Date Hiked: 8-29-2010

HPS #17

Trip Report:
San Bernardino Peak is on the western edge of a high ridge in the San Bernardino Mountains. It is 5 miles from San Gorgonio, the highest mountain in southern California. It is also one of the 22 mountains in southern California over 10,000 feet. I hiked this peak from the Angelus Oaks trailhead with my friend Mark who I had hiked Mt. Whitney with last month.

Mt. Baldy Above the Clouds

I left San Diego at 3:30 AM and made my way to the Angelus Oaks trailhead. It took exactly 2 hours to get there. When I arrived I found Mark waiting me. We quickly got ready and began the hike. The starting temperature was in the high 40s with no wind. I knew the forecast called for windy conditions up high so I was prepaired for a cold windy day. We ahd to use our headlamps for the first 45 minutes before it became light enough. As the sun was begining to rise we could see the Inland Empire covered in a blanket of clouds.

Above the Clouds

The Trail

As the sun was rising it began to get windy. Not very strong wind but a constant wind. I wondered if it was stronger higher on the mountain. We stopped occaisonally to eat and hydrate. The higher we hiked the better the view to the north became.

Ridge to the North

Mt. Baldy

Mark Taking a Picture of an Interesting Rock

As we hiked higher and the sun rose the clouds over the Inland Empire began to burn off. There was still a strong inversion below 5,000 feet which killed visibility.

My Shadow, The Inland Empire and Mt. Baldy

Mt. Baldy Close Up

Pines and Mt. Baldy

The wind picked up the higher we got. The temperature was perfect, hovering around the low 50s high 40s. The trail was easy to follow and marked well. Eventually after about 3 hours we made it to the monument.

Monument

From this point we left the trail and made our way up a use trail to the summit of San Bernardino Peak. It took about 3 hours and 45 minutes to summit. Along the way we had met two other hikers who were doing the entire 9 peak traverse. They had asked if we wanted to follow them. Mark said yes and although I wanted to I did not feel up to the task. he left with them and I stayed on top for a while longer.

The view from the summit was decent, it reminded me of Jean Peak from earlier in the year. Trees blocked the view in most directions. I could make out most of the mountains to the south but not many to the north. I was able to see part of Big Bear Lake. It took a panorama of pictures and started to descend.

Palomar Mountain and Cuyamaca Peak in the Distance

Me on the Summit

The Summit Rocks and Register

Palomar Mountain Framed

San Bernardino East Peak and Anderson Peak

San Gorgonio in the Distance

San Gorgonio Close Up

Santiago and Modjeska Peaks

Mt. Baldy

On the way down I passed many people on their way up. It got much warmer the lower I went and the wind died down.

The Flat Part of the Trail

Well Maintained Trail

Eventually I made my way down to the wildnernedd boundary and I knew it was only a short distance to the car.

San Gorgonio Wilderness

The total round trip time was 6 and a half hours not to bad for a 16 mile hike. This was a great area one I would like to explore in the winter.

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GPX Track Download

Lyons Peak Looking East

Monument Peak Looking West

Mesa Grande Looking North

North Peak Looking East

Toro Peak Looking West

Date Hiked: 8-16-2010

CO 14er #8

Trip Report:
I have wanted to hike the four 14ers in this area for a long time. I had made one attempt in 2004 but had to turn around because of severe AMS. I was in Denver for 5 days and decided this area would maximize my peakbagging chances. The flight in was great, I was amazed there was not a single cloud in the sky, very unusual for August in the mountains. I drove up to Kite Lake Sunday afternoon and spent the evening taking pictures and resting. The weather was beautiful, only a few small clouds in the sky. There were also people finishing the hike as I arrived at the lake.

Mt. Democrat

Mt. Sherman from the Plane

The Road to Kite Lake in the Center of the Photo with Mt. Democrat, Mt. Cameron, Mt. Lincoln and Mt. Bross

Cars Parked Along the Road and Mt. Democrat

Mt. Cameron

Mt. Bross

The Trail

I picked a spot not to far off the road and set up my bivy sack for the night. I fell asleep around 8:30 to a clear sky. Not more than a half hour later I woke up to low clouds and lightning all around. I could no see the mountains around me at all. I quickly packed up and got to my car. I spent the rest of the night in the front seat of my car trying to get some sleep. I woke up at 5:00 AM and slowly got ready to hike. There were still a few low clouds which cleared quickly. I knew it was supposed to rain later in the day so I wanted an early start.

My Bivy Spot

South Park Under Clouds

Kite Lake Valley

I slowly made my way up the trail to the saddle between Mt. Democrat and Mt. Cameron. I had started taking Diamox two days earlier to combat the altitude sickness and it worked great. Aside from a few usual side effects I did not feel any effects of the altitude. I had a bad cold a week ago and I still had a bad cough which seemed to get worse the higher I hiked.

Looking Up Towards Mt. Democrat

Clouds Building

Eventually I made it to the saddle and took a short break. The clouds had just began to build to the north but most of the sky is clear. I slowly wound my way up Mt. Democrat. There was still a large snow patch near the summit. This was the eight consecutive month I had hiked on snow. A few minutes later I was on the summit of Mt. Democrat.

Mt. Cameron

People on the Trail

Snow Near the Summit

Grays and Torreys From the Summit

Mt. Lincoln from the Summit

Low Clouds in the Valley

Storm Building to the North

My Summit Photo

Quandary Peak to the North

I stayed on top for only a few minutes and enjoyed the view. There were clouds building to the north which I was concerned about. I made my way down back to the saddle. This did not take long but in the time it took to hike down a thunderstorm erupted to the north. It was still a ways away so I decided I had time to climb up to Mt. Cameron.

Looking down from the Summit

My Car and the Road to Kite Lake

Looking Back at the Summit

Storm Building

A Large Cairn Marking the Route Down Mt. Democrat

Once I got to the saddle I began to climb up to Mt. Cameron still keeping an eye on the storm to the north.

Storm to the North

The Higher I hiked the closer the storm got. Around 13,600 feet I decided it was safer to descend. I was disappointed that I had not been able to summit all four mountains but glad I was able to summit one. As soon as I began to descend it started to sleet. I could see lightning in the distance and knew it was headed my way.

Storm Getting Worse

Storm to the North

Lightning was Striking the Ridge with the Clouds

Storm to the North II

Mine Ruins at the Saddle

Rain Falling Around Me

As I descended the precipitation turned to rain and fell harder. The visibility dropped to only a few hundred feet as the rain fell. Eventually I made it to the parking lot soaked but satisfied with my one summit. It continued to rain all the way to Fairplay. I was bummed I did not get all four summits but happy for another day in the mountains.

Mt. Cameron in the Rain

Clouds in the Valley

Looking Up the Road to Mt. Democrat

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Kite Lake Panorama

Mt. Democrat Summit Panorama

Mt. Cameron and Mt. Lincoln

Looking Towards Mt. Democrat

Thunderstorm Near Mt. Cameron

Thunderstorm 2

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GPX Track Download

San Diego Bay to Cuyamaca Peak

Our flight path took us on a northeast path through San Diego County, this gave me a perfect vantage point for taking photos. The photo below shows I-15 winding past Little Black Mountain. The flat ridge past this is Palomar Mountain. The two large peaks on the right and the left and San Jacinto and San Gorgonio.

San Gorgonio San Jacinto and Palomar Mountain

This photo is a panorama of the mountains in southern California. It stretches from San Diego Bay to San Gorgonio. From left to right the mountains are San Gorgonio, San Jacinto, Toro Peak, Rabbit Peak, and Cuyamaca Peak.

SoCal Peaks Panorama

Here is a close up of Toro Peak. The range in the bottom portion of the photo is Mission Trails Park. The range in the central left part of the photo includes Iron Mountain and Mt. Woodson.

Toro Peak

Otay Mountain is in the bottom right corner of this photo. This mountian is close to the Mexican border. In the top portion of the photo is Mt. Baldy.

Otay Mountain to Mt. Baldy

This photo shows Santiago Peak, the Orange County highpoint, and Mt. Baldy, the LA county highpoint.

Santiago Peak and Mt. Baldy

Here is a photo of Palomar mountain and Mt. Baldy. The 200 in. Hale Telescope can be seen on Palomar Mountain.

Palomar Mountain and Mt. Baldy

This is a photo of San Gorgonio and San Jacinto.

San Gorgonio and San Jacinto

Date Hiked: 7-3-2010

CA 14er Repeat: #1

Trip Report:
Mt. Whitney is the highest peak in the lower 48 and a very popular hike. There were many people out hiking enjoying the great weather. On this trip we climbed the Mountaineers route and descended the main trail, one long loop. Our group consisted of Chad, Jason, Mark and myself. It took 14 hours and we figured based on the GPS data we covered 12.25 miles and gained over 6,400 feet of elevation.

The Moon and Mt. Whitney

I met Mark at Cottonwood Pass campground on Thursday night July 1st. We camped here for the first night. The stars were out and there was not a cloud in the sky. It got down to the low 30s the first night because we were camped around 9900 feet.

The Milky Way

Telescope Peak

The second day we drove to Whitney portal and got a campsite there. Once we set up camp we rested and waited for Chad and Jason to join us. I feel asleep early because we were waking up at 1:30 AM to start hiking. At 1 AM I was awake and ready to go. I was nervous about getting altitude sickness because I usually do above 12,000 feet. I hoped the two nights camping helped the acclimation process. We ate and got the last few things ready and by 2:45 we were on the trail. The first portion of the trail was easy and after not to long we got to the intersection where the Mountaineers Route breaks off from the main trail. We followed the use trail until we got to the Ebersbacher Ledges. I had read about the exposure on this section but in the dark could not see much. We quickly passed the ledges and made our way to Lower Boyscout Lake. Once we arrived at Lower Boyscout Lake the sun was beginning to rise.

Sunrise

Lower Boyscout Lake

Crest Below Iceberg Lake

Thor Peak

Sunrise II

Sunrise III

After watching the sunrise we made our way up to Upper Boyscout Lake. I took the high route above Lower Boyscout Lake and had to bushwhack over to the correct route. Eventually we arrived near Upper Boyscout Lake and took a break. We discussed the route to Iceberg Lake and continued on. The views of the crest were amazing in all directions.

Mt. Whitney Crest

Mt. Whitney Close-Up

Thor Peak and The Owens Valley

The Route to Iceberg Lake

Halfway to Iceberg Lake we had to put crampons on. The snow was still firm and continuous until near the notch. We rested at Iceberg Lake and checked out the route up the “chute”. There was a guided group of 8 getting ready for the climb as well.

Mt. Russell from Iceberg Lake

Mt. Whitney and the Chute

Close Up

The guided group started climbing before us and we watched as they made there way up. I began climbing before the rest of our group and followed behind the guided group. There was a nice boot track to follow most of the way up. We could also see climbers on the East Buttress route. In the picture below there are in the exact center.

East Buttress

Eventually I passed the guided group and followed a boot track from a different group. It was not around 10 AM and the snow was beginning to get soft. About 200 feet before the notch the snow stopped. I would say 90% of the chute is still snow covered. I rested here and waited for the rest of the group. Eventually I saw Mark, he said both Jason and Chad turned around below. We made our way up to the notch which only took a few minutes.

Iceberg Lake

Carillon Peak

Looking Up the Chute

Halfway Up the Chute

Close Up of the Chute

Looking Down Toward Iceberg Lake

Looking Up Toward the Notch

The Most Difficult Move in Order to Get to the Notch

Mt. Russell

Mark and I rested at the notch and evaluated the best route to the summit. At this point I was feeling the altitude. I had a headache and felt nauseous but continued to climb. There was ice along the far east side of the final 400 so we took a route along the west side of the first chute.

The Final 400 Feet

Our Route went to up to where the two guys are in the picture then traversed to the right. Most of the climbing was easy but there were a few times I had to double check my hand and footholds. In the picture below our route went to the left of the dark icy area. We avoided all of the snow by traversing along the right side of the route.

