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.

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.

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.

Split Mountain East

Now that I have completed the 100 Peak Challenge, it was time to begin working on the remaining peaks on the Sierra Club-San Diego list. Thankfully, these two lists share a lot of the same peaks, so I only have 28 more peaks to climb. Fellow 100 Peak Challenge finisher Susie Kara is also working toward the same goal. So, we are teaming up to tackle them. Unlike the 100 Peak Challenge, the SD100 does not have a time limit. However, all of our remaining peaks are in Anza-Borrego, so we are racing against the heat.

We decided to tackle Split Mountain East and West. Located south of Ocotillo Wells, these two peaks would be two separate hikes. I pulled into the empty parking lot for Iron Mountain and waited for Susie to arrive. Soon thereafter, a few cars pulled in and hikers began their journey up to greet the sunrise from the summit. Susie pulled up and we set out on the all too familiar route to the desert.

The predawn glow began to fill the desert as we got closer to the turn-off from the 78. The full moon still hung over the western sky. We pulled over to the side of the road and took some photos of the beauty around us. After a pit stop at the bathrooms at the Ocotillo Wells Ranger Station, we began trying to connect with Matt Bennet who wanted to join us on our adventure. After some back-and-forth texting, we found where he was waiting and picked him up. We set off down Split Mountain road for about 6 miles to the Fish Creek Wash turnoff.

Campers were scattered along the route, which was a good sign in case the Subaru ran into trouble. The trailhead to Split Mountain East is the same as to the famous Wind Caves. We parked next to the sign for them. The trail quickly began climbing, so make sure you stretch first before heading out. While the sign says the caves are 1.0 miles away, they are actually about 1/2 miles away. We stopped and explored them briefly, but our goal lay a bit further and higher away.

As the other trip reports indicated, the use trail would fade in and out. For the most part, it was a matter of following the ridge ever upward.

As we neared the point where we knew we had to descend and cross the wash, we continued up the wrong ridge for a bit. Cross-checking our bearings, we backtracked a bit and found the correct route again.

Once we had finished dropping down the wash, we found a pool of water tucked beneath a dry waterfall. After a short break and discussion on our final push to the summit, we set off. Matt and Susie followed a gully up, while I trailed behind and found the use trail along the west side. We rejoined at the saddle and began the final bit to the summit.

We sat atop the peak taking in the views of the eastern Anza-Borrego. While there is no benchmark, we did find and sign the register. After finishing our snack, we headed back down. Like it usually happens, the trail was easier to spot for the descent.

As we made our way down, we would point out various peaks to our west to Matt. He recently moved out here, so we were showcasing some of Anza-Borrego’s finest for his future enjoyment.

We debated exploring the wind caves more, but the second peak was calling… Once back at the car, we took a nice lunch break before driving to the trailhead for Split Mountain West. We covered 4.3 miles with some 1,590 feet of elevation gain over 3:13 hours of active hiking time.

Indianhead

Since the weather had thwarted our attempt to summit Indianhead on Sunday, I began looking for alternative dates. Thankfully, Greg Gerlach was free on Thursday, so I decided to take a day off and go with him. As I drove out to Borrego Springs, I was greeted with another spectacular sunrise as I descended toward the desert floor. I had to pull over several times to take some photos. Too bad Ted Markus was unable to tag along, as he loves his sunrises and sunsets.

I paid my $10 day-use fee and parked at the Borrego Palm Canyon trailhead to await Greg’s arrival. While the forecast for the summit was 57°F, my car said it was a brisk 39°F. I slipped on my wool cap and some gloves and we headed up the Borrego Palm Canyon nature trail. About .2 miles in, I realized I forgot my hat in the car. I hustled back and grabbed and stuffed it into my pack. The first palm oasis was quickly reached, and we shed one of our layers as we had now warmed up enough. Now we were ready to begin the second section of the hike, the canyon itself. Pushing past the palms, we began working our way through the canyon. The sound of flowing water was such a pleasant sound in the desert.

There isn’t much of a trail at this point, so we tended to follow the footprints left in the sand. We would cross the stream numerous times as we snaked our way closer to our exit point. I recognized portions of the route from the unsuccessful attempt back in April. Besides the sounds of the water flows, the occasional croaks of frogs were heard. This was a good reminder that water is life.

