1/20/25: Hiking Kumeyaay Promontory, Stelzer Summit, Peak 1457- Stelzer Park (Lakeside, Ca)

[@swithinbarclay4797]

With your descriptions of the various Ceanothii, Brian, I should think it an especial treat, to do a FULL MOON hike--yes--AT NIGHT!! I know what certain landforms and trees look like--VERY different from day--as so very long ago, I took saunters in Sequoia NP's Giant Forest in the Full Moon, the huge trees with their celadon foliage, and the trunks with an iridescent magenta, that you would not see during daylight. And tracts of glacial polish that would otherwise blind you, if illuminated by the sun, instead.

[@brianpowell5082]

Your Sequoia night hike memories sound cool! I may be doing a few much longer hikes soon, requiring my start in the dark and/or ending in the dark, so I may be able to experience that! I used to do some 20+ mile hikes, but it's been a few years!

[@swithinbarclay4797]

The Berkeley/Oakland/San Leandro/Hayward Hills crest, where I live close to, is roughly the same elevations as this particular range that you were on, Brian, this day. Yet, with the boulder-spangled slopesides, ridges, and summits leading up to big El Cajon, terrain-wise, it all looks like it ought to belong, at least 6K' HIGHER. So fascinating, to run the eyeballs over the courses of the decidedly exotic landforms! Now, if this Winter were more "normal", quite a lot of these sites that you've been on/at, as of late, would be close to miserable to traverse. Too much MUD, perhaps extensive snowy tracts at/above 2.5K', and, too DANG cold, for you to be hiking in your trademark white T-shirts! Do take ADVANTAGE of these narrow meteorological windows! But do shelter-in-place, when the abnormally strong Santa Anas trigger flying debris!

[@brianpowell5082]

El Cajon Mtn (3,675') really looks like it should be that much higher than it appears! It boasts nearly 2,000' prominence over much lower elevation land! I do hope to try El Cajon Mtn this winter/early spring before temps soar, and it will be a doozy, with 11-12 miles round-trip, with 4000' total elevation gain (many ups/downs!)! And, as for mud, the last 2 winters/springs, mud was a HUGE issue, slowing my pace on even the easiest hikes! El Cajon Mtn rarely gets snow, at least accumulating snow, but it would be cool to hike it with snow! I think there is a KZbin video or web blogger (I forget whose video/blog it is!), where the hiker does it with snow up there!

[@swithinbarclay4797]

Brian, what's the name of the beautiful DEEP valley below El Cajon Peak? With its deepness, it looks like it offers a taste of Yosemite, all the scarps surrounding it? There's probably Raccoon problems, with that Koi pond.

[@brianpowell5082]

That valley is the San Diego River Valley! It is lower than the other valleys around El Cajon Mountain, so the San Diego River Valley is about 3,000' below the summit of El Cajon Mtn! Some people scramble up that vertical escarpment and reach the summit that way, but I believe that it is illegal! I do wonder, now that you mention it, about the safety of those fish in the garden pond! They do seem vulnerable there!

[@swithinbarclay4797]

Brian, I have no idea, what triggered the strikeout, in my adjacent Post! I tried different things, but, it's still there.

[@brianpowell5082]

No worry!! LOL

[@swithinbarclay4797]

At about 09:04--uh oh--looks like a bit of smudge in the sky.

[@brianpowell5082]

Yep, even in San Diego County, there are some blazes erupting, but not anywhere like in L.A. County! Pheww!!

[@swithinbarclay4797]

I swear, I do declare, that right-hand side of El Cajon, has a cliff-piece identical to Yosemite's El Capitan. With the strength of this season's particular Santa Anas, it's DEFINITELY WISE to shelter in place--flying debris--downed trees-downed powerlines/power flashes--some structures damaged/destroyed by this year's Santa Anas. People forget those things, in wake of the fire news. And, some, in their ignorance, actually believe that with the air being "that dry", that the air itself, "ignites"--in the absence of moisture-- and that this "fire from the sky", is the cause of these fires. I "could" envision, however, that extreme friction of dry twigs in the wind, "might" trigger ignitions, but it would require, LOTS of rubbing. In NorCal, many areas have also been struck by particularly bad and long-lasting Monos/Diablos, but, fingers crossed, my immediate vicinity, has been largely protected by Inversion Layers, from those. Somehow, these gusts simply "bounce off" of those.

[@brianpowell5082]

In fact, El Cajon Mtn is in El Capitan Open Space! San Diego County also has a "Half Dome", Corte Madera Mountain (4,657'), also with an abrupt south face!

[@andrewgerg]

Многие тропы как я вижу можно проехать на велосипеде

[@swithinbarclay4797]

I DREAD, Brian, to see the views as you break out on the ridgelines and summits, and I'm surprised that you were able to get to the hinterlands, with all of the Red Flag Closures. Poway's not too far from your digs, isn't it? And we all HOPE that your workplace escaped not only conflagration, but those highly DAMAGING winds. Seems so, judging from your banter. More to soon follow . . .

[@brianpowell5082]

Poway is fairly close (15-25 minute drive!), and I saw some smoke the other day! A few spots scattered in S.D. County have flared up, Poway and Mission Valley being closest locales to me! It was also hot yesterday (low-mid 80'sF), so I nearly started running the a/c!