Toro Peak – West Peak

After the punishing heat atop Santiago, I knew I wanted to hike somewhere cooler this weekend if possible. After some research, Toro Peak, technically Toro Peak – West Peak, seemed like a nice option. The actual climb to the summit wasn’t too long, and to offset the drive, there were camping options. So, after checking with the family, I loaded up the Subaru for the adventure. The one gamble was all the sites, known as Yellow Post Sites, are first-come, first-served. So, there was a chance they could all be taken by the time I got there. I left mid-afternoon on Friday and made my way out to the Santa Rosa mountains. I pulled into the Santa Rosa Pit Stop and grabbed some firewood. Most of the Yellow Post Sites have fire rings and picnic tables. Alas, most do not have bathrooms. I turned off onto the dirt road that I would take up the mountain, keeping an eye out for cars and looking for points of interest. The road was fair, a little rocky at times, and there are sections where passing might be troublesome. Any regular truck or SUV would do just fine on it. As I made my way further and further up, I passed the painted rock and trees that offered their insights on past wildfires.

Each of the Yellow Post Sites is numbered, and I decided to see if #5 was still available. After one tricky section, I pulled into the spot. There was a nice level section for the car, so I parked and began setting up. The nice thing about car camping is it really doesn’t take long to set up. Just to the north of my campsite was the summit of Santa Rosa Mountain (HPS #67). I grabbed a trekking pole and strolled up the road. Atop the summit there is a huge fireplace, all that remains of a cabin that once stood there. I scrambled to the top of the summit rocks and took in the view. A hint of smoke filled the air from the Bonnie Fire, burning off to the west. There are actually two Yellow Post sites here as well, and I did consider relocating, but since it was just me, I was fine with my site. As I returned back down from my stroll, some ideas for a work project had gelled in my head, so I grabbed my notebook and sketched them down. Depending on where I stood, I had some cell signal, so I checked in with the family. Peakbagger showed another summit just off to the southwest of me, so I was off for another mini-trek.

I climbed the short slope onto the ridgeline and then followed it for a short while until I reached its summit. I brought my Garmin, just in case. Once at the summit I found a nicely shaded rock and wound up taking a short nap. Once back at camp, I began prepping my fire and watching the sun slowly set. The moon had risen and I could see Toro Peak directly off to my east. That peak is on the Santa Rosa Indian Reservation and is off-limits. I tried to spot the “replacement” peak but had no luck. I lit my fire and later enjoyed my dinner and beverages. With the bright moon, I knew that any real star-gazing would not be in the cards, so I crawled into the car and went to sleep.

For some reason, I did not sleep all that well. I woke up just before dawn and was thankful to get a lovely photo of the pre-dawn sky. Rather than start from where I had camped, I decided to continue driving toward the trailhead and start somewhere closer. According to the map, there was a vault toilet about a mile to the east at a cluster of three campsites. I parked at the one closest to the road. All three were empty, so I did not have to worry about waking anyone up. As I gathered my gear, a rainbow appeared to the west. I already had a few sprinkles coming down on me when I was packing up, so a rain jacket was added to the pack. The first part of the hike followed the main road toward Toro Peak.

I spotted the cairn that marked the steep gully that I would follow up to the saddle. I left the road and began working my way up the steep and pine needle-covered slopes. To give a sense of the steepness, the average grade was about 28%, and coupled with being at almost 8,000 feet, my lungs were working overtime. Once at the small saddle, I turned westward for the final push to the summit. It had sprinkled on me from time to time on my ascent, so I did not expect to linger too long on the summit. I found the register and signed in. The views were breathtaking, but I was mindful of the weather, so I headed back down. Pictures never do justice to the steepness of the terrain, but trust me, it was steep! Once back on the road, I quickly cruised back to the car. I did not have a real breakfast, so the Paradise Valley Café was calling my name. All told the hike was 2.6 miles and had an elevation gain of 775 feet.

I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. In 2019, I became the third person to complete the San Diego 100 Peak Challenge. Not stopping with that accomplishment, I set my sights on the harder San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list, which I completed in 2021. In addition, I have conquered several Six-Pack of Peaks challenges (SoCal, San Diego, Central Coast, and Arizona-Winter). Beyond attempting the San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list a second time, I am looking forward to exploring new summits and new adventures across the southwest.

