El Cajon Mountain

View from the top of El Cajon Mounatain in Lakeside, CA

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• el
• cajon
• mountain
• lakeside
• capitan

[Konabish]

In the mid-60's we teen climber-wannabees went straight up from El Monte Road. No gear, just a shoe box full of deviled-egg sandwiches, and water. No one ever fell off a cliff, got snake-bit or poison oak. We climbed El Cap 6 times. I have an 1899 placer mining claim found in an old tin can near the summit + a thank-you letter from a S.D. Sierra Club we helped,lost/no water, one had a head wound from a falling rock. We shared water, provided bandages, which by then we were smart enough to take.

[deafcaesar]

Great stories. Ironically, I shot this on October 21, 2007. It was an absolutely spectacularly beautiful day. That night the Santa Anas flared up. The Witch Fire began on October 22, 2007 just north of the peak. One day, perfection, the next, apocalypse. It would have been a scary sight from this spot that Sunday. The Witch Fire did not crest El Cajon Mountain like the Cedar Fire did. On that day, four years after the Cedar Fire, you could still see plenty of charred groves still.

[monev]

I just did this hike today. It was cloudy in San Diego, but I was above such things at the top.

[LauraPsi7]

This view will soon include a dozen 180 foot towers going from El Capitan Reservoir, directly in front of El Cajon Mountain, and then winding along the north of the valley. In the future, SDG&E plans to expand with at least two additional rows of towers. You can help us stop SDG&E from destroying a San Diego landmark by supporting the East County Community Action Coalition

[49bluespacefish]

Back in the 70's my buddy's and I would 4 wheel from wild cat at night always sneaking through a locked gate. Those where the days,....we would go all the way to a antenna house up at the top, we went up there to party and climb the antenna with the wind howling, it was great. back then you could go just about anywhere off road, now days everything is fenced up tighter than a frogs ass in a cold winter pond.and there did used to be allot of military items, pretty sure it was a military post.

[yeahCowboy]

Barona Casino :P

I live in Barona :D

[Konabish]

I'm glad you had that awesome trip. I was a CDF firefighter at Julian when the Pine Hills Fire (1970 I recall) did similar devastation. What amazes me is that I found that 1899 PAPER placer claim on El Cap' after it survived what had to be many many fires, for 65 years! We ran out of water on one trip and descended the East face to find a spring. My buddy was on his hands and knees digging out the spring when a large rattlesnake crawled out from between his legs. Makes you appreciate life.

[frontier33]

I grew up in El Cajon! Oooooh what memories! Thank you for sharing with us (BIG smiles)!

[deafcaesar]

We took the trail that leads from Wildcat Canyon Rd. It's an old mining road that is pretty well mapped out with comments on Google Earth. It's pretty grueling...but there is probably not as much scrambling as you had to deal with.