Galena Peak and Galena West

HPS Star Emblem Peak
Hiked: 9/19/2014
Distance: 8.8 miles round trip on trail and cross country
Summit Elevation: 9324' (Galena), 9358' (Galena West)
Prominence: 868' (Galena)
Elevation Gain: 3360'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 2.68
Round trip time: 6 hours 15 minutes
Recommended water: 144 oz.
Parking/Fees: Adventure Pass
Difficulty: Strenuous

Galena Peak is the high point on the Yucaipa Ridge, a rugged line running on one side of Mill Creek opposite San Gorgonio. While dwarfed by the higher Gorgonio peaks, Galena tops out at a respectable 9324'. Sean and I started from the Vivian Creek Trailhead and quickly turned upstream in Mill Creek where the trail crossed over. At first, the grade is gentle and the rocks are small, but both change the further you go.

Heading up Mill Creek, it begins to get steeper, then large boulders and uprooted trees start to fill the canyon as it narrows. The creek itself gathered strength and you need to head up a gully on the right to bypass a high waterfall. Shortly after that, the size and frequency of the boulders changes the hike to a constant class 2. Galena towers over you as you progress. Eventually, we hit the headwall topped by the Mill Creek Jumpoff. The headwall is mostly compacted and sun-baked dirt, covered with a thin layer of loose sand and mostly unstable rocks and boulders. This makes it hard to find holds at all, especially reliable holds. The best approach is generally to stay left avoiding rockfall from the crumbling right side of the canyon. Sean stayed left, and while I started left, I began following one of the small drainages in search of traction, leading me more to the center. About half way up, Sean and I were both scrambling on all fours at 45 degree angles, both dislodging large and small landslides below us. Fortunately, we were using different lines. As we neared the top, the angle of the headwall got closer to 60 degrees while good holds remained non-existent. I realized my approach was not ideal, but it was too dangerous to try to traverse left toward Sean, and not really safe to down climb either. My best bet was to continue up. I had reached a 15' vertical section with large rocks exposed under the lip of the Jumpoff. Manzanita roots grew over the edge, some dead, some alive. I made a couple of class 3 moves to reach the manzanita roots, pulled the dead ones out of the way and crawled over the lip using the roots. Meanwhile, Sean had made it up on the left and quickly caught up to my position.

Heading up Mill Creek, Galena Peak rising at the end

Getting tougher, the headwall visible ahead

Nearly to the crux

Ascent lines

Fighting up to the Jumpoff

Looking down from the Jumpoff

We thrashed through some shrubs to find a decent use trail heading up to Galena. The final ridge climb was steep, but not exposed or dangerous like the headwall. There was no benchmark, but we signed the register and had awesome views back down Mill Creek, the Gorgonio mountains, San Jacinto, and the San Gabriels above the low cloud ceiling. After a brief rest, we dropped our packs on Galena and completed the short hike to Galena West for better views of the jagged Yucaipa Ridge. We didn't find a benchmark or register on the unofficial Galena West. Our adventure was hardly over. We still had to get down the headwall and I knew I didn't want to go down the same way I came up. Sean and I agreed on the descent path and strategy, a combination of down climbing and dirt glissading. We staggered the descent so we would not knock rocks on top of each other. Sean went first and when he got to a safe spot, I descended to his location, then he descended further. He hit a hard patch at one point and slid a ways, leaving his hands bloody. I had a few rocks give way on me leaving me flat on my butt with some nicks on my hands and legs. It was slow going until the boulders thinned out, then we enjoyed a carefree stroll back to the car.

Looking back toward the Mill Creek Jumpoff

Sean heading toward Galena

Galena Peak summit, Galena West in the background

San Gorgonio, Dragons Head, Bighorn

Mt. San Jacinto from the Galena summit

The jagged Yucaipa Ridge from Galena Peak West

On Galena Peak West

Mill Creek from Galena Peak West

Sean near the Jumpoff

Descending from the Jumpoff, waiting for Sean to find safety before I continue

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Eagle Peak

Hiked: 9/10/2014
Distance: 4.4 miles round trip on trail
Summit Elevation: 3226'
Prominence: 526'
Elevation Gain: 1050'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 0.84
Round trip time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Recommended water: 48 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free on Boulder Creek Road (Three Sisters Falls Trailhead)
Difficulty: Easy

Limited time meant I had a small choice of targets. I settled on Eagle Peak in San Diego County, another peak overlapping the Lower Peaks and San Diego Sierra Club lists. Today, my drive time would sadly double my hiking time. The easiest way to find the trailhead is to search for "Three Sisters Falls Trailhead" since the Eagle Peak trail starts in the same place.

