Stage Benchmark

After car camping in Agua Caliente County Park, I met Greg Gerlach for another ascent up Stage Benchmark. We met at 8 and after grabbing our gear we headed out. We had over 4 miles of easy hiking to the base of the peak, so we saved our catching up for then. We both had been busy hiking all sorts of places. In fact, Greg had just returned from hiking Guadalupe Mountain in Texas. The wash was a familiar section to both of us. This would be Greg’s fourth ascent of Stage. In addition, this is also a common route for those wanting to conquer Red Top or Sawtooth.

Just at the boundary fence, a cache of water, food, and some clothes had been left for migrants. We continued along the road southward toward the base of the peak. Surveying a route up toward the ridge that would take us to the summit, we left the desert floor and started up. Cactus dotted the rocky slopes as we worked our way up. We took a short break partway up, and Red Top stood before us to the west. After the brief rest, we continued upward. Our route seemed easier than what I remembered from last time, but we still had to reach the summit and navigate back down.

We reached the summit and took a well-earned break. I snapped some photos of the views. I must admit there are some nicer views of Anza Borrego. We signed the register and I found the benchmark and two reference marks. Then, it was time to head back down. We retraced most of our route, but this time we opted to head down an alternate path. Again, the route seemed fairly easy for us. Although I had a couple of chollas to pick off at times.

Once back on the Inner Pasture floor, we cruised back along the dirt road and into the canyon. Again, the miles passed quickly. We chatted about our next hikes, but we needed the weather to sort itself out before picking out our next peak. All told we covered 9.9 miles in 5:48 with an elevation gain of 1,716 feet.

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.

Agua Caliente

One of the drawbacks of spending so much time out hiking in Anza-Borrego is the long drive to get there. Recently I purchased a Luno Air Mattress for my Subaru Outback. This kit comes with two inflatable cushions that fill the rear footwells and a mattress specifically designed to fit the rear of the car. This seemed like a great solution to make overnighting a bit more comfortable. My test run was out at Agua Caliente County Park. I was meeting Greg Gerlach the next morning to go climb Stage Benchmark and rather than waking up early like I normally would, I would just camp out instead. The mattress inflated quickly and once I figured out the custom sheet I was set up in under 10 minutes. This will be nice over the summer when I hope to explore more of the eastern Sierras and points beyond.

Since I wanted to make I got everything set up while there was still light, I had some time to kill before I cooked dinner. I headed down to the trails near the ranger station and set off. The first trail I took was up to the Desert Overlook. A nice little climb for a good view of the campground. Store Benchmark stood above me, but that is for another day. Returning to a junction I wandered down to the Marsh Trail. A mortero was near the marsh, reminding us that there were those before us.

Retracing my path up from the marsh, I turned on to the Ocotillo Ridge trail. This followed a ridge to the south and back down to a trail that could take you to the store, which was closed today.

As I made my way back to the ranger station, I spotted a bobcat dart off the trail. I circled around where it fled and spotted it sitting on a rock. Nice! I left it alone and returned to my camp to prep my dinner. Sadly, the skies are overcast so no star gazing for me.

Diablo Benchmark

We had hoped to do Diablo Benchmark last week, but the stars were aligned against us. Since Susie did not need this peak, just Ted and I headed back out to Anza-Borrego to climb it. As we drove eastward, we kept an eye on the temperature as it kept getting lower and lower. While we did not expect to have any issues, it was mildly interesting. The shocker was it read 20° as we passed through Shelter Valley. Yikes! We turned on June Wash and began the 3+ mile drive up the slight sandy road to our starting point. I had my sand boards and shovel in the back just in case, but the road was in great shape. We found a spot to park next to the fence that now blocked driving further up the wash. When I did this hike back in 2020, we were able to go a bit further back. We gathered our gear, and our concerns about the temperatures were unfounded as we both decided to shed a layer before even starting. The route to the summit is broken into two main parts; following a wash for about half of the way, then climbing out of the wash and taking a ridgeline to the summit.

