It was early December of 2023, and I decided to hike to Tahquitz Peak, within the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Wilderness. My plan was to hike there before winter set in, but plans got delayed. In my search for backpacking partners to hike the PCT with, I met a woman in a hiking group… Continue reading Tahquitz Peak in Snow
Category: Peaks
Hiking the Four Hawkins
I set out to hike the Mount Hawkins Loop on a beautiful fall day. October is by far the best month of the year for hiking to peaks above 7000 feet, since the weather is just about perfect. High Mountain Gooseberries A Fall Hike October is a small window for hiking to peaks close to… Continue reading Hiking the Four Hawkins
Hiking to Stoddard Peak
I hiked to Stoddard Peak, located in the San Gabriel Mountains of the Cucamonga Wilderness. Several mountain peaks surround this one, such as Sunset Peak, Sugarloaf Peak, Potato Mountain, and of course Ontario Peak. There is another prominence called Turtle’s Beak, which I have heard of people hiking to. That one sounds like a mostly… Continue reading Hiking to Stoddard Peak
Hiking Black Mountain in San Diego
I recently visited the 2,352 acre Black Mountain Open Space Preserve, one of the gems of San Diego County. I decided I would hike the Black Mountain via Miner’s Ridge trail. It earned its name, since the mountain has a history as an old mining area. I could not help but feel somewhat nostalgic, walking… Continue reading Hiking Black Mountain in San Diego
Volcan Mountain is a Wine Country Classic
Hiking up Volcan Mountain rewards you with beautiful views of pristine wilderness, surrounded by charming farmscapes, amid the rolling hills of San Diego’s wine country. Reaching the peak is a somewhat challenging workout. You can take Volcan Mountain Trail all the way or take the Five Oaks Trail, which eventually joins Volcan Mountain Trail, on to the peak.




