East Mesa Fire Road

East Mesa High Point
Elevation: 5,178′
Mileage: 8.8
Trailhead Map

Once again, I was going to be racing weather. The report said that high winds, coupled with heavy rains and snow at Mount Laguna and Cuyamaca Peak would be unleashed at exactly 5PM. I’d say that would be a motivating factor in getting off the trail, wouldn’t you?

The plan was that Level3 and New Jersey George would be running Noble Canyon to Penny Pines and back, a total of 20 miles with plenty of gain. Since there were no peaks on that route and I wasn’t going to be doing 20 miles, I recommended that the She-wolf and I head over to East Mesa in Rancho Cuyamaca State Park and hike to the high point. I had seen the high point from my trip to Sugg Peak and it looked like an easy enough hike up a not-too-densely covered mountain in the middle of the grassy East Mesa.

After waving goodbye to the two ultra-runners, we drove through Guatay and headed over to the East Mesa Fire Road trailhead. It’s easy to miss, apparently, since we had to turn around and drive back to it after passing it. We got out of the car and were instantly reminded that it was going to be a chilly day. We added a layer or two and headed up the trail. I’ve been in this area twice already, once for my aforementioned Sugg Peak trip, and once for my snowy trip to Oakzanita Peak. I liked it a lot and so did many others, since the East Mesa Fire Road is a pretty popular hiking area.

As we started the incline, we took note of the many tracks in the dirt, mostly human, horse and some dog. We could hear Descanso Creek rushing below us, swollen from the recent rains. We then saw two healthy-looking coyotes with large, bushy tails, standing in the trail in front of us. They would trot ahead a little bit and then turn and look back at us. After a couple of bends in the road, they disappeared and we never saw them again. Truly a wild experience in San Diego County.

West Mesa in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park - It could be in jeopardy

As many of you know, Proposition 21 did not pass. If you need information on it, please read some details about it elsewhere.

I have to admit that I didn’t vote either way. Due to a crazy schedule, I failed to do the appropriate amount of research and really couldn’t make an informed decision. While I wanted to help the California State Parks and make sure that money funneled into them, I wasn’t sure if taxing each motorist was the appropriate method to do so.

As a result, and because I’m finding it difficult to get outside lately,  I am going to be starting a series of blog posts about San Diego nonprofit organizations (and local chapters of national NPOs). My goal is to get people involved and let them know how they can make a difference locally.

If you do laps on Cowles Mountain, maybe you can volunteer for a trail clean up one weekend. Or simply become a member of one of the foundations that are located all around the county. I met some volunteers in Cuyamaca with horses and chainsaws, making it safe for all trail users. They were there on their own time and dime. There are many ways to be involved with the open spaces all around us in San Diego.

You can see my memberships on the sidebar to the right, the list of which will be growing over the next few months, as I do research and write about the various organizations.

All is not lost. Stewardship can be local. Get outside and get involved.

View from The Trail to Sugg Peak

Elevation Gain: 1,205′
Miles: 8.5
Trailhead

I was excited to get back to Cuyamaca and excited to be going after a peak that I could see from my hike up to the top of Oakzanita Peak.

I am glad that I didn’t attempt this the same day as Oakzanita hike, since the bushwhacking involved would have been compounded by the snow all over East Mesa.

Brady (@HikingSanDiego) and I got to the trailhead just after 6AM and were the only people there. The sun wasn’t fully up yet, but it wasn’t cold at all, so I was worried that it might get pretty hot as the day progressed. We headed out on the East Mesa Fire road and were almost immediately presented with a nice view of Oakzanita Peak, which would dominate the landscape for most of the day.

We saw plenty of tracks in the road; deer, turkey and even some large mountain lion, but saw nothing other than lizards, squirrels, quail, and some rabbits.

While hiking up the road, we shared our varied hiking experiences and approached the area where we would start bushwhacking. I had scoped out the region from Google Earth, but I couldn’t tell which way was the best way.

