Big Laguna Meadow

I pulled off Sunrise Highway and parked under the shade of a pine tree. About 8 or so cars lined the road, as this is a popular trailhead for mountain bikers and hikers. The forecast was predicted to be in the upper 80s in the mountains, so I wanted something that was a bit more mellow and had a bit more shade along the trail. After grabbing my gear, I crossed the highway to the trailhead. I chatted with 3 mountain bikers who were also just setting off on their ride. I set off following the Water of the Woods trail to the north. I cruised along, letting myself reflect on a variety of things. Soon, I found myself at the small pond near the Los Rasalies Ravine. I then hopped onto the Sunset Trail and began a short climb along the hills to the west of the Big Laguna Meadow. Along the way, I got a great view looking across a canyon to Manza Benchmark. After a while, I spied a nice viewpoint that afforded me a good view of the meadow.

I descended to the meadow floor, then crossed over the northern end of, until I joined with Big Laguna Trail. The trail turned south and hugged the eastern side of the meadow. As I hoped, it had a modest amount of shade to ward off the heat. A light breeze also helped as I passed by cows resting in the shade.

Earlier this year, I hiked a portion of this trail with my wife, daughter, and our dog, and knew a lovely spot to take a break and enjoy the views of the meadow. But as I drew near I could see a young family had beaten me to it. So, I went a little further south and found a place to enjoy a small snack before continuing on.

I crossed over the small dam that created Big Laguna Lake and headed back the way I came. For the most part, I had the trail to myself, which was what I wanted. I soon found myself back at the car, and after tossing in my gear, looked at the temperature and it was now a toasty 89°F. The shade and breeze certainly helped. I stopped off at Mike Hess Brewery for their Margarita Pizza and a cold beer before heading 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.

Kitchen Creek Falls

Since we just had some rain recently, I figured why not go see one of our few waterfalls? The hike to Kitchen Creek Falls seemed mild enough for my neck, so Ted and I headed out for the trailhead. We pulled into the parking area just before the Boulder Oaks campground, grabbed our gear, and darted across Old Highway 80. It was still a bit nippy as we cruised along the PCT. The trail took us under the 8 and then began the steady climb toward the falls. Soon we spotted our first NOBO hiker. PCT season had just started, so I fully expected to encounter a few while we were along the trail. We chatted with the gentleman from Florida for a bit. He was planning to hike as far as Kennedy Meadows. We bid him a good journey and continued on ours.

A PCT marker denoted the turn-off down to the falls. We spotted a few empty campsites near the junction. The trail descended steeply toward the falls, which came into view fairly quickly. They certainly were flowing nicely.

We poked around the area, enjoying the sounds of the flowing water. There was a nice campsite on the other bank that would be lovely to pitch a tent on. But soon it was time to climb back up to the PCT and down to the car. Along the way, we passed quite a few folks headed to the falls. We also stopped and chatted with several more PCTers making their way northward. Finally, back at the car, we tossed in our gear, changed, and set off to Hess Brewery in Alpine for some well-earned pizza and a flight of their beers.

Corte Madera

I had hoped to squeeze in one more desert peak, but with my daughter leaving for DC for the summer, I could not afford the time. Instead, I opted to knock one of the San Diego Six-Pack of Peaks off my list. Corte Madera would fit the bill nicely–not too long and not too far of a drive to the trailhead. I pulled into an empty parking area and hung my Adventure Pass from the mirror. While the car’s thermometer read 37, it did not feel that cold, plus I knew both I and the day would be warming up.

I grabbed my new trekking poles, as I had worn the tips down on my previous pair, and set off. The route to the summit began along a nicely shaded road for about 1/2 mile before I reached the Espinoza Trail. Now I would begin climbing up toward the saddle, with some nice wildflowers scattered along the trail. Once at the saddle, I got my first view of the impressive rock face of Corte Madera. A warning sign had been posted for anyone continuing on the Espinoza trail, to be careful from the fire damage. Off to my left stood the Los Pinos lookout tower and to my right was the road I would follow for a short while.

Another sign pointed to the trail branching off to the left from the road. This portion of the hike would have the more “challenging “ portion of the hike. The gentle climb up the Espinoza would be replaced with a steeper and rockier one. In addition, the overgrowth was also heavier through here as well.

I passed by a jacket and bag off to the side, which I assume were left by a migrant. After climbing down the rocky section, the trail would now roller coaster toward the summit. My left calf was starting to tighten, so I slowed my pace to give it some relief. I recognized that I was almost at the summit and would have a chance to give it a rest.

As expected, I had the summit to myself. A new wooden sign had been left next to the register. I signed in and snapped my photos, then found a spot to enjoy my orange and take a breather.

I pulled my pack on and began to retrace my route. Not long after leaving the summit, I met my first other hiker. He looked a little lost, as he was staring intently at his phone. I gave him some guidance for the last bit. It turns out he started at Corral Canyon. We each went our separate ways. As I neared that one climbing section, I met the second set of hikers. They recognized me from my blog, and we chatted a bit before continuing. I would encounter another 10 or so by the time I reached the saddle.

