I settled on a large loop to do both Cuyamaca and neighboring Japacha peak from Paso Picacho Campgrounds. Starting on the west-side trail. Not recommended: a small section is totally overgrown. So badly so that I ended up, stubbornly, on hands and feet crawling through the shrubbery. Just a small section. You’d be better off walking a mile along rt 79 until you have access to the west side fire road. From there in it is just gorgeous. Very quiet, open spaces. You come past an airplane crash site from 1922 with a monument. Japacha peak has a nice flat area right next to it, perfect for a lunch break. Cuyamaca itself is of course less scenic as a peak, being built up. I returned to camp via the Conejos trail. A challenging but recommended hike.