Peak 3339 & Al Holden

With the desert starting to cool off a bit, Ted, Susie, & I decided to return to peak 3339 just east of McCain Valley. In addition to this peak, we wanted to summit Al Holden as well. That peak was named in honor of the OG San Diego Peakbagger, so it seemed like something we had to do as well. We timed the drive to arrive just before sunrise, figuring we would have some amazing views to capture. As the sun slowly rose, the three of us snapped away. To our south, another gentleman was atop a boulder doing the same thing.

After grabbing our gear we began our descent. Yes, this is a canyon, or inverted hike, meaning we get to climb back up at the end. Some folks had cowboy camped right at the trailhead, but the sunrise had already awakened them before we passed.

The trail was steep for a bit, then became more gentle. Peak 3339 was a mound of boulders off to the east. Eventually, we left the trail and began our cross-country portion. We worked our way up close to the summit. Opting to approach from the south, we drew close and found a small tunnel, which guarded the register and through which we were atop 3339.

Both Susie and I agreed this was much easier than our previous summits. The day was warming up, but we felt that we could get Al Holden in. We passed back through the tunnel and retraced our route for a bit. Finally we headed north, referring to one of the few tracks to this peak. Scrambling over boulders and past the occasional juniper, we realized the mound of rocks we thought was Al Holden wasn’t. It stood one pile to the east.

With the proper peak located, we began our careful climb up. This is a “leave the poles behind and put on gloves” kind of peak. We picked our way up, with a few careful Class 3 moves, & found ourselves atop Al Holden. We had a nice break, and I found some shade as I was starting to feel the heat. There is no register, but a metal sign is cemented atop a boulder.

We worked our way back down from the summit, then over the saddle. From there we continued cross country until we rejoined the trail. The heat was taking a toll on me. I may have grown up in Bakersfield, but I don’t have the same tolerance anymore. The temps were in the mid-80s, but without the breeze, it felt worse. Now we had the ascent back to the car. My pace dropped considerably and I had to rest in the shade a few times. Ted shared some ice water, which helped. I cracked out my emergency Coke for some sugar and caffeine. That bottle of Gatorade I left in the fridge would have been helpful.

Slowly but steadily I plodded my fat ass up the trail, with Ted and Susie watching over me. I tried to keep moving while not going too fast and overheating further. Finally, the end came into view and this effort was done. The cold water back at the car felt wonderful, as did the AC. Once I cooled off again I felt fine. I’m going to have to be more cautious next week when I am out at Joshua Tree NP. Again, thanks to Ted and Susie for their support in this one!

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.

The Thimble

With the forests closed, we opted to try for a pair of peaks—The Thimble and San Ysidro out near Ranchita. We knew it was going to be a warm one, so hit the trail just before sunrise.

We worked our way up the old road to the saddle. From there, Ted got his first look at The Thimble. Having summited this peak before, I outlined the basics of our ascent for Ted. There is no trail to the summit, so this climb would be a true adventure for us. We left the old road and began crossing toward the base. Carefully crossing the boundary fence into Anza Borrego State Park, we began weaving past the brush and boulders as we made our way up the 30-50% grade.

Soon we found ourselves at that wall of brush. The right edge still provided a narrow passage past the thicket. From there it was a quick scramble to the summit.

Greg Gerlach had left a new register earlier this year, which we happily signed. The views were tremendous. I took the opportunity to scan my upcoming route into Hellhole Flats and San Ysidro East Peak.

After a pleasant break, we began our careful descent. Since Ted had spotted a baby rattlesnake on our ascent, we were mindful of that as we retraced our route.

We kept looking for a route that would allow us to vector toward the route up to San Ysidro. Nothing revealed itself to me, so we went to the base. We then evaluated if we should go for our second peak. The day was certainly warming up. I looked over the distance and gain, along with needing to be back in town for my annual flu shot scheduled for early afternoon. With that, we would leave San Ysidro for another day.

Once back in the car, the thermometer read a toasty 88. Turning back was the right call.

