Taking the Bull by the Horns

Taking the Bull by the Horns

May 22, 1999

by Richard J. Hughes

A couple of weeks ago, when Patsy and I hiked up Martinez Mountain with Beth and Ralph Davis, it occurred to me that it was time to revisit Toro Peak, the high point of the Santa Rosas, so called because of the twin peaks that comprise its summit. We could see that a jeep trail originating close to the Cactus Spring trailhead wound up that mountain, but we had no idea where it went.

You can almost drive to the top of Toro Peak, but that's cheating ;-) The topo map indicates that the jeep road climbs to 6200' and ends at a man-made structure that I assumed was a cabin. It seemed like a good idea to try climbing Toro Peak from the Cactus Spring trailhead and this Saturday Patsy and I set out to do just that.

It took an hour and a half to drive from San Diego to the trailhead. I had at least an hour of that drive to rue my folly for forgetting to bring long trousers, this serving as an effective antidote for the hypnotic swish, swish of the windshield wipers. We finally emerged from the cloud cover on Highway 74, all the better to see the thunderclouds hanging over Toro Peak. Oh yes, this was going to be a cold, if not bone-chilling, hike. "Och well", I tried to reassure myself, "it'll just be a wee mist".

We set off up the jeep road and were pleasantly surprised to find that it was used by more hikers than drivers, the footsteps obscuring the tire tracks. Sure enough it soon began to rain. Big drops, but not too many of them. We kept going. One could normally expect this to be a hot road since there is not a bit of shade. Consequently, however, the expansive views are impressive. San Jacinto lies to the NW and Deep Canyon to the NE.

High up the road a chimney came into view. This turned out not to belong to a cabin, but was instead an abandoned charcoal kiln. Just above this was a really nice campsite. This was right at the elevation at which the chaparral was succeeded by pine forest. A spring was here too and water gushed in spurts from a pipe protruding from the hillside above. And a trail! We had expected to have to work our way cross country up to Stump Spring campground, but here was a trail. Perhaps this was the Sawmill Trail that the trailhead sign had mentioned, but it doesn't seem likely.

The trail was perhaps a jeep road abandoned very long ago, but now it was a well-marked use trail that led through the pine forest up to Stump Spring campground. Thunder crashed around us as we climbed up through the forest and the sky was ominously dark. When the wind reached us it was leg-chilling. At one point it began to snow, but when we emerged at the campground the wind and rain had both abated. We climbed the last thousand feet to the summit of Toro Peak and ate lunch in the sun, admiring the thunderstorms and the rain falling over Borrego valley below. Other than the plethora of antennas and the hum that emanated from the supporting structures we were quite alone.

We retraced our steps, finding that the campsite by the charcoal kiln had been occupied by four people from Yucca Valley. They were rock climbers ("What else is there to do there?") and they also knew Todd Gordon. All in all we had near perfect weather, the cool temperature easily making up for the wind and rain. This was about a 20 mile round trip hike with 5,000 feet elevation gain. A hike that could be considerably shortened by driving up to the charcoal kiln, an option that I would not hesitate to exercise in warmer weather. High clearance 2WD is mandatory for this road; 4WD would be helpful but is not essential.

[ Topo 1 ] [ Topo 2 ]

Comments?

A Los Alpinistas story and photographs by Richard J. Hughes.