It is a long, winding trek from the north down Boulder Creek Road to the trailhead. The last few miles are smooth dirt road passing through the Inaja Reservation. Once at the trailhead, I started down the left dirt road. In a mile or so, you come to a brown wooden post that marks the junction where the Three Sisters trail turns left and heads down into the canyon. The Eagle Peak trail continues straight ahead as a narrow single track. Along the way, you get a good look at Three Sisters Falls and today it was bone dry, a victim of the drought. The trail drops down a bit and crosses a creek, then heads up over the first of a couple of false summits. The trail mostly stays away from the sheer drop off to Boulder Creek on the left, but it is worth a short diversion to take in the views. At the summit, it had warmed up to 90+F and I went through my normal rituals. I continued past the summit a little ways to look at the spiny east ridge, then returned.

Starting out on the road

Three Sisters Falls trail to the left, Eagle Peak straight ahead.

Approaching Eagle Peak

Eagle Peak summit

Eagle Peak USGS benchmark

El Cajon Mountain from Eagle summit

Looking down one of the sheer drops into Boulder Creek

Cuyamaca distant right

Looking down the bumpy east ridge, a more difficult route

Caterpillar having a bad day

Temescal Peak

Hiked: 9/5/2014
Distance: 7.2 miles round trip on trail
Summit Elevation: 2126'
Prominence: 627'
Elevation Gain: 1000'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 0.80
Round trip time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Recommended water: 48 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free at the end of Reseda Blvd. (or $5 if free parking spots taken)
Difficulty: Easy

For the second part of my Lower Peak double header, I made the 40 minute drive from Simi Peak to the south side of the 101 on Reseda Blvd. I hit the rush hour traffic as half asleep yuppies made their morning commutes in metal coffins (like I do most days). As you near the end of Reseda, you pass a few gated million dollar communities like the Silver Hawk Estates with giant fountains at the entrance spraying 30' up in the middle of a multi-year drought. Nice. I was surprised at the available parking. There was plenty of free parking and only one paid parking spot was being used. You hike an extra 0.2 miles from free parking, where I started.

There were a handful of hikers and mountain bikers on the trail, but none had Temescal Peak as their destination. I cruised up Mulholland, then Temescal Ridge. There was not much to get excited about for most of the hike along the wide smooth roads. After the restroom on the trail, I passed a giant sandstone conglomerate formation. I considered stopping to explore it, but decided to save my time for potential traffic problems on the way home. Eventually, I hit the backbone trail that goes all the way to Sandstone Peak and beyond. After a very short distance, I hit the use trail on the left and the final 100' gain to the summit. There was no register, but a USGS benchmark reading "Divide". I will have to do research to find out when it was officially named Temescal. From the summit, the views were not bad. The haze prevented me from seeing the ocean, but much of the Santa Monica mountain range was visible. I took a very short break to shuffle my water bottles and made the unexciting trip back to the car. I got lucky with the traffic driving home, making it back a full hour faster than planned.

Starting out

Sandstone conglomerate formation

Use trail to the summit

Temescal summit

Benchmark reading "Divide"

Looking west toward the Santa Monica mountains

Simi Peak

Hiked: 9/5/2014
Distance: 5 miles round trip on trail
Summit Elevation: 2403'
Prominence: 816'
Elevation Gain: 1530'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 1.22
Round trip time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Recommended water: 32 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free on King James Court
Difficulty: Easy

Simi Peak is the high point in the Simi Hills, part of the Santa Susana Mountains north of Agoura Hills. I drove up Lindero Canyon Road from the 101 and parked in the cul-de-sac on King James Court. This is one of the trailheads for Simi Peak, signed as "China Flat Trail Head". With two shorter hikes planned for the day and no cross country travel, I brought my light pack and trail runners. I also left behind some unnecessary gear. I had pre-taped a few toes in anticipation of jogging some downhills.

The trail starts up a wide, dirt road, then eventually narrows to a single track. Views are pretty good from the start, looking down into the Simi Valley. After reaching the ridge, you descend a couple of hundred feet down to what I think is China Flat, a wide grassy meadow with large deciduous trees. I really enjoyed the beauty and tranquility of the area. Past the meadow, the trail climbs again, winding around Simi Peak then coming back for the final ascent. For a relatively small amount of work, you are rewarded with stunning 360 views. The low, early morning clouds making islands out of the surrounding hills. I didn't find the benchmark that I know exists, but there was a new register book in two large ziplock bags only dating back to July, 2014. I autographed the book and jogged about half way back to the car.

