Peak 80 - Grapevine Mountain - Calm between the storms

Grapevine Mountain
Elevation: 3,955’
Mileage: ~6.25
Trailhead: Scissors Crossing Trailhead Parking Lot
Agency: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Date Hiked: 01/22/2021
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01/22/2021
The weather had finally started to feel like winter here in 2021. I’d been grateful for the spring-like temperatures while enjoying coffee on my patio in the morning, but was very aware that our region needed some water.

Scanning the weather report, I saw that several intense storms were on their way, with a little gap in between them. I carved out a day from work.

Once again, enjoying the pre-dawn drive through Ramona on storm-wet roads, this time through Julian down Banner Grade, I arrived at the large trailhead hearing only the occasional car as the winter sun rose up from the southern end of Earthquake Valley.

Turning the car off was jarring (as always) as all sounds faded away and the scent of a freshly-washed desert greeted me as I opened my door.

The Scissors Crossing Trailhead is a large flat parking lot, built to accommodate PCT section hikers and other day hikers, and possibly trail and road crews for the area.

I put on my layers in the chilly morning, looking out over where San Felipe Valley meets Earthquake Valley, with prominent Granite Mountain keeping watch over everything. I checked my gear and headed up the spur trail on the northeastern side of the lot, directly across from the information sign.

Just above the trailhead looking back toward the car, with Granite Mountain in the background

As I warmed up, I crossed a small wash and scrambled up a short slope and met with the PCT. The Pacific Crest Trail is great while ascending, with a typically reasonable grade. However, this sometimes comes with a cost; the trail winds all around, adding miles when a slightly steeper slope could get one there faster, albeit with a little more work.

Firmly on the PC with San Felipe Road and the Cigarette Hills nearby

This trail was no different as it zig-zagged across the southern reaches of Granite Mountain. I was grateful for the easy ascent as I took my time and enjoyed the morning. I took pictures with an app that identified unknown wonders such as Gander’s Cholla, White Horehound, Desert Apricot, and Engelmann's Hedgehog Cactus.

Looking up the PCT at the lower reaches of Grapevine Mountain

I spent some time reading the tracks, which were few after the storm.

A big horned sheep had been on the trail, I’d guess in the last 24 hours, as well as a hiker with an interesting tread. It happens sometimes for me, especially on remote trails with few tracks. I find a hiker’s tracks and follow it for a while, noting whether they had a dog with them, or if they used trekking poles.

Looking down into Earthquake Valley from Grapevine Mountain

I wondered what this hiker was doing on this portion of the PCT. Was he (given the size, I guessed at a male) backpacking up to the San Felipe Hills, or just out for a stroll on an out-an-back hike for the day? Or was he headed to the top, as I was? The oval caused by the heel impression sometimes looked like a sheep track, but there were definitely distinct sheep and coyote tracks, along with some scat.

I continued along the PCT, enjoying the expanding views and occasionally checking my map, as I had planned on leaving the trail just after a hairpin turn about 2 miles in and scramble up a steep slope to a hilltop, where I would follow the undulated hills until a steeper climb.

When I got to the turn, I noticed a campsite in the crook of the turn on my left with an illegal campfire ring. I imagine it would have been nice on a chilly evening to have a little campfire in the turn in the trail, with its high walls on either side.

The first PCT campsite right along the crook of the hairpin turn, with illegal campfire ring

A few steps further, I saw more potential campsites on the floor of a narrow sandy wash to my right, at the elbow of the turn. I decided to check out the campsites (who knows when one might need one, right?) and walked into the wash for a bit.

On a hunch, I checked my map. This wash appeared to lead up to the shoulder where I would start my steep scramble. I looked down and saw the footprints of the lone hiker at the bottom of the wash, going both up and back.

I had a feeling my unknown friend had also made it to the top of Grapevine Mountain.

Looking into the wash that leads upward, with other campsites in the lower portions

Abandoning my plans of getting immediately to the top of the ridge, I followed the wash roughly northward, finding some more potential dry-weather campsites and having some fun climbing some small dry waterfalls.

I occasionally had to bypass some acacia-choked sections by rising briefly above the wash on the right, following the hiker’s footprints and faint use trails. I learned quickly that it was easier if I returned to the bottom of the wash as soon as I bypassed whatever blockage there was.

Soon, the end of the wash was approaching, so I scrambled up the left side and made it to the top of the ridge, right at the shoulder before the steep upper reaches of Grapevine Mountain.

The first thing that came to me was the fact that the eye-on-the-ground view of the terrain looked nothing like that of my research on Google Earth. It is likely that the imagery shown on Google Earth reflects the fire that occurred in 2012. Apart from some charred remnants here and there, the area has grown back with a vengeance.

What also wasn’t visible on Google Earth was a large dark outcrop in the middle of the steep slope before me. Initially, my instincts told me to go left around it, but, after consulting the map, the easier path was to the right of it.

Looking up from the shoulder at the top of the wash. Climb up and go to the right of the dark brown outcrop in the center of the picture

The climb to the top was an exercise in “hike your own hike,” since there was little in terms of a trail. I weaved back and forth through the agave and cholla, my feet sinking into the gravelly and sandy hillside until I made it to the underside of the outcrop where I could imagine I saw a faint use trail to the top of the shoulder.

Looking back down from near the top of the steep cross-country climb

Once at the shoulder, I turned left and started following the undulating ridgeline toward Grapevine Mountain. I took my time, though, enjoying the rock outcrops and imagining the Cahuilla people climbing up here to harvest and roast agave for their families down below. I could almost imagine their fire pits and their seats among the outcrops.

The ridgeline leading to Grapevine Mountain, the high point in the picture

After exchanging some relatively urgent work-related texts and emails (AT&T), I made my way along the top of the ridge, breathing in the expansive views, until I arrived at the top of Grapevine Mountain.

I took the pictures, had some snacks, and glanced at the summit register. It had been over a month since my last summit on my 100 Peaks list, and it was nice to be out, nice to have some silence.

Panoramic View from Grapevine Mountain (Click to Enlarge)

That silence was temporarily shattered by two V-22 Osprey, one flying far below me along a low section of the Grapevine Hills and the other just above my elevation, both aiming to make it over the southern shoulder of Granite Mountain.

After the silence returned, I noticed dark clouds gathering over Volcan and Granite Mountains, so I reluctantly started my descent, which would end up being much easier than the ascent.