Santiago Peak

Today’s plan was to summit Santiago Peak, followed by Modjeska Peak. We drove up from the Maple Springs Trailhead to the pullout to start our adventures. The forecast from NOAA seemed to be good enough for us to hike the 5 or so miles for these summits. After applying a good amount of sunscreen, we set off to Santiago. It felt a light warmer than we wanted, but it was still pleasant enough. We reached the junction with the side trail that would allow us to leave the main road. I took the lead as we followed the slightly overgrown trail up toward the summit. The shade was welcomed, but there was now an uptick in the number of bugs that were beginning to swarm around us. We passed by the crashed truck. How it got here is a puzzle I would love to solve one day…

I kept pushing myself up the trail. I have to keep reminding myself that I am still rebuilding my fitness from being off-trail due to my foot for almost a year. The towers on the summit drew nearer, and soon we reached the summit. We snapped some photos and then found some shade to cool off under. But the bugs were just too bothersome to linger, plus it was getting toasty.

We retraced our route and found ourselves at the saddle between the two summits. Now we took a different trail that would climb toward the road that leads to Modjeska. The trail is a bit more exposed, so we could feel the sun beating down on us. Once at the junction, I found some shade to rest for a bit. Although the summit was about 1/2 mile away, I did not feel up to it (plus I had driving responsibilities). Modjeska was the peak that Susie was interested in summiting, so she set off for it. I cruised back down to the car and relaxed for about 20 minutes until Susie returned. She was thankful I had been running the AC in the car. The thermometer on the car read 101! WTF! That was a far cry from the mid-80s that were forecasted.

While on the way up we only saw 2 motorcycles, but this time we had some traffic to deal with. One jeep was coming up way too fast and they had to dive into the brush to avoid the collision. I squeezed by them, but still got some new pin-strips on my car. Once back with some cell signal, we punched in the route home and our estimated time to home was over 2 1/2 hours! Switching apps, it found a route through the surface streets that avoid whatever mess was happening in Dana Point. While I would have liked to have gotten both peaks, I know I will be back as I have promised to bring Ted up here so he can work on his SoCal county high points. While the hike itself was only 4.3 with 1,020 feet of gain, part of the test was seeing how the foot would do with a bit more driving. So far it is feeling pretty good.

Sawmill Mountain & Mt. Pinos

After climbing Mt. Baden-Powell, I set off for my final set of peaks, Mt. Pinos and Sawmill Mountain. The original plan was to car camp at McGill Campground about two miles from the trailhead, wake up early, get these peaks, then make back to San Diego for a graduation party. Unfortunately, I missed some fine print on the reservation and no longer had a spot. Since my legs still felt good and I wasn’t in any real hurry, I decided to see if I could make the 7.5 mile round trip out to Sawmill. The parking lot was almost empty when I pulled in. I changed into a fresh shirt, made sure that I had refilled my water bladder and set off to the first peak, Mt. Pinos. While the temperatures were in the mid-70s, a light breeze and shade of the trees made for some nice hiking weather.

A few clouds dotted the sky, giving my photos some nice texture. Soon the summit of Mt. Pinos came into view, and I walked over and found the summit sign. After snapping a few photos, I set off toward the Tumamait trailhead and the “hard” part of the hike. From here, the trail loses about 400 feet of elevation to almost immediately gain it again. I took my time and plodded along, much like the climbs earlier in the day. Soon the turnoff to Sawmill appeared, and a short 2/10 mile later the large rock cairn stood before me. I grabbed the summit sign and snapped a few photos. For many, they will continue onto Grouse Mountain to the west to complete the 3-2-1 challenge, but this time I had no desire to tack on another couple of miles.

I started heading back down toward the saddle for that climb back up. Surprisingly, it went fairly well. I have to think the past few days at something besides sea level might have helped. Soon I was back at the Mt. Pinos Condor Observation Site and had just about 1.7 miles back to the car. Thankfully it was almost all downhill.

