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 proper 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.

My feet over Clevenger Canyon in Bloom

Peak 1755
Elevation: 1,755′
Total Mileage: 4.4

Trailhead Map (33.08537, -116.92236)

Things have been a little busy since my last hike. If I do one peak a month, it’s going to take me years to finish this. Once again, I had to dust off the cobwebs as I parked at the trailhead and made my way up the trail.

San Pasqual Valley has a special place for me. I’ve been visiting the Wild Animal Park (now Safari Park) for years, love to spend some time at Orfila Winery, pass ostriches on the way in, and have considered moving to the area. Sometimes I take this highway into Ramona and the scent of orange blossoms blankets the valley.

This time, I needed to get a hike in. Any hike with a peak. I chose something near the house so I could get a relatively late start. I was tired from a long week of working and wanted to sleep in a bit.

The day was overcast, but I knew the sun would threaten to join me. The trailhead was a little noisy, as it is adjacent to the 79 freeway as it ascends into northwestern Ramona. There was also a helicopter that was crop-dusting the citrus groves below.

Whale Peak Summit Sign

Whale Peak
Elevation: 5,350′
Total Mileage: ~10

Trailhead Map (33.05165, -116.36605)

This hike was supposed to be a grand day of hiking involving up to six Southern California bloggers. I was supposed to be the knowledgeable host, guiding my guests around the San Diego backcountry. I had hand-picked two hikes to show two distinct regions of San Diego to my guests from the north.

However, hiking is all about being flexible and taking whatever comes your way with a smile, and sometimes, a sigh.

It all started with a simple tweet. I tweeted a picture from one of my hikes and Casey (@ModernHiker) tweeted back that he should come hiking in San Diego. I tweeted back that it was a great idea and we should calendar it or it would never happen. Then Kolby (@TheHikeGuy),Jeff (@SoCalHiker), Peter (@ADKinLA) and Kam (@CampfireChic) all got into the mix. The SoCal Hiking Blogger Summit, as Kolby called it.

Then Kolby lost his job and decided to hike the Pacific Crest Trail all the way through. Understandably, he had some planning to do. Casey and Kam also had other plans get in the way, and we all know that feeling.

So it ended up being Jeff, Peter, and I to meet and hike in San Diego. The plan was to meet and drive out to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park together, hike Whale Peak, a short 4-mile hike with 1,500’ of gain. Then we were to drive back towards Julian for an easy stroll to Volcan Mountain.

And then have apple pie.

Sunrise Over Anza-Borrego

Bonny Benchmark
Elevation: 4,574′

White Benchmark
Elevation: 5,326′

The Thimble
Elevation: 5,779′

Ysidro Benchmark
Elevation: 6,147′

Total Mileage: 7.96

Trailhead Map (33.210596, -116.49509)

It’s amazing the difference that weather can make on a hike. About a month and a half ago, I attempted this same hike. The weather was cold, but the wind, combined with some icy precipitation and some snowy patches made the trip very challenging. Therefore, I decided to pull the plug and turn around, only completing half the peaks that I had wanted to on that day.

This time, it was still cold (26F on the way to the trailhead), but the winds were calm and the sky was devoid of any clouds. This would make all the difference in the world.

Sleeping Giant from the road

Sleeping Giant (Nonou)
Elevation: 1,281′
Mileage: 2 (I went 6)

Each state that I visit has its own flavor, but Hawaii truly is unique among our states. While still in the United States, it has its own culture and scenery. And, of course, I squeezed a hike in.

I’ve been to Maui, the Big Island, Oahu, and this time it was Kauai. I’ve known people who vacationed and honeymooned here and complained or left early, because they got bored.

I cannot fathom why. There was so much to see there. There was Waimea Canyon, Hanalei Bay, plantations and botanical gardens. Every day was an adventure and we saw something new and amazing. If we were childless or if our daughter was older, even more activities were possible.

While taking pictures of the scenery, I enjoyed the area, but I really felt like I was doing recon.

While researching hikes to do while on this family vacation, I of course looked upward to the highest peak on the island. It turns out that this peak is Kawaikini. And it turns out that to get to this peak, I would have to travel through the wettest spot on the planet, the Alaka’i Swamp, which gets roughly 40 feet of rain a year. And it turns out that a local San Diego chocolate milk-chugging hiker, who tends to hike fairly fast, completed it in 17 hours.

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.

Sunrise over Anza-Borrego Desert SP

Bonny Benchmark
Elevation: 4,574′

White Benchmark
Elevation: 5,326′

Total Mileage: 5.26

Trailhead Map (33.210596, -116.49509)

Sometimes the stars align and everything makes for a perfect hiking day. This was not one of those times. Granted, any day of hiking is better than doing almost anything else, but some conditions can be more challenging than others.

We got an early 4AM start. When I say “we” I mean the friends I will refer to as the She-wolf and Level 3. I’ve hiked with them before, on my trip to Villager and Rabbit Peaks. I was kicking around the idea of squeezing a hike in before I would have my daughter (Sophia) solo for about 2 weeks while my wife (Hoa) travels for business.

I mentioned taking a day off work to Level 3 and he asked if I wouldn’t mind if he came along. That sealed it. We had a plan and were going with it. Leading up to the day of hiking, I looked at the weather several times a day, and all signs said that all hell would break loose over San Diego on Friday afternoon.

We decided to get an early start. 4AM is pretty early, even for me, even when excited about hiking, which I was. We drove through Ramona in the dark, searching for someplace to get some pre-dawn breakfast. Jack-in-the-Box did the trick and we took a left in Santa Ysabel and continued north past Lake Henshaw.

Sunrise on Morena Butte from the Pacific Crest Trail

It’s amazing the excitement and anticipation I get when I am getting ready for a hike. I kick around the idea of whether or not to go throughout the week. I am conscious of the fact that whenever I am gone, I am not with my family. So it is always a trade-off.

However, the thought of exploring a new area, of seeing what the mountains look like from a new peak simply drives me forward and makes the idea of waking up at 4 or 5AM seem like a great idea.

This Sunday was no different. Depending on which direction I am going, the sun usually starts glowing behind the Cuyamacas while I am driving over the Mission Trails Summit on the 52 Freeway as it drops down into Santee. The temperature outside was 41 degrees, which wasn’t too cold. I also enjoy the view of El Cajon Mountain, which dominates the landscape on the way east on the Interstate 8 Freeway.

For me, it’s the exploration of the unknown, the physical challenge, the sense of accomplishing a peak. But overall, it’s the collecting of a new experience. Someone once said to me that they were a collector of experiences. And I think this is the greatest way to be.

Sure, I like to collect things, such as technological gadgets, like my iPhone, digital camera, and I like reading my iPad, but they are all simply tools to allow me to collect more and varied experiences.

Each trail and summit is a new experience worth collecting.