Looking Down Our Climbing Route

Looking Down from Near the Summit

The Summit

The Kaweahs

Mt. Langley and Olancha Peak

The Plaque on the Summit

The Summit Benchmark

Iceberg Lake from the Summit

Me on the Summit

We decided to descend the main trail because I was feeling sick. The trail was longer but easier. It took 4.5 hours to descend from the summit to the portal. We decided to glissade down from Trail Camp to Trail Camp along the chute. There was still plenty of snow for this but most people decided to take the switchbacks. I began to feel better the lower I went and finally felt fine below Lone Pine Lake.

If anyone has any questions about conditions on either route contact me
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Near Iceberg Lake

The Final 400

Mt. Whitney from the Owens Valley

Date Hiked: 6-27-2010

HPS Repeat: #4

Trip Report:
San Gorgonio is the highest mountain in southern California and a very enjoyable hike. It rises to 11,499 feet above sea level. This was my second time hiking San Gorgonio. I had hiked this peak once 7 years before from the same trailhead. This is also the most popular trail. There must have been at least 50 people hiking on Saturday.

San Gorgonio Summit

This hike was through Calvary Chapel North Coast’s Hiking Group. We left at 7:30 from Vivian Creek and made good progress through the creek area. The trail has been rerouted through the creek because there is maintenance being done on the main trail.

The Trailhead

The Trail to the Creek

The trail from the creek is steep switchbacks to the top of the canyon. This is the steepest part of the entire trip. It did not take us long to get to the of this first section and began making our way to Halfway Camp. As we got higher we could see Mt. Baldy to the west

Mt. Baldy

Looking Towards Dobbs Peak

Eventually we reached the junction to Halfway camp. We took a short break and continued higher. It was warm by this point although most of the trail through this section was in the shade. We made it to high creek about 2 hours after starting.

High Creek Camp

The trail switchbacks awhile above High Creek camp until there is a small saddle. The views are great of the desert and San Jacinto from here. You also begin to see the upper mountain from here.

San Jacinto

The Trail Beyond the Small Saddle

The trail switchbacks a little ways but then goes straight up. Above this point the trees also begin to thin out.

The Upper Mountain

The Trail

Looking Out Toward the Inland Empire

The higher you hike the better the views get.

San Jacinto

The Trail Near the Final Junction

A Little Higher

I enjoyed this portion of the trail the most because it feels like a more serious hike than it actually is. It feels like the Sierra once you are above the tree line.

Snow Near the Summit

In the picture above the summit is out of sight and to the left of the snow patch. Also you can see four people above the cross the snow. Eventually we can to the final junction. It is marked by this sign

Junction Near the Summit

It was only a short distance from here to the summit. The summit area is high and can accommodate many people. I started feeling the altitude above 10,500 feet on the way up. When I hike San Jacinto a few weeks ago I took two Excedrin and felt great. I did the same today and although I was higher I didn’t think the extra 700 feet would make a difference. Well the Excedrin did not work very well, I still felt nauseous. It had taken us 4.5 hours to reach the summit. It was windy and cool on top, I was amazed the temperature difference that only a few hundred feet made. We didn’t stay on the summit for more than a half hour before we were ready to head out.

San Gorgonio North Face

My Summit Picture

As we made our way down there were still many people heading up. I also begin to feel better the lower we got.

Bart Heading Down

We crossed a few snow fields on the way down, all above 10,000 feet. It is amazing how fast the snow has melted during the past month.

Snow Field

We made good time going down and only stopped a few times to take a few pictures.

Interesting Trees

Flowers

We made it back down to the car for a round trip time of 8.5 hours including the half hour we spent on the summit. It was a great day with great people. I am looking forward to doing this hike again in the winter.

The Final Junction

Near the Summit

The North Face

GPX Track Download

Date Hiked: 6-13-2010

HPS Repeat #3

Trip Report:
This was my third time hiking Mt. Baldy and my first time up West Baldy. This was also my first time hiking Mt. Baldy without snow. The last time I hiked Baldy was in early April and I wanted to get a faster time than my last hike. I got a late start from San Diego and began hiking at 10:10 AM.

Mt. Baldy from West Baldy

I made good time up to the ski hut taking just over an hour and ten minutes. I got a few good pictures of the Baldy Bowl, the first time I had seen it without snow.

The Baldy Bowl Early April

The Baldy Bowl Mid June

I stopped to refuel and eat a bit at the hut and enjoyed the views. It was warm the entire way to the hut and at the hut. The temperature at 10 AM at Manker was around 78. It was near that at the hut. I left the hut and had good views of the bowl void of snow.

The Baldy Bowl

The Baldy Bowl II

After I crossed the bowl I made my way up the trail on the far western edge. This is the steepest part of the route. It took a little while to make to the top of the bowl. I had great views to the south and west of all of southern California.

The City

The Trail

West Baldy

West Baldy and the Trail

Eventually I made it to the saddle between West Baldy and Mt. Baldy. I could either go up either peak. Since I had never been up West Baldy I decided this trip would be a good time to tag this summit. It only took 5 minutes to reach the summit. I took a few photos and made my way to Mt. Baldy. One thing I noticed was how steep the north face of West Baldy and Mt. Baldy was. On my previous two trips I had never realized this.

Mt. Baldy

The Northeast Face

Eventually I made it to Mt. Baldy and joined the rest of the crowd. It was warm on top so I decided to sit and enjoy the views. I also took photos of the area. Everything looked so different without snow.

Mt. Baden-Powell

Looking South

Pine Mountain and Dawson Peak

My Summit Shot

The Summit Plaque

San Gorgonio and San Jacinto

Santiago and Modjeska Peaks

After a short stay on the summit I headed back down the trail. I stopped at the top of the couloir I had climbed twice this past snow season.

The Couloir

The Couloir with Snow

Above the Couloir

On the way down the sheriff helicopter flew by the bowl and hovered over West Baldy. I shot a short video of it and assume they were just training. If someone knows anything different please let me know

West Baldy Panorama

West Baldy Panorama II

Glider Over the Summit

Sheriff Helicopter

GPX Track Download

Date Hiked: 5-30-2010

HPS Repeat #2 HPS #16

Trip Report:
San Jacinto Peak is the highest point in the San Jacinto mountain range. It is also a very popular peak due to its proximity to large cities and the tram which one can take most of the way up the mountain. This was my second time hiking this peak and I also added Jean Peak. I was able to make this trip with a good friend Dave. There was still lots of snow above Saddle Junction to the peak. There is a full conditions report with pictures. If you want more info use the contact section and I can help you out.

San Jacinto Peak

We left Humber Park at 6AM and made our way quickly to Saddle Junction which only took an hour and 20 minutes. As we got higher we had great views of Tahquitz Peak which I had hiked two weeks before. The temperature was in the low 50s perfect for hiking. There was no snow all the to Saddle Junction.

Suicide Rock

Tahquitz Peak

Once above Saddle Junction there was intermittent snow until the 9000 foot junction when it became solid. There was only solid snow for about a half mile until it was clear. It was clear from this point until Wellman’s Divide. In the morning I used my crampons and Dave used his micro-spikes. The snow was still solid and without this gear it would have been difficult to pass this section. I this late morning and afternoon it would have been easier because the snow was much softer.

Beginning of the Snow

9000 Foot Junction

Looking Past the Junction toward Wellman’s Divide

Toro Peak

Trail to Wellman’s Divide

Tahquitz Peak

Once we passed Wellman’s Divide there was consistent snow to the summit. I wore crampons although I could have gone without, by late morning the snow was already getting soft. Wellman’s divide there were plenty of footprints to follow from others who had already made the trip. This was the case until the last switchback to the summit. Instead of taking this switchback and going up the standard route we decided to go directly up the ridge to the summit. This was a good decision we had amazing views down to the desert and it took less effort than the standard trail.

Me Along the Trail

Standard Snow Conditions Past Wellman’s Divide

I had decided to wear Tennis Shoes the night before because we were not sure how far we would be able to make it. Although toward the end of the day they were a little wet I am glad I wore them. My crampons worked flawlessly with them and I was glad I did not have heavy boots to drag to the top.

My Footwear

We had great views of Round Valley, the tram station and Cornell Peak along the way.

Cornell Peak

Jean Peak still had consistent snow covering the entire north face of the mountain. Judging from the depth on top it will be around for awhile to come.

Jean Peak

The Start of the Ridge to the Summit

Looking Back Along the Ridge

Same Area

The Summit is in Sight

Snow and Desert

Snow and Desert 2

Sign on the Summit

Benchmark

San Gorgonio

Palm Springs

Hemet and Mt. Baldy

Dave and I on the Summit

Its 95 Down There and 65 Up Here

The Tram Station and Palm Springs

Jean Peak Our Next Target

Looking Down Snow Creek

Santiago and Modjeska Peaks

Jean Peak and Marion Mountain

Myself Near the Summit

The Summit Hut

From the summit of San Jacinto we traveled along the ridge to Jean Peak. It only took 40 minutes to reach the summit of Jean Peak. The views from the top were not very good. There was lots of brush blocking the views from most directions. I was not able to find the summit register on Jean Peak, I assume its still buried under the feet of snow on the summit. Once we summited Jean we left on the southwest side of the mountain and made our way down the slope. It took awhile to navigate this untraveled area. We stayed on snow as much as possible. We eventually gained the trail near Wellman’s Divide.

San Jacinto from Jean Peak

The Summit of Jean Peak

Dave Negotiating the Slopes Below Jean Peak

Looking up Toward the Summit of Jean Peak

I filled my memory card after we reached the trail on our descent of Jean Peak. We got back to Humber Park at exactly 4PM 10 hours after we started. It only took us 2 hours to travel from Wellman’s Divide to Humber Park and the descent. This was a great day in the mountains, I felt great, moved quickly and had great company.

Near the Summit

Looking Toward the Summit

Summit Video Panorama

Summit Video Panorama 360

GPX Track Download

Date Hiked: 5-23-2010

SDC #24
San Diego county does not get snow in late May very often. Today happened to one of those not very often times. I decided to drive up to Mt. Laguna and see the snow. While I was there I thought I would hike up pine mountain. Pine Mountain is an obscure little bump off the west side of Sunrise Highway near Garnet Peak and Garnet Mountain. It is not so much a mountain as a bump on a ridge. Nonetheless it is on the SDC peak list therefore it must be hiked.

Pine Mountain

A cold front invaded southern California last night and dropped the temperature in the mountains below freezing. There was also off and on snow showers with this front. I wanted to see the weather up close before the summer heat hit so I drove up to Mt. Laguna and took photos and video of the weather streaming in from the west.

I also decided to hike Pine Mountain east of sunrise highway near Garnet Peak. There is not much information about this “peak” other than elevation and coordinates on the San Diego Sierra Club Website This was all I needed, I loaded the information on my GPS and headed out along a road toward the peak.

Frosted Trees Along Sunrise Highway

Frosted Trees II

Frosted Trees III

Frosted Trees IV

A Field Near Pine Mountain

The Start of the Road

As I hiked along the road I followed the GPS and made a turn along a second road. This road wound it way around Pine Mountain and past it. I followed this road until I was near the summit then I went off trail and followed the GPS direction.

The Road

Garnet Peak

The Road Toward the Mountain

Monument Peak

The Road After The Turn

The Road After The Turn II

Off Trail Route

Near the Summit

Pine Mountain Summit

Another Shot of Pine Mountain Summit

The view from the summit was unremarkable. Trees blocked most of the views and it was very overgrown. I followed the same route down as I did up. Round trip took just about an hour.

Clouds Over Sheephead Mountain

Frosted Trees

GPX Track Download

Date Hiked: 5-15-2010

HPS #15

Trip Report:
Tahquitz Peak is located along the Desert Divide in the San Jacinto wilderness. It is also located near the town of Idyllwild. There a few ways to reach the summit of this peak one of the most popular is the south ridge trail which I took. This is a 7 mile hike on a well established trail with excellent views. The summit of Tahquitz also has a fire lookout tower which is currently under restoration.

