Hot Springs Mountain Climber's Log

Viewing: 1-18 of 18
Lenny72

Lenny72 - Apr 8, 2019 12:05 am Date Climbed: Apr 6, 2019

Training Hike  Sucess!

Did this hike with 35 pounds in my pack as a training hike for Mount Hood. Challenging but fun with fantastic views from the top. The watch tower at the top is in bad shape so don't attempt to climb up it. The actual summit is also a bit of a dangerous scramble to exercise extreme caution when climbing it. Entrance fee is still $10 per person and the map they give you doesn't show you where the trailhead starts. Look for the campground and Sukat Road (dirt road) is where you start (not labeled on the map they give you). About 11-12 miles round trip.

IronHiker

IronHiker - Dec 29, 2018 3:05 pm Date Climbed: Aug 17, 2018

Fun scramble  Sucess!

The summit boulders were fun. Visited Coral Benchmark on the way back.

Jonodo

Jonodo - Jan 1, 2017 1:55 am Date Climbed: Dec 31, 2016

Cold and rainy  Sucess!

Hiked in a nice little rain storm and on some snow from the previous storm. Hiked with my dad and met some nice folks along the trail. Didn't see a thing tho.

cab

cab - Jul 5, 2016 1:26 pm Date Climbed: Jul 2, 2016

Road  Sucess!

Parked at the junction of Sukat Road and Camino San Ignacio where the road was gated. Millions of gnats swarmed me for the entire hike, but luckily I had a headnet. I would have turned around without it. Paid $10 to get onto the reservation.

trexkerry - Dec 5, 2015 9:56 pm Date Climbed: Dec 4, 2015

Very Enjoyable  Sucess!

No one at the gate, so I drove about a half mile to the Community Center to pay for the Day Use Permit. Met by a very friendly dog as I parked. Drove back to try to drive up the Hot Springs Mountain Road, but it was gated after the last house. I turned around, and my poor 3 point turnaround attracted two more dogs from the adjacent house, one was very friendly and I pet her and rubbed her belly for a few minutes while the other watched from a distance. I then drove to the Los Coyotes Campground and started driving up the unsigned road, which was also gated. So I parked at the campground and did the 10 mile round trip hike and I was glad I did. The area is quite scenic and the solitude was very enjoyable. Nice class 3/4 summit block at the top. The people who helped me at the Community Center were super friendly and I really enjoyed my visit.

Ted Bauer

Ted Bauer - Oct 28, 2014 3:21 pm

Years Ago  Sucess!

Pretty disappointing as I drove the majority of the way, then hiked to the summit. Also climbed one of the lookout tours. Grabbed a couple of the huge pine cones for Christmas decorations and headed home.

DonutPig

DonutPig - Feb 20, 2014 5:59 am Date Climbed: Feb 16, 2014

Rough Road  Sucess!

The drive up was pretty rough on my Subaru, bottomed out and had quite a few scares. Nice short hike with good views.

Ted Bauer

Ted Bauer - Dec 5, 2013 2:01 pm

Huge Pinecones  Sucess!

Drove most of the way up. Not really anything to write about, other than it was fun climbing up on the look out tower.

ericnoel

ericnoel - Nov 9, 2013 6:48 pm Date Climbed: Nov 9, 2013

Hot Springs Mtn  Sucess!

Pretty short hike with a little odd summit block scramble at the end.

Fletch

Fletch - Dec 27, 2012 6:12 pm Date Climbed: Jan 17, 2010

Very pretty  Sucess!

Nice little day...

surgent

surgent - Jun 8, 2012 4:40 pm Date Climbed: Jul 7, 2001

Spontaneous trip  Sucess!

Did this on a whim. Fun, short, a chance to go to the beach afterwards.

orbitor

orbitor - Apr 16, 2012 5:15 pm Date Climbed: Apr 10, 2011

From Los Coyotes Campground via the fire road  Sucess!

Hiked through a beautiful landscape right after a late winter storm. Great views of Jacinto and Gorgonio from the top.

