Viejas Mountain

Peak Name: Viejas Mountain
Distance: 2.93 miles
Date: December 17, 2017 (December 15, 2019) 
Summit: 4,158 feet

Although I did not make out to Ant Benchmark the day before, I opted to summit Viejas Mountain instead. This peak is just to the west of the casino, so it was an easy drive to the trailhead. Mark and I arrived at the trailhead a bit after sunrise.

There is no disguising what this hike is, it is just a steady climb upward. It was a cool morning with a bit of a breeze blowing. Soon, we reached the summit and took in the views while we rested. There is a rock wind shelter that has been built, sadly from rocks that used to denote the winter solstice by Kumeyaay Indians.

I was able to find two markers, but not the formal benchmark nor a register. A few others had joined us on the summit, and after chatting some, we headed back down the trail. In the distance, El Cajon Mountain beckoned for another day…

El Cajon Mountain in the distance

Updated: December 15, 2019

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/hr. 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!

Oak Benchmark

Peak Name: Oak Benchmark
Distance: 0.88 miles
Date: December 16, 2017 (November 10, 2019)
Summit: 3,942 feet

The second summit of the day was Oak Benchmark. The light rain that started at the end of my hike to Peak 1549, had ended. I had originally planned to summit this peak back when I did Cemetery Hill but thought better since it was hunting season.

Parking in the same trailhead, I headed south along the road to a nice clearing. From my research with Google Earth, I knew that this should provide an easier route to the summit, as there is no formal trail to the top. The main warning I had read about was the amount of poison oak that exists. I was hoping attempting this in the winter would reduce my chances of encountering it.

I picked my way up toward the peak, I meandered through the brush until I reached the summit. I found the benchmark and register with no problem.

The skies continued to look threatening, but the views gave me a nice look back toward Julian.

Looking Eastward

Summit Selfie

Looking Northward..

I headed back down toward the car with no real issues. Just the crush of fallen oak leaves under my boots. With that, it was off the third peak of the day, Peak 4159.

Updated: November 10, 2019

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.

Cuyamaca in the distance

Looking north west

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

Peak Name: Cemetery Hill
Distance: 3.8 miles
Date: November 4, 2017 (November 10, 2019)
Summit: 3,450 feet

I was able to have Dave join me again to summit Cemetery Hill near Julian. This is one of several summits at can be reached from Eagle Peak Road. We were considering maybe adding one or two more of the nearby peaks in if time allowed. Parking near the same starting point for Oak Benchmark, we head south and down the trail. It is easy to spot due to the metal railing.

The trail works its way down about 400 feet of elevation to Deadman Flat. As we began working our way to the summit, we crossed paths with some deer hunters. I had forgotten it was hunting season. I am glad I opted for my red baseball cap. We let them pass as they were tracking a deer.

Dave and I were certainly a bit more alert for others that might be wandering the hills. Since Oak Benchmark was an off-trail summit, we made the decision to come back after deer season.

 

The route to the summit was easy to follow. Once at the site, there were just some remnants of some posts that outlined the actual cemetery. I suppose the Witch Creek or Cedar Creek fires might have damaged what had been here.

The views were nice of the area and the weather was delightful. No register nor benchmark was located. We retraced our steps since we did not hear the echoes of a rifle shot, we had to assume the hunters had not found that deer yet.

Updated: November 10, 2019

After summiting P1546, I drove back up Eagle Peak Road to the shared trailhead for Cemetery Hill and Oak Benchmark. Along the way, I pasted 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 had 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.

Peak 1546

Peak Name: Peak 1546
Distance: 3.57 miles
Date: December 16, 2017 (November 10, 2019)
Summit: 1,546 feet

As I drove out toward Julian in the predawn light, I was hoping to summit at least three of my planned four peaks today: Peak 1546, Oak Benchmark, and  Peak 4159 and Ant Benchmark. I knew the last one was going to be a stretch as I had tickets to The Last Jedi. But the other three are all along the Eagle Peak Road, so I thought they could be bagged together.