Tahquitz Peak Fire Lookout

This hike, as with a few in the past, was done with The Omega Group. We met at 12:30 and began hiking around 1 PM. The weather was perfect with the temperature in the 60s and clouds covering the sun. The trail begins easy and gains elevation slowly. Not to far from the trailhead there is a sign for the San Jacinto Wilderness Area.

Marion Mountain and San Jacinto Peak

San Jacinto Wilderness Area

As the trail gains elevation the views open up to the south and west.

Toro Peak

Thomas Mountain

Marion Mountain and Lilly Rock

About a mile into the hike there is a unique rock with excellent views of the southern Desert Divide. Once past this point the trail levels out and the upper mountain is visible. There are also excellent views of Suicide Rock across the valley.

Interesting Rock

Tahquitz Peak

Suicide Rock

As we hiked higher the actual south ridge became visible. There were some interesting rocks which looked fun to climb on another trip.

Rocks Along the South Ridge

Eventually the trail becomes steeper as we neared the summit. There were excellent views into the valley as we got closer.

Marion Mountain and Cornell Peak

We reached the point where the the trail from saddle junction merges with the south ridge trail. This route still requires crampons and an Ice Axe.

Junction Sign

“Trail” to Saddle Junction

From here it was a short trip to the top. At the top we checked out the lookout tower and admired the views. It was cool on top with the temperature in the high 50s. There was also cloud cover over the entire Desert Divide which cooled temperatures as well.

I could see peaks in southern Riverside and all of San Diego county, many of which I had hiked.

Red Tahquitz

The Desert Divide and Toro Peak

Marion Mountain and Jean Peak

The Desert Divide

The Desert Divide Wide Angle

Summit Benchmark

Sun-rays

Clouds over the San Jacinto Mountains

It only took an hour to descend back to the trailhead. Over all this was a great hike with excellent views.

GPX Track Download

Most of the couloirs I saw had lots of snow. The east side of the range had snow above about 8-9,000 ft. The snow in the Inyo Mountains had mostly melted.

The Beginning of the Owens Valley

Olancha Peak 12,123 ft.

Keynot Peak 11,102 ft.

Mt. Inyo 10,975 ft.

The Southern Sierra

Lone Pine Peak 12,944 ft.

Date Hiked: 4-26-2010

Trip Report:
Although Split mountain is not in southern California I still am including this trip report. One of my goals has been to hike every 14er in the lower 48. I will include these trips in this site as they are completed regardless of the state they are in. All of my other trip reports will be from mountains in southern California. It is interesting that a short 3 and a half hour drive from San Diego can take you to world class mountaineering in the Sierra.

Split Mountain

This trip was created through the Southern California Hikers and Peakbaggers Meetup.com group. There were five of us in this group including myself. It was great to meet Mark, Ron, Charlie and Tyler. I left for the Sierra on Friday morning and quickly made may way up to the Onion Valley campground. The drive was not bad and went quickly, I guess I was excited to see the eastern Sierra. It had been almost a year since I had last made this drive. All of the peaks north of Olancha had lots of snow but it did not look fresh. I thought the storm from the past few days would have dumped more, but it looked like it missed this part of the range.

I found the turnoff for Onion Valley campground and made my way up the road. There was lots of rock debris along the road from the recent rain that I made my way around. Suddenly I heard a loud bang and saw a rock roll out from under my car. !@#$% was my first thought. I pulled over and looked under the car, transmission fluid was pouring onto the road. I knew I needed to get back to town ASAP. I turned round and drove back to Independence. I found a shop and they took the car in. They said they could not get the part until Monday which meant I would be driving up again the following weekend. Luckily Mark called and offered a ride to Onion Valley campground for the night.

Mt. Baldy from HWY 395

Mt. Whitney

On Friday night Mark, Ron, who met us at Onion Valley, and I camped near Onion Valley campground to acclimate. There was a dirt road roughly a mile from the actual campground where we pulled off and camped.

Independence Mountain from our Campsite

The weather was great and it did not below 30 degrees. We woke up at 4 AM quickly packed camp and left for Big Pine, this is where we would meet Charlie and Tyler.

Mt. Williamson

White Mountain Peak

After meeting them in Big Pine we left for the Red Lake Trailhead. This is supposedly one of the most difficult 14er trailheads to reach. The directions we got from climber.org we spot on. I input all of the GPS waypoints they included there and they were all accurate.

We began hiking around 7AM with heavy packs along the steep trail. It was very hot and the trail was snow free for the first few thousand feet. Slowly but surely we made our way up and up. Eventually we made it to the small lake below Red Lake and got our first glimpse of Split Mountain.

The Owens Valley on the Trail to Red Lake

The Owens Valley on the Trail to Red Lake II

Split Mountain

We rested for a little while and eventually made it to Red Lake. The lake was still frozen and there was snow everywhere. I found a good campsite, set up camp and enjoyed the views.

My Campsite

I rested awhile and went out to enjoy the sunset. I also took time to scope out the route for the morning.

Split Mountain

Our Route

Myself in front of Split Mountain

After the sun had set I settled into my tent and tried to get some sleep. I slept just a few minutes at a time and woke up at midnight. I was tired but could not sleep for some reason. At 3 AM everyone else woke up and got ready to go. It was in the high 20s outside as I got ready, perfect temperature for climbing. I got my pack ready, put on my gators and crampons and got my ice axe ready.

We left shortly before 4 AM in the darkness. I could see only what my headlamp lit up in front of me. The snow was solid which made cramponing easy. About two hours into the climb I began to feel nauseous and threw up two times. I decided I did not want to be a liability and turned around back to camp. I took my time descending and enjoyed the sunrise. I felt a little better once back at camp but still a little nauseous. I was only able to sleep for about an hour. I wondered how the rest of the team was doing on the mountain.

My Field of Vision

Split Mountain Early Morning

Split Mountain and Red Lake

Our Route in the Morning

Split Mountain Close Up

As I watched the slope above I thought I saw something falling. I did not know if it was rock or a person. I had been hearing rockfall and small slides all morning as the sun heated up the mountain. It turned out to be the rest of the team galssading down the mountain. Once they made it back to camp we talked, packed and headed out to the trailhead. The descent was uneventful but we were able to glassade quite a bit of the snow covered section.

Our Glassade Track

Split Mountain

GPX Download

Elevation: 5,779 ft.

Date Hiked: 4-17-2010

Trip Report:
The thimble is a mountain located in the San Ysidro Mountains in San Diego County. I had wanted to hike this mountain and was planning on hiking it last January but snow made that impossible. I was back today to try it again and there was no snow this time.

The Thimble

Peter and I left Escondido around 9 and arrived at the trailhead at 10:30. We started hiking and made good progress pass Chief Rock and White BM. The terrain became more difficult after this because we could not trespass on to private property. This meant we had to take a more eastern route across White BM and onto the Thimble.

Chief Rock

White BM

White BM from the Thimble

The climb up the thimble was fun with some good class three moves. We went up the south side which is the easiest of any direction. The north side has a large cliff which blocks all access. The view from the top of the Thimble was great. We could see many mountains which I had hiked earlier at some point.

Peter on a Class 3 Move

Me Near the Top of the Thimble

San Ysidro Mountain

The Thimble North Face

We took a break on top of the Thimble and decided what to do next. We decided we still had time and found a way down back to the east side and we going to try and Hike San Ysidro Mountain. We made it a little ways along the ridge but ultimately decided the brush was to thick and it could take a long time trying to find a way through. We headed back near the way we came up. There was an interesting halo around the sun as we were going back.

Sun Halo

We made good time back except for near White BM where we had to run from a swarm of bees. We climbed over to the east side of the mountain and continued down. On the way back I took time to photograph the flowers which were in full bloom.

Flower 1

Flower 2

Flower 3

Flower Field

We made it back to the car and the GPS said we hiked 7.2 miles. Another great day in San Diego.

GPX Download

Elevation: 10,064 ft.

Date Hiked: 4-3-2010

Trip Report:
Two weeks ago I hiked up Mt. Baldy. I really enjoyed this hike and wanted to do it again while there was still snow. I left Friday after work and made my way to the trailhead. As soon as I got to the trailhead I fell asleep. I slept well and got up around 6:30, I was hiking by 7.

The Baldy Bowl

I made good time up to the Sierra Club ski hut which I arrived at in just over an hour and 15 minutes. There were not to many people on the trail which surprised me as it was a Saturday. I ate and got ready for the climb up the bowl near the hut. I left and started up the center of the bowl, I wanted to take a different route then I did a few weeks ago so I chose a different couloir.

Looking up the Baldy Bowl

Onterio Peak

Making my way up the Couloir

Looking down the Baldy Bowl

Getting Closer

The Steep Couloirs

Near the Top

After I reached the top of the couloir I took a short break than made my way to the summit. I was feeling the effects of the altitude because I had not drank enough water. When I reached the summit I was the only one there and stayed just a short while. It was windy and cold on top. The views were also not very good it was hazy around the mountain range. It took 3.5 hours to reach the summit.

Above the Bowl

The Summit

Footprints to the Summit

West Baldy

Mt. Baden-Powell

I descended to the Harwood Baldy saddle and then down to the hut and finally down to Manker Flats. It took just over 5 hours round trip. This was 3 hours faster than my last trip.

Lyons Peak: 3,737 ft.

North Peak: 5,660 ft.

Mt. Laguna: 6,300 ft.

Toro Peak: 8,800 ft.

Elevation: 1,591 and 1,379 ft.

Date Hiked: 3-27-2010

Trip Report:
These two hills are located in Urban San Diego and are very popular hikes. Cowles mountain is the highpoint in the City of San Diego. Pyles Peak is a mile and a half further making the round trip for these to mountains 6 miles.

The Antennae on Cowles Mountain

We left around 8:30 and it took me a half hour to reach the top of Cowles mountain. I could have gone faster but there were tons of people on the trail. I had never seen so many people on one trail except for the cables on Half Dome.

The views from the top were less than stellar. There was a thick layer of haze both west and south of the mountain.

Downtown San Diego

Otay Mountain

El Cajon Mountain, Middle Peak and Cuyamaca Peak

Plaque on the Summit

We then left the Cowles Mountain trail for the Pyles peak trail. Thankfully we only saw a handful of people on this trail apparently not to many people want to make the extra 3 mile round-trip. The hike to Pyles peak was easy and uneventful. The views from the top were not much different than on Cowles Mountain.

Mt. Woodson and Iron Mountain

Black Mountain

On the way back to Cowles Mountain we saw a neat lizard, not sure what type he is but I have never seen one like this.

Interesting Lizard

Elevation: 10,064 ft.

Date Hiked: 3-21-2010

Trip Report:
Mt. Baldy is the highest point in Los Angeles also an HPS peak. Mt. Baldy is also considered one of the 3 big peaks in southern California. During the winter months there is excellent mountaineering in the Baldy Bowl, a large bowl like feature with numerous climbing routes. I had wanted to climb this route while there was still snow, this weekend turned out to be the perfect time.

The Baldy Bowl

I arrived at Manker Flats Friday night and slept in my car. I did not want to make the 2 hour drive in the morning. I was going to hike solo but when I work up around 6 AM there were three guys parked next to me. I got up and asked if I could tag along with them. They said that was fine. There names were Micah, Travis and Todd. We left around 6:45 and made our way up the road to the Ski Hut trail. This is an easy trail to miss if you are not paying attention. There is an old metal register a few yard up the trail, this way you know you are on the right path. As we hiked up the trail we finally got our first view of the Baldy Bowl.

Our First View of the Baldy Bowl

The majority of the trail up to the ski hut was snow free and in a few weeks it will completely be snow free. The views opened up as we made our way up.

