03.03.07 - hike up granite mountain

This was a really fun but challenging hike. We aren't really certain we hit the top of Granite Mountain but we did reach the goal we set for ourselves so that's good. There are tons of beautiful rock formations and cool looking plants. Towards the top we actually saw patches of snow and had a little snowball fight. I do not recommend doing this hike in shorts or if you are not a boulder climber. The plants, especially the cats claw bush, are very painful and there is a fair amount of climbing to do - nothing super technical but definitely gives you a work out.

Information about the hike from summitpost.org
Granite Mountain lies on the Western edge of Anza Borrego State Park, right at the boarder between the desert and the mountains of the Cleveland National Forest. Granite Mountain's slopes contain a wide variety of flora and fauna. From cacti to chaparral to manzanita to pinyon pines. Deer, Mountain lions, and rattlesnakes are a few of the animals that inhabit this area.

While not being technically challenging, Granite Mountain is not a simple walk up. The mountain itself rises over 3000ft out of Blair Valley(standing at 2600ft), making it a very solid climb in its own right. The summit sees its fair share of visitors each year, though it would not be uncommon to have this lovely peak to yourself on a weekend. The most common route starts from a dirt road on highway S2 leading up East ridge to Granite Mountain. Most of this route is class 1, with a little bit of class 2 bushwacking as one nears the summit.

The peak can be accessed from pretty much every direction, the most common is off Highway S2 in the Blair Valley. From San Diego head north on Highway 67 toward Ramona. In Ramona continue East on Highway 78 toward Julian. Continue through Julian and down into the Borrego Desert. Head South on Highway S2 when you reach it. Head south for several miles, at mile marker 21.5 make a right turn(West) onto a dirt road heading toward Granite Mountain. Head approximately a mile down this road until you reach a turn around, stop and park here. The road is usually in good enough condition that a passenger car won't have a problem. From the end of this dirt road is where the main hike begins.

The mountain can also be climbed from Rodriguez Canyon to the South or the PCT to the North. Rodriguez canyon is located near mile 26.8 off Highway S2. The PCT can be obtained either off the Sunrise Highway(1) or from Highway 78.