First up was Peak 1549. I drove down the dirt road until it ended. I parked the car and under mostly cloudy skies continued down the now overgrown road. This was another inverted hike, so I knew the hard part was the second half…

As I strolled down, the sun would illuminate the hills and the dry Mildred Falls to my north.

After about a mile or so, I came to the portion of the hike that requires a permit. This is one of two trails that lead to Cedar Creek Falls. This is a popular destination when the falls are running, but alas there was no water flowing. I can certainly see how the unprepared get themselves into trouble. I opted to be a rebel and continue on, in part, since I was not actually going to the falls themselves. The trail rose again, and soon my destination was in view, a solitary bump just to the west of the trail.

I followed the steep use trail to the summit. There I was rewarded with some incredible views of the San Diego River drainage.

Looking west

Looking back toward Dear Creek Falls

Summit Selfie!

I did not stay long as I had more peaks to summit. I began the climb back up the road to my car, enjoying the cool air. I can imagine what it must feel like in the summer climbing back up…

Just as I reached my car, a light rain began to fall. On the Oak Benchmark!

Updated: November 10, 2019

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 to the 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 car having bagged my 81st peak.

Lawson & Gaskill Peaks

Peak Name: Lawson & Gaskill Peak
Distance: 8.75 miles
Date: September 28, 2019
Summit: 3,610 feet / 3,838 feet

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!

Lawson Peak

Peak Name: Lawson Peak
Distance: 4.75 miles (8.75 miles)
Date: December 31, 2017 (September 28, 2019)
Summit: 3,610 feet

The final summits for 2017 were the duo of Lawson and Gaskill peaks. Ted and I drove out past Jamul to the trailhead just off Lyons Valley Road.

The trail follows Carvacre Road for about 1.9 miles, gaining about a 1,000 feet of elevation. The road is somewhat rutted, so you do have to watch your footing some. The peak is not initially visible, but will soon loom before you as the road works it way up.

Lawson in the distance

As we drew closer to the peak, we passed a massive granite outcropping near the junction with Wisecraver road. Here is where the real effort begins to reach the summit. A nice trail begins the steep ascent through the brush and boulders until we reached the base of the real challenge of Lawson peak.

Circling around to the north-west side, we found the 20-foot high chute that we needed to climb. We carefully tested the rope and work our way up into the cave at the top.

We worked our way through the small cave to arrive near the summit.

From there, we scrambled to the top.

There we were rewarded sweeping views, Gaskill to the north, Lyons peak to the south.

Gaskill Peak

I checked in with the family and my daughter was feeling under the weather, so I needed to head home. So, Gaskill was going to have to wait for another day. We carefully worked ourselves back down the chute and back to the main road. Soon we were back at the car, with time to shower and rest up before our New Years’ Eve celebrations.

Update: September 29, 2019

As part of my100 Peak Challenge Reboot, I summited this and Gaskill as a pair. That trip report is here.

Lawson-only route

Gaskill Peak

Peak Name: Gaskill Peak
Distance: 7.14 miles (8.75 miles)
Date: August 26, 2018 (September 28, 2019)
Summit: 3,764 feet

Now that I am finding my trail legs again, it was time to go back and summit Gaskill. When Ted and I tackled Lawson Peak, we did not continue onto Gaskill, as I had a sick girl to attend to.

We followed the same route as before, we looked at the trail leading up to Lawson and joked if either of us wanted to scramble up the chimney again…

Lawson Peak

The route follows the road for about a mile until the trail to Gaskill appeared. Along the way, a motorcycle passed us. We were not entirely sure why he needs a machete on his back.

The trail worked its way to up the steep slope to the peak. There we explored the first set of rocks. Ted went over to see if we could scramble atop the other set. Not finding a safe route, we opted not to attempt it.

We retraced our route, as the heat began to rise. Once back in the car, some well earned Mexican food and a fresh Alpine Brewery beer were in order.

Update: September 29, 2019

As part of my 100 Peak Challenge Reboot, I summited Lawson and Gaskill as a pair. That trip report is here.

