Granite Summit of Long Valley Peak

Long Valley Peak
Elevation: 4,833′
Total Mileage: ~5

Trailhead Map (32.81667, -116.53275)

I was initially planning on hiking Palomar Mountain on this day, but, at the 11th hour, literally, I decided on something with a little less distance and gain. Besides, it’s a long drive to Palomar and I wanted to get in more hiking time.

I had seen Long Valley Peak from my hike to Corte Madera and Los Pinos Lookout and other hikes. It looked massive and challenging. It appeared to be capped with granite and surrounded by brush. Not the easiest place to get up.

The PD and I are training for a hiking trip to Colorado, so we wanted to get some distance in. We drove to the trailhead that is right next to the Interstate 8 freeway. I knew my car could probably drive to within half a mile to the summit of Long Valley Peak, but I wanted the hiking experience and training, so we parked there and got out.

Bell Bluff, menacing from below

Bell Bluff
Elevation: 3,409′
Total Mileage: 7
Agency: Cleveland National Forest

Trailhead Map (32.81348, -116.73607)

It was going to be a hot day. And there was going to be bushwhacking. I knew it before getting into this. I had read the trip reports and did all the research I could. I was as prepared as I was going to get. Against my better judgement, I wore shorts. I would accept the deep scratches on my legs as a trade-off for being slightly cooler.

I left my house at about 6AM. The sky was already grey with the promise of a new day when I arose at 5AM. It was already warm. I’ve told plenty of hikers that, as long as you carry enough water, have the property clothing and sun protection,  and have an adequate level of fitness, you’ll be fine hiking in the heat.

But today was absolutely muggy. The humidity made me start sweating the second I closed the hatch on my car and started walking down the street to the trailhead. It was a little sweltering, until the breeze came, reminding me why it’s so great to be outside.

Boucher Hill Viewing Platform

Trailhead Map (33.33195, -116.90684)

After reading a recent article about the renovation of the Boucher Hill Fire Lookout Tower and knowing that Palomar Mountain State Park is slated to be closed as a result of budget cuts from Sacramento, I decided to make Boucher Hill a priority. I summited the peak back in 2006 with my brothers-in-law and had a great time, but it wasn’t officially part of the 100 Peaks quest, so I wanted to summit it again.

Knowing I could squeeze it in the middle of a work day (I have a flexible schedule), I made the beautiful drive through Pala and Pauma Valley. I couldn’t smell the citrus blossoms like I sometime can in the spring, but it was a really nice morning. The temperature rose from 75 to 85 as I made my way around winding roads and past cyclists and motorcycle groups to higher elevations on the mountain. It was going to be a warm day.

Pond at the trailhead to Sunshine Mountain

Sunshine Mountain
Elevation: 3,154′
Total Mileage: 2

Trailhead Map (32.99130, -116.68375)

I had been wanting to get back to this part of San Diego since my hike to Eagle Peak. I also was eyeing this area when I was driving through on the way to Cedar Creek Falls. It looked great on the map and I had a feeling that it didn’t get much traffic. I also thought that the views would be outstanding. I was right.

I got a late start, but that didn’t keep me from making my way through Ramona, Santa Ysabel and Wynola. After seeing families of turkey and quail along the road, I got to the “turntable,” which is a hairpin turn in Boulder Creek Road, and also the trailhead for Eagle Peak and Three Sisters Falls, and the way onto the rustic Cedar Creek Road. There were cars parked at the trailhead there, undoubtedly going to Eagle Peak or Three Sisters Falls, but my sights were set on a different trailhead. I turned right through the gate and headed west on Cedar Creek Road.

When planning this hike, I wasn’t sure how close to the trailhead I was going to be able to get. The condition of Cedar Creek Road can be unpredictable and I didn’t know how passable the side road to the pond would be. It turns out I was able to drive right over the earthen dam of the pond and park in a wide area adjacent to a stream and a grove of oak trees.

Manza Benchmark from the ridge

This topic has been coming up a lot lately in my conversations: Have you ever met an unfriendly hiker?

In all sorts of other recreational activities, it seems like there are hotheads and inconsiderate people. But hikers, in my experience, reach some sort of meditative state where they are at some sort of peace with themselves. Hiking to them is not a race or athletic endeavor; it’s a journey or break from an otherwise chaotic life. The act of hiking is a calming process that balances the focus inward with the focus outward.

I bring this up because I met some especially nice hikers on my trip today.

I got another early start. I love driving in the dark on the way to a trail. It might be cold when I get there, but I love to feel nature wake up in the morning. The quiet sounds of birds waking up and the wind blowing gently through the trees are typically what I find once I set foot on the trail. I didn’t get that today.

Corte Madera Mountain from the Saddle

Well, we all make mistakes. And sometimes I make them more than once. I know better, I truly do. But sometimes it’s in our nature to try for the easy way out, which ends up by being not so easy.

