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!

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.

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 would 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

Stage Benchmark

When I dropped Susie and Matt off at their campsite, we agreed to meet back up at 7 am at the trailhead for Stage Benchmark. I was uncertain if I was going to join. In part, I was still adjusting to my new shoes and wasn’t sure if I wanted to do this hike or sit it out since we had a big 5-peak day planned for Sunday. As the predawn glow spread across the desert hills, I figured I would try it. So, I ate my breakfast in the peaceful quiet, then broke down my camp and drove the few minutes to the trailhead.

Matt and Susie were waiting for me at the turnout. We grabbed our gear and set off again across the desert floor. After a short stretch, we entered a wash that would take us through the Tierra Blanca mountains and into the Inner Pasture. The wash was nice and wide as we snaked our way through it. A few motorcycle tracks cut through the desert sand. The miles quickly passed by, and soon we were greeted with the wide expanse known as the Inner Pasture. From here our route would turn south to approach the summit from the southwest.

The slopes were rocky, but not the crumbling kind we had during our ascent of Sunset Mountain. However, the firmer footing was offset by all the chollas dotting the slopes. We were all hit multiple times, despite our caution.

About halfway up, we froze in our tracks, as a bighorn sheep stood before us. It stared at us for some time before bounding off to the north. Apart from seeing the herd that one time en route to False Sombrero, I had never seen any in “the wild”.

We soon made our way to the summit and found the benchmark and the reference marks.

The day was a bit warmer than normal, so we spent a bit more time relaxing at the summit. Matt and Susie stared intently at Red Top and Sawtooth off to the southwest of us. These are two more peaks on the Sierra Club list and they are beasts.

After signing the register, we began our trek down. Again, more cholla attacks slowed us from time to time. Once off the slopes, we decided to continue west to intersect with the motorcycle trail that was clearly visible from the summit. We figured we would make better time on it, rather than on the cross-country open desert.

As we re-entered the canyon, the shade that had filled it when we first passed through it was now gone. I could feel some issues with my right foot and tried to adjust the tension on the lacing. Again, the miles passed quickly along through this wash. Matt and Susie were considering that this might become their route into the Inner Pasture for Red Top & Sawtooth.

Exiting the canyon, we opted to stay in the wash until it reached the highway. At first, we were happy to find some mylar balloons, but just before the road, Susie spotted a beer can. As she went to grab it, we soon found two shoes, and a bivy buried in the sand. We wrapped all this up and hauled it the short distance back to the car to properly dispose of it. All told we covered 9.56 miles in 5:13 hours and gained 1,713 feet to the summit. That was peak #80 of the Sierra Club 100! Susie and I headed into Borrego Springs and Matt was off to get a couple more peaks in.

Diablo Benchmark

The first peak of an entire weekend out in Anza-Borrego was to be Diablo Benchmark. Susie Kara and Matt Bennett convinced me to come out Friday afternoon to summit this peak. They had planned to primitive camp overnight nearby. I opted for a little more comfort and grabbed a campsite at Agua Caliente. I loaded up the Outback and headed out. Since I had already booked a hotel for Saturday night, I really did not need too much in terms of food or gear. I got to the campsite a bit behind schedule but was able to quickly set up the tent and toss in my gear.

I met Susie and Matt at the turnoff for June Wash, and they quickly piled into the car and off we went. Our plan was to drive up the wash road as far as we could, then hike up the rest of the way. I had no trouble driving the route. Once we neared the start of Greg Gerlach’s recent track, we found a nice spot to park the car and set off.

We continued to follow the wash for a while, avoiding the chollas that dotted the entire route. Soon it was time to leave the wash and ascend to the ridgeline. We initially started up the wrong one, but I recognized the proper hillside from some Google Earth research I had done and we dropped over to it.

Once on the proper ridgeline, the views to the east were spectacular. The twisted canyons were spread out before us. The climb up the ridgeline was mild, and soon the summit came into view. The direct path looked a bit rocky, but a fairly clear route bent to the west and then arched back to the east.

Upon reaching the summit, we began looking for the benchmark and register. I scoured along the ridge to the north, and Susie and Matt headed south. They won. We signed the register and snapped our photos.

The sun was slowly setting over the Lagunas to the west. So we began our descent, keeping an eye on the setting sun, mostly for photo opportunities.

