Distance: 5 miles round trip on trail
Summit Elevation: 5353'
Elevation Gain: 1240'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 1.0
Round trip time: 2 hours
Recommended water: 16 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free on Farmer Road
Difficulty: Easy
Volcon Mountain is nestled in a San Diego County Preserve near Julian, CA. Parking is free on the shoulder of Farmer Road. It is a very popular hike, so expect crowds on the weekends. There were two portable toilets at the trailhead. Around 11 AM, I started with no one else around. The wide trail began ascending steadily. After four days of rain, the trail was muddy and soft. Rivulets carved grooves into the footpath. It was still cool outside and would have been colder but the wind was blocked by the mountain most of the way. While pleasant, there was nothing remarkable about most of the ascent. The trail forked near the top, with Peak 5360' to the left and Volcan to the right. Bits of snow hid in the shadows below the trees, a rarity in San Diego County, especially in spring. After the fork, the rest of the mountain was a broad plateau and 30-40 mph winds battered me. Undeterred, I circled the summit, where a small radio tower stood sentinel. I found a benchmark on the east side, along with signs used for social media braggadocio. I took in the views of San Felipe Valley (with the Cigarette Hills below) and walked to the high point inside a copse of summit trees, discovering more resilient pockets of snow. I looped around the summit and started down while the wind's icy tendrils left a faint numbness on my face. The wind died as soon I got off the plateau. On the way down, I met several parties on the way up. Both Volcan and the Cigarette Hills had been low on my list, but they were on my list and are now complete.
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