Cuyamaca Peak from Japacha Peak

Cuyamaca Peak
Elevation: 6,512′

Japacha Peak
Elevation: 5,825′

Airplane Ridge
Elevation: 5,000′

Arrowmakers Ridge
Elevation: 4,740′

Total Mileage: 14.22 miles

Getting to Cuyamaca Rancho State Park always takes longer than I think it does. I left the house at 6AM and didn’t get on the trail until 8AM, as I have to take into consideration picking up the PD, getting breakfast to go, and driving out to the park.

Regardless, we arrived at Paso Picacho and were instantly chilled by the wind blasting through the valley. I was glad that I had brought extra layers, even though the weather report indicated that the high would be hovering near 70 degrees.

Stairway to Stonewall

A body was found near Stonewall Peak in Cuyamaca today. The body is believed to be that of 52-year-old Joseph Roushar, (who appears to have been a local masseuse via a quick Google search) who went hiking about noon on Friday. His jacket containing his cell phone was found at around 7PM the same day. Rescuers began searching during the night and found the body at 10:45AM, about 200 feet below the peak.

I will keep my commentary to myself other than to say be careful out there.

Stonewall Peak is a fairly safe trail, especially when it is dry. There is a guard rail and it is visited often. Don’t be deterred by the occasional accident in the outdoors. Trekking poles definitely help in any sketchy situations.

Robb on the trail

Elevation: 5,054′
Miles: ~6
Trail head

A series of heavy storms have hit San Diego since my trip up Sheephead Mountain. The storms dumped a lot of water and, in higher elevations, a lot of snow. I was in Mount Laguna yesterday and saw what looked like a light dusting of snow on the Cuyamaca area. I wasn’t expecting it to be nearly 12″ in places.

Robb (The SoCalPeakbagger) drove all the way from Thousand Oaks and we headed for the trail head. We were the only people there and we noticed a stream was running briskly along the road. This is a fairly popular trail, specifically for mountain bikers, so I was expecting the trail to be broken already, if there was any snow at all. We saw some snow here and there with a lot of mud showing through.

Not too long on the trail, and we were presented with a view of Oakzanita Peak, named for the oaks and manzanita growing on its slopes. As we ascended, the snow got deeper and the mud went away completely. We saw a lot of tracks in the snow that belongs to deer, raccoon, turkeys, bobcat, rabbits and what looked to me to be a very large mountain lion. But once you are out in the back country as much as me, all tracks look like a mountain lion.

The Sheephead Mountain Trail Head at Dawn

Elevation: 5,896′
Miles: 3.5
Trailhead

After the holidays and a lengthy battle with the flu, I was ready to get back on the trail. It was a chilly pre-dawn morning, but alive with the promise of sun and beautiful blue skies. On the road to the trailhead in Mount Laguna, the sun started to peek out behind the eastern mountains, bathing Sheephead Mountain in a beautiful orange glow. The smoky mountains to the south seemed to go on forever.

I was also excited to be completing a peak on the Sierra Club’s Hundred Peak Section.

I got to the trail head, and once again, I was the only person within a few miles. Although the sun was shining a little on me, the icy wind chilled me to the bones after leaving my heated car. I put on some layers and headed out on the trail.

Green Valley in Cuyamaca

Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
13652 Highway 79
Julian, CA 92036
760-765-3020
cuyamaca@parks.ca.gov
Agency: California State Parks

Cuyamaca Rancho State Park is located about 40 minutes from downtown San Diego, yet feels worlds away. I’ve been there several times, and each time I have had the pleasure of seeing wildlife, including mule deer, turkeys, woodpeckers, squirrels and a variety of other birds and reptiles. There have also been sightings of mountain lions and coyotes.

The park, which is over 26,000 acres, includes meadows, Lake Cuyamaca, and many peaks, including Cuyamaca Peak, the second highest peak in San Diego County (Hot Springs Mountain is the highest). I highly recommend it to any visitor to San Diego who is looking for a trip away from the city.