The wash started off nice and easy, as it weaved its way northward. But as we continued, the wash slowly became rockier in nature. We kept working our way up the wash, avoiding the cacti that were starting to become more frequent. Finally, about a mile into the hike we reached the spot to leave the wash and obtain the ridge. The slope is a mix of loose small rocks and cactus, so we took extra care on our ascent. I remember coming down this the last time and did not enjoy it. However, once we crested the ridge, the desert view was breathtaking. We followed the ridgeline for about another ¾ mile to the summit. Once there we found the benchmark and the register. We enjoyed a snack, took in the views, and signed the register. As we headed back down from the summit, I asked Ted if he was up for a bit of an adventure. While the route we followed is the most direct route to the summit, some folks have taken a different route approaching from the west after using a different wash. He said sure, so off we went.

Instead of following the ridgeline that would take us south, we instead stayed on a different ridge that took us westward. The terrain was easy as we worked our way down. After a bit, the terrain became a bit rockier, but nothing worse than what we had on our ascent. We reached the start of another gully and worked our way past it. We could see the wash that we would take southward below us. However, this section was a bit steep and took some care. It was about the same as the section we would have taken on the other route, just with the uncertainty if we would have an issue at the end getting onto the wash itself. Ted and I split up our descent, with Ted staying in the gully and me on a ridge. Our thinking was if we ran into an obstacle we would assist each other. Turns out neither route had any issues and found ourselves on the wash next to a nice large cairn.

From there we simply followed the nice wide sandy wash south. We knew we would need to backtrack to return to our car. As we cruised along, we debated the pros and cons of this section. On one hand, this wash was very easy but does add some distance to the trip. In the end, we concluded it was a hiker’s choice as to which route.

Ghost Mountain

The original plan was to drive out to Ghost Mountain and join Erika, Tara, and Kali as they complete the 100 Peak Challenge! Then afterward we had planned to head down to Diablo Benchmark, but my car had a battery issue, so we had to switch into Susie’s car which would not be capable of the drive up June Wash. Oh well…

Kali drove out to the entrance to Blair Valley and shuttled us back to the Marshall South trailhead. Once we were all assembled we trekked up to the Marshall South homestead. After some exploring of the ruins, we Kali drove out to the entrance to Blair Valley and shuttled us back to the Marshall South trailhead. Once we were all assembled we trekked up to the Marshall South homestead. After some exploring of the ruins, we headed on to the summit. Unfortunately, just before the summit, I got stabbed by an agave! While our finishers scrambled up the summit block, I took care of my wound. Once I was patched up, all the finishers posed together!

We then cruised back to the homestead and rejoined those who chose not to continue. Once back at the trailhead we shuttled back to Susie’s car. Since my daughter was coming home from college (and I now had to deal with my car trouble), we skipped the pizza back in Wynola.

Big Congrats to all the finishers!

Borrego Mountain East Butte

The plan was to climb the ridgeline from Hellhole Canyon and summit Ted and Webo Benchmarks, but as we drove out toward Borrego Springs, neither Susie nor I had that much enthusiasm for this hike. I had already done it twice, so this hike was solely to help Susie along toward her finishing the San Diego Sierra Club 100 list a second time. We pulled into the parking area, looked at the ridge and the 3,000+ feet of gain that stood before us, and said “Let’s hike something else”. Since she did need Borrego Mountain East Butte, we picked that as our first replacement of the day. After a quick pit stop at the bathrooms at the off-road area, we drove the dirt road up toward the land bridge that I used last time.

Susie’s other time summiting East Butte was via the rocky gully. That was the same route I had used for my first time as well. But my second time up I used the land bridge to climb it from the west side.

After parking and snapping some photos with the Santa Rosa mountain range behind us, we climbed the steep slope toward the summit. We quickly found ourselves approaching the summit. Once there we signed the register and took in the views. Since this was such a quick jaunt, we debated what else we might try to tackle. Most of our other Sierra Club peaks weren’t an option, so instead, we turned to the San Diego Peak Club List and found Perpendicular Bluff Benchmark as a strong candidate.

