Eagle Peak - West Approach

DISTANCE: 8.3 miles

ELEVATION: 3,226 FT

TIME: 6 hours

DIFFICULTY: Strenuous

32.98420°N / 116.7083°W

Why did we hike it? Because it is there. When my brother and I first saw this peak from across the San Diego River Valley, we knew we had to conquer it. With it's steep ridgeline and sharp summit, Eagle Peak towers over the valley like a sentinel, and one can't help but want to stand on it's peak, whatever the cost.

The west approach up Eagle Peak is the less common, more challenging route. There is no trail once you start upward from the bottom of the valley, and the hike requires some bushwacking, steep uphill scrambling, and boulder-hopping along a narrow ridge with a steep dropoff on each side. The more common approach up Eagle Peak is the shorter, less steep hike from the east, but it requires a long drive on bumpy unpaved roads that meander just below Cuyamaca Peak. We didn't have a 4 wheel drive vehicle, and we weren't up for the long drive, so we decided to approach the summit from the west. The starting point was a trailhead off Thornbush Rd where Ramona Oaks Rd dead ends in Ramona Country Estates. This is the same trail most people use to get to Cedar Creek Falls, which lies in the valley below Eagle Peak. Two other prominent falls, Mildred Falls (120 ft) and Three Sisters falls can be seen along this hike.

The trail, which starts at 1,700 ft, quickly descends 800 ft over the course of about 1.2 miles into the San Diego River valley below. After heavy rains, the river can be difficult to cross without getting wet, as was the case on the day of our hike. We decided to take our shoes and socks off and wade across. At this point, we were at 900 ft, about to ascend 2,300 vertical feet to the summit. All in all, the elevation gain/loss of this hike is 3,400 ft, so it requires quite a bit of energy and water, and it can get quite hot in the summer as there is little or no shade. Also be warned that this is mountain lion country.

After crossing the river, the trail leads about 1/2 mile along Cedar Creek into the canyon of the famous Cedar Creek Falls - a 90 ft waterfall with a deep punch bowl suitable for swimming and cliff jumping. The ridgeline that leads to Eagle Peak runs south along Cedar Creek. After crossing the creek, we scrambled up to the top of the first ridge.

Although from this point on there is no trail, it's difficult to get lost because there is little brush, and the ridgeline has a steep dropoff to the right and left almost all the way to the summit (needless to say this is not a hike for those who are afraid of heights). So there is really no way to hike it from the west other than to follow the ridgeline. The climb has several false summits which can be very steep, to the point where you may convince yourself you are almost there, only to have the true summit appear as you top a false summit.

We quickly learned that by staying in the middle of the ridgeline we could find the path of least resistance. Any attempts to go to the right or left of the ridgeline often resulted in obstacles that were too difficult to overcome because of steepness or the sheer size of the boulders. While upon the ridgeline there were several sketchy spots where we had to do some strategic manuvering to get through and continue to the summit.

From the summit you have Cuyamaca and Middle Peak to the east, Boulder Creek below (way below) and Viejas Mountain to the South, Mildred Falls and Mt. Palomar to the North, and El Cajon Mtn and Ramona to the West. In the distance to the north we could see snow covered San Jacinto.

I experienced a bit of a let down once upon the summit, as the goal was accomplished, and now my thoughts turned toward the 4 mile scramble back down the mountain. But getting back was much easier than coming up, and somehow the vertigo faded and we weren't so nervous about the dropoffs. Looking back at the peak as we arrived back at the car, we were grateful for the adventure and felt that we truly came and conquered.