Blue Angels Peak

Today’s adventure was to summit Blue Angels Peak. With the forests closed due to fire danger, we were looking for something that we could do. I had suggested doing San Ysidro and The Thimble, but Susie wanted to explore something new, so Blue Angels Peak was selected. I headed out early to try and catch the sunrise and squeeze in a quick summit of Jade Benchmark. About 7:3, Susie and Gail pulled up and transferred into my Subaru. Rather than make the steep climb up from the trailhead we opted to drive to a turnout to avoid this section.

The views were spectacular as we worked our way along the roads. Finally we came to the point where we left the road and began to follow a use trail toward the summit.

With a bit of scrambling at the very end, the summit was reached. Susie found the register and we signed ourselves in. The Valley of the Moon spread out before us to the east, and Mexico was just to our south. A nice breeze kept us cool. A Border Patrol jeep cruised the road below us.

I scrambled around the summit locating the various reference marks. Plastic bottles could be found scattered about. Our next goal was the boundary marker to our south. This obelisk denotes the border between the United States and Mexico.

We took our photos and then headed back. I had located several other peaks also on the Borrego Benchmark Club list, but the day was warming up a bit and I needed to get home since Yom Kippur starts at sundown. This is a place I need to return to and explore this region further!

Jade Benchmark

I headed out early to try and catch the sunrise and squeeze in a quick summit of Jade Benchmark, which is on the Borrego Benchmark Club list. It was a short climb to the summit. I found the register, but the ink in the pen was dry. I was also able to locate the benchmark before I hustled back down and waited for Susie and Gail to arrive.

The Secret Hike

The alarm for 4 AM went off way too early, but we needed to meet our escort to the start of our hike at 6 AM. As I drove past the Iron Mountain parking lot, I remembered a time when this was where I would meet Susie Kara and then carpool off to conquer another peak on our list. Instead, we will have to rendezvous at the escort point. Today’s adventure was a special gift. We were allowed to hike out to some peaks that are normally only accessible from Anza-Borrego. I parked under a large oak tree while I waited for our escort and Susie to arrive. Unfortunately, the person who had arranged this adventure tweaked their neck and was under orders not to hike, but they still allowed us the opportunity to venture into the wildness.

Once Susie arrived, she tossed her gear into the Outback, and off we went, past the locked gate and down the dirt roads. Just past the old cemetery, we found a nice spot to pull off and begin our journey. We bid farewell to our escort, thanking them for probably the 100th time…

Our journey first took us down an old road until it reached a broad collection of oak trees. From here, we would enter a nice sandy wash and begin the climb up to the saddle near the peaks we were aiming for. The air was still a bit cool and we had some shade for a while. The temperatures were predicted in the high 70s to low 80s, hence the early start for this hike. A few small dry falls were quickly climbed as we kept heading east. Susie had summited these peaks back in March but from the much harder route from the west. As we neared the saddle, the brush did become thicker, and took some effort to pick our way through it. If the satellite imagery was to be trusted, we should only have to deal with it for a short time.

Thankfully, the imagery was correct and the brush did become less dense. Once we reached the saddle, our route would now form the head of a lollipop. The first of the listed peaks we were aiming for was off toward the northeast. I took the lead in the route finding. Very quickly, I spotted a faint animal trail through the grass. Unfortunately, neither one of us thought to bring our gaiters, and we would be plucking thistle out of shoes and socks several times during this hike.

Our route took us to a nice ridge before turning east and over the first of three peaks for the day. But on this ridge, we had some sweeping views of the mountains to the north of us. Squaretop stood very clearly amongst its neighbors. San Jacinto was far off in the distance. Now, back to why we were out here, we climbed the slopes of the peak. While this peak is higher than its named cousin to the east, it is NOT on the Sierra Club 100 list. We took a small break here, signed the register, and took our photos before heading on to the next peak.

