Gorgeous golden hour sunset, if you don’t mind 100% snow cover from trailhead and freezing 30 to 40 MPH winds at summit.

We opened the day at nearby Three Sisters Falls. We planned the easier Volcan Mountain for the afternoon, but Cuyamaca Peak was smiling down upon from the falls road.

Parking was difficult. The recent unusually heavy and low snowfall attracted huge crowds along Highway 79 and the Paso Picacho Campground was full. Parking finally opened at 1 PM and we decided to make it a golden-hour sunset hike.

1’ to 3’ snow completely covered the trail except for 3 stream crossings. Last snowfall was several days ago so the majority of the trail has already somewhat hardened but many areas are still soft especially in the afternoon sun.

The last 3/4 mile to summit was windy with clouds blowing from the west, and you no longer are protected by the mountain‘s east side. Ice falling from trees. The freezing winds at summit were up to 40 MPH with thick cloud cover. However every few minutes a space appears revealing a gorgeous view west with Cuyamaca Peak‘s iconic tree, making the effort worth it.