The Baldy Bowl

Not to long after we started the hut came into view. The last half mile or so was still snow covered.

The Ski Hut

We stopped at the ski hut and took some time to gear up for the bowl. We also ate and hydrated. I took some time to admire the views of the snow covered mountains around us. After everyone was ready we left for our climb up the bowl. I was looking forward to this climb and was curious to see which couloir we would choose. We decided to follow two people who were already halfway up the bowl. They chose a spot in the center of the bowl.

Thunder Mountain and Onterio Peak from the Bottom of the Bowl

As we made our way up many other people began their climb. I was glad we were one of the first groups to leave because the snow was already beginning to get soft and throw rocks down the bowl. A couple of times we had to let the people below us know rocks were flying down the bowl.

People Heading Up the Bowl

View up the Bowl

Getting Closer

The climb up the bowl was difficult. It was very hot in the bowl and I was glad I did not wear my snow pants. Eventually the top came into view. The view from the top was great. I could see many HPS peaks in the surrounding areas.

Top of the Bowl

Santiago and Modjeska Peaks in Orange County

Victorville and the Saddle Between Mt. Harwood and Mt. Baldy

West Baldy

We took a break at the top of the couloir and enjoyed the views. We also ate and took some photos. From the top of the couloir it was only a short distance to the summit. The most difficult part was over. We made our way over a gradual incline in which the trees disappeared and there was only snow.

The Final Slope to the Summit

Almost There

We summited around noon taking 5 hours and 15 minutes from the trailhead. The views from the summit were good but it was a hazy day so unfortunately we could not see the Sierra.

Mt. Baden-Powell from the Summit

Mt. Baden-Powell ver. II

West Baldy from the Summit

My Summit Shot

Cajon Pass from the Summit

We stayed on the summit for about a half hour and talked with the other people on top. We decided to descend the standard route which goes west around the top of the bowl and then down to the ski hut. As we traversed across the bowl we saw a few skiers going to down various chutes into the bowl.

Skiers

A few of the couloirs were steep near the top. One in particular, which was very steep, had boot prints in which someone had climbed.

Boot Prints

Mt. Harwood

Interesting Tree

Interesting Tree Black and White

The Baldy Bowl Black and White

When we got to the West end of the Baldy Bowl we decided to glassade down to the bottom of the bowl. In only a few minutes we were down to the bottom. I can see why this is so popular here.

Our Glassade Tracks

Overall this was a great first trip to Mt. Baldy. I want to come back in the future and hike the other HPS peaks in the area as well.

Ocotillo Buds

Canterbury Bell

Desert Pincushion

Brittlebush 1

Brittlebush 2

Barrel Cactus

Chuparosa

Notch-Leaf Phacelia

Canterbury Bell and Desert Pincushion

Canterbury Bell

Indianhead Peak

There was still snow on top of Toro Peak. I think there will still be snow for awhile up there.

Toro Peak

Rabbit Peak

North Peak from a HPWREN Cam

Cuyamaca Peak and Stonewall Peak from a HPWREN Cam

A Visible Satellite Image Showing Snow Left From Last Weekend

Elevation: 5,883 ft.

Date Hiked: 3-6-10

Trip Report:
Middle Peak was one of the southern San Diego HPS peaks which I had yet to hike. This peak is just north of Cuyamaca Peak and is known for the poor views and large trees. Middle Peak has the largest trees in San Diego county. This area was devastated by the 2003 fires and is still recovering.

Middle Peak in the Clouds

I left Escondido and made my way down I-15 to I-8. I originally wanted to hike Sheephead Mountain so I drove out to Sunrise Highway. When I got to Kitchen Creek road the gate was locked. This would add at least 7 miles to the trip. I did not have the time to hike 7 extra miles. I decided to head to Middle Peak which was only a short distance away. I found the trailhead just after mile marker 10.7 on highway 79. I parked here crossed the highway and began to hike the fire road, it was just after noon.

The Beginning of the Fire Road

North Peak

I made good time up the road and enjoyed the views. The clouds were slowly moving in from the west. I hoped it would not start to rain or snow until after I had reached the top. I had good views of Cuyamaca Lake and Stonewall Peak.

Stonewall Peak

The trees along the road were charred from the 2003 fires. None of the large trees were still living.

Charred Trees

Trees Along the Road

Near the top of the road were patches of snow from previous storms. As I hiked higher there was more snow.

Snow on the Trail

I eventually found the highest point in the road and knew from the directions I read to just find a way to the summit. This is easier said than done. I could not have picked a worse time to buskwack to the summit. The use trail was over grown and I had to make my own trail. Eventually I found a way to the summit. It was hard to determine if the cairn which marked the summit actually was the highest point. Nonetheless I found an ammo box stuffed with notebooks and read a few of the entries.

The Summit Cairn

As I was on the summit the clouds moved in and covered the summit. It also began to sleet. It was not quite snow but still frozen.

Trees in the Clouds

I began to descend and chose to take a more direct route back to the road. This is where the problem started. The use trail I was using ended. I tried to force my way through the brush which worked but the progress was slow. I did this for a half hour and worked my way down the mountain. I decided to check my compass to see if I was going the right way. The brush was so thick I could only see a few feet in front of me. To my surprise I was heading northeast instead of southeast. I turned around and tried to find a new way through the brush. I used trees which had fallen to walk over the brush. Eventually I found a trail which I knew from studying the map lead to a road. I took this trail as it lead northwest around the mountain. Eventually I saw the road. About this time I also ran into a herd of deer. There were about 30 of them. As soon as they saw me they bolted for the trees.

Clouds and Sleet

Herd of Deer

Clouds and Sleet II

The Road

I eventually connected with the original fire road and found the highway. It took me 2 hours and 15 minutes round-trip. I could have cut a half hour off this time if I had not taken the wrong path. Overall this was a good hike up to the top of the fire road, if I ever hike this peak again I will stop at this point.

Elevation: 5,054 ft.

Date Hiked: 2-27-10

Trip Report:
This weekend’s original plans were canceled due to the rain that southern California got on Saturday. I decided to hike Oakzanita Peak. This was an easy 5.5 mile hike on a well established trail, a perfect hike for a rainy day. It was also relatively close unlike the past few hikes I had been on. The snow level was above 6000 feet so unfortunately there would not be any snow.

Oakzanita Peak from near the Trailhead

I left Escondido at 6:30 and made my way through Ramona, Julian and then south past Cuyamaca Peak and Middle Peak. The trailhead is 5.6 miles south of the Paso Picacho campground, which is the starting point for both Cuyamaca Peak and Stonewall Peak. The trailhead is easy to spot with enough parking for a few cars. There is a sign which gives details about the surronding area. I started hiking around 8 AM. The beginning of the trail goes south a few yards to a large gate.

The Locked Gate

The trail beyond the gate is actually a fire road. The directions from the HPS site state to take the trail for ,5 miles to the junction with the “Lower Descanso” trail. It did not take long to hike to this junction. From here I continued to follow the fire road until the met the junction of the “Upper Descanso” trail. The directions state to take this trail, which I did and followed it a short ways until it crossed a stream.

The Trail Past the Stream

The directions state that after the stream there is an unmarked junction and to take the left path. I did not see a junction, just a path going left. I took this path and it began to climb up the side of the mountain. There trail was well worn and there were many prints in the dirt. It seems this trail is popular with horses.

After 1.5 miles I made it to a saddle, just as the directions stated. From here it was only .6 miles to the summit. The rain and wind picked up at this point and I was beginning to get cold and wet. I quickly made it to the summit took a few photos and began to head down. The view from the summit was poor but I could make out stonewall peak.

The Summit Rocks

Summit Marker

View East from the Summit

Cuyamaca and Stonewall Peaks in the Clouds

As I began to descend the wind died and the rain stopped. I made good time going down and stopped only a few times to take pictures. The rain started again after I made it back to the fire road. I looked back to the summit now in the clouds.

Oakzanita Peak in the Clouds

Overall this was a fun hike which the HPS directions were flawless. It took just under 2 hours to complete the entire hike.

Elevation: 4,229 ft.

Date Hiked: 2-13-10

Trip Report:
This was the second Omega Group hike I did and was also my second DPS peak. Although I have not hiked Jacumba Mountain I believe this peak to be the easiest DPS peak in San Diego county. This peak has two routes, a longer more gradual ascent from the west or a shorter steeper ascent from the east. We chose to ascend from the east.

Sombrero Peak Summit View

The drive is a long ways from anywhere in San Diego. It is off of S2 marked with the a sign that says Indian Gorge. To get to the trailhead you drive maybe 5 miles west on this road. I began the hike around 10:45 and made good time. I was still sore from the previous day on Indianhead but that left once I warmed up. I made good time up the initial ridge and could see the road going to trailhead below.

Road to the Trailhead

Once on top of the initial ridge the route climbs up another ridge which is about as steep as the first one. The terrain was mostly sharp desert plants and large boulders, perfect for climbing. When I finally reached the top of the second ridge there was only a small rise to the summit. I reached the summit at noon taking about an hour and 15 minutes to reach the top. The views from the summit were excellent. There was not a cloud in the sky and visibility was great.

Summit View East

San Gorgonio and San Jacinto

Monument Peak and Garnet Peak

The Summit

Mine Peak

Salton Sea

I stayed on top and waited for the group for an hour and forty minutes before descending. It took exactly one hour to descend.

The Trailhead

Elevation: 3,960 ft.

Date Hiked: 2-12-10

Disclaimer: I had water on my camera lens so certain areas of each photo may appear blurry

Trip Report:
I attempted this peak just 6 days earlier in the rain and solo. I did not summit and wanted to return as soon as possible. This was a difficult climb and after completing it this week knew I had made the right decision by turning back last weekend. Although I had made it to 3500 ft. I still had hours of climbing before returning to the car. This weekend I attempted this peak again, this time with a climbing partner, Peter and in clear weather.

Indianhead Peak

For this climb we left at 8 AM 2 and a half hours earlier than last weekend. We arrived at the trailhead at 9:30 and began climbing 15 minutes later. The weather was phenomenal compared to the previous week. There was not a cloud in the sky and the temperature was in the mid 60s.

The first ridge from the parking lot

We made good time over the approach to the ridge. When we got to the base of the ridge the climbing begins immediately. I tried the same method of climbing as I had the previous week, which was to climb at a good pace and try maintaining this pace. This worked well for the entire day.

Climbing the Initial Ridge

The climbing up the initial ridge was enjoyable, we stayed on the ridge proper to avoid the loose sand. The rock in this section is fairly solid and fun to climb. It took just about an hour to reach the top of the first ridge which joins the main ridge to the summit.

San Ysidro Mountain

We took a short break at the beginning of the main ridge and scoped out the route ahead. I was familiar with most of the route ahead because of my foray last weekend. We also had a great view of the palm grove which we would pass through later in the day.

Palm Grove

We made good time over the first 3/4 of the ridge. This section loses and gains elevation many times. We finally made it to the steep section before the final ridge to the summit. I had made it most of the way up this section the previous week before deciding to turn back.

Crux of the Climb

This section of the climb our pace began to slow. It is very steep and there is not always an easy way up. More than a few times we had to retrace our steps and find a better way through a certain section. Finally we could see the top of this section. The top is marked with a metal pole known as the Lightning Rod. From here it was an easy stroll to the summit.

Top of the Ridge

Lightning Rod

Final Slope to the Summit

It did not take long for us to descend to the saddle and then ascend to the summit. The terrain from the top of the ridge to the summit was much easier than the ridge coming up. We reached the summit 3 hours and 15 minutes after leaving the parking lot. It was 1 PM. I singed the register, took some photos and took in the views. The view of the Santa Rosa mountain range is amazing. We could see snow atop Toro Peak from previous storms. It is amazing how fast the snow melts in the desert after a storm. Compare the next two pictures with the third.