Now from here, the views of Anza-Borrego became even more impressive: Palm Mesa and Indianhead were clearly visible to the east. That was my 89th peak on the Sierra Club 100. After signing the register, letting Susie go first as she was also the most recent one to have signed it, we took our photos and surveyed our descent and ascent route for the third peak we were hoping to climb.

We carefully worked our way down the steep and sandy slope. Susie noted that they had descended from the other peak, and this was an easier route. As we neared the end of the descent, we discussed possible paths we could take up the steep slope that stood before us. We had a couple of tracks loaded, and we compared our options. One thing about open country peak bagging is you have to synthesize all your data: the paper topo map, routes from previous hikers, and what your eyes and gut tell you. Settling on a general path, we began climbing.

It was steep and at times the footing a bit troublesome. We would stop for a moment, scan ahead, and continue on. In about .4 miles we would be gaining almost 700 feet of elevation. With one last push, we reached the summit! Again, the views were incredible, with the San Ysidros rising to the south. I found a nice spot to sit and enjoy my orange and some Gatorade. Susie stretched out and had a nice nap in the sun. About .5 miles to the west stood two more benchmarks. I had considered adding them on to the day’s attempt, but since our escort could not join us, I wanted to save them and summit them together. Plus, Susie did have to be back in town for her niece’s 4th birthday party. We bid farewell to my 90th peak and headed down.

We slowly and carefully made our way down the steep slope. This time following the gully to the west rather than the route we took on the way up. Unfortunately, I slipped at least twice, and the bruise on my hand is evidence of my grace. Back in the wash, we began following it to the west. As we near the saddle, the wash narrowed, so we popped out of it and continued cross-country. Crossing the saddle and back toward the first wash, it was clear that if we ever get to explore, here again, stick to the south side as you approach the saddle, as the route is easier.

We made quick time back along the first wash, which was good as the day was heating up and the bugs were coming out. Soon, the Subaru came into view, and the hike was at an end. We drove back down the dirt road, taking care to properly close the gates. Once we had cell coverage, I let our escort know that we were back and it was a successful expedition. Susie said a quick goodbye and headed back into town. Yes, I have been vague on the peaks that we summited, at the request of our escort. But if you do some detective work, I am sure you can figure it out.

Pyramid Peak

With Susie, Matt, and Greg off on a backpacking effort to summit Cody, Pike, and Palm Mesa, I opted to attempt Pyramid Peak. They had done it last December while I was madly racing to finish the 100 Peak Challenge. Since there were some winds forecast for later in the afternoon, I knew this was going to be a sunrise start. As I headed down from Ranchita, I caught another stunning sunrise. Usually, I let Ted grab those photos, but he had to work, so I had to pull over to snap a few shots.

After a quick pit stop at the parking lot for Maidenhair Falls for a bio-break, I kept heading east to the trailhead. Pulling into the turnout, another car was parked there. Since this is the same one for Villager and Mile High, I wondered what they might be off exploring? I grabbed my gear and headed northeast across the desert floor toward Palo Verde Wash.

As I neared the wash, the ground became rockier. I remembered from our ascent of Mile High that the wash was not one of those nice sandy ones. Once in the wash, my next landmark would be a cairn that would mark the mine trail I would take to the east. Checking my route, I knew it to be close. I had spent some time on Google Earth to get a feel of where I should look, as solo hiking takes some extra research. Susie had mentioned they made it larger when they took it. Sure enough, I spied it and scrambled up the side of the wash onto its well-defined path.

I would follow this trail until I reached the Smoketree Wash. A few flowers would line the trail along the way. I dropped down into the wash and continued north. I finally caught my first glimpse of the peak and the ridgeline I would take. I stayed in the wash for a very short time. While the exit did not have a cairn, the terrain made it pretty clear where the exit was.

Here I was able to pick up the use trail that I would follow all the way to the summit. The first section crossed a fairly steep and rocky scree section, I was not looking forward to descending this later. Once past this section, the terrain was far more manageable––somewhat rocky but without causing issues. I reached the top of a minor bump and took a short breather before the final push to the summit.

