Borrego Mountain-East Butte

Peak Name: Borrego Mountain-East Butte
Distance: 1.81 miles
Date: December 22, 2017 (November 16, 2019)
Summit: 1,196 feet

I felt like I needed to get back out to Anza-Borrego and get a few more peaks under my belt. The plan was to attempt Borrego Mountain East Butte, then meet up with Rabbi Earne and his family and escort them to the Slot Canyon, while I summited Borrego Mountain’s, West Butte. Finally, with time and energy permitting I was going to try to summit Sennetac Mountain.

I arrived at the trailhead for Borrego Mountain just as the sun was just rising. I bundled up and headed toward the gully that would lead me up to the summit. One nice thing about this hike, there is a bathroom.

At the base of the boulder-filled gully, I surveyed my route. I opted to stick to the left side. I carefully and slowly worked my way up through the jumble of boulders. Soon, I found myself past this challenge and at a saddle between two portions of the East Butte. The summit was on the western side, so up I went.

Looking south-east/

To the north

The actual summit is atop a flat butte, as I walked around, taking in the sweeping views. I found the register and signed in.

I had an approximate time I needed to meet the Rabbi, so I headed back down. This time I opted to travel on the east side of the gully. It was about the same level of difficulty as the other side. I found myself back at the car and ready to continue the day’s adventures.

Updated: November 16, 2019

As the end of the year keeps getting closer, I have to be mindful of my remaining peaks. Today I planned to summit either 3 or 4 peaks out in Anza Borrego. The forecast was for highs in the mid-80s, so by the fourth peak, it might be too warm to want to do. It also meant back to being at the trailhead at dawn.

First up was Borrego Mountain East Butte. Unlike last time, where I went up the boulder-filled gully, this time I was going to try a different route from the west side. I drove up Goat Trail, a dirt road across from the Desert Ironwood Resort. Just as the road makes a sharp left is the trailhead and nice parking area.

The sun had just risen, but it had not cleared the Butte yet, so I grabbed my gear, I crossed over the land bridge to Butte.

Once across, I began carefully climbing up the rocky slope.

While not the craziness of the gully, this route still took a little care and effort. A few cairns mark the route, but if you have some desert route-finding skills you should be able to pick your way up.

Once I reached the top of Butte, I made my way to the high point and the register. I signed my name as an x2, then took in the views.

As I knew the forecast was going to be in the mid-80s, I did not linger. Back at the car, I was off to Borrego Mountain West Butte, about 10 minutes away. Peak #84 was now done.