Toro Peak

Rabbit Peak

This is the same mountain range 3 weeks earlier

Santa Rosa Mountains

Top of the South Ridge

We had discussed the way in which we were going to descend and thought the traditional route would be best. We thought it would take as long if not longer to descend the route which we came up. We descended the backside of the mountain and tried to find the best ridge to follow down to the valley. We ended up choosing wrong. The route we chose was very steep and definitely not the standard route. At times we almost stranded ourselves above 50 ft plus cliffs. We eventually found our way to the valley and were only about a mile past the palm grove.

Our Descent Route

Palm Grove

.HYDROLOGY…
FROM PREVIOUS DISCUSSION ON PRECIPITATION TIMING…LIGHT
PRECIPITATION MAY DEVELOP IN ADVANCE OF THE SYSTEM DURING THE DAY
TUESDAY…MAINLY OVER NORTHWEST AREAS. A PERIOD OF MODERATE
PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED FOR MOST AREAS TUESDAY NIGHT WITH SHOWERS
LINGERING INTO WEDNESDAY. PERIODS OF HIGH INTENSITY PRECIPITATION
ARE POSSIBLE TUESDAY NIGHT AND EARLY WEDNESDAY.

CURRENT WATER EQUIVALENT QPF AMOUNTS ARE…
FOR ORANGE COUNTY/SW SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY…0.50 TO 1.00 INCHES AT
THE COAST TO 1.5 TO 2.5 INCHES ON THE COASTAL SLOPES…AND 0.50
INCHES HIGH DESERT VALLEY FLOORS.

FOR WESTERN RIVERSIDE/SAN DIEGO COUNTIES…0.50 TO 0.75 INCHES AT
THE COAST TO 1 TO 2 INCHES COASTAL SLOPES….AND 0.25 INCHES LOWER
DESERT VALLEY FLOORS.

REVISED SNOW FORECAST AMOUNTS…USING TEN TO ONE RATIO…
ABOVE 4500 FEET SAN GABRIEL/SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAINS…12 TO 24 IN.
ABOVE 4500 FEET IN ORANGE/RIVERSIDE/SAN DIEGO COUNTIES…6 TO 12 IN.
ELEVATIONS 3500 TO 4500 FEET…2 TO 6 IN.
ELEVATIONS 2000 TO 3500 FT…TRACE TO 1 INCH.

HAIL ACCUMULATIONS WEDNESDAY COULD ADD ANOTHER INCH OR TWO AT LOWER
ELEVATIONS.

Snow on Lyons Peak which is only 3500 ft in Elevation
Date: January 22, 2010

Elevation: 3,960 ft.

Date Hiked: 2-6-10

Trip Report:
I had wanted to start hiking the Desert Peaks Section (DPS) list for awhile. This was one of the peaks on the list and was supposed to be a good climb with solid class 3 sections on the SE Rib route. The route climbs over 3000 feet from the desert floor to the summit in just a few miles on this route. This was also the third weekend in a row I had gone hiking. On Saturday February 6th it was raining throughout San Diego County. Since this peak was in the desert I gambled the weather would be better there.

Indianhead Peak

I left Escondido later than I wanted and arrived at the trailhead at noon. It rained the entire drive up to the decent to Borrego Springs. It was cloudy so I was hopeful the weather would hold. I left right away and began the approach over the flood plain to the SE Rib. The SE Rib is the left-hand ridge in this photo below.

The SE Rib

The ridge was difficult from the beginning, the rocks were wet and the rain began falling. The climbing was mostly difficult class 2 with a few class 3 sections up to the top of the rib. I made good progress arriving at the top of the rib in about 45 minutes. By this time the rain was falling harder and the upper mountain was becoming obscured.

Typical Climbing Along the Ridge

About 3/4 of the way up the initial ridge I was fortunate enough to see a Big Horn Sheep. I made some noise and it looked directly at me before scrambling up the ridge. This is only the second time I have seen an animal while hiking in San Diego

Big Horn Sheep

The rock was poor for most of the ridge which made the scrambling slightly more difficult. The angle eased up slightly once I reached the top of the initial ridge. I could see the route which lay ahead of me for the first time. It took just about an hour to reach this point. I began navigating the ridge until it joins with the summit area of Indianhead. This ridge was difficult to follow at times and had a few short class 4 moves.

Remaining Route

The rain was constant along this portion of the ridge. The clouds often obscured the remaining route and desert below. This reminded me of being on a high mountain somewhere even though I was only 2500 ft above sea level. The clouds would pass over the ridge and onto the desert. It was a surreal scene.

The Ridge

It took an hour to reach final section around 3500 ft. By this time is was 2 PM and I knew it would take at least 45 minutes to reach the summit leaving only about 2 hours to descend in the daylight. I decided to turn around, I was disappointed I did not reach the summit but I knew that I could come back another time for a second try. I knew this was the prudent choice because it was wet and I was by myself. Here is a photo of my highpoint right at 3500 ft.

Highpoint

I began to descend the same ridge I had ascended. Just as I thought this took just as long as going up. The clouds were still streaming past the ridge and the wind was beginning to pick up. I could see Borrego Springs thousands of feet below.

Borrego Springs

The Ridge Again

As I descended the sun began to come out and warm things up. This was a nice change from the rain. At this point I could also see the upper portion of the mountain which I had yet to climb.

The Upper Mountain

I continued to descend and made descend time. The route was so steep it I had to make sure each step had proper footing. While I was descending the ridge I saw a rainbow over Borrego Springs, unfortunately my camera was damp so this is the best shot I got:

Borrego Springs Rainbow

I continued down the ridge and decided to try and descend the right ridge instead of the left ridge which I used to ascend (right and left in perspective of looking at the mountain). This turned out to be a mistake, this ridge was very loose. Everything I took a step down I seemed to take part of the mountain with me. I will know for the future to use the left-hand ridge.

I arrived at the car around 4 PM taking 4 hours exactly from when I had started. This route reminds me the Northeast Ridge of North Maroon Peak in the Elk Mountains of Colorado, which I climbed a few years before. Although the elevation is vastly different the climbing is similar. The rock on both is poor and the climbing is very steep. Here are some photos from that trip:

Repelling Down the Ridge

The Northeast Ridge of North Maroon Peak

HPS #11

Elevation: 5,350 ft.

Date Hiked: 1-30-10

Trip Report:

This was a trip done with the omegameaniacs from The Omega Group. I had wanted to hike Whale ever since I first saw it from Monument Peak. This mountain is located in the center of the Anza Borrego State Park and is a literal island in the sky.  It rises over 4000 feet above the surrounding desert and has pine trees at the summit. This peak also happens to be both an SDC and HPS peak

Granite Peak #2 from Pinyon Mountain Rd and S2

We started around noon with a drive to the trai/lhead through rough 4WD trails. We were the only ones at the trailhead and began to climb the 400 ft wash to the first flat sandy area. This was an enjoyable scramble over rocks and all sorts of desert plants.

The Trailhead

It did not take long until we made to the top top of the first wash. On the top of the first wash there was a large sandy flat area. This would make a fine camp site in the future. From the views began to open up. I could see the Santa Rosa mountain range was now clear of snow unlike last week.

The Santa Rosa Mountains

The First Sandy Wash

Once the first sandy wash is reached the route is well marked with various ducks. The trail follows the wash to another incline which was an enjoyable scramble. This if followed by several more flat washes and inclines until the final climb is reached. This is described in Afoot and Afield as the final scramble to the summit.

Halfway up the Final Incline

The summit was a flat area in which the highpoint was located around 100 yards from the top of the final incline. The broken sign displaying the peak name and height was there along with the HPS summit register.

Summit Benchmark

Broken Sign

Cuyamaca Middle and North Peaks

San Ysidro Mountain

Indianhead Peak and Borrego Springs

Toro Peak

The views from the summit were amazing as I thought they would be. We could see the Laguna Mountains and Cuyamaca to the west, the San Ysidro mountain range, San Bernardino mountains and San Jacinto range to the north, the Santa Rosa mountains including Villager Peak, Rabbit Peak and Toro Peak to the east and finally the Salton sea to the east and south. This was an enjoyable hike that I would recommend to anyone.

Elevation: 5,326 ft. & 4,574 ft.

Date Hiked: 1-23-10

Trip Report:

I had been looking to go for a hike for the past few weeks. This past week southern California had an epic series of storms which left snow above 4,000 ft in San Diego. Although there was up to two feet of snow I was still going to try and bag an HPS and a few SDC peaks. I choose to hike San Ysidro mountain becasue you can also bag 3 SDC peaks (The Thimble, White BM and Bonny BM). These peaks aree located west of Borrego Springs along State Route 22. The directions from the HPS site were dead on.

White Benchmark

I got a late start from Escondido and arrived at the trailead around noon. The drive was uneventful. One interesting thing was all of the people going to Julian to see the snow. If they only knew that the northern part of the county was less crowded. I knew there would be snow so I pack a pair of gators for the snow. I tried to find my old hiking boots but was not able to so I only had tennis shoes. I left the parking area and headed directly north, to my first target White BM.

The Slope to White BM

The hiking was slow because of the snow. There was not a trail to follow but for the first few miles there was a fence marking the boundary between private and public property. I followed this fence all the way to a prominent landmark called Chimney Rock.

Chimney Rock

From here I traveled on a steep ridge north east to its crest. This was only a short ways from the summit. The actual summit required a few class 3 moves to get to the top. The views from the top of White BM were great to the south and east. I could see many mountains which I had stood atop including Monument Peak and Garnet Peak. I could also see the Salton Sea, Whale peak, Granite Mountain and Villager peak.

White Benchmark

White BM Register Can

Villager Peak and Anza Borrego

The Thimble and San Ysidro Peak

The Snow to the Desert

All along the top of the summit ridge the plants had a nice layer of ice on them

The Ridge to the Summit (Yes this is San Diego)

At this point my shoes were wet and I did not have enough time at the rate I was moving to reach either the Thimble or San Ysidro Mountain. Traversing the snow took longer than I guessed it would. I turned back and made my way to Bonny BM. This “mountain” is more like a little bump but it is on the SDC list so I decided to bag it. Although this is not much of a mountain the summit block had some great scrambling. This mountain was better hike than many of the more popular moutains on the list.

Bonny BM

Bonny Benchmark and Register Can

The register for the summit was brand new but soaked from the storm. The only name in it was Bob Burd from last month.

The Summit Register

Along the entire trip were many animal tracks from all sorts of animals.

Coyote Tracks?

Although I did not summit San Ysidro I would still consider this trip a success given the conditions.

According to the National Weather Service this next week is going to shape up like January of 1995. If you are interested you can read about that event here: (Click for Link)

Elevation: 6,193 ft.

Date Hiked: 12-31-09

Trip Report:
Combs Peak is located in the far northeast corner of San Diego county.  It is the most remote of the ten 6,000 foot mountains in San Diego.  This is a peak that I had wanted to do for a long time.  It supposedly has some of the best views in the county of both the San Jacinto Mountains and the San Bernardino Mountains. It was also both an HPS and SDC peak, both lists I would like to complete.  I wanted to find out if this was true.

San Gorgonio and San Jacinto

I left later than I would have liked to which was around noon.  The drive from where I live in San Diego is pretty lengthy. The route goes into Riverside county around the backside of Palomar Mountain.  It took around an hour and a half to find the trailhead.  The trailhead is interesting in that the PCT crosses the road and the hike begins north on the PCT.  Near where the road crosses the trailhead there are catched water cases, for the PCT hikers.

The Trailhead with PCT Marker

I followed the PCT north for about 2 and a half miles to a pass described in the HPS guide.  The PCT trail was well maintained except for a few fallen trees and was easy to follow.  It winded around the base of the mountain until it reached  a pass around 5,600 ft.   From here there is a faint use trail to the summit.  I was not sure exactly which way this trail went at times so I had to make my own path.  Even though the temp was in the 40s I only had to wear a synthetic shirt and shorts.  On the summit the wind was strong so I put on gloves and a jacket.  Its nice to be able to hike in late December wearing shorts.

