unfortunately, my foot slid on some loose rock at one spot and angered my knee slightly. This did slow me a bit, but the use trail easily guided me back down the ridge. It was easier to see it on the descent, but isn’t that usually the case? Once back on the desert floor, the temperature was now pushing the mid-80s and I was feeling the past 13+ miles of hiking. I slowly crossed the wash that I had not seen fully in the predawn. I found the trail that escaped me at the start and I was finally back at the car, some 13 hours later.

Indianhead (attempt)

In the pre-dawn, we headed out to Anza-Borrego to attempt to summit Indianhead. This would have been my 94th peak. Along for the summit were Gail Welch, Susie Kara, and Ted Markus.

We hit the trail just as the sun rose. Quickly we found ourselves at the first palm oasis & the easy part of this hard hike was now done. The water was still flowing nicely from the canyon, and flowers still dotted the desert floor. Now we began working our way up the canyon, scrambling over boulders and crisscrossing the stream multiple times.

As we neared the third palm oasis, two hikers were enjoying their breakfast atop one of the very large boulders. Soon we reached our exit point from the canyon onto the push up to the ridgeline. The sun had climbed above the mountain and was certainly warming us up.

The climb up was intense. Insanely steep and loose rocks everywhere. While the hillside was covered in flowers, these served to hide the cactus.

The steepness and the rising temperatures were starting to take a toll on me. We took several breaks as we made our along to the ridge proper. Finally, I reached my limit and made the call to abort the attempt.

Once we reached the canyon floor, we took a much-needed break in the shade. We then began working our way back down the canyon, the heat reinforcing our decision to turn back. We knew the forecast, but we were hoping to make it up and back before it became too hot. Oh well. We reached within .8 miles of the summit but still had some 1,200 feet of elevation to gain. To say this was no easy hike would be an understatement.

The water and flowers continued to amaze us. Although it was a failed summit, the nature show in the canyon made up for it.

We finally reached the first palm oasis. I had actually used up my water, so Ted and Gail gave me some of theirs. Although I grew up in Bakersfield, I no longer have the resistance to heat. I’d bet the four of us were a sight to see as day hikers were headed up.

We reached the cars and shed our gear. Thanks again to Ted, Gail, and Susie for tagging along. So next weekend….??

Granite Mountain

I had hoped to go hiking with Susie Kara again, but two multi-car pileups on the 5 near Gorman, delayed her return, so it was just me and the mountain. My initial plan was to summit the peak via the southern route. I turned off S-2 onto the Mason Valley Truck Trail and began heading toward the trailhead. However, I reached the Vallecito Wash crossing and deemed it too risky to cross. I might have turned north too soon and been on the wrong road. Nevertheless, I was able to turn around and opted for plan B, the east approach.

I had my route stored for my GPS and my topo maps ready to be swapped out. I quickly geared up and headed up the wash, after chatting with a couple that had camped there the night before.

The first part of the route is a lot of fun, with a sandy wash and dry waterfalls to scramble over or around. The desert was fragrant from all the blooming flowers, and I soon found myself ready to leave the warm-up behind and start really climbing.

The actual summit would appear and disappear behind several peaks along the way. The route was mostly straightforward, following the basic ridge line ever upward. Cairns would appear throughout the route, along with a faint trail.

About halfway up, after cresting the first major bump, a serious climb stood before me. It took some digging deep to push through this effort. This is where solo hiking is different. Only you can push yourself past the challenges on the trail.

Once I reached its high point, I took a well-earned break. I knew this was going to be a long one, but I still wanted to make sure I took breaks to regain my energy. I had some trouble weaving my way through one section but eventually found my way past the jumble of rocks.

Soon, the true summit was within reach! I pushed on to the top and was rewarded with some incredible views. I found the three benchmarks and signed the register. I took a nice rest upon the summit block. The blades of a helicopter cut through the air. I finally spotted it cruising below me along Oriflamme Canyon.

The route and cairns were more visible during my descent, but I still needed to make sure I did not drop down the wrong canyon. Along the way, I met another hiker making his way up. We chatted a bit, and I showed him the route I used to navigate the middle section. I hope he was able to summit as well.

The rest of the descent was uneventful, sans a few loose rocks that kept me watchful. I enjoyed the flowers as I worked my way down.

Soon, I found myself back at the car, covering 7 miles of hiking with 3,070 feet of elevation gain. I held about a mile-an-hour pace, which is just fine for an open desert hike. I now have 7 more summits to complete the 100 Peak Challenge!

Footnote: After stopping at the store at the RV park, I saw a PCT hiker looking for a ride. So I decided to be a trail angel and give him a lift to Julian. This was his second attempt at the PCT. I dropped him off and wished him luck.