Once back on the road to the Espinoza trail, a truck passed me, as did a motorcycle. I had wondered about driving back here for some car camping. Given that the truck looked almost stock, I could probably get my Subaru back here for an evening.

As I made my way down the Espinoza trail, I could feel the day getting warmer and my calf getting tighter. I knew I didn’t have that much further, plus the last 1/2 mile would have some shade and was mostly flat. The car said it was in the low 80s and I would believe it. This time my tracker logged me traveling 7.0 miles in 3:41 with an elevation gain of 1,633 feet.

Cuyamaca Peak (via Conejos Trail)

With the desert too warm to continue working on the San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak List, I decided to start working on the San Diego Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge. Opted to climb Cuyamaca Peak with a friend. The Los Vaqueros Trailhead was almost packed, as there was a training run for the SD100 Trail Race. We made our way along the Milk Ranch Road, along the way we spotted a herd of deer wandering by. Once at the turn, we began looking for the mountain lion prints that the training director had told us about. Sure enough, we could see a nice collection of the lion’s travels.

We linked up with the Conejos Trail and began working our way up. The trail becomes a bit rocky so we needed to be mindful of our steps. Partway up we heard the sounds of running water, the Conejos Spring was flowing, and in fact, some of the trail itself had running water on it.

As we neared the paved fire road, we noted quite a few trees had been snapped due to the high winds a few weeks back.

Once at the summit, more evidence of this as a mast on some equipment had been taken down and smashed its solar panels. We soaked in the views and enjoyed a well-earned snack before heading down.

Instead of taking the Conejos Trail again, we continued to the Azalea Springs Fire Road. That way we could skip the rocky section. Once back on the Milk Ranch Road, we spotted some wild turkeys. The entire hike took us 4:03 (including the break at the summit) and covered 8.7 miles.

Eagle Peak

In late May 2024, Forest Service officials renamed this trailhead, Cha’chaany Hamuk, which translates roughly to “three sisters” in the Kumeyaay language. Plus, there is a new parking lot, restrooms and a helicopter landing area for fire and rescue crews.

Today’s adventure had Susie Kara and I heading out to hike Eagle Peak. After some navigational errors on my part during the drive (that I atoned for by buying a flight at Calico Cidery), we pulled into the parking lot. There were a couple of cars already there, including a ranger. After grabbing our gear, we set off down the trail, stopping to chat with the ranger for a bit. He informed us that they are hoping to make some major improvements to this trailhead, pave the parking lot (which is very rutted), add a pit toilet, and some picnic tables. If the budget is approved, work might start in 2022.

For those unfamiliar with this trail, it shares the same trailhead as Three Sisters Falls, hence why there is a need for the improvements. After about 6/10 of a mile, the trail comes to the junction — to the left is the descent down to the VERY DRY waterfalls and straight onto Eagle Peak. In fact, there is a sign near the start of the trail with a photo of the state of the falls.

Initially, it felt a bit warm and we were glad this hike was just over 4 miles in length. Luckily, a nice breeze picked up and kept things pleasant. The trail is a little overgrown, but not too bad. We quickly worked our way up toward the summit, passing over the minor false summits. We signed the register and stood out on a boulder for some nice photos. We did not linger too long, as we really wanted to sample those ciders back in Wynola. Once back at the car, we estimated it was now in the mid-80s. A few more cars had arrived since we had left. Never can understand hiking in the heat to see a dry waterfall. We did the 4.2 miles in 2:04, including the time on the summit. My tracker reported just over 1,000 feet of gain.

Our post-hike stop this time was the Calico Cidery in Wynola. This is a really cute tasting room. We each had a flight of the three ciders that were available and enjoyed them on some nice shaded benches. I filled my growler with “The Granny” and Susie opted for “Fieldblend”. With a little luck, we might be able to do one of my remaining peaks next weekend.

Viejas Mountain

Well, the original plan for today was to drive out to Anza-Borrego and summit Indianhead. However, one of my hiking buddies had to back out and the weather was forecasting 20+ mile per hour winds with gusts up to 35 mph. Not exactly the best conditions to travel across a ridgeline to the summit. Ted and I still held out hope that the forecast might turn, so we kept to the original plan and would make a final decision in the morning.

Well, the forecast held, so we went for plan B, Viejas Mountain. This was one of the other remaining peaks I needed to do. It is a short but steep peak. It appeared we got a little bit of rain overnight—another present from the system. As we drove out to Alpine, it was evident that this was going to be a cloudy hike.

Bundling up against the cold and the wind, we set off in the dark up the rocky trail. It is only about 1.5 miles to the summit, but you do gain about 1,500 feet, so it will give you a workout.

Once we reached the ridge, the wind picked up and our pants were damp from the brush along the trail. The summit was about a quarter-mile to the north. Given the conditions, we knew that we were not going to be staying long.

The register was full, so I did not attempt to sign it. Poking around the wind shelters, I found a reference mark. Pulling up Peakbagger, it denoted one more reference mark and the benchmark itself. Using its map, I first found the other reference mark. Using the arrows on them, I focused on locating the benchmark. There, partially covered by the rocks that make up the wind shelter was the actual benchmark!

