Black Mountain in Ramona

Black Mountain Ramona©

February 17, 2013, Joel Hawk

(Click on pictures to enlarge)

 Woke up to a great day for a hike.  Chris and I were spending today as our Valentines Day together since I was working out of town last week.  We had bigger plans than just going for a hike, but as you know, plans change.  We set off for a 10 or 11 miler and drove to Ramona.  Once there, we found the jeep gate locked so was forced to cancel or give it a go from Pamo Rd.  We got off to a late start at 9:45, but the weather was perfect with blue skies.

I wasn't sure just exactly which way to start, so Chris helped me out.

Little did we both know just how far away she was pointing.  It's a road hike all the way up/down except for the last few hundred yards once you reach the summit, but the bushwhacking isn't that bad.  So far, she's still a happy camper.

The views are stunning.  The recent rains have watered the mountains and valleys nicely and now all the grass and trees/shrubs are in full green color.  Gorgeous views...and the mountains aren't bad either.

Having fun along the way, we found a great spot to "strike the pose."  There is quite a drop off behind me off that boulder, so Chris opted for a more civilized spot for her pose.

We found a survey marker along the road and a concrete structure close to one of the run-offs.

After a couple of hours, we saw our destination and it looked pretty close.  Looks are deceiving.  We were still quite a bit aways.

There were a few other obstacles we had to overcome along the way as well.  Not only did Chris have to navigate around the fallen trees, but she had to endure all my attempts at humor.

There were a number of hawks that had come out to play during the day.  I wasn't successful in capturing any in my pictures, but I did snap one of this turkey vulture.  On our trip out, we saw four hawks flying close together.  I wasn't sure, but it looked like a territorial "discussion" in the air.  I was driving so I had to attend to the matters at hand. 

Our first sighting of the destination.

Finally, we reached the summit.  After walking about a bit, we figured out how to make it to the top.

Once I made it to the top, I found where the azimuth marker used to be and what remains of the official benchmark identifying the "top" of Black Mountain.

This was an interesting benchmark where someone enjoyed a reward for their efforts.  This is still littering, so abide by the "pack it in, pack it out" rules.  Keep our lands free from this type of debris.

I needed a rest after climbing 7.2 miles up, so I took a quick break.  Looks like something up here was built in 1958 (I was amost 3 years old).  :)

It's almost time for the flowers to start blooming again.  Are you getting excited?

Headed back down the mountain, I saw an interesting rock structure.  It looks to me like this depicts a dog reading.  Chris did see it as well, but added that I may be getting delusional after hiking so far.  As always, it's art if you see it...if not, it's only a rock.

These are pictures of our little hike.  I'm writing this on the day following our hike and although we are both a little sore, I'm not in too much trouble for taking her on such a long hike.  I have been told to keep them about 11 or 12 though....love that girl.  She's a good "Warrior"....it's her trailname as well.

Oh, about our change of plans....we had planned to go to the Hawk Winery as a reward and Valentines Day present.  We would not have made it with much time to play, so we opted for a burger and a beer in Ramona.  Good choice!

Be safe, enjoy living and appreciate our lands.   ~ Joel

Directions and the numbers:

From downtown Ramona, travel  North on 78, turn right on Haverford to the bend going left.  This becomes Pamo Rd.  Stay on this road for a couple of miles down into the valley until you reach the Santa Ysabel jeep road.  If the gate is locked here, you're in for a 14.4 mile hike to the top.  If it's open, take the road up to the next parking area.  If this gate is locked, you're in for a 11.4 mile hike.  Take the road to the left (going right will take you around the mountains and dump you out on Black Canyon Rd).  If the gate is open, and you can make it to the next gate, it's only about a 1 mile steep climb.   Total round trip is appx 14.4 miles, 2979 total ascent with a max elevation of 4073 ft.   Overall this took us about 6 hours.

33° 9' 35'' N; 116° 48' 29'' W
33.15983, -116.807928 (Dec Deg)
517910E 3669022N Zone 11 (UTM)

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