We made it back to the car without any real issue, sans a few chollas that attacked us. I dropped Susie and Matt off at their car and drove the 5 minutes back to my campsite. I bundled up and lit a nice campfire, enjoyed my dinner, and turned in for the night. #79 of #SD100 was in the books.

North Pinyon Mountain (Peak 3640)

Decided to go hike another peak that Susie had already done, this time North Pinyon Mountain (Peak 3640). This peak’s trailhead is along the eastern spur of Plum Canyon. As I was driving in, I was surprised to see someone driving out, especially this early in the morning. Turns out he was camping at the road’s end. I let him know my plans and we parted ways. I parked a polite distance from his camp and began gearing up. It was a touch chilly, and given the first part of the hike was up a wash, I knew I would be in the shade for a while. Tossing on a thin fleece, I set off.

The route would follow this wash until its end. Along the way, a few dry waterfalls would need to be traversed. Only one required me to bypass it, and the rest were fun diversions. The elevation gain was nice, but noticeable when I would stop and look back. I was getting a tad warm, so I stowed my fleece.

I was now ready to leave the wash and climb up to Peak 3300. From here I was rewarded with a beautiful view of Granite Mountain to the west. Since I had cell coverage again, I shared the photo with my wife.

My route now turned easterly. Crossing the summit, I now had to mind the agave, cholla, cat’s claw, and other hazards. From here I drifted to the south toward the saddle that would allow me to begin my ascent of North Pinyon.

About 100 feet of elevation loss later, I was ready to start the climb. The slope was not too steep, nothing like yesterday’s peak. I knew from the previous trip reports the true summit was hidden behind a false summit.

As I crested it, I could see it was would be an easy stroll over. There was a bit of breeze, so I was glad to have the fleece for my break.

There is no benchmark here, but a nice register can was filled with familiar names. I soaked in the views; Granite, Grapevine, Whale, Sunset and so many more.

I signed in and had a quick snack before heading back down. Along the way, I picked up someone’s lost wool cap. I wonder if it might be Matt’s. The rest of the return was uneventful, except for a blister on my right pinky toe. Oh, the joy of new shoes. With that #78 of the #SD100 down! 4.26 miles in 3:00 hours, and gaining 1,546 feet.

Travelers Peak

With Susie off visiting a good friend out of state, I decided to knock out a peak that she had already done on the San Diego 100. She suggested Travelers Peak might be a good one to summit, so out to the far side of Anza-Borrego I went. The route up Travelers Peak initially follows the jeep trail to the Calcite Mine, then a well-defined user trail to the summit.

I had initially had done the Calcite Mine portion when I did the Anza-Borrego 5 for 50 hikes back in 2017. That time we parked just off the highway and hike the road up to the mine. As pulled off the Borrego-Salton Sea Expressway, I decided to try driving the road up toward the Calcite Mine instead. The road was in really good shape, & I suspect it had been graded recently. At the turn-off into the nearby slot canyon was a nice spot to park. I debated if I should keep driving up the road or just settle for this. I opted to park.

Grabbing my gear, I set off up the road. The road conditions continued to be good. I stopped after about a quarter-mile, and for a moment thought about heading back to the car and trying to drive it all the way to the mine. I did recall the road being a bit rougher further ahead, but in the end, I opted for the exercise. After a mile, I reached the mine area. Overall, the road would have been drivable in my Subaru with a few spots that would take some care.

Now it was time to leave the Jeep trail and head onto the use trail. I knew from other tracks that I had a steep ascent ahead of me. I also knew that there were going to be some challenging sections as well. The use trail basically follows a ridgeline, meaning some sections tended to be a touch narrow. Nothing problematic, but still you needed to be mindful. Between the steep grade and the temperature, I was certainly working up a sweat.

So, I came to the first of the challenging sections. I focused on my footing and carefully worked my way through it. One thing about solo desert hiking is you need to slow it down and be certain about your routes, foot, and handholds when you are navigating more complex sections. The route would switch between easier sections and these complex ones.

Soon, the summit was truly in sight. I was never sure if I was seeing it earlier. As I reached the top, a simple rock pile held the register next to the benchmark, which for some reason is labeled as Palm.

I found the two reference marks as well. I had hoped to locate the azimuthal marker, which was back down the trail and off to the west, but I passed it during my descent and opted not to go back and find it.

The register was a time capsule of fellow peak baggers. I enjoyed skimming its pages.

