SoCal Hiking and Peakbagging » Blog Archive

HPS: #4
SDC: #2

Elevation: 6,271 ft.

Date Hiked: 11/28/2008.

Trip Report:
I had never hiked this peak before this trip. I had read a few trip reports and it sounded like a fun hike. I left San Diego around 8:30 AM and arrived at the trail head around 9:45 AM. I was planning on hiking Wooded Hill via the Wooded Hill Nature Trail but when I arrived a hunter told me he had been tracking a mountain lion along the trail. I decided this hike should be done another time.

One of the Summit Towers and the Anza Borrego Desert with the Salton Sea in the Background

I started hiking the Monument Peak trial around 10:15 AM. The beginning of the trail was done in the trees along the Pacific Crest Trail. It was a cool morning, the temp was in the 50s. There was no one else along the trail the entire hike, which was nice. After hiking along the PCT there is a fork in the trail. I read the trail on the right hand side is the one which leads to the peak. I followed this trail through the brush (the trees end at this point) all the way to a gated area. Inside was a large trailer and other random devices. I joined a paved road and followed this to the summit. On top there was a large antennae which (after I did some research) belongs to HPWREN) Here is a link to their live cameras: LINK

Once on top I took lots of pictures and admired the view all the way down to Anza Borrego one mile below. I had originally thought visibility would be good due to the recent storm we had but it really was not. Out west the inversion layer was around 5500 ft. East you could see fairly far but not as far as you usually can after a storm. After I took a number a pictures I headed down. I took the wrong path down so I had to hike up the road for a quarter of a mile to reach my car. My GPS said I hike around 3 and a half miles.

Pacific Crest Trail Marker