NavySeabee

NavySeabee - Aug 8, 2011 4:47 pm Date Climbed: May 28, 2011

From Hot Springs Mtn Rd  Sucess!

Drove my Civic to junction w/Sukat Rd and hiked up. Added Corral BM (Pt 6,407') as a bonus which didn't even show up on my topo map, but stood out like a sore thumb due to recent fires and the firebreaks on it. Wanted to climb Cody and Pike BM's but the road to the eastern parts of the reservation were closed.

Alex Wood

Alex Wood - May 23, 2011 3:19 am Date Climbed: May 22, 2011

Great Views  Sucess!

Hiked this with my little bro and my dogs. We parked at 5,200ft in order to get some hiking in. Beautiful day with great views all around. Only saw two other cars on the road. What neat place. Took us two hour to reach the summit from our car.

Diggler

Diggler - Jun 4, 2010 1:49 pm Date Climbed: Nov 13, 2009

Another one bites the dust  Sucess!

Always interesting, these excursions onto reservations. Unaware of the 'open' times to non-residents, I stopped by the info office at the tribal center, where a woman in the trailer- the only person I was able to find- told me to come back tomorrow. Fine. As I was hanging out outside the trailer, figuring out what to do/where to go after this (a few minutes later), she comes out & tells me if I don't leave immediately, she'll call the tribal police. What?! I've encountered numerous crazy people in SF, but this was unexpected & uncalled for. Seriously? I'll give her the benefit of the doubt & tell myself it was that time of the month- whatever...

Next day came back & went through the proper formalities. As time was limited, I did some driving before starting to hoof it, although I'd wanted to hike from the bottom to the top. Oh well. Parked at the Hot Springs Mtn/Lookout (as shown on the Los Coyotes-provided map) Rd.-Campground Rd. intersection, & started up. :45 later was at the dilapidated lookout. 'No-one told me the final summit block was 5th class,' I remember thinking to myself. After enjoying a brew on the rocks adjacent the lookout, I discovered that the true lookout lies in the brush across the way- whoops. Made a quick jaunt over there- afterall, this "highpointing" business includes by definition attaining the actual highpoint (ugh!!). After the obligatory highpoint, got down & back to car. Drove out just a few minutes after my officially-alloted time was up (15.00)- they waved as I passed through the gate.

Beautiful area & summit- it was far prettier than I'd expected. Despite the fog-clouds (or perhaps because of?), the views were great, & it was cool to see a glider flying above. Certainly a far different 'San Diego' than most (myself included until this point) think of!

Despite my initial unpleasant encounter, the young guy I met at the entrance station the day of my summit was inviting & quite nice (thanks for the orange). It was a pleasure to meet him. Quibling aside, it's nice that the tribe indeed does allow access, for those demented 'highpointers,' as well as those wanting to see a beautiful area off the beaten path, alike. Glad to have been in this special place.

mrchad9

mrchad9 - May 9, 2010 4:10 am Date Climbed: Mar 27, 2005

Got lucky  Sucess!

Was driving to Anza-Borrego and happened to notice the Los Coyotes Indian Reservation on the way. A southern CA hiking book had mentioned this was the highest in San Diego County, so on a whim decided to hike it on the drive back- my 10th county HP but first as part of my goal to do all of them in CA.

We stopped at the gate but no one was there, so drove down a very rutted road, took quite a while, then hiked to the summit. Didn't realize until a month later that it was closed to visitors as of a couple weeks before our visit. As far as I know no one else went up for a few years.

Tracy

Tracy - Jan 20, 2010 9:42 pm Date Climbed: Nov 2, 2009

via standard route  Sucess!

did this on a Monday (no one was manning the entrance station on the way up or on the way down) with beautiful weather. There is a nice looking animal den on the north side of the summit block of rocks that looked rather interesting.

Bob Burd

Bob Burd - Jan 19, 2010 10:08 am Date Climbed: Aug 7, 2002

Road  Sucess!

Hiked it during the fire that subsequently closed it for a few years. Drove most of the way. Fire guys were nice enough to let me finish before kicking me out. Trip Report

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