-Middle Peak-

HPS: #13
SDC: #20

Elevation: 5,883 ft.

Date Hiked: 3-6-10

Trip Report:
Middle Peak was one of the southern San Diego HPS peaks which I had yet to hike. This peak is just north of Cuyamaca Peak and is known for the poor views and large trees. Middle Peak has the largest trees in San Diego county. This area was devastated by the 2003 fires and is still recovering.

Middle Peak in the Clouds

I left Escondido and made my way down I-15 to I-8. I originally wanted to hike Sheephead Mountain so I drove out to Sunrise Highway. When I got to Kitchen Creek road the gate was locked. This would add at least 7 miles to the trip. I did not have the time to hike 7 extra miles. I decided to head to Middle Peak which was only a short distance away. I found the trailhead just after mile marker 10.7 on highway 79. I parked here crossed the highway and began to hike the fire road, it was just after noon.

The Beginning of the Fire Road

North Peak

I made good time up the road and enjoyed the views. The clouds were slowly moving in from the west. I hoped it would not start to rain or snow until after I had reached the top. I had good views of Cuyamaca Lake and Stonewall Peak.

Stonewall Peak

The trees along the road were charred from the 2003 fires. None of the large trees were still living.

Charred Trees

Trees Along the Road

Near the top of the road were patches of snow from previous storms. As I hiked higher there was more snow.

Snow on the Trail

I eventually found the highest point in the road and knew from the directions I read to just find a way to the summit. This is easier said than done. I could not have picked a worse time to buskwack to the summit. The use trail was over grown and I had to make my own trail. Eventually I found a way to the summit. It was hard to determine if the cairn which marked the summit actually was the highest point. Nonetheless I found an ammo box stuffed with notebooks and read a few of the entries.

The Summit Cairn

As I was on the summit the clouds moved in and covered the summit. It also began to sleet. It was not quite snow but still frozen.

Trees in the Clouds

I began to descend and chose to take a more direct route back to the road. This is where the problem started. The use trail I was using ended. I tried to force my way through the brush which worked but the progress was slow. I did this for a half hour and worked my way down the mountain. I decided to check my compass to see if I was going the right way. The brush was so thick I could only see a few feet in front of me. To my surprise I was heading northeast instead of southeast. I turned around and tried to find a new way through the brush. I used trees which had fallen to walk over the brush. Eventually I found a trail which I knew from studying the map lead to a road. I took this trail as it lead northwest around the mountain. Eventually I saw the road. About this time I also ran into a herd of deer. There were about 30 of them. As soon as they saw me they bolted for the trees.

Clouds and Sleet

Herd of Deer

Clouds and Sleet II

The Road

I eventually connected with the original fire road and found the highway. It took me 2 hours and 15 minutes round-trip. I could have cut a half hour off this time if I had not taken the wrong path. Overall this was a good hike up to the top of the fire road, if I ever hike this peak again I will stop at this point.