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Perpendicular Bluff Benchmark

Since hiking Borrego Butte East was such a quick jaunt, we debated what else we might try to tackle. Most of our other Sierra Club peaks weren’t an option, so instead, we turned to the San Diego Peak Club List and found Perpendicular Bluff Benchmark as a strong candidate. We drove back along the 78, amazed at the string of cars and RVs heading the other way. Found a safe place to park near the start of Keith Winston’s track.

After scampering across the road, we then cruised across the desert floor, passing through a nice grove of agave. In reviewing Keith’s track, we had a general sense of what he did to reach the summit. We saw a nice spot to hop on the ridge that he eventually got onto later. The ridge had no real obstacles or navigational challenges, and soon we were atop Perpendicular Bluff Benchmark.

We found the benchmark and the register and after a short break, we headed back down, following the same ridge. Once back at the car, we both agreed this was a fun little desert peak and we’re glad about opting to do something else. The stats for East Butte were 1.27 miles in 1:19 with an elevation gain of 440 feet. The stats for Perpendicular Bluff were 2.6 miles in 1:50, with an elevation gain of 590 feet.

North Pinyon Mountain (Peak 3640)

Today’s adventure was to have us hike to the summit of P3640, informally known as North Pinyon. All three of us, Susie, Ted and myself, all had time constraints, so this peak was perfect. Just past the Scissors Crossing we turned off at Plum Canyon and headed south along the dirt road. After about 1.3 miles the road splits, and the right fork heads to the trailhead for Sentenac, while the left fork would take us to the trailhead for North Pinyon. Initially, we had hoped to squeeze in Sentanac since it almost shares the same trailhead, but we just did not have the time. After another 1/2 mile of driving we reached the turnaround. I parked the Outback and we began getting ready to head off.

The route begins with a short scramble over some rocks before spending some time weaving through the canyon in a nice sandy wash. Some interesting geological features revealed themselves along the sides of the wash. A standard collection of desert plants also dotted the route. Eventually, the wash turned rocky and our stroll became less gradual and more stair-like. We had a few dry falls to contend with, with only one truly needing to be bypassed. As the drainage began to end, I located the exit point I had used the last time and climbed up.

With a commanding view of Granite Mountain to our west, we did have our first views of North Pinyon to our east. We worked our way toward a small saddle between the minor peak we were on and the final climb up. The last 4/10 of a mile would climb about 400 feet, but the terrain was easy to navigate. Once over the minor false summit, it was a simple walk over to the true summit just to the east.

There is no benchmark here, but it does have a register that we gladly signed. The skies were pretty clear, so we had some nice views of Whale Peak to our south, Grapevine and Sentenac to the northwest, and the Salton Sea to the east. After a quick snack, it was time to head back down. The only real challenge in this hike is to make sure you drop down into the correct wash to lead you out. Once we did this, we chatted about our plans to complete the San Diego Sierra Club 100 list again. It is going to be a fun desert season for us! We made a quick stop again at Calico Cidery before dropping Susie off at one of the wineries in Ramona to meet her parents. All told the hike was about 4.25 miles in 3:30 with an elevation gain of 1,498 feet.

San Ysidro Mountain

With my peak-bagging friends busy, I set off to climb San Ysidro solo. I had planned to grab breakfast from the Jack In The Box in Ramona, but they were closed. Crud. Thankfully, Don’s Market in Santa Ysabel was open and I was able to grab some food. Just past where the Montezuma Valley Market is, I turned on to the dirt road that would take me to the start of the hike. I parked, grabbed my gear, and set off down the old jeep road. A tree had fallen since the last time had been here, so I had to drop into the stream bed to bypass it.

At the saddle, I opted to stay high and work my way toward the gully that I would follow to the base of the mountain. While it was not terrible, it was not great either. Once at the gully, the going became easy for a bit. At the base, I checked my previous track and started the climb. Some cairns were erected along the way, but the route mostly showed itself to me.

Once at the summit I took in the views. The previous time I was here they were obscured by clouds. I scrambled to the summit block and signed the register. I peered up to locate the two reference marks. I did not feel comfortable scrambling up their respective boulders solo.

