Detours & Alternate Routes Peak #2

San Diego Six Pack of Peaks, Alternate Routes & Detours (#2)

So, I got up this morning and decided to hike Corte Madera. Why not! It’s only 35 minutes away from my camp site and, since I did PCR the day before as a detour, may as well do another peak from the challenge. Only this time instead of doing the out and back route of Corte Madera, I decided to take a detour to summit Los Pinos Lookout and then take the dirt road down to create a loop. It turned out to be a good choice! Although it did turn the 6.8 mile out and back into an 11.88-mile upside down lolipop loop.

I stepped off for my hike right around 0805. The temperature was 52 degrees at that time. I made it up to Los Pinos Road/Espinosa Trail intersection fairly quickly. It is labelled on the Alltrails map as the first Rocky Outcrop. It was 1.55 miles and 633 feet in elevation gain to that point. Next, I continued to the second Rocky Outcrop on the map. Which basically is the beginning of the ridgeline walk with a few ups and downs along the way. This was right at Mile 2.42. This .9-mile stretch added another 502 feet in elevation gain.

From the Rocky Outcrop it was a fairly easy 1.1 mile to the summit with another 404 feet in elevation gain. I took a few photos, admired the views and then looked over at the Los Pinos Lookout Tower and said, “You’re next!”

It was a quick 2-mile descent back down to the Los Pinos Road/Espinosa Trail intersection with about a 900-foot drop in elevation. From here it was all roadwork to get to Los Pinos Lookout.  The road rattlesnake up the side of the mountain for about 2.1 miles and adding another 1,020 feet in elevation gain.

When I got to the lookout, I was great by the lookout tower watch, and he invited me up into the tower. My first time being able to get up in the tower. I must have spent at least an hour up there listening to him explain how everything worked and what his responsibilities were. It was very enjoyable. I wanted to stay longer, but it was getting into the afternoon, and temps had reached 80 degrees. I still had to make a 3.8-mile descent down to where my car was parked, and it was all exposed.

It didn’t take long to get down though. I “lightly” jogged most of the descent. I ended my hike with 11.88 miles and 2,668 feet in total elevation gain. My total time for today’s peak and detour was 5 hours 32 minutes. My moving time though, was 3 hours 39 minutes.