Pinyon Ridge

Hiked: 5/7/2025
Distance: 1.3 miles round trip on firebreak
Summit Elevation: 6548'
Elevation Gain: 943'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 0.7
Round trip time: 1 hour
Recommended water: 16 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free at turnout on Big Pines Highway
Difficulty: Easy

There is a short way (firebreak) and a long way (dirt road) to get to Pinyon Ridge (HPS #151). I chose the firebreak so I could hit a couple other short peaks around Wrightwood. I parked at a turnout on Big Pines Highway, on the opposite side of the highway from Pinyon Ridge. I crossed over and started up the very steep firebreak. I used shallow drain channels as switchbacks, making it less of a straight up affair. The high point was in a grassy area surrounded by trees, therefore no views. Before the summit, there were decent views of the northern San Gabriels. I didn't find any marks or a register. The ridge was not at all peakish. I noticed a shed on the way down, but still more than half way up. Upon inspection, it was designed to capture rain water into a tank below a metal roof. For firefighting? Getting down was much easier and I made it without falling on my butt. These kind of HPS peaks make me wonder why they got added to the list.

Summit

Looking north

Iron Mountain Napa County

Hiked: 5/2/2025
Distance: 7.8 miles round trip on trail and cross country
Summit Elevation: 2301'
Elevation Gain: 2475'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 2.0
Round trip time: 4 hours 45 minutes
Recommended water: 72 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free at Smittle Creek day use area, Lake Berryesa
Difficulty: Strenuous (route finding, brush, ticks, poison oak)

Continuing my quest for Iron Mountains in CA, I drove to Lake Berryesa in Napa County. This Iron was west of the lake, part of the Napa Open Space Preserve. On the map, it looked like dirt roads and firebreaks would take me close to the summit, but there was a zone of pain in the middle where the abandoned road was completely clogged with downfall, brush, poison oak, and poodle dog bush. The start was easy, up and over foothills, across Smittle Creek, then up again toward the ridge. A couple of no trespassing signs were at the start, but I got quickly out of sight. Iron was lost above in the clouds that burned off as the morning sun intensified. From the creek, the road was covered in ankle to waist high grass, on the way to being reclaimed by nature. I met a deer above the creek, who scampered to a safe spot before turning to see what I was. On the traverse toward the upper ridge, the road vanished. Downed trees blocked the way. They were burn victims, frozen where they fell, limbs covered in charcoal. Poison oak was plentiful and was enmeshed with other plants and trees. I looked for the clearest path to the ridge, taking a wide arc through a field of deep grass.

Smittle Creek

Burned trees and brush clog the road

Avoiding the worst brush through an open field
Eventually, I wandered back into the road, brushing off a tick. The main lesson was don't leave the road, no matter how cluttered and difficult, because it was worse off the road. I found the road cut going up to Iron Mountain. It took some bushwhacking to get there, and more to stay on it, but it was a mix of open and brushy sections. Near the top of the ridge, the brush fell away. After a false summit, there were three mounds that appeared about the same height, but the farthest was Iron Mountain. At the summit, I found a fallen wooden pole that I righted. There was no benchmark, and no register. Good views of Lake Berryesa were on display. The lake was much longer and larger than I imagined. The best views were not from the summit, but along the trail on the ridge. Cedar Roughs, the high point in the local wilderness, looked too far for me to get in my time window. A line of vegetation marked where a past fire had halted its advance half way up the mountain. I left the summit and returned the same way, trying to stick to the road. My track was a mess and I can't recommend it. The one from Jeff Moffat on peakbagger is much better. It was not an easy day, but I was satisfied to get up and down another Iron. As an historical aside, Lake Berryessa was the site of one of the early Zodiac Killer attacks.

False summit

Iron Mountain

Summit

Lake Berryessa

Cedar Roughs

Mormon Rocks

Hiked: 4/28/2025
Distance: 1.5 miles round trip on trail
Summit Elevation: 3474' (highest point on trail)
Elevation Gain: 330'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 0.3
Round trip time: 40 minutes
Recommended water: 0 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free at San Bernardino National Forest parking lot
Difficulty: Easy

Just south of Highway 138 near the intersection with I-15, the San Bernardino National Forest maintains an interpretive trail around the massive rock protrusions known as Mormon Rocks. They are quite prominent traveling on I-15 northeast of LA. I've admired them a hundred times and finally took the time to check them out. The largest rocks are on the north side, but I only visited the lower rocks on the south side. They were still very impressive. To actually get on the rocks, I had to leave the official trail, but there was a well defined use trail. The largest rock on the south side rose more than 100' above the surrounding terrain. Conglomerates were cemented in the white sandstone from extreme heat and pressure. I found a chute on the north side at about 40 degrees that got me about half way up. There was another chute on the south side that went up the rest of the way, but it was class 4 with severe exposure. While the sandstone was unexpectedly grippy, I wasn't feeling the death chute. I did climb a lower rock with a 20' class 3 face. After, I completed the trail which gave me better views of the northern rocks. The Mormon Rocks felt as noteworthy as the more famous Vasquez Rocks. Cool geology and fun to climb. I'd like to visit the north side rocks in the future.

