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.

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.

Hot Springs Mountain
Elevation: 6,533′
Miles: .4
Trailhead

Update 05/08/2012: This is one of the most popular pages on my site. Feel free to comment on how you got here and if and how you are using the information here. I’d love to interact with all of you.

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This weekend I had the privilege to have access to a peak that has been closed since Labor Day 2004. From what I could ascertain, it was closed due to the behavior of some individuals who did not respect the tribal lands, including OHV drivers and campers.

Once again this year, I was able to get to Joshua Tree National Park. And once again it was only overnight. But any night in the outdoors is a gift these days, since it’s hard to get away.

My friend Marc came with me and, since it was his first time here, I wanted to give him the quick tour. We drove directly to Keys View and were blasted with high winds, which is pretty typical for the area. We then went on a hike to one of the Sierra Club’s Hundred Peaks Section Peaks, Mount Inspiration.

We passed a large rock cairn on an adjacent peak, which looked like it should have been blown over a long time ago. After a few false summits, we reached the first of two summits for the day.

The valley from Mount Inspiration

Mount Inspiration benchmark

The cairn on the way to Mount Inspiration

We then headed down the road a bit and began the longer hike to Lost Horse Mine. The trail showed the signs from burning in May of 2009 and was wide enough for us to hike side by side and talk about our lives. The view from the mine is pretty epic, but we were headed towards the summit of Lose Horse Mountain, which gave us a great view into the valley below, which seemed to go on forever.

The Lost Horse Mine Trail, burnt from May 2009

The Lost Horse Mine

The view of Malapai Hill and into the valley below

We made our way back to the car and drove to Indian Cove, where we hung out by the fire and drank a few bottles of wine. The next day, we had to make our way back home, so we took the route through the Pinto Basin and visited the Cholla Cactus Gardens. It was a nice speed round of Joshua Tree, but very enjoyable.

The moon over Indian Cove

Cholla Cactus Garden

Elevation: 6,193′
Miles: 4.7
Trailhead

This was my first 100 Peaks hike with an adult companion, Robb Boyle, another adventure blogger and peakbagger who wanted a change from the charred slopes of Angeles National Forest. It was nice to be able to chat about our respective experiences along the trails. The peaks is also listed on the Sierra Club’s Hundred Peaks Section. The miles flew by quickly and I nearly forgot to take notes about the route.

After meeting an a Park and Ride, we had a foggy drive through southern Temecula, Warner Springs, and about 4 miles on a dirt road,  and arrived at the trailhead. On the way, we encountered a buck and a doe just off the road.

A buck along Lost Valley Road

The doe peeking at us

The air felt a little chilly as we got started on the Pacific Crest Trail. Just about 100 feet from the trailhead, we found a cache of water for PCT thru-hikers, as well as a register for those who are making the attempt. There is very little water available in this section of the PCT at any time of the year, so it was not surprising to find water here at this junction.

PCT Thru-Hiker Water Cache

There was still evidence of the 2003 Coyote Fire that swept through the area. Burnt trees rose like charred telephone poles, lining the trail to the saddle. Other plants, such as small oaks, were definitely healthy and have made a comeback, covered with acorns.

Burnt Tree with Combs Peak behind

Acorn

The trail slowly climbed towards a saddle, following the contour of the mountain. Almost immediately after starting the trail, we were presented with amazing views to the northeast of the Santa Rosa Mountains, which is topped by Toro Peak. It was a gentle and easily-to-follow trail. We gained about 550′ to the saddle without even feeling it. Plus, it was nice to start a hike without it being already 90 degrees.

Looking back along the trail

The Santa Rosa Mountains, with Toro Peak to the right

We got to the saddle and easily found the large cairn that marks the path to the summit. The remaining 600′ of elevation gain took place in the last 1/3 of a mile, much of it through thorny brush and loose soil. I saw something tiny run into the brush at my feet and I looked down and saw a red horned lizard. It was the perfect color to match the rocks that studded the mountainside.

Red Horned Lizard on the Combs Peak summit scramble

We kept an eye out for more ducks and found them here and there. Robb found a geocache about a hundred feet from the summit and added his own treasure.

Robb investigating the geocache on the edge of the world

We then climbed for a minute and were on the summit. We found two benchmarks, a summit register with a sign, as well as a panoramic view. We could see all the way to San Gorgonio, San Jacinto, Santiagio Peak, Lake Henshaw, Palomar Mountain, and the Lost Valley Boy Scout Camp. The peak was adorned with several beautiful manzanita specimens which appeared to have been spared by the fire. We had a snack, drank in the view and headed back down.

The Benchmark at Combs Peak

The summit register and a sign that appears to be between lovers

The view down into Lost Valley

A manzanita on the summit

Combs Peak Trail Map (Click to enlarge)

Viejas Mountain
Elevation: 4,189′
Total Mileage: ~3.5
Trailhead Map (32.856701, -116.742214)

I got up before dawn to drive out to Alpine to get an early start. It was nice to actually start hiking up a trail with the temperature in the 80′s, as opposed to being in the 90′s. I got about .75 miles up the mountain when I turned around and was treated to a great view of El Cajon Mountain washed in golden light as the sun rose over the other side of Viejas Mountain.

The dawn sunshine on El Cajon Mountain

As I hiked up the steep rocky trail. I began to see tracks in the dirt. I thought that it was a dog print, but I realized that it would have been a pretty big dog. After watching the tracks follow the trail for a mile or so, they disappeared. Either the dog’s owner turned around, or it was from a mountain lion. It just seemed too big for a dog.  [Now that I know my tracks better, it was definitely a mountain lion.- added July 2011]

Mountain lion track?

As I followed the trail around the northern edge of the mountain, I was presented with a great view of the rolling San Diego backcountry all the way to Eagle Peak and Cuyamaca.

The San Diego Backcountry

Once again, I was completely alone on the trail. I finally felt the rays of the sun on me as I scaled the ridge line. I began noticing some large spiders just off the trail. Once I got back home, I did some research and found out that it is called a Silver Garden Spider.

Silver Garden Spider

I followed the ridge and made the peak. I could see the Viejas Casino below me and the rock windbreak on the summit. There was an extraordinary amount of flies among the rocks. I searched around for a reason, but could not see anything. I saw several lizards scurrying among the rocks, taking advantage of the abundance of flies.

Rock pile on Viejas Mountain Summit

Lizard among the rocks

I descended back into the shade and had to take it easy on the way down. There were too many rocks on the very steep trail. I made my way back home in time for breakfast. The trail gains and loses about 1000′ per mile, which is pretty steep.

Viejas Mountain Trail Map (Click to Enlarge)