Once back at the car, I took a moment to reflect on the past three days. I had put in some serious miles and elevation gain. I grabbed some cold sodas and a sandwich from the market then began the drive home. Thankfully the traffic wasn’t too bad and I was home before 10 pm.

The final stats for these summits was 7.3 miles in 3:17 with 1,430 feet of gain.

Baden-Powell (via Dawson’s Saddle)

The drive from Palm Springs to Wrightwood was uneventful. I decided to grab lunch along the way in Cazabon and refuel the Outback. After the mid-70s atop San Jacinto, the 100+ temps on the desert floor felt awful. The next peak on my adventure was Baden-Powell. Originally when I planned the adventure, I had hoped to hike out to the Big Horn Mine in the afternoon, but this heat wave we were having scuttled that idea. That hike is south-facing and without a lot of shade. I checked into my campsite at Table Mountain and then drove the 10 minutes back into Wrightwood to hit the market. I grabbed some soda, a couple of beers, and a bag of ice. Back at the campsite, I unpacked the backpack and the slack-pack and then reassembled my daypack. Soon I could feel my stomach being to grumble and headed again back into Wrightwood for dinner. After a nice Carne Asada burrito plate, I drove back to finish setting up for the night. Last year, I bought a custom air mattress for the Outback from Luno. In about 5 minutes, I had all the parts inflated and ready. The camp host stopped by and we chatted a bit. He said tonight the campground was mostly empty, but tomorrow it would be packed. I gathered some of the downed wood and enjoyed a small campfire as night fell. I crawled into the back of the Outback and listened to an audiobook for a while before drifting off to sleep.

I woke again before dawn. I can see why they sell window covers, but I had a long day of hiking ahead of me and it was going to be warm, so I did not mind. I made my breakfast, this time some biscuits and gravy from Mountain House. If the temperatures had been milder, I might have considered breakfast in town. I deflated the mattress, relocated my other items, and set off toward Dawson’s Saddle. I had climbed Baden-Powell twice before, each time via the Vincent Gap trailhead and the infamous switchbacks. But this time, I decided to approach it from the other route. I passed the parking lot at Vincent Gap and there were about 5 cars parked there.

Finding the parking area for Dawson’s Saddle was fairly easy, I just had to look for the CalTrans shed and park to the side. The full plan for the day was to hike from the saddle to Throop Peak, then continue along the ridge east to Mount Burnham and then Baden-Powell. I grabbed my gear and crossed over the Angeles Crest Highway to the trail. This first section of the trail was steep, and I honestly began to reconsider just doing the switchbacks. I knew though, that after a short portion of this, the trail would mellow out. As I gained the ridge that I would follow toward Throop, I was rewarded with some great views to the west, as well as some nice views to the south, including Throop Peak. The trail certainly became much more reasonable as I continued to climb. After about 1.5 miles, the trail splits. To the left is a connector trail that joins the Pacific Crest Trail or you can stay heading south to climb up to the summit of Throop Peak. I missed the junction, but since the trail made a turn to the east, I stopped and checked my route. I was just a bit off, so I did a quick U-turn, followed by some short cross-country hiking, and found the trail. I had about 4/10 mile to gain about 450 feet. I paced myself as I worked up toward the summit. I had a long day ahead of me and had a respectable day of hiking the day before. Soon the summit came into view and I spotted the metal plaque and ever-present summit signs. I snapped my photos and soaked in yet another summit vista. Off to the east stood my next two peaks, Mount Burnham and the primary goal, Baden-Powell. Once I was ready, I set off down from the summit to connect with the PCT.

Once on the PCT, I had about a mile to go before the junction to summit Mount Burnham. From previous trip reports, I knew this approach was also a bit steep. I made the decision to bypass it and continue on to my primary goal of Baden-Powell and summit Burnham on my return. As I continued eastward on the PCT, I would be passed from time to time by actual PCT thru-hikers. We would stop for a bit and chat before each heading our separate ways. The views along the trail were delightful. At times, I could see the high desert to the north, and at other times off toward the Los Angeles basin.

