We started the trip off more than a little confused, and not till around 10am. According to research, we now realize that you are supposed to park back at the fire station, but I am still unsure whether or not this parking lot closes (it might lock at dusk). Maps took us to the beginning of the trail, past some houses on a bumpy dirt road. We saw some pictures of cars here, so that is where we stopped. FYI…a hiking pass is required, but unlike the adventure pass, this one cannot be bought day-of online. It has to be purchased online beforehand and shipped or obtained at a local gas station.

Moving on…In similar fashion to Cuyamaca and Hot Springs, this trail is steep and overgrown for about the first 2 miles. I would assume this is normally the most challenging part of the hike, this was very much so not our experience; but more on that to come. I would strongly recommend following some online map guide, we used All Trails for step by step instructions. There are many forks in the road throughout the 6 mile trek to the top. Furthermore, don’t be surprised if you run into some off-road vehicles. While we didn’t encounter a single other hiker, we did have to move over for several trucks.

Now, back to the part I warned would be coming. I do not know if it was the time of day, the day itself, or the season in it’s entirety, that landed us in the situation we were in; but because I do not know how to avoid it, I will probably never attempt this hike again. We were BERATED by high-speed winds for our last 3 miles of incline. Not until we reached the lookout tower and spoke/screamed to the attendant, with much difficulty (due to said winds), did we find out that it was blowing 65-70 mph. Unfortunately for us, and similar to how all of our parents had to walk to school, we were fighting it head-on for both our incline and decline.

All misery aside, the hike itself and surrounding scenery were gorgeous. My favorite part of these longer trails with greater altitude gain, is that you don’t stay in the same scenery for very long. The landscape changes with the elevation and the view at the very top is stunning. I wish we could’ve enjoyed it more, but the horse is already dead on the reason that we didn’t, no need to beat it any more. All things considered, for us this was a difficult 13-miler.