Blue Angels Peak, Three Benchmarks, and a Cherub

Hiked: 1/27/2023
Distance: 7.5 miles round trip on dirt road and use trail
Summit Elevation: 4548' (Blue Angels)
Elevation Gain: 2155'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 1.7
Round trip time: 4 hours 10 minutes
Recommended water: 40 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free on Smugglers Road
Difficulty: Moderate (scramble)

Blue Angels Peak is on the US-Mexico border in the Valley of the Moon. It's a rock filled wonderland in southern San Diego County. I exited I-8 at In-Ko-Pah Road, then parked a short distance up the dirt road to Blue Angels. I would have driven further, but the road was deeply rutted, and while my truck was capable, I was less sure about my driving skills. A maze of dirt roads was etched into the hills. On my way to Blue Angels, I was passed by two Border Patrol trucks. I also saw a spotter plane above. In addition to Blue Angels, I wanted to climb three small benchmarks. My itinerary was:

• Blue Angels Peak (4548', class 2)
• "Blue Cherub" (4325', class 3)
• Whip BM (4318', class 1)
• Nopal BM (4280', class 2)
• Quirk BM (4031', class 2)

I followed the roads to a use trail leading to Blue Angels. The trail went south of the summit, then came back up the south ridge. The summit blocks were easy and I found a benchmark stamped "Smuggler". Nearby is Smugglers Cave and the area has a history of smuggling. I'm not sure when it became Blue Angels. The register was in bad shape, it needed a ziplock bag and was in a single can without a lid. This peak needs a new register. After climbing down, I walked south to Border Monument 231. Text on the pylon referenced several treaties with Mexico. There was no wall at this part of the border, just a barbed wire fence with the top strands cut. I decided to climb some of the boulder piles on the way to Whip BM, and named the largest one "Blue Cherub". I reached the top using a class 3 ramp that led directly to the summit. Then, I continued on to Whip, a short walk up with a benchmark and a register.

Border Patrol with mad driving skills

Breaking Bad

Blue Angels summit

Valley of the Moon

Ramp to "Blue Cherub"

Looking back from Whip BM

Whip BM summit

From Whip, I descended back to the road and headed toward Nopal BM. The road ended about a quarter mile below the top. A faded use trail led over some boulders and the summit block was easy class 2. I didn't find a register or benchmark on Nopal, but I didn't spend a lot of time searching. The final benchmark of the day, Quirk, was just off the road at an intersection on the way back. Quirk was a 150' mound that could be ascended from any direction. I didn't bother looking for a trail, I just hit it head on. No benchmark or register, but it did have a solar powered transceiver. I had spotted several of the tall black antennas on various local high points along the roads. These were surely for the Border Patrol. Speaking of which, a third truck rolled up while I was on Quirk. One of the agents got out and walked toward me as I was climbing down. He lost interest before I was half way down and returned to the truck. The roads near the border were well patrolled.

Heading to Nopal BM

Nopal summit block

Quirk BM