Once I crested the Ridge, I could feel the winds pick up. Here I turned north onto the new ridge and the last few thousand feet to the summit. Once there, I soaked in the views. Today, I think in part due to those winds, the skies were clear. The Salton Sea spread out to the east, and Travelers Peak somewhere to the south. To my north, I think stood Rosa Point. There is no Benchmark here, but a register filled with many familiar names. What was most impressive was the number of times Steve Fausett has been here!

The winds were building and I slipped on my windbreaker while I enjoyed my snack before heading back down. I retraced my route, and the use trail was even clearer on my descent. As I neared that section near leaving Smoketree Wash, I cautioned myself to watch my footing. Sadly, my foot slid on the rocky scree and I took a tumble. Thankfully, just a few minor scrapes.

Once safely back in the wash, I again found the mine trail. I had considered taking the other branch of the wash to explore the natural stone tanks, but my tumble aborted that plan. I cruised along the trail, the occasional lizard scampering by.

Soon the Clark Dry Lake Bed was visible to the west as I made my final descent back into the Palo Verde Wash. From here, I again crossed the 1.4 miles back to the car. With that, my 88th Peak was completed!

Groan Benchmark

Initially, we thought we would have to summit Groan Benchmark as part of a long hard loop from McCain Valley, but thankfully Matt Hanan offered up a ride in his 4X4 Jeep to take us to the better trailhead for Groan Benchmark. I met Susie and Matt Bennet. in the parking lot at Grossmont Center and headed off to meet Matt H. at the turnoff to Carrizo Creek. As we drove through the clouds and lingering rain, we hoped that the skies over the desert would be clear (as predicted). Nearing Boulevard, the skies began to clear, and were greeted with a lovely sunrise.

Matt is an easy fellow to spot, as he is usually in a Celtic jersey and shorts. We piled into the Jeep and set off down the dirt road. Last weekend, Larry Edmonds finished his 100 by summiting Grunt Benchmark, which shares the same trailhead as Groan’s. Matt had joined Larry on that hike, so he was very familiar with the road and its challenges. As we bounced along, it was clearly well beyond what I would take my Subaru on.

We reached the end of the road, and thus our trailhead. We geared up, and there was a bit of a breeze, so I made sure to have a windbreaker in the pack. I figured it would be handy up on the summit. The trail follows a cobble-filled wash for some time. About a quarter-mile in, Matt H asked if we wanted to see the pictographs in the cave then or on the way back. No time like the present, so we scampered off up the rocky side to see them. What a well-preserved collection! A few morteros were nearby as well. We did not linger too long, as we still had about 6 miles of hiking to do.

Once back on the route, we eventually found a nice use trail for a bit, which was a relief from stepping on and around the rocks in the wash. After about two miles, it was time to leave the wash and begin the major portion of the climb to the summit. We plodded our way upward, trying to avoid the ‘anger bushes’ (as Scott Turner likes to call them). Sadly, I got hit a couple of times, despite my best efforts. Our route took us side-hilling for a while. The summit was now finally coming into view.

After crossing a small ravine, we began the final push to the summit. The true summit was just behind the top that was visible to us from our ascent, but an easy walk to it.

Once there we took a nice break, and since there was a bit of breeze, I did break out the windbreaker.

To the southeast, the Goat Canyon Trestle was clearly visible, as was Puff Benchmark. Back to the northwest, stood Gasp Benchmark.

We munched on our snacks, signed the register, and took our photos. In addition, we found the benchmark and reference mark.

One thing to note about this benchmark is it is mislabeled as Moan. In fact, Larry kidded that “We would Moan at Groan…” After about 30 minutes, we decided it was time to head back as it was warming up some. As we made our descent, we looked over the map and decided to explore an alternate route back.

As we worked down, we passed a couple of California Palms, so Susie made us take a group shot of the guys.

The desert floor was green from the recent rains and almost seemed unnatural as we worked our way through the canyon. Along the way, we had two dry waterfalls to descend. Both posed no issues for any of us. The other surprise along the way was the various piles of sheep bones that we spotted.

