Cuyamaca Peak (part 1)
Cuyamaca Ranch State Park, California - Sun, 20 Jan 2019, 1:15pm
This morning we checked out from our hotel in The Coffin. As nice as it was we're just not the sort to stay in one place more than two nights in a row on our trips. It's rare enough on these shorter trips that we even stay in the same hotel two nights. Tonight we'll stay at a different hotel elsehwere in the San Diego area.
For today we've headed out east again, similar to our trip to Garnet Peak yesterday. We've not quite so far, though. Cuyamaca Ranch State Park is closer to the city by about 10 miles.
Right away upon entering the park we faced a choice: which peak to hike! The park's namesake is Cuyamaca Peak, which at 6,515 ft (1,986 m) is San Diego County's second highest summit. But reaching it requires hiking a trail of 7 miles with an ascent of more than 1,600'.
Meanwhile, directly across the road is the trail to 5,730' (1,750 m) Stonewall Peak, reached via a shorter trail with an ascent of less than 900'. The lesser ascent certainly did seem attractive after yesterday's trek to Garnet Peak. Plus Stonewall (pictured, right/above) looks way better than Cuyamaca from the trailhead.
Ultimately we decided that what would matter most is the view from the top. While the eastern approach to Cuyamaca Peak looked dull we figured (hoped might be a better word) it will have killer views to the west, across most of San Diego County and out to the Pacific Ocean beyond. So we added extra food and water to our packs and set off on the Cuyamaca Peak trail.
Well, the word trail is a little generous. The main route is actually a paved fire road. That's good for being easy to find the route and good for not having to deal with rough conditions but... well, it compounds the dullness. We spent the first third of the trek stopping every so often to turn around and look back at the volcanic spire of Stonewall Mountain.
The second third of the trail we still found the most satisfying views behind us. While all that lay ahead of us was a paved road leading inexorably upwards, we were now above the top of Stonewall Peak behind us, and that revealed a number of other mountains further east- including the peaks of the Laguna Mountain range, including Garnet Peak which we summitted yesterday.
Things turned interesting ahead of us as we reached the shoulder of Cuyamaca Peak. Here, with just the final leg of the trail left, with about 400' ascent to the summit left, we could finally see to the west. And here we saw everything I wrote about above- greater San Diego to the Pacific Ocean beyond, laid out beneath our feet.
A few times during this trek so far we've both wondered, "Are we going to make it?" We stuck to it, despite the huffing and puffing and stiffening muscles. This view is plenty of reward that it wouldn't suck if we turned back here.... But this view is also a taste of things to come. There's no way we're turning back now. It's only another 400-500 vertical feet to the top!
Next entry: Atop Cuyamaca Peak
This morning we checked out from our hotel in The Coffin. As nice as it was we're just not the sort to stay in one place more than two nights in a row on our trips. It's rare enough on these shorter trips that we even stay in the same hotel two nights. Tonight we'll stay at a different hotel elsehwere in the San Diego area.
For today we've headed out east again, similar to our trip to Garnet Peak yesterday. We've not quite so far, though. Cuyamaca Ranch State Park is closer to the city by about 10 miles.
Right away upon entering the park we faced a choice: which peak to hike! The park's namesake is Cuyamaca Peak, which at 6,515 ft (1,986 m) is San Diego County's second highest summit. But reaching it requires hiking a trail of 7 miles with an ascent of more than 1,600'.
Meanwhile, directly across the road is the trail to 5,730' (1,750 m) Stonewall Peak, reached via a shorter trail with an ascent of less than 900'. The lesser ascent certainly did seem attractive after yesterday's trek to Garnet Peak. Plus Stonewall (pictured, right/above) looks way better than Cuyamaca from the trailhead.
Ultimately we decided that what would matter most is the view from the top. While the eastern approach to Cuyamaca Peak looked dull we figured (hoped might be a better word) it will have killer views to the west, across most of San Diego County and out to the Pacific Ocean beyond. So we added extra food and water to our packs and set off on the Cuyamaca Peak trail.
Well, the word trail is a little generous. The main route is actually a paved fire road. That's good for being easy to find the route and good for not having to deal with rough conditions but... well, it compounds the dullness. We spent the first third of the trek stopping every so often to turn around and look back at the volcanic spire of Stonewall Mountain.
The second third of the trail we still found the most satisfying views behind us. While all that lay ahead of us was a paved road leading inexorably upwards, we were now above the top of Stonewall Peak behind us, and that revealed a number of other mountains further east- including the peaks of the Laguna Mountain range, including Garnet Peak which we summitted yesterday.
Things turned interesting ahead of us as we reached the shoulder of Cuyamaca Peak. Here, with just the final leg of the trail left, with about 400' ascent to the summit left, we could finally see to the west. And here we saw everything I wrote about above- greater San Diego to the Pacific Ocean beyond, laid out beneath our feet.
A few times during this trek so far we've both wondered, "Are we going to make it?" We stuck to it, despite the huffing and puffing and stiffening muscles. This view is plenty of reward that it wouldn't suck if we turned back here.... But this view is also a taste of things to come. There's no way we're turning back now. It's only another 400-500 vertical feet to the top!
Next entry: Atop Cuyamaca Peak