Finally, I came to the junction that would take me up to the summit of Baden-Powell. Again, this is a short but steep climb. I kept my eyes focused on the trail in front of me and plodded upward. Soon, the familiar concrete monument was in front of me. I dropped my pack next to it and wandered over to the summit flag. I snapped a few photos, but I have found that I tend to take less at the summits when I revisit them. This time was no exception. I sat next to the monument to Lord Baden-Powell and enjoyed a well-earned snack. Off to my west, I could see my return route. From this side, the ascent of Mount Burnham looked much more hospitable. Once I was refreshed, I set off back the way I came. Looking back, I should have gone the other way, just to see the Wally Waldron tree before rejoining the PCT. Oh well…

I cruised along the PCT knowing for the most part, I would be descending, but with a few short climbs from time to time just to keep things interesting. I reached the junction to leave the PCT and make the climb up to Mount Burnham. I made my way up the trail, stopping briefly once to photograph Baden-Powell. I really only had to go about 500 feet with just about 100 feet of gain. A bit nicer than 3/10 mile and over 300 feet of gain. At the summit, a small rock cairn had been constructed, and the summit sign was placed next to it. I found a register and signed it. After a few photos, I set off down the other side. As I made my way down back toward the PCT, I was validated by my choice to do this peak upon my return.

The trail would continue on, treating me to more views along the way. Soon I reached the junction with the side trail that avoided climbing back up Throop Peak. This was that same trail I was briefly on earlier in the day. I had about 2.3 miles mostly descending back toward Dawson’s Saddle. From time to time, I would see the burned slopes of Mount Lewis just to the north of where I was parked. That area burned during the Bobcat fire back in 2020. Along the way, I passed a group of four hikers heading out for Baden-Powell, I wished them well and continued on. Once safely down that short steep section, I again crossed the highway to my car. I really enjoyed the climb to Baden-Powell this way. While it had some moments, it felt less of a challenge and more of a hike. I would like to come back and explore some of the other peaks in the area. After changing out of the hiking clothes and a quick rinse, I headed down to the high desert and over toward Frazier Park and what was to be my next set of peaks; Mt. Pinos and Sawmill Mountain. The final stats for this hike were 8.5 miles, in 4:46 with 2,640 feet of gain.

Backpacking San Jacinto

Earlier this year, Jeff Hester, the founder of the Six-Pack of Peaks Challenges, asked if I would be interested in joining a group to scout out a new set of peaks for a New Mexico-based Challenge. I immediately said yes! However, New Mexico had to close all its National Forests, as several wildfires were raging across the state. That meant we would have to postpone the trip, possibly to Fall. Since I had the time off, I decided to turn my focus to either working on the SoCal Six-Pack or the Arizona Summer Six-Pack. In the end, the SoCal trip won. One of the biggest pains of the SoCal is all the driving to and from San Diego, but turning it into more of a camping road trip would take some of the sting out of the effort. Plus, this would let me have an adventure! The first peak on the list was San Jacinto, but instead of hiking up via Devil’s Slide or the Marion Mountain route, I would do this peak as an overnight trip. I sent away for my overnight permit (yes, you still have to apply for the permit via the mail). Once I received my permit, I secured campgrounds near the other two peaks I wanted to climb, Baden-Powell and Sawmill. This trip was going to be a blend of backpacking and car camping, so I had an interesting collection of gear in the back of my trusty Outback. With everything loaded, I set off for Palm Springs and the Aerial Tram.

Day 1: Mountain Station to Round Valley

The first day was actually going to be pretty mild. I parked my car in the overnight lot at the tram station and grabbed my gear. While I had a reserved ticket for 2 pm, I was there a bit early. There was room on the tram, so I headed up away from the heat of the desert. After my 12-minute ride, I headed to the ranger station to check in. The ranger went over the basic rules and showed me how the campsite actually worked. I must admit, in planning this portion of the trip I did not really understand the layout of the Round Valley campground. Along the trail, there are posts, each marked with an R and a number. These serve as junction markers to trails that lead back to the various campgrounds, which are all named. He told me to avoid R1-R4 as they are just off the main trail to the peak. Since there were some winds forecasted for the evening, he also suggested not staying at Upper Chinquapin. Now that I understood the campground, and carrying a much better map that came with my permit, I set off.