My return route went smoothly, letting the mountain guide me back down. I did stay in the gully longer and it seemed to be slightly easier going back to the road. All told the hike was 4.01 miles in 3:38 and an elevation gain of 1,583 feet.

Gasp Benchmark

A recent storm left temperatures a bit below normal, so we decided to hike one of the more moderate desert peaks we needed. We had a handful of options to pick from, but since Ted had injured himself during a running race, that narrowed the choices to either doing the Webo/Ted combination or Gasp Benchmark. We chose the latter. I picked Susie and Alberto up and we were greeted with a wonderful sunrise as we left San Diego.

Soon, we pulled onto McCain Valley Road and then made the turn onto the rough dirt road toward Sacotone Overlook. This is the same road that will take you to the trailhead for Mt. Tule. It has always been a bit rough, but it has deteriorated quite a bit since I last drove it back in December. Once it turned on to the road toward our starting point for Gasp, it became much better. We gathered our gear and set off down the road. It was a crisp 46°, but we knew it would warm up quickly. We cruised down toward Redondo Springs, chatting about recent hikes. This hike is inverted, so we mostly go down to the peak, then get to climb back up to the car.

The miles passed quickly, and soon we were on the rocky ridge working our way carefully toward the benchmark. At times the winds were quite strong. We guesstimated they might have hit about 40 mph. We weaved our way across the steep and rocky terrain toward the summit.

Once there, we hung out a bit, had a snack, snapped some photos, and signing the register. Thankfully, the winds were not an issue. Soon it was time to climb back to the car.

I kept a nice measured pace on the ascent. Susie and Alberto would pause for a bit at times and once I reached them I just kept motoring on. Soon we reached our car and had another peak crossed off our list! Our stats were 6.5 miles in 3:54 and 1,687 feet of gain.

Wilson Benchmark & Pinyon Ridge

Another fantastic day out in the high desert near Ranchita. Susie Kara and I decided to tackle Wilson Benchmark and Pinyon Ridge. She needed to summit this pair of peaks on her quest to complete the San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peaks list for a second time. Initially, we had talked about doing this hike as an overnight just to mix things up, but in the end we opted just to hike it.

I turned on Old Wilson Road in Ranchita, then hopped on to a side road to connect to Old Culp Valley Road. There was one spot on this dirt road that took a touch of care. We parked at the trailhead and grabbed our gear. We opted to do Wilson first and summit Pinyon on our return. When I had done these peaks previously, I had done Pinyon Ridge first then continued onto Wilson Benchmark.

Once we reached the point where we could leave the old Jeep road to make the climb up Wilson, we debated where we might want to work our way up its gentle slope. The climb up Wilson was nice and easy. The skies were much clearer than last weekend, so we could truly enjoy the views. Our descent took us a slightly different route. We actually spotted a cairn this way, not like it was really needed. We then retraced our route back toward Pinyon Ridge.

Since I saw there was supposed to be an azimuth mark near Pinyon Ridge, just a bit to the north of the road, I spent some time trying to locate it. Sadly, I did not, but I did get a nice photo of Pinyon Ridge. Since this hike was about exploring new routes, we stayed on the ridge we were on to make our way to the summit. This route took us right to the base of the summit and avoided some of the challenges I remembered from my previous ascents.

We carefully plotted our route up to the top of the actual summit block. Susie took the more traditional scramble on the north side, while I found a nice route on the east side that bypassed the minor friction move that was needed. We took a short break, signed the register, snapped our photos and then headed down. We would switch our descent routes off the summit. Susie tried my route, and I was able to navigate down her route with no issues at all.

Although we had a nice breeze blowing, it was starting to get a tad warm. Soon, the car came back into view. Continuing the “new routes” theme of this hike, we decided to drive out toward Culp Valley instead of back toward Ranchita. Initially the road was great, but there were a couple of spots to be mindful of. For future hikers coming out to this trailhead, I recommend driving in from the Ranchita side. All told this hike was 9.1 miles in 4:40 (including the summit rests), and about 1,500 of elevation gain. On the way home, we again stopped at Don’s Market for a cold drink and Dudley’s for a sandwich.