Combs Peak

Typical trail to the peak

The view from the summit was one of the best I have seen in San Diego County, Garnet Peak still being the best.  To the north San Jacinto and San Gorgonio could clearly be seen, both had snow down to around 9,000 feet.  To the east Toro Peak, the highest point in the Santa Rosa mountains, could also be seen.  It was amazing to see how quickly this range rises from the desert below. Villager and Rabbit peak, both HPS peaks, could be seen south of Toro.  To the south was Hot Springs Mountain, the high point in San Diego county.  West was Palomar Mountain and Lake Henshaw.

San Gorgonio and San Jacinto ver. II

Toro Peak

Summit Benchmark

Hot Springs Mountain (San Diego County Highpoint)

Palomar Mountain with Lake Henshaw in the Foreground

Overall this was a great hike with fine views around southern California.

Date Hiked: 12-5-09

HPS #9
SDC #12

Trip Report:
This was the second hike of the day after Garnet Mountain. It was a great hike which I had done before. The route starts across the street from the Paso Picacho campground near Cuyamaca Peak. It costs $8 to park in the day use section of the campground. It is a well marked trail which has wood railings on each side. The route switchbacks up the mountain to the rocky summit. The summit block has a bolted railing to the very top which is unfortunate because there could have been some nice class 3 scrambling to the summit. The summit area does have a few technical rock climbs.

Stonewall Peak from the Trail to Cuyamaca Peak

On the hike today the weather was constantly moving in from the west. We saw the cloud bank slowly advancing to the east from the summit of Garnet Mountain. When we began to hike Stonewall the clouds had moved in over Cuyamaca Peak and had begin to move our way. The wind was really strong which would pushed the clouds over the peak. The trial to the summit was uneventful and easy. There were scattered patches on snow from a previous storm along the trail. It did not take long to reach the summit. It was cold and windy on the summit. I had to put on my jacket and gloves. I took the standard panorama of pictures, and admired the views. On the way down we took a different way and descended directly down the ridge. There was some enjoyable scrambling involved in this. Here are some photos from the trip.

Cuyamaca Peak in the Clouds

Stonewall Summit Block

Clouds Over the Summit

Stonewall Summit Block Railing

Snow on the Trail

Cuyamaca Lake to the North

Elevation: 5,680 ft.

Date Hiked: 12-5-09

Trip Report:
This peak is a simple 20 minute hike in the Laguna Mountains of San Diego county. This mountain would never be visited if it was not on the SDC and HPS list. Although the hike was short the views from the top were great.

The Summit Register

We began hiking along the PCT which wound around the side of the mountain. Eventually we decided to bushwack up to the summit. The views from the top were great in all directions. We could see the Anza Borrego desert in the east and Cuyamaca Peak to the west. We could also see a layer of clouds rapidly approaching us from the west. Here are some photos from the hike:

Wale Peak and the Anza Borrego Desert

Garnet Peak and Monument Peak

It was Windy on the Summit

The Parking Lot With Our Car

Toro Peak with Lenticular Cloud

Cuyamaca Peak

Stonewall Peak

NWS Link

This is also exactly one year to the day when I first hiked Monument Peak. Here is a link to the trip report

Here is an image from the HPWREN can on Mt. Laguna

Here is an image from the web cam on Toro Peak from the morning of Friday November 13th.

Here is a post on summitpost.org which has some good images as well. LINK

Elevation: 1,194 ft.

Date Hiked: 8-14-09

Trip Report:
This was a spur of the moment trip. This hike is short, easy but has some good views of San Diego County.  I left home after work and drove to the trailhead in Mission Trails Regional Park.  It was easy to find because I was somewhat familiar with the area as I have rock climbed here many times before.

Kaay Paay Peak

This trail was steep from the start which was nice it was a good workout.  I had Maggie with me again and we made good time to the summit.  The views were not so great from the top.  It was hazy as it ususally is in the summer.  Even so I could see downtown, Mt. Soledad, Black Mountain, Mt. Woodson, Iron Mountain, El Cajon Mountain, Pyles Peak and Cowles Mountain.  It took just over an hour round trip.

Mt. Woodson and Iron Mountain

The trail up the mountain

Fortuna Mountain

Pyles Peak and Cowles Mountain

Elevation: 5,448 ft.

Date Hiked: 7-25-09

Trip Report:
I had wanted to combine this hike with several others in the area because it is very short.  I drove up to Palomar Mountain on Saturday morning and made my was to the entrance of the state park.  I then proceeded to park in the next lot on the left only a few yards away.  The hike from this lot is only 2.2 miles round trip and only took about 45 minutes. 

The fire lookout tower on the summer

I wanted to also hike High Point and Hot Springs Peak but my knee (which I sprained 4 weeks earlier) had enough.  I decided to wait for another day to bag the other two peaks.  On this summit of this peak is an old fire lookout and observation deck.  The view from the top was poor because of the inversion and smog from the city.

The loop to the summit

Radio towers on the summit

The trail on the way down from the summit

The trail again

The end of the loop

Elevation: 4189 ft.

Date Hiked: 5-29-2009

Trip Report:
This was a spur of the moment trip that I had not planned. A few weeks ago I had wanted to hike Viejas Mountain but those plans fell through. I wanted to hike tonight because I knew the top of the Marine Layer (clouds) was at 3500 ft. The top of Viejas Mountain is 4100 ft. , I would be above the clouds.

The View West

At 5:45 PM I left for the trailhead I got there at 7:00 PM and started to hike. I was in the clouds when I started but that did not last long.

The Beginning of the Trail

I continued the hike and was making great time trying to get to the top before the sun set. I was in and out of the clouds for a little while. After a half hour I made it above the clouds.

More Clouds

(the reason the pictures are either light or dark is because the light was difficult to capture with my camera)

I continued to hike up the mountain and debated whether or not to call it quits because of the lack of light. I decided that I was going to continue on. I had brought a headlamp for the trek down. After awhile a made it to the top of the ridge and from there it was only 5 minutes to the actual summit. ON the summit there was a makeshift shelter and fire pit along with a windbreak. I took the usual 360 panorama and headed down. On the way down it became dark and I had to use my headlamp. It was eire being in almost complete darkness all by myself. The entire trip took 2 hours and was well worth it. Here are some more photos:

The Summit Benchmark

The Summit Shelter

Cuyamaca Peak (Click for Link) to the Northeast

Lyons Peak to the South

Although there was no peakbagging (except all 3 Inyo Crators which are not exactly peaks) this was a great trip for photography. We left on the 19th and got back to San Diego on the 25th. During this time we were able to hike all over Yosemite, Mono Lake, Convict Lake and June Lake. Below are some photos from the trip:

Laurel Mountain

Mammoth Mountain, The Minerates, Mt. Ritter and Banner Peak

Mono Lake

June Lake

Yosemite Falls

El Capitan

Mt. Whitney

Mt. Langley

Elevation: 3,420 ft.

Date Hiked: 4/11/2009

Trip Report:
In 1935 Marshall South built a house atop Ghost Mountain in Anza Borrego Desert State Park, the largest park in the country. The hike to reach the opt is only one mile and can easily be completed in a half hour. To reach the summit of Ghost Mountain requires a bushwhack past the ruins of the house along a ridge for another mile.

The Cloud Covered Laguna Mountains

I left San Diego mid morning and arrived at the trail head an hour and a half later. I drove through rain and clouds but arrived to sunshine. The hike took 2 hours round trip to the summit of Ghost Mountain. Here are some photos from the trip:

Ghost Mountain Trailhead

The Hiking Trail

The Surronding Area and Granite Mountain #2 an HPS Peak

The Hiking Trail

Granite Mountain #2

The Trail Near the Ruins

The Ruins of the Homestead

The Fire Pit and Well

The Ridge to the Ghost Mountain Summit

Elevation: 2,696 ft.

Date Hiked: 3-22-2009

Trip Report:
I was able to hike Iron Mountain this weekend.  This is an easy hike (6 miles round trip) which only takes a few hours. I had done this hike many times before this, but this was the first time I had brought a camera.  This hike was only a few hours after a cold storm blew through the area.  It was windy and cold on the summit.  Here are a few photos.

Iron Mountain from the trailhead

The view west toward (Click for Link) Black Mountain

The summit from the trail

Mt. Woodson from the Iron Mountain summit

The Telescope on the summit

Elevation: 6,512 ft.

Date Hiked: 01/24/2009

Trip Report:
I have hiked Cuyamaca Peak a few times before, but this is the first time I had both a camera and done this hike post 2003 fires.

The Trail Through the Campground

After paying $6 to park I started the hike at 10:30 A.M. The first part of the hike climbs through the Paso Picacho Campground. It then joins the fire access road to the top. The firefighters in the area were doing controlled burns near the start on both sides of the road. I continued to follow the road as it wound up the mountain. There were only very few people on the mountain on this day. It was cool and cloudy on the upper mountain. Around 6000 ft the trail began to enter the clouds.

I continued up through the clouds and eventually made my way to the summit. It was cold (for San Diego standards), windy and foggy on top. I could not see more than a few feet. I took a few photos and headed down. The trip took about 2 hours altogether.

The Paved Trail

Here is one of the spots the firefighters were doing a controlled burn. Notice the gray ash in the bottom portion of the photo.

Fire Damage

Burned Trees

Snow and Clouds

Trees in the Clouds

The Trail in the Clouds

Dense Fog Near the Summit

Stonewall Peak Below the Cloud Layer

I am excited to head up there this weekend to the see how much snow has fallen. More to follow.

Here is another link to the forecast discussion which is updated frequently LINK

If this storm does pan out I will hopefully be able to get out and go hiking in the first snow storm of the season.

Elevation: 5,900 ft.

Date Hiked: 12/6/2008

Trip Report:
This hike was part two of the day, the first being Wooded Hill. Many people say the view from the top of Garnet Peak is the best in the county. The vertical relief from the summit to the desert below is some of the greatest in San Diego County.

The Summit From the Trail

After hiking the Wooded Hill nature trail we drove further down Sunrise Highway to
mile marker 27.8. This is just after the Penny Pines trail head, which was
much more crowded. There was only one other car at this trail head. We set
out along an easy trail which slowly climbed to the Pacific Crest Trail.
Once we crossed the PCT the trail changed to a narrow steep poorly
maintained trail. We made our way around a hill and climbed the final
little section to the top of Garnet Peak. The views from the top, as
advertised, were great. I could see Monument peak, which I hiked a week
before, Toro peak, San Jacinto and San Gorgonio. There was snow on both
San Jacinto and San Gorgonio. Here are some pictures from the hike

The 2nd Trailhead

Trail Sign

This is how all of the large trees looked along the trail

Burned Tree

Cuyamaca, Stonewall and Middle Peak

The Final Section Before the Summit

Boulders on the Summit

The View South Toward (Click for Link) Monument Peak

A Memorial Stone Near the Summit

Elevation: 6,223 ft.

Date Hiked: 12/6/2008

Trip Report:
This peak (if you can call it that) is located around 10 miles north of I-8 on Sunrise Highway. I wanted to do this short hike last week but when I arrived at the trailhead a local hunter told me he had been tracking a mountain lion on this same trail and that I should not hike by myself. I decided I would come back another day.

The Summit Boulder

Well a week later I came back and hiked the 3 miles to the top and back. This was an easy hike which only took around an hour. The scenery in the area was beautiful and the view from the top was nice as well. Here are some images from the hike:

The Trailhead Sign

Along the trail are interpretive markers. There is a guide you can get from the Mt. Laguna visitors center which details the plant life near the marker.

Interpretive Markers Along the Trail

Typical Scenery

Elevation: 6,271 ft.

Date Hiked: 11/28/2008.