Both Ted and I were getting chilled, so we began our descent. We took our care as we made our way through the mist—no need to slip and turn an ankle. We soon found ourselves back at the car and changed into some dry clothes. Since we made great time up and back, we decided to go grab a hot breakfast in Alpine. That was peak #98 of my #100PeakChallenge!

Peak 1546

Today was going to be an attempt at summiting 3 peaks; P1546, Cemetery Hill, and Oak Benchmark. All three are located off Eagle Peak road, just west of Julian. Given the forecast, I got an early start to the day. I arrived just after sunrise at the trailhead. P1546 sits just before Cedar Creek Falls.

I would be following the old road down to the junction with the trail to Cedar Creek Falls. Technically a permit is needed to summit this peak. I decided to be a good citizen and pay my $6.

By starting early, much of the hike is in shade. After about 1.5 miles or so, I reached the base of the peak. I then followed a slightly overgrown trail to the summit.

There is no register nor benchmark, but some nice views are the reward.

I made my way back up to the car having bagged my 81st peak.

Oak Benchmark

After returning from Cemetery Hill, I took a break at the trailhead and chatted with a couple of hunters who were packing up to try their luck elsewhere. Oak Benchmark was going to be my final peak of the day. While it should only be about a mile round trip, it is steep and without any trail to follow. I remember some of my previous route from last time but knew it was going to be one of the route-finding skills treks. Just south of where I parked, is a nice meadow that serves as the best starting point for the peak.

From there it is up, any way you can. There was some poison oak to avoid, as I eventually found my way to the summit.

This time a register was waiting to be signed, but also two marks to photograph. While the hike gains about 500 feet in .5 miles, there were some fantastic views to be had as a reward.

It was getting warmer, so I made my careful descent. Back at my car, I was now done with all my non-desert peaks for my 100 Peak Challenge, just 17 to go!

Cemetery Hill

After summiting P1546, I drove back up Eagle Peak Road to the shared trailhead for Cemetery Hill and Oak Benchmark. Along the way, I passed a modest amount of hunters parked along the side of the road. I knew I would need to be alert for the next two hikes. I swapped my normal hat for my red ball cap. Cemetery Hill is another inverted peak, like P1546, so down another old road, I went.

Once at the base of the descent, I had about 1.5 miles to cover over some easy rolling terrain. As I neared the peak, I would have to go cross-country to the summit.

I soon found myself passing the wooden posts that mark the cemetery. There are no other markers to be found. At the true summit, I had a nice rest under the shade of oak before heading back.

That was peak #82 of my #100PeakChallenge.

Lawson & Gaskill Peaks

Driving out to the trailhead, Dave and I were questioning our decision as rain would periodically come down. Once we reached the turnout, that is when we would make our choice. I pulled up several radar maps on my phone and it looked like nothing was headed our way, so we geared up and set out past the gate. The skies were grey and the air moist as we followed the road up toward Lawson and Gaskill. The clouds hid the summits when they should have been within view. The upside of doing this hike twice before was I was familiar with it.

I had debated which peak to do first–Lawson, which was the first but also harder, or Gaskill. In the end, we opted to summit Lawson first. Following the trail upward, the damp brush slowly made our pants and shirts wet. We navigated up the steep slope with no real issues, except for me banging my finger on a rock and needing some band-aids. I slipped on my gloves for some extra protection for the rest of the ascent.

Once at the chimney, Dave scaled it first. As I made my way up, I needed a little help to get past the last rock. We passed through the cave, and since I had gloves on, I moved some broken glass off to the side. We saw the plastic register box off to the side, but we continued working our way up the rocks to the actual summit. No views today, but I was glad to stand atop it again. We did not stay long in case the weather would turn on us. We made our way down the chimney again, then finally to the road and onto Gaskill. The clouds had lifted some, so I could point out the actual summit to Dave.

As we cruised along the road, I spotted an arrow and a use trail that appeared to be the south trail I had read about in some trip reports, but I decided to stick to the trail I knew.

We finally came to the use trail I remembered and set off. We were enjoying the coolness, the quiet, and the smells of the plants as we worked our way closer to the peak. This trail was far less traveled than the Lawson trail, so we had to push through the brush as we climbed ever higher. The trail did vanish at one point, but we did find it again and continued our scramble across the rocks, taking extra care due to the dampness.

Finally, we reached the summit region. When I did Gaskill back in 2018, I was still recovering from my neck injury so I did not attempt the true summit. But this time I was going to make it!

Following a use trail around the south side of the summit, I began looking for a ‘tunnel’ that would lead us up closer to the summit. And there, on the west side, it revealed itself!

We easily clambered our way up, the true summit so very close. The final push required some careful hand and footwork, but I was now atop Gaskill! I proudly signed the register, that was tucked between two rocks. We did not stay long on the summit again, as we did still have a hard descent and several miles of hiking back to the car.

These peaks were #69 and #70 of my #100PeakChallenge!