There were also flowers along the way. Sadly, we all agreed that this year’s desert flower season will not be like the ones in years past.

Our alternate route eventually rejoined our initial track. We all agreed that it was so worth the little bit of extra distance. We picked up the use trail again, noting that some of the brush had been cut with a saw. We wondered about the why and the who behind that. The day was heating up, and the sun was reflecting off the sandy ground. Soon, Matt’s Jeep was spotted in the distance and our trek was done (except for the bouncy ride out). Just before we reached the S2, a truck was parked directly on the road! We were about to drive around them without incident, as we did they had a whole table of food set up behind them. We were not impressed by the Cal Tech Geology team and their choices.

Our original plan was to drive back up to McCain Valley and try from Gasp Benchmark, but we decided against it. Susie opted to save it as her final peak so that more folks might be able to celebrate with her. Instead, I convinced the group to take a short stroll to the top of Egg Mountain which was just across the road (Matt did it while waiting for us in the morning). More of a bump, it is listed on the Borrego Benchmark Club list, so why not?! We grabbed some trash along the way to the summit, but could not find a register or any other marks. We strolled back along the road (yes, we could have driven to the top). We said goodbye to Matt and thanked him for driving us to the trailhead.

Since we still had some time, and Matt B. had not done Mt. Tule yet, I offered to drive to the trailhead. This is also a modest portion of the road to the trailhead to Gasp Benchmark, so it would be worthwhile to see its condition. It was like I remembered, bumpy and at times a bit rutted. I pulled into the same spot I parked last time. Susie opted to tag along with Matt, but I was more than happy to grab a nap. They found the use trail to the summit without a problem and were back before I really started snoring (I think). I dropped them back off at their car and headed home. Unfortunately, Susie’s house keys had fallen out (thankfully in the car), so she and Matt had to drive all the way to my house in PQ to get them. Nevertheless, that was the 87th peak of my #SD100! With luck, I should hit 90 before this desert season ends.

Vallecito Mountains High Point

With the day off for President’s Day (or as I call it, my distant cousin’s day), I rendezvoused with Susie and Matt to tackle Vallecito Mountains High Point. The real challenge of this hike is not the 5.6 miles nor the two boulder fields you need to navigate through, but rather the 18 or so miles of pure off-road driving. We had decided to meet at the bathrooms at the Ocotillo Wells Ranger Station and transfer into my Subaru. Susie and Matt had been camping since Friday out in various spots in Anza-Borrego, making a serious dent in the Sierra Club 100 list.

The beginning of the drive was very familiar as it is the same one we did just a few weeks back when we summited the Split Mountains. As we zoomed past them, we continued on Fish Creek Wash, heading deeper and deeper into the heart of Anza Borrego. The terrain and geology were fascinating, to say the least. There were certainly sections of the road that took a bit of skill and patience to navigate over. Finally, after about an hour of driving, we came to a sign pointing the way to Dave McCain Spring, our trailhead.

Once there, we quickly geared up and were ready to head out. We passed by the remains of the water tank for the spring, as we crested a small saddle. The pipe that carried the water from the actual spring still sat on the desert floor.

Upon reaching the crest, we dropped down and followed a small wash, which took us around a small hill. From there, our first challenge stood before us–the first boulder field. We worked our way to the south and followed the gully for a while. Eventually, we moved out of it and onto the slopes to the south. Matt found a nice path over the rest of this initial climb and we soon found ourselves descending about a mile into the wide plateau that we found.

We cruised along the fairly firm sandy wash toward the northeast of this section. We wondered exactly which of the boulder-filled slopes we would attempt. Finally, we reached the end of the wash and began our climb up toward the summit. Stowing our trekking poles, we opted to stay to the north of the gully for the ascent route. Matt would seem to almost effortlessly lead us along a great route up through the maze of rocks.

Just before the false summit (I hate those things!), was a small flat spot, perfect for a short break. We found a nice-sized boulder and sat in the shade for a few minutes. We knew we were close, so we pressed up and over. Upon reaching the saddle, Matt scoured the terrain and plotted our path to the true summit.

