Del Poniente Trail (Twin Peaks)

DISTANCE: 4 MILES
ELEVATION: 1,234 FT
TIME: 2 HOURS
DIFFICULTY: EASY

This little known trail lies on the border of Rancho Bernardo and Poway. The mountain itself is known as Twin Peaks. The two peaks appear to be 1,170 and 1,234 ft according to google earth. I approached this trail from the west side. The trailhead has a sign that says "Pomerado Trail," appropriately named because it begins right at the T intersection of Pomerado Road and Bernardo Heights Parkway.

At first the trail doesn't seem like a trail at all. It runs parallel with a retirement complex, and even meets up with the paved road around the backside of the complex. However, eventually it leads to another obvious trailhead, where you began to hike into the chaparral. After about a half mile, a trail marker designates the beginning of the Del Poniente Trail.

The Del Poniente trail runs east/west, toward the saddle between the twin peaks. It crosses a small creek, then ascends to the top of the saddle, where the city of poway and the Mt. Woodson range can be viewed. This is where my daughter Audrey and I took a break, sat on some boulders, and shared a Tiger's Milk bar. Then we turned around and headed back. Had we continued eastward, it appears we would have met up with the paved Del Poniente Road into a Poway neighborhood. A few mountain biking websites indicated that you can hike a steep trail to the top of one of the peaks, but I did not notice this trail.