The temperatures were in the mid-70s, but the light breeze and the shade made for a pleasant time. Since I was early, I debated heading to the campsite, dropping my gear, and heading up to the summit, but I knew I had several more days of hiking ahead of me and did not need to rush. Once at Round Valley, I began to explore some of the options to set up camp. In the end, I picked Buckthorn, as there was a spot sheltered by some boulders that could offer some additional protection from the wind. I walked back down to the Seasonal Ranger station and marked on the map that I had taken Buckthorn for the evening, then went over to the faucet to filter water.

As evening came, I made my dinner and enjoyed a nice beer I carried up. Since I only had to cover just over 2 miles with an elevation gain of about 800 feet, I was willing to have the extra weight for a nice Victory at Sea from Ballast Point. A quarter moon hung in the sky as I crawled into my tent and drifted to sleep.

Day 2: Round Valley to Summit

I woke just before dawn, and the forecasted winds never seemed to come. I had my oatmeal and a couple of cups of coffee while I broke down camp. My plan was to stash my backpack, while I slack-packed up to the summit. I found a nice nook near the ranger station and set off up the trail toward Wellman Divide. Since the first tram up wasn’t until 10 am, I doubted I would see anyone for quite a while. I felt great as I made the climb up from Round Valley. I suspect that spending the night at 9,100 feet helped my body get a bit more used to the altitude. I reached Wellman Divide still feeling great. I stopped for a bit to grab some photos before continuing upward.

The trail was familiar, as this was the third time I had covered this portion of the route. Unlike last time, where I had been feeling the climb, this time I just kept cruising along. I reached the turn near Miller Peak and kept trucking along, knowing I was almost there. I came to the junction with the trail that connects up from Little Round Valley. If I was going to see anyone this early, it would be anyone who might have camped there. Although I suspect, if they had camped there, they might have tried for a sunrise summit. There was a tiny patch of snow nearby, and I wondered how much longer it would last?

I set off for the final 3/10 mile to the summit. I briefly stopped at the Rescue Hut but was starting to run low on energy. Since I had a short scramble to the top, I pushed on. Someone had spray-painted blue arrows to help guide you up the rocks. I could not recall seeing this the last time.

Once at the summit, I stood alone. I snapped my photos, enjoying not having to wait for others. I then found a nice spot to take my well-earned break. With a little bit of food in me, I was feeling great again. I took in the views some more, then headed back down the trail. As I neared the turn near Miller Peak, I decided to hike over and check it out. I got close to the true summit, but it would have been a bit of a scramble to the top and I just did not feel like doing it. After rejoining the main trail, I cruised back down. I would look at my watch and wonder when I might encounter my first day hikers. My best guess was just around Round Valley. The return to Round Valley went smoothly, stopping only for photos.

Once back at Round Valley, I switched back to my backpack, securing my slack-pack to the outside. I thought about transferring my water bladder back into my backpack but figured I had just about 2 miles of downhill ahead of me and I would be fine. Just past the first campsites, I met my first day-hikers. My guess had been correct as to the timing. We chatted a bit, then each went our separate ways. About every 15 minutes or so, I would pass another set of hikers making their way toward the summit. Some seemed a bit more prepared than others. Finally, I reached the ranger station. I checked in with the ranger to let him know I safely returned. As I enjoyed a nice cool drink of water, I listened to him caution a group of hikers about the warm day. Feeling a bit refreshed, I set off on the hardest part of the entire hike, the climb to the actual tram station. I plodded my way up the 120 feet of steep concrete switchbacks. Once there, I bought a cold soda and waited for the next tram down. With one peak down, it was off to drive over to Table Mountain Campground and tackle Baden-Powell via Dawson’s Saddle tomorrow.

Final Stats

Day 1: Ranger Station to Round Valley: 2.25 miles, 1:17, and 795 feet of gain.

Day 2: Round Valley – Summit: 5.9 miles, 3:39 (excluding time at the summit), and 1,735 feet of gain

Round Valley to Ranger Station: 1.9 miles, 1:03, and 795 feet of loss.