Trip Report:
I had never hiked this peak before this trip. I had read a few trip reports and it sounded like a fun hike. I left San Diego around 8:30 AM and arrived at the trail head around 9:45 AM. I was planning on hiking Wooded Hill via the Wooded Hill Nature Trail but when I arrived a hunter told me he had been tracking a mountain lion along the trail. I decided this hike should be done another time.

One of the Summit Towers and the Anza Borrego Desert with the Salton Sea in the Background

I started hiking the Monument Peak trial around 10:15 AM. The beginning of the trail was done in the trees along the Pacific Crest Trail. It was a cool morning, the temp was in the 50s. There was no one else along the trail the entire hike, which was nice. After hiking along the PCT there is a fork in the trail. I read the trail on the right hand side is the one which leads to the peak. I followed this trail through the brush (the trees end at this point) all the way to a gated area. Inside was a large trailer and other random devices. I joined a paved road and followed this to the summit. On top there was a large antennae which (after I did some research) belongs to HPWREN) Here is a link to their live cameras: LINK

Once on top I took lots of pictures and admired the view all the way down to Anza Borrego one mile below. I had originally thought visibility would be good due to the recent storm we had but it really was not. Out west the inversion layer was around 5500 ft. East you could see fairly far but not as far as you usually can after a storm. After I took a number a pictures I headed down. I took the wrong path down so I had to hike up the road for a quarter of a mile to reach my car. My GPS said I hike around 3 and a half miles.

Pacific Crest Trail Marker

The Fork in the Trail, the Right-hand Path Leads to the Summit

The Road Near the Summit of the Mountain. This is looking west, notice the cloud layer

The View North Towards Garnet Peak

The Trail Near the Parking Area

A Photo of Me from the HPWREN Camera

The HPWREN time lapse showing me (Click for Video)

Elevation: 1,544 ft.

Date Hiked: 11/22/08.

Trip Report:
I have hiked Black Mountain many times before so I knew what to expect. It also happens to be very close to where I live. I started around 10 AM and reached the top a half hour later. The views from the top were not too bad.

Black Mountain Friom Near the Trailhead

I could see many peaks in the area which are on the Sierra Club’s list. One interesting thing which happened on this hike was with my GPS. Around 1300 ft it all of the sudden did not receive a signal. It had a lock with around 8 satellites and then nothing. I was puzzled by this and proceed to the top. On the summit I took some photos, walked around then started down. At the same spot the GPS, all of the sudden had great reception. I wanted to know what was causing this, I guessed it had something to do with the microwave towers on the summit (I researched this at home and found people with similar problems around microwave towers). If anyone knows why this happens I would love to know. It took around and hour and a half for the entire hike (including a half hour on top).

The Trail Wrapping Around the Mountain

The Upper Trail

The Hills East of the Summit

The Microwave Towers on the Summit

Mt. Woodson

Iron Mountain and Cuyamaca Peak

Black Mountain Open Space Trail Map

CO 14er: #7/54

Date Hiked: 8-26-2007

Trip Report:
North Maroon peak is considered one of the more difficult 14ers to climb. This along with its higher neighbor are known as the Maroon Bells. Supposedly they are among the most photographed mountains in the world. The standard route to the summit of North Maroon is class 4 and involves a steep climb along loose rock.

The North Face of North Maroon Peak

My friend Joda and I left Lakewood and made the drive to Aspen over Independence Pass. We saw many 14ers along the way including La Plata Peak.

La Plata Peak

We got to the trailhead at Maroon Lake around 8 PM and quickly fell asleep. We woke up at 2:30 AM and got ready for a long day. The moon was not out but the stars were bright. It was not very cold all I wore was a long sleeve shirt and shorts. We made our way quickly to the turn off for North Maroon Peak before Crater Lake. We saw a few deer along the way with our headlamps, I think they were as surprised to see us as we were to see them. After the cutoff there was a little bit of easy scrambling to get to the rock glacier. Once up to the rock glacier we took a break. It was a beautiful night, we could hear the stream we had crossed a few minutes before and nothing else. We were they only ones for miles around (at least thats how it seemed). We started off again following strange orange markers on the rocks.

Rock Glacier Markers

Once through the rock glacier the eastern sky began to light up. We could also see a few headlights from people traveling the same route we had not to long before.

Sunrise

We traversed the side of the mountain along a well worn use trail. The route was also well marked and easy to follow along the lower mountain. The sun rose and illuminated the walls around us.

Northeast Ridge

Before we entered the first gully we saw a few mountain goats enjoying the sun, they didnt seem to be bothered that we were so close to them.

Mountain Goats

We made our way up through both of the gullies and onto the actual ridge. We stopped only a few times to rest and enjoy the views.

South Maroon Peak

Eventually we crested a large ledge before the 4th class chimney. I stopped here to take in the views and admire the two famous 14ers across the way.

Snowmass Mountain and Capital Peak

We could see down the rock glacier where we had come up earlier in the dark. It was amazing being so high and being able to see the entire route we had traveled. We could also see South Maroon peak which seemed so close.

Rock Glacier

South Maroon Peak II

The Upper Mountain

We kept climbing higher and made it quickly past the 4th class chimney, it was a little wet which made it interesting. From the top of the gully it was a sort climb to the summit.

Final Stretch

We summited around 9 AM and took in the views. We had originally wanted to traverse to South Maroon but were both tired and decided to leave that for another time. Instead we took an hour nap on the summit. This was the first time I had ever slept on top of a 14er.

Capital Peak

Snowmass Mountain

South Maroon Peak III

Me on the Summit

People on South Maroon Peak

After I woke up we decided to head down. We quickly descended the ridge back to chimney. We could have found an easier way down but decided it would be fun to repel down the chimney. Joda set up the rope and I went first. It was the first time I had done this in the mountains and it was a blast.

Joda Descending

Pyramid Peak

The 4th Class Chimney

Me on the Ridge Looking back at the Summit

Getting Ready to Repel

Starting Down

Halfway Down

Finally at the Bottom

Looking Back Up

Once we finished the repel we gathered our gear and made our way down. We crossed both the second and first gully and eventually made our way to the rock glacier.

The Second Gully

Back on the Rock Glacier

We made it back to the trailhead at 2 PM for a round trip time of just under 12 hours, not the fastest in the world but we had a great time.

The Maroon Bells

CO 14ers: #5/54 and 6/54

Date Hiked: 6-24-2007

Trip Report:
I had attempted Grays and Torreys a few times before this, but always in less than ideal conditions. I finally had ideal conditions and was successful. I hiked both mountains from Stephen Gulch which was enjoyable. The weather was perfect and the views amazing.

Grays and Torreys

I left Lakewood around 5:30 and made it to the trailhead by 7. The weather was cool but nice, there was not a cloud in the sky. Since it was Saturday there were lots of people on the trail. There must have been hundreds. I usually like to have solitude but did not mind today because I just wanted to finally get to the top of both mountains. The trail through the valley was easy and did not take long. The views were amazing though.

Grays Peak

Torreys Peak

There was still quite a bit of snow of the upper slopes of both mountains and in the couloirs. There were a few people hiking the trail with skies, I assume to ski down one of the couloirs on Torreys.

Eventually I made it out of the valley and started hiking up the slopes to Grays peak the first target of the day.

Grays Peak

Kelso Mountain

Torreys Peak

Grays Peak Upper Slopes

Eventually the views opened up and I found myself on top of Grays peak. There was already a crowd on the summit so I wondered off a little ways and found myself a quite place. I could see many mountains I knew the names of as well as a few I had stood atop.

Mt. Evans and Mt. Bierstadt

Longs Peak, Mt. Meeker and The Indian Peaks (From Left to Right)

Longs Peak, Mt. Meeker and The Indian Peaks (From Left to Right)

Grays Peak Summit Register

I found the register but did not want to sign it. I knew it would get replaced after not to long.

Torreys Peak from Grays Peak Summit

I quickly descended Grays summit and made my way over to Torreys Peak. This took under a half hour. I had wanted to summit Torreys even more than Grays because of the failure I had a few years earlier.

The Citadel

Torreys Peak Summit Register

Flowers Near the Summit

After a little while I descended and had a fun time walking down the snow slope in tennis shoes. As normal in Colorado summers clouds began to gather above both mountains although they did not appear to threatening.

Torreys Peak and the Descent

I made it back around 2 after a great hike.

CO 14er: #4/54

Date Hiked: 6-9-2007

Trip Report:
Mt. Bierstadt is a 14er situated next to its higher neighbor Mt. Evans. It is only 60 feet above 14,000 feet, one of the lower 14ers. It is also a very popular hike because of its proximity to Denver. This was the second time I had tried to hike this mountain but the first during the summer or close to summer.

Mt. Bierstadt from Guanella Pass

I left Denver around 5:30 AM and made it to the trailhead around 6:45. The road was clear of snow all the way to the pass. I left at 7 and made my way across the drainage. There was a snow bridge which I crossed but was melting quickly. I made my way across the wooden bridges and through the willows. The weather was excellent with only a few clouds in the sky.

Hikers with Grays and Torreys in the Background

The Snow Bridge

There were many other people and dogs hiking today and taking advantage of the great weather. Once I made my way through the willows the snow was constant to the top. This made going a little slower but I still made good time to the summit. The views from the top were great, there was still snow on all of the high mountains.

Mt. Evans from the Summit

Mt. Spaulding from the Summit

A Frozen Abyss Lake

Looking Back at the Summit

The Summit from Near the Top of the Willows

The Top of the Sawtooth

Date Hiked: 3-31 to 4-1-2007

Trip Report:
The Sangre De Cristo Mountains and a range in the southern part of Colorado. This range has 10 14ers including Humboldt Peak. I had never hiked in the Sangre De Cristos before and wanted to check them out. Since there was still snow everywhere I thought Humboldt Peak would be a good peak to attempt. My friend Eric, who now guides with International Mountain Guides, came along for the trip as well.

Humboldt Peak and the Crestones from near Westcliffe

I left Lakewood around 9 AM and made the 3 hour drive to Westcliffe where I was meeting Eric. The drive was uneventful and I met Eric around 12:30. We then drove to the trailhead south of the town. We could only drive a short ways before there was to much snow so we parked and began the 5 mile hike to South Colony Lake.

Our Parking Spot

The hike to the lake took a few hours with all of the gear we were carrying. We only saw a few other people hiking out from the lake. They said they wind was unbearable the night before. We got to a spot a few hundred feet below the lake and decided to set up camp there. There was a nice flat spot near some trees for our tent. Once camp was set up we fell asleep.

Our Camp Site

Crestone Needle from Camp

Crestone Needle after Sunset

The wind was crazy all night long and it got worse toward the morning. We work up early and both decided it was not a good day to be up high. Instead we hung out at camp and I took some photos.

Humboldt Peak from Camp

Crestone Needle from Camp

We then packed up camp and headed out. When we were out of the mountains we noticed it had snowed in Westcliffe the night before. All the new snow made for a great panorama.

Sangre De Cristo Panorama

CO 14er Repeat #1

Date Hiked: 2-25-2007

Trip Report:
This was my second time hiking Quandary peak but the first time during the winter. This peak is the most popular 14er to hike in the winter. It is easily accessed and a short hike. Today was no exception. Even though the weather was abysmal there were still plenty of people out today.

Quandary Peak West Ridge

Erik and I left Lakewood around 6 AM and got to the trailhead by 8 AM. We parked about a mile from the summer trailhead. I originally wanted to bring snowshoes but decided against that after we had gone a short ways. I cached them in the snow nearby off the trail. It was snowing lightly and we made good time up the east ridge. The snow was not to deep which made going easier.

Directions Sign

Trailhead Sign

Trail Info

As we crested treeline and gained the ridge the wind picked up and it got much colder. The visibility also dropped significantly. We could see nothing above us but could make out the drop off to the south of the east ridge. Eventually we summited in near white out. We could barley make out the summit.

