Parked at Oak Oasis Park and left the car at 7am. Saw a roadrunner as I walked to the trailhead, and more than a dozen jackrabbits in the first hour of walking. We got a little bit of rain recently, and there were a lot of different plants blooming, most notably a whole hillside of a yellow flower I've never seen before. There are a few steep grades, but they are far worse upon the descent! The route to the peak follows a good ducked use trail from a saddle where the fire road continues into signed private property. Returned to car at 12:30pm.
I couldn't find a summit register.
If Wildcat Canyon Rd is still under construction when you take this trip, pay close attention to the signage for Oak Oasis Park so you will turn at the correct spot! I talked to a guy working on new bathroom construction at the trailhead who said the tunnel under Wildcat Canyon Rd was primarily for the benefit of equestrians, and that they had already poured for the tunnel, though he didn't know when it would be open.
Don't forget your sun protection! If I were hiking this trail in the summer, I'd shoot for a 5am start and bring a gallon of water. As it is, I went through my 3L and downed another liter when I got back to my car, and that's with a starting temperature of ~50F and a high of only ~65F!
chudder - Apr 18, 2007 7:52 pm Date Climbed: Apr 18, 2007
El Cajon Mt. TrailParked at Oak Oasis Park and left the car at 7am. Saw a roadrunner as I walked to the trailhead, and more than a dozen jackrabbits in the first hour of walking. We got a little bit of rain recently, and there were a lot of different plants blooming, most notably a whole hillside of a yellow flower I've never seen before. There are a few steep grades, but they are far worse upon the descent! The route to the peak follows a good ducked use trail from a saddle where the fire road continues into signed private property. Returned to car at 12:30pm.
I couldn't find a summit register.
If Wildcat Canyon Rd is still under construction when you take this trip, pay close attention to the signage for Oak Oasis Park so you will turn at the correct spot! I talked to a guy working on new bathroom construction at the trailhead who said the tunnel under Wildcat Canyon Rd was primarily for the benefit of equestrians, and that they had already poured for the tunnel, though he didn't know when it would be open.
Don't forget your sun protection! If I were hiking this trail in the summer, I'd shoot for a 5am start and bring a gallon of water. As it is, I went through my 3L and downed another liter when I got back to my car, and that's with a starting temperature of ~50F and a high of only ~65F!