As we drew nearer to the third palm oasis, the summit of Indianhead again came into view. As it towered over us, I knew the real hike was about to begin. Greg and I took a break beside some very large boulders before we began our climb out of the canyon onto the ridgeline. I had brought a side bottle of water but was feeling confident that I would not need it, so I cached it here.

The climb out of the canyon was steep, in about .2 miles we gained some 500 feet of elevation. I was remembering all the trouble I had back in April on this section so this time Greg and I ascended in near tandem. Once on the ridgeline, we found a faint use trail that would guide us upward. The ridgeline would alternate between steeper bumps and then would ‘flatten’ for a brief bit. There were some portions that required care as we ascended, but nothing too difficult.

We soon reached the saddle before the rocky section of the ascent and took another break. As we sat marveling at the views, we tried to identify the peaks to the west. From here we had about a half-mile to the summit, but there was still some decent elevation gain to be had. I was still feeling great as we carefully worked our way up. As we neared the end of this section, we found a rock depression that was filled solid with ice. Soon, the actual summit came into view! I wasn’t quite sure how to feel. My 99th peak was right in front of me. We sat upon the summit and again soaked in the views laid out before us. We tossed back on a layer while I snapped my photos and Greg flipped through the register. So many familiar names filled its pages, to which I proudly added mine.

After enjoying my PB&J and some oranges, it was time to head back down. We were able to mostly follow our tracks back off the mountain. Finally, those big boulders and the third palm oasis came back into view. We carefully began our descent from the ridgeline. This was the worst part of the entire hike. It was steep, and the footing problematic. Once back on the canyon floor, I grabbed the bottle that I had left earlier and had a quick snack. Greg had taken a slightly different path down, and I actually beat him!

The sun was just setting behind the canyon walls as we began our trek back through it. We cruised again through this beautiful scenery. After about 1.5 miles or so, we reached the first palm oasis. We stopped for a moment to address a hot spot on my foot, then set off for the last 1.5 miles. We were back at our cars just after 4 pm. My tracker said we had covered 8.2 miles, with 7:40 hours of active hiking time, and climbed over 3,000 feet. But more importantly for me, that was my #99 peak of #100PeakChallenge! Since it was still early, we both decided to skip grabbing a meal in town and opted to head home instead.

Indian Hill

After summiting Piedras Grandes again, it was time to go climb Indian Hill. Since I drove to the trailhead differently, I was now on the west side of the tracks. That was fine, it just meant a little extra hiking, since I could not drive any closer. Much of the hike is either along the train tracks or the flat desert floor, so it was not much of an issue.

Changing shirts as the day was getting warmer, I quickly headed off. Technically you are not supposed to be on the tracks as they are considered private property, but I decided to be a rebel. The smell of the creosote on the railroad ties reminded me so much of my dad. We used to spend Sunday afternoons chasing trains up to the Tehachapi Loop.

Once I reached the Jeep road that heads west, I knew it was time to follow it. I think in a proper 4×4 you could keep driving well past the water tank at Dos Cabezas. I followed the road for a bit as Indian Hill finally showed itself from behind a very pyramid mountain standing alone on the desert floor. It looked so much smaller this time. I remember being intimidated the last time I was here.

Indian Hill is certainly more bouldery than Piedras Grande, so I spent more time surveying possible routes. I picked one that looked like it would not require any excessive scrambling. I began working my way up the rocky slopes, again noting the improved confidence and strength. Before I knew I had reached the summit!

The register was tucked next to the eggshell rock and had quite a few familiar names on its pages. I grabbed some photos and surveyed the road to the west. Two other benchmarks are out here that are on the San Diego 100 list, so I will be back probably in 2020.

I scrambled down from the summit and headed east toward the tracks. On the way out I spotted some trash along the rails, and upon my return, I grabbed it and carried it out. Back at the car, I took in the fact I have but three more peaks to climb and this challenge will be over. Now to drive back into San Diego and get the Friday special at my favorite taco shop!

Piedras Grandes

With rain again in the forecast, I opted to take part of the day off and head out early to get in the last two desert hikes; Piedras Grandes and Indian Hill. Both are near Dos Cabezas just past the wind farm in Ocotillo. Since I was going solo this time, I needed to make sure I had my routes down. For Piedras Grandes, I saw some hikers had approached it from the south via a wash, then up to the summit. It was a bit longer in distance but it could be something new. In looking at the satellite imagery, there was also a road from the trailhead for this route. Researching it, I learned the now closed jeep road has signboards along the way exposing various points of interest and the history of the region. Sold!