Me on the Summit

I took off my gloves to take a few pictures after I had put my down jacket on. This turned out to be a mistake. My hands instantly froze. I had a difficult time putting them back on. This was both the coldest and closest to frostbite I had ever been. Even with my large down jacket on I was still freezing. Eventually after descending a ways my hands began to warm up and I was fine. We saw a few people on the ridge who turned around before the summit due to the weather.

East Ridge

People on the Ridge

At the Bottom of the East Ridge

We made it back to the cars for a round trip time of just over 5 hours. On the way back home the traffic was terrible before the tunnel. The storm got worse as I drove. We were lucky we hiked when we did.

Snow near the Tunnel

CO 14er: #3/54

Date Hiked: 2-11-2007

Trip Report:
Mt. Sherman is the southernmost 14er in the Mosquito Range. It is considered one of the easier 14ers to summit. It is also popular in the winter due to the ease of access. This was the first winter summit of a 14er I had and an enjoyable day despite the marginal weather.

Mt. Sherman from the Road

Erik and I left Lakewood at 6PM the night before our hike. We camped near the Fourmile trailhead, we were not able to drive all the way to the trailhead but made it close. It was a very clear and cold night. There appeared to be clouds over the summit but it was to dark to really tell. It was quite windy at camp which made the atmosphere surreal. This night is one of the best memories I have in the mountains.

As we were setting up camp two guys passed us and told us they were just getting back from the summit. They said it had been very windy on the ridge to the summit. We hoped this would not be the case tomorrow morning.

We woke up around 5 AM, made breakfast, packed and left about 45 min later. It was overcast with the temp in the high 20s. We made good time along the road and enjoyed the views. It was interesting seeing the Leavick site which had been abandoned for some time.

After awhile of hiking on the road we came to the locked gate. This is the usual summer trailhead. We then made our way to the Dauntless mine a short ways ahead. We stopped in here and had a quick bite to eat.

View from Inside the Dauntless Mine

Looking back at the Road

It was snowing by now and the wind was beginning to pick up. The visibility also began to drop as we pressed on. Eventually we found the Hilltop Mine, this mine is located above 13,000 feet and is an interesting site.

The Hilltop Mine

Above the hilltop mine was the ridge which leads to either the summit of Mt. Sheridan or Mt. Sherman. We found the low point and began climbing the slope. Near the top was an interesting cornice which we climbed over.

On top of the Ridge

The Ridge to Mt. Sherman

Once we crested the ridge we began to work our way to the summit. We could see very little in front of us but knew if we kept going up we would eventually find the summit. Finally we crested ridge and found the flat summit.

Mt. Sherman Summit

We did not stay on the summit long and began to descend. It did not take long to reach the saddle between the two peaks. From here we glassaded down the slope. This was the first time I was able to do this and it was a blast, it sure made descending much easier.

A Carin on the Ridge

Mt. Sheridan

Mt. Sherman

We made it back to the car quickly for a round trip time of 5 hours. This was a great 14er for a introduction into winter hiking.

CO 14er: #2

Date Hiked: 8-27-2006

Trip Report:
Mt. Evans is the closest 14er to Denver and can be seen by millions on any given day. It also has a road to the very top. This was my second time hiking Mt. Evans. The first time was two years earlier but I did not have a camera with me, this time I brought one.

Mt. Evans From Summit Lake in September 2005

We left Denver early and made our way to Summit Lake. We were going to hike up Mt. Spaulding then traverse over to Mt. Evans but decided the weather may not hold so just went for Mt. Evans directly. it did not take more than an hour to summit from the Lake. The views were good to east east and overcast to the west. On our way down we ran into a few mountain goats and sheep which seemed friendly.

Mt. Bierstadt From the Summit

Denver From the Summit

Summit Lake Parking Lot

Summit Observatory

Grays and Torreys in the Clouds

Chief Mountain

Mountain Goat 1

Mountain Goat 2

Bighorn Sheep 1

Bighorn Sheep 2

Elevation: 9,606 ft.

Date hiked: 07/26/2006.

Trip Report:
I was able to go on a backpacking trip for a few days in July to escape the heat of southern California. I camped in Little Round Valley near Cornell Peak. During one of the days I hiked to the summit of this peak.

The view east toward the desert

The summit block is exposed and has great views of the Palm Springs area and San Diego county mountains to the south. The view of San Gorgonio was also great. Here are some photos from the trip:

The Upper Palm Springs Tram Station

Cuyamaca Peak

San Gorgonio Mountain

The Summit Register

The Summit Block

Date Hiked: 12-10-2005

Trip Report:
I had wanted to hike both Grays and Torreys and from reading found this as the only safe route in the winter. This route goes from the top of Loveland Pass (11,990 ft.) to the top of Torreys Peak and also Grays which is a little ways further on the ridge. This route also happens to follow the continental divide. The total one way mileage to Torreys Peak is 4.5. The difficult thing about this route are the points along the ridge which you must traverse over, these include “Cupid” and Grizzly Peak.

Torreys and Grays Peaks from Grizzly Peak

We left Lakewood around 4:30 AM and arrived at Loveland Pass a little after 5:45. It only took a few minutes to put our gear on and get ready to go. It was still dark so we needed our headlamps. It was also freezing, I guess that makes sense since it is December 10th. We made our way up to point 12,915 which did not take long, around 30 minutes. By this time the sky was begining to light up. The views of the mountains in the area was beautiful.

Point 13,152

Mt. Sniktau

We took a short break at this point and took some video. We could see the lights from I-70 far below and they drove into the Eisenhower Tunnel. I was feeling good at this point and we continued to our first point known as “Cupid”. This was an easy hike with little elevation lost and slightly more gained. We took another break on “Cupid”, hydrated and ate some food. We also took time to check out the route ahead. The west ridge of Grizzly Peak was only class two but from “Cupid” it looked steep. The wind also picked up at this point and would continue the entire day.

Grizzly Peak from “Cupid”

Point 13,193 and 12,910 from Grizzly Peak

We left Cupid and climbed up the steep ridge. We were careful to avoid the east side of the ridge because of the large cornice. We followed this the entire way to the top of Grizzly Peak. When we reached the summit of Grizzly Peak the wind was ferocious. We ate some more and decided if we wanted to continue to Torreys still a long ways off. It was around 9:30 AM by this time, we had to be back in Lakewood by 5 so we still had plenty of time. We decided to continue forward.

From Grizzly Peak to the saddle between Torreys and Grizzly you lose 847 feet. From the saddle (12,580 ft.) you then have to gain 1,687 feet to the summit of Torreys Peak. This was the most difficult part of the trip. We did not have trouble descending to the saddle but once we started climbing up to Torreys I began to get altitude sickness. We made it 2/3rds of the way to the top and decided to call it quits. It was already 11:45 and we knew it would take awhile to get back to the trailhead I was glad we were descending because I felt like crap. I took a few photos of our highpoint and we left.

Grizzly Peak from around 13,950 ft. on Torreys Peak (Notice the Snow Flying in the Upper Left Corner)

Our Highpoint

Our Highpoint with Spindrift

When we had descended back to the saddle I was feeling nauseous. I stopped for a few minutes and then threw up. This was the first time I had thrown up because of altitude sickness. At this point I still had to climb 800 feet back up to Grizzly Peak. I slowly made my way up the slope and eventually topped out on top again. I sat down and threw up again. I had never been in serious trouble in the mountains before and I was beginning to think this may be the first time. I still had 3.5 miles to hike, it was at least -30 with the wind-chill and I could hardly move. I rested for a few minutes then got up. I made very slow progress and had to rest often. I just wanted to be off this mountain and back to the car. Finally after what seemed like an eternity we saw Loveland Pass and the car. We got to the car just before the sun was beginning top set. Once we descended a few thousand feet I felt like normal. This was a difficult trip and I would like to try this again in the winter.

CO 14er Attempt

Date Hiked: 12-2-2005

Trip Report:
This was my first attempt on Mt. Bierstadt and it happened to be in the middle of a strong winter storm. As soon as we got to the trailhead I knew our chances of summiting were slim. The winds were strong and it was overcast most of the trip.

Mt. Bierstadt from Guanella Pass

We left Lakewood at 5 AM and drive in the dark to the top of Guanella Pass. It was snowing lightly when we arrived at the trailhead. We were the only car there when we left on the trail. The progress was quick despite the cold and snow. The wooden bridges were covers in fresh snow as well as most of the trail. We had to bushwhack through the willows a few times because we lost the trail. As we progressed it became a white out all around.

Mt. Bierstadt from Scott Gomer Creek

The view back toward the trailhead

The wind picked up once we got beyond the willows. Around 12,500 feet one of the people I was hiking with was not feeling well and was getting cold. We decided to turn back because the weather was getting worse as well.

The Wind

The Summit From My Highpoint

Wind Sculpted Snow

Me From My Highpoint

Mt. Bierstadt from the Car

We made it back to the car without incident. It snowed the entire way down to Georgetown and back to Lakewood. This was a great trip for an intro to winter mountaineering in Colorado.

Date Hiked: 11/4/2005 to 11/5/2005

Trip Report:
This trip was the first experience I had in the Elk range and seeing the Maroon Bells. The plan was to climb Maroon Peak from the standard route. Being November we were not sure what to expect. This was the final weekend the road to Maroon Lakes was open so we thought we would take advantage of it.

The Maroon Bells

We left Lakewood early on the 4th and made our way to Maroon Lakes. The drive to Maroon Lakes was beautiful, there was snow on all of the large mountains. Once we arrived at Maroon Lakes we got our packs together and started off to Crater Lake, where we would camp for the night. There was snow starting at the far end of Maroon Lake. We made good time to Crater Lake and then began to set up camp.

The Maroon Bells II

Our Camp the Next Morning

The Cooking Tarp the Next Morning

Once camp was set up we enjoyed the sunset and sat around the fire. It was a cold night and it also began to snow. We would have to see what the weather would be like the next morning.

We woke up early and it was still snowing, we could not see a thing and decided to wait a few hours to see if things cleared up at all. Around 7 AM we finally left even though it was still snowing. We set off down the valley toward the slope which would take us to Maroon Peak. It was difficult hiking. I broke trail through a few feet of snow most of the way. It was clear we were not going to be summiting anything today. Instead we climbed part way up the ridge and enjoyed the snow. By mid morning it began to clear up and we finally had some decent views.

Looking up to the Ridge

Pyramid Peak Across the Valley

On our way back we had great views of the Bell Cord couloir and Maroon Bells.

Bell Cord Couloir

North Maroon Peak

North Maroon Peak II

Once back in camp we packed up and headed back to Maroon Lake. Although I did not reach the summit it was a fun trip with beautiful scenery.

CO 14er: #1/54

Date Hiked: 10-8-2005

Trip Report:
Quandary Peak is a popular 14er off of CO HWY 9 south of Breckenridge and north of Hoosier Pass. There are a few different routes to the top of the mountain but most people use the east ridge trail. We chose to try the Cristo Couloir, why in October you may ask, well that is a good question.

Quandary Peak from CO 9

We left Lakewood around 5:30 and made it to the trailhead near Blue Lakes Reservoir around 7. The climb from the reservoir is steep and short. The first part involves climbing a small couloir through brush to get above the treeline.

The Route from just above the Reservoir

Wheeler Peak from the Couloir

Once above the treeline the climb is direct and straight forward, all you have to do is go up. It is essentially a long scree slog. We stopped a few times to get some pictures and admire the views. Not surprisingly we were the only ones on this route.

Mt. Lincoln

Mt. Democrat

Eventually we gained the east ridge and met up with the main trail. From here is was a short walk to the summit.

Quandary Peak Summit

The views from the summit were great. We could see many other 14ers and 13ers most of which I did not know by name. I did recognize Grays and Torreys not to far to the east.

Grays and Torreys Peaks

The Summit Benchmark

We stayed on top for awhile and eventually made our way back to the car. The trip down was uneventful. This would be a great route in late spring when there is snow to climb but after that its just a long scree slog.

The Cristo Couloir