Pick a California Peak

[Randy]

San Diego is tough. Closest 14er (as the crow flies) is Mt Langley. Within a few miles of Mt Langley are another 8 14ers. With the exception of Shasta, all 14ers in CA are within an area roughly the size of the Sawatchs. The rub is that there are no roads, so the approaches are much longer. Of the 14 or so 14ers in CA, 13 of them are on the "east side" and then there is Shasta way up by the OR border (near the town of Weed).

Getting to a 14er from SD will be 6-8 hours of driving (with no traffic). Once you get to Big Pine, Lone Pine, Independence, Bishop, Mammoth, etc, you will be somewhere near 5-8k ft and having just come from sea level, it will be advisable to spend the night someplace before a climb. You could probably make it to a TH between 8-11k if you needed to. And the only one that will allow you to get to 11k is White Mountain (and that's only if the road is open).

Moral of the story is that climbing a 14er from SD as the point or origin and return is at least a 2 day deal (if you are an animal), most likely 3-4 days. If you are dead set on climbing a 14er, the easiest one by far is White Mountain. 7 hr drive from SD, camp somehwere on the road, climb the next morning, back in SD that night. Long days, but do-able.

If you are looking for vertical gain, San Jacinto, San Gorgonio, and San Antonio (Mt Baldy) are the ones for you. They are all within 4 hrs of SD (and are the highpoints of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties) and you can get 6k elevation gain in a day hike if you'd like. I think the cats that run up San Jacinto from Palm Springs get something like 9k... animals!

My favorite peaks in the SD area are near the town of Julian (out US eight). There are also some great desert peaks near the border which make for super interesting hikes and scrambles.

But if you're in SD, enjoy the beach. Get down to Del Mar & Solana Beach and just relax. :D Great place for relaxing...

once I drove from san fransisco to the gate at white mtn peak directly. I pitched my tent and woke up 3 hrs later sick as a dog and had to drive down that horrible dirt road to town to feel better. I should have spent a day in town before going up to the gate.

[steelfrog]

Thunderbolt.

Also, less technical and not a 14er but incredible views of the Palisades--Mt. Agassiz. Pallisades/Bishop Pass is incredible.

Mt. Conness and North Peak as well, in the Twenty Lakes Basin area.

[peter303]

San Jacinto is the closest of the four SoCal "10Kers" to S.D. (Antonio, Benardino, Gorgonio, Jacinto.)
It has at least two approaches, one from the Tramway side and a longer one from the Idlewilde side.
Its been ten years since I've done either, so I've forgotten some.
Going from sea level to 10K is more than these wimps in Colorado do , so dont worry.

I recall both San Gregonio and San Jacinto require permits you can pick up on the way. I think SG has a quota.

As to 14ers, Mt Langley to the south of Mt Whitney ans off of the same begining access road. Its shorter and easier
to obtain a permit. Its 6-7 hours of driving each way, so a three day trip.

[timf]

What about a 13er/14er near the San Jose/Daly City area? Seems like to gain access to the likes of Whitney one has to drive all the way around the south of the range as 180 does cut all the way through.

[kaiman]

What about a 13er/14er near the San Jose/Daly City area? Seems like to gain access to the likes of Whitney one has to drive all the way around the south of the range as 180 does cut all the way through.

Most of the 13ers/14ers in the Sierra are approached from the east out of the Owens Valley (Bishop/Lone Pine area) because the approach is shorter from that side of the range (it is still long by CO standards and most climbs involve at least 20 mile round trip). You can drive from San Jose/Yosemite to the west over to Mammoth/Bishop to the east using Highway 120/Tioga Pass road in the summertime, but it is closed in the winter (October-May).

Kai

[gzrrnnr]

September in the hills above San Diego can be hot due to the Santa Ana winds off the desert, 90s and 100s. San Jacinto from Palm Springs is a great climb of 10,000+', but not in September unless you like 100+ temps. Do the eight miles up from Idyllwild from the west for a fun and much cooler hike. San Gorgonio can also be a good hike in September.

[12ersRule]

San Diego thread with no mention of beer? Crazy.

[timf]

San Diego thread with no mention of beer? Crazy.

San Diego makes beer?

[JMB]

San Diego county alone has over 100 micro-breweries!

[spiderman]

Even though California has only 14ish 14ers, they are all harder than the vast majority of the Colorado peaks. Also, the California class 3 can be tougher than many of the Colorado class 4 ratings. The Sierras in the winter are usually three day trips due to the roads being closed at ~6000'. There was about a foot of fresh snow that fell last week at altitudes above 8000'.

I have done Baldy in December and had a great time cramponing up the bowl that has a maximum steepness of 45 degrees but a tame run out. San Jacinto via the tram is a half day stroll, while the peak from lower trailheads can be a brutal endeavor. I am going to be doing San Gorgonio next week and it will be a long hike. San Jacinto, Gorgonio, and Baldy are on the very exciting list of 5000' prominence (Ultras) peaks. http://www.peakbagger.com/list.aspx?lid=41203&cid=6288 I only see 9 recorded completions of those 57 mountains. Gerry Roach still has 9 difficult ones left... it is a rare opportunity to finish a set of major mountains that the Legend hasn't yet done.

The best option for route descriptions is Summit Post http://www.summitpost.org/mount-san-ant ... ldy/150444