Summer ‘09 in Pics vol. 4
El Cajon Mountain
This past Saturday I went on a hike by myself to El Cajon Mountain east of San Diego. I chose it because it was listed as the most strenuous hike in the San Diego area, having lots of ups and downs (the trail to the mountain has a cumulative elevation gain of more than 4000 ft even though the total elevation difference between the peak and the trailhead is closer to 2000 ft). It’s a little less than 6 miles each way. I finished in 5 hours including a half-hour break at the top. It was tiring, but certainly nowhere near the hard hikes I’ve done in the Rockies in the past. Based on this, and other people I saw on the trail, I have concluded that San Diegans are some wussy hikers. :)
The trail is very wide and impossible to miss until the final approach to the peak, which is more of a foot path (but still not hard to follow). There are mile markers, but the fourth one was burned and I didn’t see any after that. The whole area was burned in 2003 by the massive Cedar fire, so there are very few trees left. The landscape mainly consists of huge granite boulders and tall chaparral. The weather was somewhat sunny but not too hot, with a nice breeze. Clouds started moving in when I finished at about 12:30, but I didn’t see any rain except in the car while I was driving through San Diego. As far as wildlife goes, I saw lots of rabbits everywhere, as well as lizards and birds (mostly hummingbirds and a black bird with white on the tail that I didn’t recognize). Here are the pictures:
Looking back toward the trailhead after the initial ascent.
The white granite boulders give the landscape a distinctive appearance.
Burned trees were scattered around, but usually just the stumps were left.
Low clouds mostly hide El Cajon (the trail goes around the two nearer peaks).
Fuzzy.
The steep side of El Cajon on the left, with the San Diego River in the valley below.
A rare copse of living trees along the path. These are fire-resistant oaks that can sometimes regrow after being burned.
In a saddle near the 4 mile marker.
Looking back east toward the coast. It was rainy all day in the city.
I'm too lazy to look up what kind of flowers these are.
At the summit. Cuyamaca is in the background; I hope to climb it next weekend.
Looking southeast from the peak. There is a steep face with good rock climbing just over the edge of the mountain, with El Capitan Reservoir behind that in the valley.
El Capitan Reservoir is just visible.
Big rolling hills to the north.
More hills and smog.
Clouds moving in from the west were my cue to head back.
No comments yet.