The views were tremendous! Whale Peak rising to our east, and Sunset Mountain to the northwest. The Santa Rosa Range to our north, and even though the haze, San Jacinto could be seen as well. There is no benchmark here, but we proudly signed the register and took our photos atop the highest rock.

After a nice break, we slung our packs back on to begin our descent. We were able to mostly follow the same-ish path down and up to the top of the false summit. From there, we kept slightly more to the north, as the route seemed to be a bit better. So far, the boulders were not too difficult.

Once back on the plateau, we opted to make our way to the western wash instead of the one we followed initially. We reached the junction of the initial wash and turned to the northwest. This time we decided to follow it further before making our way over the final boulders.

As we approached the top of the boulder field, we decided to stay to the north and work our way down from there, rather than work our way south across one section of boulders and back to the route we took on the way up. This proved not to be the best choice. Our route was tough, all the easy bouldering we had done until now was but a distant memory. We carefully worked our way through them. At one point we actually crawled through a small boulder cave. Finally, we reached the end of the boulders and were back in the initial wash. We worked our way back along the same route, knowing that soon we would be back at the car. While we still had an hour of off-road driving, we had summited Vallecito Mountains High Point. This was peak #86 for me, and #92 for Susie. I think we just might finish before this desert season ends!

Puff & Moan Benchmarks

Today’s primary summits were to be Puff Benchmark and Moan Benchmark out in southern Anza-Borrego. Susie and Matt were in that part of the desert after successfully summiting Red Top and Sawtooth the day before! Ted and I rendezvoused with them at the turn-off onto Dos Cabezas road and piled into the Outback. The hopeful plan was to be able to drive past the water tower to about where the jeep road intersects with train tracks and then set off from there. Hitting X-Mode on the Outback, we easily climbed the small incline to continue on to our starting point. As we neared the parking spot, there was a group of campers enjoying their morning. Since they were up and moving about, I did not feel bad about parking nearby. Once we geared up we headed off to the east along the jeep road. Indian Hill was our first landmark.

Neither Susie nor I needed to summit this peak again, so we opted not to. However, Matt did need this peak for his list. Rather than just scramble to the top and rejoin us on the jeep road, Matt decided to make his own way from there onto Moan Benchmark and then onto Puff, where we would meet up. Knowing his skills, we wished him well as he set off. It seems that we barely passed to the west of the peak when we hear him call out from its summit! We were amazed and jealous of his climbing speed.

Our route continued ever westward along the jeep road. A motorcycle passed us coming from the east, then a bit later it cycled back. As we neared the junction of the road with the train tracks, a group of campers had set up atop a nice cement pad. We chatted a bit, and they kindly offered some water and bananas, but we were fine. From here we continued our journey to Puff Benchmark to the south.

Puff Benchmark sits just above the famous Goat Canyon Trestle, the world’s longest wooden trestle. We climbed up the steep ridge, avoiding the various cacti toward its summit, and as we neared it, there stood Matt. We sat around at the summit, marveling at the wooden structure below us. Calling this the “Impossible Railroad” certainly seemed like the right choice. Looking back to the north, we could see the tracks as they hugged the side of the steep slopes. What it must have taken to construct this line.

After a nice break, it was time for the three of us to set off toward Moan Benchmark, Matt was continuing his solo journey to summit Piedras Grandes. He would meet us back at the car (of which we had no doubt). Upon our descent from Puff, we found two shovel blades on the desert floor and as we made our way up to Moan, we passed what must have been a work camp.

Water cans were neatly stacked, rusting quietly away. Unlike the clear summit of Puff, Moan proved to be slightly more challenging. After some incorrect route finding, we eventually dialed ourselves in and pushed upward. We crested over a peak, and a higher peak stood ahead of us. Assuming that was Moan, we continued on, knowing we were close. We paused for a quick route check, to discover that little peak we passed was it. Looking back at it, a wooden stake was clearly marking the peak. So we retraced our steps, and a few minutes later we were atop Moan Benchmark. I CAN say the two of us were certainly moaning over this ascent!