Gaskill only route

East Mesa High Point

Peak Name: East Mesa High Point
Distance: 9.29 miles
Date: August 19, 2018 (September 22, 2019)
Summit: 5,175 feet

Decided to tackle something a bit longer in distance today, East Mesa High Point. I convinced another friend, Steve Boyle to tag along. It was another early start to beat the heat.

For the most part, this was going to be a straightforward hike to the base of the Mesa where some actual bushwhacking would be needed to summit.

We followed the Harvey Moore trail until it met the East Mesa Fire Road. Crossing a meadow and then cresting a small rise, we joined the East Mesa Fire Road.

Steve opted not to join me in my bushwhacking, so off I went toward the summit. I worked my way through the bush without too much trouble. I did not locate a register nor a Benchmark.

I headed back down the Mesa and began working my way to the junction where I rejoined Steve. We retraced our route as the heat began to rise. Along the way, we encountered two ladies out on their horses.

We finally made it back to the car, feeling the effects of the heat and miles, but it was still a nice day on the trails.

Updated: September 22, 2019

The sun was just illuminating the top of Cuyamaca peak as I pulled into the Sweetwater River parking lot. The air was crisp as I gathered my gear and set off counter-clockwise along the Harvey Moore Trail, which was named after the first superintendent of the park, with the goal of summiting the East Mesa High Point.

The trail works its way upward for a bit before reaching the mesa. Oakzanita stood to the south, and soon it’s summit was lit by the morning sun. Soon the mesa spread out before me, its golden grasses waving gently in the breeze as I made my way toward Granite Springs campground.

I passed through the empty campground, pausing for a bit on the bench beneath a grand oak tree. As the trail continued north, some movement to the left of me caught my eye. It was a deer walking through the grassland. I stopped and watched as it looked back at me, then it began leaping away. I turned back to the trail, and some 10-15 wild turkeys were just off to the side of the trail about 25 yards away.

As I crested the rise, I began to get my first glimpses again of the East Mesa High Point. There is no trail to this summit, so I spent some time scouting the possible route up. I had my GPS track from before but with the rains last year, who know about the growth…

I turned on the Deer Park Trail for a little bit before beginning the cross-country portion. I spotted a faint use trail that headed up the hillside, so I decided to follow it up. The basic route I was going to follow was to stay to the left of the heavy brush in the forested section up to or near the ridgeline, then begin the bushwhacking to the summit. This use trail led me to a small flat area that I remembered from before. Crossing through the knee-high grass, ever thankful for my gaiters, I reached the final rise to the summit. Again, I spotted a faint trail and began working my way up.

Soon, this trail reached the brush and the hard part was about to begin. I scanned the thicket and saw what seemed to be a route into it. I pushed through and would slowly find my way through, it actually turned out to be not as difficult as I had feared. As I neared the summit, I spied the metal pole denoting the summit. Weaving my way through the last of the brush, I had reached the peak again. I signed the register and enjoyed the views. I set back down the mountain, hoping that I would be able to pick up my route again. This is why it is so important to stop and survey the route you have taken.

Back on Deer Park Trail, I paused to address some burrs that slipped past my gaiters. A lone mountain biker passed by. We chatted some before we both continued northward. He turned south back along the East Mesa Fire Road/Harvey Moore Trail, and I decided to do the full loop. Last time I did this summit, I did it as an Out-and-Back. But this time I wanted to explore the rest of the trail. My legs were feeling great, even after summiting Hot Springs Mountain the day before. The trail continued through the mesa for a but before making its steep descent toward Harper Creek. While the scenery was fine, I did have some shade to enjoy.

Once I crossed the dry creek, the terrain was almost desert-like in the canyon. Quite the contrast from the golden meadows a few hours earlier. I hustled down the trail. I could imagine when the creek is flowing, how one might enjoy this section, but for me it was meh. Finally, I reached the East Side Trail and begin heading south again back to the car, where the orange I meant to bring sat in the cooler… I kept up the pace, in part as it was getting a tad warmer and I had a farewell party to attend. The trail was gentle and shaded at times as it followed the dry Sweetwater River. After about two miles or so, I found myself back at the car. I quickly shed some of my hiking gear, enjoyed that orange and headed back into town. That was my 68th peak of my 100 Peak Challenge.