I pulled into the trailhead just after 7:15 and gathered my gear. The sun had risen but it was still a tad cool, so I tossed on a slightly warmer layer for this hike, figuring I would change before the second one of the day.

Hiking on the Jeep trail made for a quick time. The signboards told bits and pieces of the significance of the area. I found the Yoni, or female fertility symbol, and the morteros. I missed the actual pictographs, but I did not look that hard. I plan to return and explore the area more when I am not chasing peaks.

At the road’s end I began the open desert crossing, I looped around a small peak and then down to the saddle at the base of Piedras Grandes. I picked a route and motored up, avoiding the cacti that covered the slopes.

In no time I reached the summit once again. This time this was almost natural for me. Another indication of my growth as a hiker. I signed the register and took my photos. For the descent I had two basic options; return the same way or follow the wash. Once I reached the saddle, I opted for the first wash. Except for one minor scramble around a dry waterfall, it was a pleasant route.

I even spotted boot prints on the ground. Soon I rejoined the jeep trail, and then back to the car. That was peak #96 of my #100PeakChallenge. Now to drive the 5 minutes to the trailhead for Indian Hill.

Grapevine Mountain

Since I wanted to be back in San Diego before my daughter headed back to Redlands, it meant a very early start. With the snow-capped mountains, I thought Grapevine Mountain would be a perfect choice. The car’s thermostat read 30 as I bundled up and began winding my way along the Pacific Crest Trail from the Scissors Crossing.

Just about two miles later, it was time to leave the well-cared-for trail and begin the cross-country climb. I spotted some footprints along a very faint use trail. The direction matched my previous route, so I decided to follow them. I weaved my way around the cacti as I pushed toward the top of the ridge. From there, Grapevine would finally come into view.

I crossed over the connecting ridgeline to the summit. Found the register and the two reference marks and the main benchmark.

Since I needed to get back home, I did not stay too long on the summit. Retracing my route I found myself back on the PCT cruising back to the car. All told I covered about 6.5 miles in 3:10! So much faster than my first time up. That was peak #95 of my #100PeakChallenge.

Ghost Mountain

The final summit of the day was to be Ghost Mountain. I had hoped to get this peak in after summiting Whale Peak, but that did not happen. I drove down the dirt road to the southern end of Little Blair Valley to the trailhead. As I pulled in, one couple was just finishing their hike, and another car was parked there as well. Given this was Thanksgiving Weekend, I expected some other folks on this trail, at least to the Marshall South Homestead.

Ghost Mountain is higher in the desert than my last two peaks and as the day was getting late, I tossed some of my warmer gear back on. I also packed another layer and my cap into my pack. The trail to the homestead is easy to follow and I made good time to it. The other hikers were here mulling about. We chatted some before I headed east toward the summit.

This portion of the hike is like the childhood game of ‘the floor is lava’, but with cacti replacing the lava and rocks in place of the living room furniture. The summit is denoted by a large boulder, so spotting it is relatively easy. While no benchmark is here, there is an old ammo box placed by the Lower Peaks Committee. Someone had moved it to the actual top of the rock, so a small scramble was required to sign the register.

The sun would be setting soon, so again I did not stay too long before working my way back down. The snow on the mountains was certainly a wonderful sight. Back at the car, I packed my gear away and headed toward the Scissors Crossing, stopping at the store in Shelter Valley for a soda and a candy bar. The road was open toward Warner Springs, as I did not want to deal with the insanity that Julian would likely be. I wished Ted was with me, as the snow-capped mountains around Ranchita were equally stunning, but since I was driving I could not get any photos. That was peak #94 of my #100PeakChallenge!

Mine Peak

After taking a short break after summiting Red Hill, I turned onto West Dolomite Road to head out to the trailhead for Mine Peak. Like Mt. Tule, I drove further than last time. While two 4x4s were at the trailhead, I did not want to drive the Subaru up the last bit of the road. I chatted with them as they enjoyed their lunch before heading out.

Following the road some more, a use trail was spotted leading up. I did not recall one the last time I hiked this peak. I was probably not skilled enough to spot it.

Once over the steep climb, I continued eastward for a bit, before turning northward for the summit. Upon reaching it, I signed the register and photographed the vistas. The benchmark is not a standard one, so it is easy to spot.

I knew I had a 45-minute drive to the next trailhead, so I headed back down the peak. The family had left, so I explored the mine some before continuing my adventures. Peak #93 was done!