Peak 87 - Coyote Mountain - A Ridgeline Ramp into the Desert Sky

Coyote Mountain
Elevation: 3,192’
Mileage: 5+
Trailhead: Turnout off Rockhouse Canyon Road
Agency: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Date Hiked: 02/05/2021
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02/05/2021
I got a nice early start, excited to get out to the desert again. I drove out the usual way through Ramona and Ranchita. I waved to the Yeti, and the Montezuma Valley Market (now called Ranchita Bodega), which was still there at the time.

(Update: Ranchita Bodega is back open, so please stop by along the way in or out of northern Anza-Borrego.)

Headed toward the ramp of the ridge at the left

I’ve mentioned it on many (many!!) of my hike posts, but there’s a blaring silence that greets you when you drive a long way to a trailhead, especially when the last part is on a rough dirt road. I exited my car and bathed in the lack of sound.

I enjoyed the rising sun by making myself some coffee with my stove and ate some breakfast before I headed across the desert to the ridge beyond.

Coffee at the Trailhead to Coyote Mountain

Headed across the desert toward the post

I caught the use trail at the foot of the ridge and scrambled straight up the side, where the trail became easier to follow as it wound around large outcrops and headed up and up.

Scrambling up the steep ramp to the ridge top

On the ridge top to Coyote Mountain, unnamed canyon to the left

In a lot of ways, this hike felt like a mini Villager Peak, with it’s sometimes faint trail, and steep ridgeline. There are also a couple of false summits that give you hope.

The terrain is amazing, with all sorts of rock. I trekked off-trail a bit and I took a break on a large volcanic (?) outcrop near a flatter section and enjoyed the silence and the breeze.

Trail leads upward on this slightly less steep section

I headed back up and up until I reached the flat summit. I saw a few spots for a tent or two, as I relaxed against a rock and enjoyed the view.

After not nearly enough time to relax, I headed back down to my car, losing the trail from time to time, similar to the large ridgeline across the lake that leads to Villager Peak, seen easily to the east. The views were great as the desert winter sun started setting early.

View all the way down the ridgeline from to top edge of Coyote Mountain

When I got near the bottom of the ridge, I tried to find the same way down as I ascended, but it’s really a cross-country endeavor in which it’s pretty difficult to get lost, especially when you get to the desert floor.

My car is somewhere down there in the center

I made it back to the car, re-entering the world of sounds other than my own breathing and feet crunching on the sand and rocks. it was another successful beautiful day in the desert, accompanied only by my curiosity and contentment.