Mirror Lake

Matt’s alarm went off at midnight, and shortly thereafter it wished him a “happy birthday”. Once it was done singing to him, I did the same. Matt was getting ready to attempt to summit Mt. Whitney, while I was planning to hike as far as Trail Camp. This opportunity for me was fairly last minute, so I had not had the chance to do any training for a hike of the magnitude of the summit. I let Matt focus on getting ready, as I was not scheduled to sync up with David until around 1:30 am. Matt finished up and set off for Whitney Portal. David arrived on schedule and we tossed our gear and began our drive up.

Driving in, we could see headlamps dancing along the trail. When we parked at the portal, the car’s thermometer read 43°F. We grabbed our gear and clicked on our headlamps and set off. There was some comfort having hiked this about 12 hours earlier as we climbed in the darkness. My legs, and more importantly lungs, were feeling good as the trail climbed ever upward. I knew not to compare my pace, as night hiking is always slower. As we made our way up, David was having trouble following my pace. He said to go on and he would meet me at the Lone Pine Lake junction. I continued hiking at a nice pace, being mindful of bears that might be out. All was going well until the long log crossing near the junction. While it had not been an issue in the daylight, this night crossing was nerve-wracking. It was more of a shuffle than actually walking. I reached the junction and waited for David. I found a spot to sit and turned off my headlamp to save my batteries. The stars were majestic as there was no moon to hide their brilliance. In addition, a meteor shower was just concluding, and I spotted one very bright one streaking across the sky. As I waited, several more vaporized into our atmosphere. It had been some time sitting here and I was starting to shiver. I got up and paced a bit to warm back up. I am fairly sure it was below freezing here. Several hikers passed by, but no David. I decided to continue on, knowing David would either turn back and relax back at the portal, or I would meet up with him on my descent.

Just past the Lone Pine Lake junction is the entrance to the Whitney Zone. I stopped for a photo and continued on. To the east, the predawn glow was starting to appear. I kept climbing toward Outpost Camp, the next milestone for me on this hike. The mountains were slowly being bathed in light. The trail eases some as it makes its way through Bighorn Park, the creek flowing next to the trail. As I neared Outpost Camp, I could see the tents scattered about and continued on, trying to be quiet for anyone who might still be asleep.

From there I would have another set of switchbacks to climb until I reached Mirror Lake. My plan was to reach it by sunrise, then enjoy a second breakfast and coffee before pushing on. Waiting for David put me behind schedule, so I watched the sunrise while I was on the switchbacks.

As I reached the junction for Mirror Lake, I could start to feel the altitude and was glad to be taking a break. I found a nice flat patch of granite near the south shore and pulled out my water filter, but for some reason, I could not get it to work. It might have been clogged from the last time I used it or for some other reason. I had enough clean fluids to get down, so that was not an issue, but I did not have enough to continue on nor make my breakfast. I snapped some photos of the peaks reflecting down onto the water. Several groups of hikers passed by as they made their way forward. While I was bummed about not reaching my goal, this hike had been a spectacular one. I hung out here for about 30 minutes, soaking it all in.

As I made my way back, I would mention to ascending hikers to be on the lookout for a fellow in a green and white Celtic jersey and to make sure to wish him a happy birthday! One set of hikers asked if I was Chris and relayed a message from David that he would meet me at Outpost Camp.

There, as promised, was David. He said it just wasn’t his day on the mountains, and with that, we began heading down toward the trailhead. Along the way, we spotted some deer and some pikas. More hikers continued on, some with full backpacks ready to make camp, probably at Trail Camp. In fact, one of those folks turned out to be a friend of a friend who recognized me. We made it back down to Whitney Portal just before 9 am. I hiked a total of 8.6 miles in 6:26. My final altitude was 10,655 feet, meaning I climbed 2,386 feet. After driving back down to Lone Pine, David hopped into his car to race back to his hotel in Ridgecrest to grab a shower. I gathered my gear from the hotel and set off. As I drove away, I looked off to the west, hoping that Matt would be successful and one day I might stand atop that summit. Later that evening, I got a message from Matt that he made it and 15+ people wished him a happy birthday!