But there is not any great place to sit up here except for one small rock, so I decided to head back down. The route was easy to follow, just to be taken with care. I again took my time descending the complex sections, at times simply scooting on my backside.

I could see the road off in the distance for much of the hike, and as I neared the mine, two jeeps pulled in. I debated if I should bum a ride back down… I also spotted another group of hikers making their way to the mine, and briefly chatted with them. As I began my hike down the road, I met up with Joel & the group from the SD Adventure Club, on one of their outings. They had hiked in from the road, so they were looking forward to their rest at the mine area. I let them continue, and I kept motoring down. I thought about returning through the slot canyon, but I was craving a burrito back in town.

As I neared my car, three motorcycles passed on their way up, a gentle reminder of why I dislike active road hikes. With that, #77 of the #SD100 was complete! 4.62 miles in 3 hours and 48 minutes of active hiking, with a mere 2,036 feet of gain.

Sunset Mountain

Another fantastic day out in Anza-Borrego. The planned summit was Sunset Mountain, a couple of miles down Pinyon Wash. Susie Kara and I planned to rendezvous with Matt Bennett at the turnoff from the 78 onto the dirt wash. Along the way, we caught a wonderful sunrise at Santa Ysabel.

The road to the starting point for the hike could be driven by a standard car with a little care. The skies were overcast as we set off across the desert floor, weaving through the Ocotillos. Soon we found ourselves at the base of the mountain and stared up at its steep rocky slopes. There was no trail for this peak, it was one of those “avoid the pointy plants of pain and the rocks”.

We picked our way upward. Matt and Susie led the way, while I followed behind, keeping a slow but steady pace. They would stop from time to time to regroup. I would have a quick sip and be ready to continue plodding upward.

Along the way, we stumbled across the remains of what we think was a Big Horn Sheep. Given that it was next to a large set of boulders, we also don’t think it died of natural causes…

Soon the summit was almost within reach and a welcomed break from the climbing. With the overcast skies, some of the sweeping vistas were diminished. We signed the register and the benchmark and two reference marks were found. The benchmark is stamped Yak, but most maps refer to it as Sunset Mountain.

Since Susie did have two yoga classes to teach later in the afternoon, we did need to be mindful of the time. Given the terrain, we knew that our descent was going to be one of care and caution.

As we approached the base of the summit, we debated as to our path down. Matt and Susie took a steeper route down to the wash, while I followed a route closer to our ascent. They said their way seemed the better choice, as they watched my descent, although it wasn’t that bad.

We worked our way down the wash, encountering a really fun dry waterfall that was a perfect slide. We got separated, but given we now had a straight-forward walk across the desert floor, I was not worried. I reached the car before them, which I expected since they were probably waiting for me at some spot. Once I reached it I honked the horn and a few minutes later they arrived.

This was #76 of the San Diego 100 for me, and #81 for Susie. Dropping Matt back at his car, we motored home.

Ted & Webo Benchmarks

The original plan was to make the long off-road drive to summit Vallecito Mountain High Point, but I needed to be reachable by phone. So, instead, we opted to summit Webo Benchmark, figuring since it was in the line of sight of Borrego Springs we would have cell coverage.

Susie Kara and I pulled into the Hellhole Canyon parking lot a bit after 7 am. Indianhead was stunning in the morning light to the north of us as we set off across the flat desert floor. Webo loomed before us to the west. There was no disguising this hike, it was going to be a steep hard ridgeline assault to the summit.

After about a mile, the ridgeline was now just off to our right. There was no trail to follow, not even a faint use trail. We would weave our way around the various cacti and rocks while pushing ourselves ever upward. I was able to take the call that I needed to, so our choice of peaks was correct.

Soon we found ourselves at Ted Benchmark. I had summited this far last year with Ted Markus when Granite had a crust of snow on it. We took a break and signed the register. We had gone about 2.2 miles and climbed 1,450 feet. Now to continue our push to Webo, our real destination.

It was here that Susie had her first encounter with a cactus, and we broke out the tools to remove the spines from her foot. A bit later, she got hit again. We still managed to keep up a good pace up the steep slope, occasionally taking a short breather. It was on one of these we saw the bloodstain on my right leg — an agave had gotten me. We were certainly earning our desert merit badges.

Finally, the summit was almost within reach! From reviewing previous trip reports, we knew the benchmark and register were a touch north of the highest boulders. We scrambled up the rock and basked in the view! We carefully surveyed the north and west, as several peaks on our list are out there and we hope to bag them very soon. We took a nice break, ate some food, signed the register, snapped our photos, then began our descent.