The view was outstanding from its summit. There is something deeply satisfying about looking out and knowing you have stood atop these peaks. Water was still filling several small pools around us. We signed the register and took our photos. We considered fully retracing our route or working our way down the northeast face of the peak. In the end, though, we decided to opt for the shorter route.

Unfortunately, this route was a steep mess of bouldering, Susie’s least favorite thing. We kept checking and rechecking our position as we carefully made our descent. About halfway down, Susie took a small fall. Thankfully she was ok, but it certainly made us aware as we scrambled down from rock to rock. Finally, we reached the desert floor and headed back toward the jeep road and eventually the car. Although we passed by Indian Hill once again, no one had the desire to summit it. Just past 4:00 pm, we reached the car and found Matt enjoying a nap in the shade. With that, Susie and I had ticked two more peaks from the San Diego 100, while Matt was able to remove 4! It was a fun 7 hours of hiking, covering just over 11 miles. Really glad to finally see the trestle in person, even from a distance.

The Sirens and Goat, Kay, and Ode Benchmarks

The final day of the weekend of desert peak-bagging was to be an epic attempt at 5 summits along the San Ysidro mountains; Goat Benchmark, San Ysidro East Peak, The Sirens, Kay Benchmark and Ode Benchmark. With the unfortunate blisters on my foot, I was uncertain as to what I might be able to do. A bit before 6 am, I picked Susie Kara up and headed over to the dirt lot next to Jilbertos in Borrego Springs. There we synced up with Matt Bennett, who got in Bonny and White Benchmarks after we did Stage Benchmark yesterday, and with Greg Gerlach, who summited The Thimble the day before. The plan was to drive Matt’s car to the Anza-Borrego Springs Visitor Center parking lot and leave it there (paying the $10 parking fee), then transfer to my Outback and drive up to Ranchita to start hiking.

We parked just a bit further down the road from the BLM sign and began gearing up. Following the all too familiar route toward The Thimble along the road through Cherry Canyon. I could feel some slight discomfort from my foot, but I was confident that I could make our first peak, Goat Benchmark. After about a mile, Matt headed off to summit both The Thimble and San Ysidro. From there he would attempt to rejoin us before we ascended San Ysidro East Peak. With his fast pace and strong route finding, none of us doubted this would not be the case. I gave him some guidance on the route I took up The Thimble, and he was off. Greg, Susie and I then continued on to the east. Rather than stay on the road and cause any private property issues, we kept traveling cross-country.

Once we crested the ridge to the south of The Thimble, the chimney route was clearly visible from our vantage point. Susie recounted her ascent that way, and the challenge it posed her. As we began our descent, we heard a voice call out, and there on the summit of The Thimble stood Matt! We stared in disbelief and in awe. We waved, knowing we will be seeing him probably even earlier than planned.

The three of us stuck to a gully which gave us fairly easy passage as we made our gentle descent. We kept scanning to the southeast, wondering if we could actually spot Goat Benchmark amongst the rocky bumps. It has a history of being hard to locate. However, with Greg’s track loaded on our devices, plus having him along, this became almost trivial.

We sat at the summit and took a nice break. The register was located atop the same boulder as the benchmark. Thankfully nature had provided a nice rock step, so climbing it was a simple task. After signing the register and taking some photos, it was time to head out. From here we would continue descending down into Hellhole Flats, before making the ascent up to San Ysidro East Peak.

Just as we crossed into Hellhole Flats, Matt gave out a shout to let us know he was rejoining us. We passed by Lookout Knob, just to the south of our route. Greg had summited it in the past and offered a few suggestions as to the route to the top. We all declined this time and continued on.