We got a really early start in the morning, meeting at my local coffee shop at 5AM. After a few missed freeways exits due to heavy fog and lack of sleep, we got to the trailhead by 6AM. It was pretty quiet except for the birds. I had a feeling that this was trail that wasn’t visited very often.

We got started up the trail and the fog flowed around us. The hillsides and trail were pretty green from the recent rains and the cool air (in the 40s) felt good as we gained elevation. It had been over three months since Brady and I had been hiking together, so we caught up on our respective adventures as we hiked up the trail.

We got up near the saddle between Corte Madera and Los Pinos Mountains and turned around to get a peek into the valley behind us. The fog was lifting at lower elevations, but we were still ascending into the clouds.

Boulder Creek to the San Diego River Valley

San Diego River Park Foundation
PO Box 80126
San Diego, CA 92138-0126
info@SanDiegoRiver.org
619-297-7380

Their vision and goals

The San Diego River Park Foundation envisions a grand park, reaching from the mountains, all the way to the sea. It is seen as a 52-mile park that follows the San Diego River, from the foot of Volcan Mountain, near Julian, all the way to where it meets the Pacific Ocean, south of Mission Bay.

Along the way, it overlaps with other open space parks, such as Cleveland National Forest, Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve, and Mission Trails Regional Park, among others.

Ultimately, the foundation envisions a trail system that follows the river along its length and connects to the various parks and open spaces along the way.

Many of my peaks lie in their sphere of influence.

What they do

Advocacy – They have formed a coalition with like-minded organizations throughout the county to effect change in attitude and promote cleanups throughout the area.

Land Acquisition – They have researched the area and are seeking to preserve over 700 acres of land for the park. The acquisitions will be obtained through donations of people like us, much of which will be matched by grants, to which the foundation applies.

Outreach – Appear at fairs, farmers markets. They lead hikes throughout the county to educate and raise money for the cause.

Maintain the river – They have detailed plans on how to not only restore to the river to its former glory, but plans and schematics on how to keep it that way.

How you can help

You can donate to their cause, volunteer, sign up for the eScrip program, shop at their limited online store, or, like me, become a member and write about it.

San Diego River Watershed

From North County Times:

“RAMONA —- Four hikers suffering from heat exhaustion were rescued Saturday in Cleveland National Forest, officials said.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection workers responded at about 4 p.m. to reports that hikers had suffered heat exhaustion on the Cedar Creek trail, CalFire Capt. Daryll Pina said.

He said rescuers drove to the hikers and rescued them along with one of the two dogs they had taken on the hike.

The other dog died because of the heat, he said.

Ramona Community Emergency Response Team volunteers were at the trail head to provide shelter and water to hikers who braved the 115-degree heat reported in areas of the canyon, Pina said. He said rescuers have responded to more than a dozen heat-related injuries on the trail during the last three weekends.”

This brings me back to my rant on my hike to Cedar Creek Falls. If it’s hot, start early and bring plenty of water. Or try a more moderate trail.

Be careful out there and make smart decisions, people.

The view from the trail to Peak 4159, Oak Benchmark on the right and Viejas Mountain in the distance

Oak Benchmark
Elevation: 3,965′
Miles: ~1

Peak 4159
Elevation: 4,159′
Miles: 1.5

Ant Benchmark
Elevation: 3,920′
Miles: 1.8

Peak 1546
Elevation: 1,546′
Miles: 3.4 (4.5+ total to the falls and back)

Once again, I set out to summit multiple peaks in a day. The hiking distance to each peak would be fairly short, but, over the span of the day, the mileage would add up.

In my trip reports, I will use the name of benchmarks as the mountains themselves, though I do understand that the benchmark itself is a marker permanently fixed into a rock, I will use the benchmarks names and the mountains interchangeably, since I like to call the mountain something in my descriptions. This is specifically true when the benchmarks are at the highpoint of the mountains, since this benchmarks are not always at the summit.

This time, I had the PD with me, as we both are getting some hiking in to train for our upcoming Mount Whitney trip. The only limit to what we could do was the fact that we were to meet some friends at Cedar Creek Falls in between 12 and 1 PM. For most of the day, Cuyamaca Peak loomed over us on the horizon, beckoning us to its slopes.

Storm Canyon at the edge of Garnet Peak in Mount Laguna

Laguna Mountain Recreation Area
Descanso Ranger District – Cleveland National Forest
Owen Martin, District Ranger
3348 Alpine Boulevard
Alpine, CA 91901
(619) 445-6235
Agency: Cleveland National Forest

Laguna Mountain Recreation Area is located about 45 minutes from downtown San Diego and is adjacent to Rancho Cuyamaca State Park, is part of the Cleveland National Forest, and is seated at the edge of the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Also known as Mount Laguna, it features several miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, some of it that runs along the edge of a steep drop off into the desert to the east, providing unparalleled views into the valley below. There are several large meadows that have large ponds (lagunas) that are well worth the hike.