Ant Benchmark

Peak Name: Ant Benchmark
Distance: 1.69 miles
Date: December 30, 2017 (Sept 7, 2019)
Summit: 3,209 feet

Well finally had the chance to summit Ant Benchmark after running out of time during my last time out near Julian. Ted was able to join me for this adventure. We drove down Boulder Creek Road to the trailhead. There is no parking at the proper trailhead, but there is a spot about a quarter-mile before, just past the cattle guard.

At the bend in the road, the trail begins. We continued down the trail until we reached the meadow and our first real view of our peak.  Upon crossing the meadow, the real fun began as we started our scramble up.

The brush was not too bad, and boulders manageable. The summit surprised us with her views.

 

Summit Selfies

Heading back down

Ted enjoying the view

We scrambled back down and called it a day as we had an event in the early afternoon.

Update: Sept 7, 2019

The second peak, Ant Benchmark, was just a short drive north from the Three Sisters trailhead. I pulled into the turnout just before the boundary of the Inaja Indian Reservation. I grabbed my gear and headed back down Boulder Creek Road.

The trail was in the same shape as Sunshine Mountain, passable but with a lot of growth. After about .5 miles, the descent ends, and I head out across the golden meadow.

From there I began working my way up the summit. I remembered the actual summit was set back, so I knew I had more climbing than what I initially saw.

I never found a real path up. Mostly I tried to use the rocks and stay to the northeast side. Apart from the initial effort to bushwhack on to the slope, it went fairly well.

Once at the true summit, I sat and flipped through the register, recognizing many fellow peak baggers.

 

There were three marks on the summit as well. It was getting warm, so made my way back down the mountain.

 

So I was crossing back across the meadow and back up the old Jeep road. That was my 60th peak of my 100 Peak Challenge!

 

Eagle Peak

Peak Name: Eagle Peak
Distance: 4.8 miles
Date: October 8, 2017 (August 24, 2019)
Summit: 3,217 feet

Somehow I convinced Ted, Dave, and Jeremey to tag along for this hike out to some of the best views of all of San Diego. This peak shares the same trailhead as Three Sisters and was recently expanded. Since there was no water flowing at the falls, the crowds were light. We set off west along the old dirt road, We quickly reached the top of a small rise where a cluster of Engelmann oaks stood. I knew this would be our almost back to the car indicator.

The trail began descending again, and the turnoff to Three Sisters was to our left, but our destination was straight ahead. The trail turned from a simple road into a single-track trail. As the trail began its climb to the summit, it would tease us with false summits.  But before long we found ourselves at the rocky peak. As we stood top, taking in the promised views, we found the register and two benchmarks.

After a bit, we began our return to the car, as we passed the junction to Three Sisters, we began to see more folks headed down to the dry falls. All in all, the four of us enjoyed another one of Chris’ crazy adventures.

Update: August 24, 2019

Kept waffling on what peak I wanted to do. Settled on attempting a three-fer, but the temperatures I might be pushing it. I pulled into the parking lot for Three Sisters/Eagle Peak a bit before sunrise. To my surprise, the road down to the trailhead for Sunshine Mountain was closed. That was going to put a wrench in my plans. But one peak at a time.

I headed off down the trail, the air was already warm, the cooling effects of a marine layer were not there. I held a nice pace as I worked my way out to the peak. The trail was certainly more overgrown than last time. Toward the summit, it took a bit of poking around to find the trail.

I was amazed at the graffiti along the trail, and the trash. Since this is an out and back hike, I tried to remember where the empty water bottles were to pick them up on the return. Sadly I left the five Bud Light bottles behind.

The summit was quiet. I found the benchmark and reference mark with no trouble. I did not find the register.

I headed back down the trail. The overgrowth again was an issue near the top. Since the road to the trailhead for Sunshine Mountain was closed, I was looking to see if there was a connecting trail. Caltopo showed one, but as I got near where it was supposed to be, I could find no evidence.

The parking lot had filled up, and I had to wonder if these hikers knew of the difficult and forecasted temperatures as they set off down to Three Sisters. None of them were headed to Eagle Peak…