Distance: 3.3 miles round trip on trail
Summit Elevation: 1567'
Prominence: 607'
Elevation Gain: 1260'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 1.0
Round trip time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Recommended water: 16 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free on Horse Ranch Road
Difficulty: Easy
I had been saving Monserate Mountain in northern San Diego County as a possible bonus peak coming back from Anza-Borrego, but I never found the right time to do it. I planned to do the long loop over Monserate, hitting the lesser, provisional peaks along the way. It was a short drive (based on my recent history) to the gravel parking area at the trailhead. There were 20 other cars there and 4 doggos. I packed ultra-lite and began an earnest clip up the moderately sloped trail. The lower section was rocky but it smoothed out toward the top. There was a memorial bench about half way up. Near the top, I took a 200' use trail to Little Red Hill (1530'), one of the lessers. A small pile of boulders made up the summit. I immediately returned to the main trail and continued to the top of Monserate. There were a couple of other parties on top. A large metal box held multiple registers and I took a photo of the benchmark. The Fallbrook Fire Department climbs this mountain every 9/11 as a tribute to the victims of that day. One of the books in the metal box was a print out of all the names. A nice tradition. When I got back to the loop trail, I spotted an orange sign stating the other part of the trail was under construction until December 2022. My desire to get the other lesser peaks was no match for my rule following nature. I continued down to the truck. It was a short day, but enough to feel like I got a little cardio done.
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