Looking toward the summit of San Ysidro East

Once we reached the eastern edge of Hellhole Flats, we took another break before the ascent. I re-evaluated my foot’s condition. I added some additional padding, hoping it might reduce some of the pressure, and thus the discomfort. After some discussion, I felt I should not attempt San Ysidro East Peak. Instead, I would leave the group and head toward The Sirens. Once there, I would leave my arrival and departure time in the register, so the rest would have a sense of my location. Also, we knew once we reached that point, we would have cell coverage if needed.

I had always wondered how The Sirens got their name. Recently Larry Edmonds filled me in on its origin

A good friend who lives in Ranchita would look out at that short series of high points at the east end of Hell Hole Flat and call it “The Sirens” because they called to him. When the San Diego Peaks Club created there peak list they called the high point Sirens Peak because Paul Freiman, the creator of the peak list, and Ted, my friend, were also friends.
Larry Edmonds

So, I set off up a gully toward the saddle before turning southward. The Sirens were about a mile or so south at this point. I would follow the contours of the ridge as I drew closer to the summit. While I had Greg’s track loaded, I knew as I reached its base that it was now really my own navigation skills that I would take to the top. I plotted a route and began working my way up. As I drew closer and closer, I hoped that I had picked a route that would work. At one point, I was uncertain as to the path forward, however, there was a small cave that seemed to provide an option to explore. I worked my way through it and found myself much closer to Greg’s track. This gave me hope that I would find my way. After carefully traversing up a rocky slab, I found myself atop the summit. While I was not with the rest of the group working their way up to San Ysidro East Peak, I was feeling proud of making this one solo.

After signing the register and taking in the views. I turned my phone’s cell service back on and sent a text to the group (and my wife) of my current status. I was now going to continue on down toward Kay Benchmark. I took a more direct line with my descent from The Sirens. Now for probably the hardest part of the entire hike—the descent from The Sirens to Kay Benchmark. Every trip report I had read about this section spoke not only of the steepness but of the large boulders that also needed to be overcome. I tried to follow the track that Greg had done during his last trip, but at times I would drift off the track and would have to correct.

After almost 2 hours of careful route work, I found myself standing atop Kay Benchmark! I slid off my pack and leaned against a rock. As I sat there, I looked back to the west at what I had just navigated down solo. The plan was to wait here for Greg, Susie, and Matt to rejoin me. I checked back in with my wife, as the wind was starting to pick up some. Way off in the distance, I would hear the faint sounds of Matt and Susie, but even though Susie was wearing a bright pink top, I could not locate them. Finally, I spotted them! Turns out, they opted to follow the route Matt used on his previous trip. According to Greg, this was far superior to his previous route. He thought it only took them just over an hour to descend.

The winds continued to gust, even blowing my hat off at one point. Thankfully, a cholla caught it for me. We still had several more miles to go until we reached the visitors center, and about 2,500 feet of elevation to still lose, so we headed off. The terrain continued to be steep and rocky, but we were able to generally follow the ridgeline the entire way.

Off in the distance, we could see Ode Benchmark, our final peak of the day, poking up from the spine of the ridge, way below us. We continued working our way down. The terrain thankfully finally eased up some, as all the miles and climbing were taking their toll. With one final bit of climbing, we reached Ode Benchmark! Since I had previously summited this peak about a year ago, I snapped a quick photo of the benchmark and kept on trucking.

My foot was starting to hurt a bit more and I was looking forward to a nice cool drink of water at the Visitor Center. There was finally a decent use trail to follow, so my pace quickened slightly. The sun was setting, and the Santa Rosa mountains were beautifully lit. Soon, we reached the desert floor and I motored across it, to the promise of that cool water. We had done it! Our 10:35-hour day was done.

We headed back into town for some well-earned Mexican food, then Greg drove me back up to Ranchita to retrieve my car. While I had to skip the ascent of San Ysidro East Peak, I was still happy with my trek. I now have just 17 more peaks to climb to complete the Sierra Club-San Diego 100.

Final Stats

Start: 6:45 am
Reached Goat: 8:55 am
Reached The Sirens: 11:40 am
Reached Kay: 1:50 pm
Reached Ode: 4:50 pm
Visitor Center: 5:20 pm