Gobblers Knob

Hiked: 4/28/2025
Distance: 1.8 miles round trip on dirt road and firebreak
Summit Elevation: 6955'
Elevation Gain: 630'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 0.5
Round trip time: 55 minutes
Recommended water: 0 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free on Forest Road 3N31Y
Difficulty: Easy

Gobblers Knob, HPS #118, was one I could manage in half a day, even counting drive time. From Lone Pine Road near Wrightwood, I took dirt road 3N31Y, aka Upper Lytle Creek Road (Open Street Maps), aka Sheep Creek Truck Trail (Google Maps). The road itself was in great condition with only a couple of dips and rocks that might give a sedan pause. Even though it wasn't required, I engaged 4x4 to keep the moving parts clean. I passed a couple of hikers on their way down. I could have easily driven to the base of the peak, but stopped at the last switchback to at least get a few steps. I hiked up the road to a turnaround, where an SUV was parked with a tent set up next to it. I didn't see any people. From the base, I went up the steep firebreak, gaining about 500' in 0.3 miles. I am always in awe of bulldozer drivers who can take those machines up and down crazy angles. I guess they are unlikely to tip over. The top of Gobblers Knob had been flattened. I am not sure it remains at its reported altitude. There was a metal triangle marker, but no trace of a benchmark or register. Views were quite nice along the snowy north side of the San Gabriels. I wandered around a bit, then headed back the same way. I met one PCT thru hiker near my truck.

Start of the firebreak

Summit. Mount San Antonio, Pine Mountain, Wright Mountain in the background.

Mount San Jacinto way out there

Kumeyaay Promontory and Stelzer Summit

Hiked: 4/22/2025
Distance: 2.7 miles round trip on trail
Summit Elevation: 950' (Kumwaay), 1181' (Steltzer)
Elevation Gain: 530'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 0.4
Round trip time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Recommended water: 32 oz.
Parking/Fees: $5 County Fee Day Use
Difficulty: Easy

Stelzer County Park is about 2.2 miles from the El Cajon parking lot on Wildcat Canyon Road. There was a $5 day use fee that I had to pay via app. There were picnic tables and play sets for kids near the entrance. I headed for the hiking trail and found I was the only one using it. The trail had a couple of switchbacks up to the ridge. A sign pointed right for the Promontory and left for Stelzer Summit. I headed to the Promontory first at the west end of the ridge. Two large electrical towers dominated. The high point was on a rise behind a bench. No marks. I jumped back on the trail for Stelzer. The trail led to a saddle east of the summit, then a good use trail went to the top. The highest boulder was class 3, with a thin foothold that took me a few seconds to find coming down. Views were decent for a small peak with El Cajon visible over intervening hills. These were bonuses after completing El Cajon.

Kumeyaay Promontory

Stelzer from Kumeyaay

Stelzer summit block

El Cajon in the background

El Cajon Mountain (x4)

Hiked: 4/22/2025
Distance: 11.1 miles round trip on trail
Summit Elevation: 3679'
Prominence: 1974'
Elevation Gain: 3770'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 3.0
Round trip time: 5 hours
Recommended water: 108 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free in parking lot on Wildcat Canyon Road
Difficulty: Strenuous

This was a cardio endurance training hike to El Cajon (SDC #55). It was my fourth summit of El Cajon, third by the main trail. I love El Cajon as a trainer. It's more than 10 miles with 3770' of gain, about 700' of which is on the return, so it adds a mental toughness component. In past hikes, I've added one or more nearby summits (Silverdome, Silverdome II, El Capitan). This time, the nearby summits were Kumeyaay Promontory and Stelzer Summit in Stelzer County Park. It was foggy when I started, but I got above the clouds near Silverdome II, then descended back into the clouds, before climbing out again near the top. It was the usual steady grind. Despite being cool, the humidity had me sweating like I was in a steam room, drenched from the knees up. I met several parties during the day, but was alone on the summit. The benchmark was still in great shape. I didn't look for a register. I noticed several new things since my last visit. There were water coolers set up along the trail in two places. All of them were empty. The final quarter mile of use trail had a lot of green trail markers to guide people to and from the summit. A nice addition. The clouds started to burn off on the way down. It was an uneventful descent.

Many signs on the trail discourage hikers from attempting the summit.
I like the angry sun.

Green trail markers

High point

See Also:
El Cajon and Silverdome
El Cajon South Arete
El Cajon, El Capitan, Silverdome II