While we were picking our way down the slope, a Sheriff’s helicopter came flying past. We hoped it was not needed for a rescue. Only later did we learn that the first palm grove on Borrego Palm Canyon had gone up in flames. This was just a bit to the north of us.

We completely missed Ted Benchmark on our way down, and I got hit by two chollas. Susie had to break out the gloves to remove them. With those nasty buggers removed, we soon found ourselves back on the desert floor and then cruised back to the car. We were in shock about the palm grove. We drove into Borrego Springs for lunch, and while we drove toward the canyon, we could see the smoke plume rising in the distance.

With that aside, it was a great day for peak bagging in Anza-Borrego. That was #75 of the #SD100, and Susie’s #79 & #80!

Split Mountain West

One of the uncertainties around Split Mountain West was the road to the start of the hike at Oyster Shell Wash. At worst, we could hike in from where we parked for Split Mountain East, but that would add another mile or so of distance. I had seen a Jeep come out of the route we needed to take, so that was a good sign. With our lunch break over, we set off. Fairly soon, we encountered some imposing rocks, but with some care, we traversed them without an issue. As we neared our destination, one more section took a bit of attention.

We actually missed the entrance to the wash that most tracks tend to start with. We found another entrance to a wash, along with a nice parking spot, so we decided to stop here and scout out our options. Keith Winston has just hiked this, and this was the track Susie was using as her reference. I had Greg Gerlach’s track on my device. After some discussion and reviewing our topo map, we opted to follow Keith’s route. We headed up this wash for a bit, then knew we needed to hop over the ridge to get into the Oyster Shell Wash. Part of the decision was this route also appeared to save about another mile off the full journey. After summiting Split Mountain East earlier in the day, there was no argument from our legs.

The climb took a little care between the grade and its rocky nature. Once on the ridge, we cruised along before finally committing to dropping down into the wash. We left a cairn for ourselves to denote our exit point upon our return.

We began working our way up the wash. It is in this first section that we would encounter the dry waterfalls mentioned by others. Several had pools of water at their base. I opted not to attempt a couple of them and went up and around them. I was feeling a bit beat after getting through this initial section, but a few minutes in the shade relaxing was just what I needed. Never underestimate what even a short break can do.

Soon, the wash would open up some, and the journey became easier. I scanned the sediment walls trying to spot any fossils, but no luck. Regardless, the scenery was so relaxing. With the summit drawing near, we began to look for the best route toward the finish.

Much like the climb near the start of this hike, we had another one up out of the wash. We were not looking forward to the descents down these slopes. But soon our efforts paid off and the summit was in sight. Like Split Mountain East, it just held a register can. The views were not as pleasant as our earlier peak, but we all agreed the adventure up the wash more than offset it. After snapping some photos and a nice snack we headed back down. We did look over at a peak denoted as Split Mountain West-Southeast Peak, which some had erroneously summited. While it reportedly holds a register, none of us liked the route over.

We had made good time to the summit, so I knew we should not have any issues with our descent or the drive out. Matt and Susie again cruised ahead, checking in on pokey me from time to time. You certainly were not going to get lost on this hike. It is also nice to have an understood relationship with your hiking companions. They are both much faster hikers than me, but are aware and know when to pause to sync up with me. In some ways, I get the best of both worlds, semi-solo hiking with the safety of hiking partners.

Upon our return, I opted to only bypass one of the dry waterfalls that I bypassed earlier. I did not trust myself to attempt the route on one of them. Before too long, we reached our exit marker. We did discuss if we want to continue down the wash and then backtrack to the car, or hop over the ridge. The shorter route won. We each picked a different route down to the other wash, in part as not to worry about kicking a rock loose and injuring the hiker below.

Our total for Split Mountain West was 3.87 miles, some 1,087 feet of gain in 2:59 hrs of active hiking. As we drove back out, we spotted the actual start of Oyster Shell Wash. The drive out was uneventful. We dropped Matt off at his car and since there was still some daylight left, he decided to summit Borrego Mountain East Butte rather than grab dinner back in Borrego Springs. While waiting for our food at Red Ocotillo, Matt texted he was back from his summit and was headed home. I forgot to mention, we found three Mylar balloons during both hikes. Ugh.