Trailhead

Jagged outcrop

Gate near the top of the first ridge

China Flat shade

Simi Peak summit and register under the rocks

Simi Valley

View south from Simi Peak, Saddleback and Orange County in the far distance.

View east

Looking across the flat while returning

Pinyon Ridge and Wilson BM

Hiked: 9/1/2014
Distance: 11.8 miles round trip on trail and cross country
Summit Elevation: 4614' (Pinyon), 4573' (Wilson)
Prominence: 674' (Pinyon)
Elevation Gain: 1920' (combined)
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 1.53
Round trip time: 4 hours 30 minutes
Recommended water: 136 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free at Wilson Trailhead (I didn't get to the trailhead)
Difficulty: Moderate

Back to the Anza-Borrego Desert for two peaks on the San Diego Sierra Club Peaks list, with Wilson Benchmark also on the Lower Peaks list. A 3 for 2 deal. I usually dread the long drive to Anza-Borrego, but I'm always glad I made the trip. I wanted to get back in the early afternoon and also wanted to avoid the late summer desert heat, so I left the house at 3:30 AM for the 105 mile one way drive. The trailhead is a little south of S-22 not far from the start of the departure point to The Thimble and San Ysidro. I used the official LPC directions, but it was not easy to find. Even if you find it, you may not be able to drive down it too far in a low clearance vehicle. I never got past the finding part.

On the way back, I realized the trick to getting on the correct dirt road is to turn left at the first chance from Wilson Road, then a quick right to get on the parallel dirt road. In the dark, I missed the turn and tried to turn left at the next intersection and the road was too rough for my car. I tried again at the next intersection, Camel Rock Road, and it ended abruptly. I wasted a good 20 minutes trying to find the way over, finally giving up and pulling off Wilson Road a little past Camel Rock. I decided to just eat the extra mileage and gain. I quickly went cross country toward the trailhead. I found the cross country pretty easy since the vegetation had still not grown back from a previous fire. After a mile or so, I found a road and eventually intersected the Wilson Trail, having missed the official trailhead somewhere. On trail, I moved faster, keeping a good pace to try to make up for the extra distance. As soon as the Pinyon Ridge high point was in view, I left the trail and headed directly for it. There was some class 2 scrambling and the summit was an easy 20' class 3 block. On top, I found and signed the register, noting that only 4 other parties had visited in 2014. The sun was up and views in all directions were great. I could see the Wilson BM only a mile and change to the east. After a short rest, I headed northeast to intersect the Wilson Trail again.

I parked on this overgrown road, but got a warning from the sheriff, not recommended.

Sunrise

Lion or bobcat print?

Nearing the Pinyon Ridge high point

Pinyon Ridge class 3 summit block

Pinyon Ridge register on top of the block

View south

View north toward San Ysidro

I followed it until I got close, then headed straight up Wilson. My angle from the trail was misleading and I didn't end up near the high point, having to veer north until I found the cairn, benchmark, and register. There were two register books, one going back to 1993 and most recent one starting in 2004. Wilson appeared to have more visitors than Pinyon, at least in 2014. The views from Wilson were very similar to Pinyon, but with burnt trees and vegetation. I did zoom in on The Thimble and San Ysidro, evoking memories of my trip there.

On the way back, it occurred to me that I had not seen much wildlife. Shortly after that thought, I startled a couple of huge jack rabbits, and ran into a beautiful copper-brown coyote coming the other way along the road. Unfortunately, they were all too fast for my camera. When I got back to the car, I had a business card from a San Diego County Sheriff's deputy under my windshield wiper with a warning about where I had parked. I was only about 30' off the Wilson Road, but someone had called the Sheriff to complain that I was on private property and blocking the very overgrown side road. I found that claim dubious since I had seen exactly zero other cars on any of the dirt roads and zero other humans. Still, I recommend not parking where I did (see the GPS track) or you might get the same warning. Based on the tone of the written warning, the deputy may have been annoyed to get this particular call. Anyway, this was my second run in with local law enforcement this year. Not a trend I want to continue!

Wilson summit

Wilson benchmark

Charred tree on the Wilson summit

The Thimble and San Ysidro from Wilson

Balloon snagged on a cactus near Pinyon Ridge. I packed it out.

Warning note on the back of the Sheriff Deputy's business card

Track profile is only 90% complete. I forgot to reset the track until I was a mile in to the hike,
so the total distance from my Wilson Road parking spot was closer to 11.8 miles