As the desert hiking season drew to a close, I wanted to get in a few more big ones while I could. In another few weeks, temps will start to reach into the 80s and 90s, and snakes are a real danger. Jacumba Mountain, nestled deep within the vast expanse of the Anza-Borrego Desert, seemed like a great objective, and I invited my friend Sean Morris, his son Jayden, and their friend Joey to come along. After a two-hour drive and dinner at a quaint diner, we found ourselves at the De Anza Springs Resort, where I reserved a tent camping campsite. The trailhead begins at the resort, so staying there seemed like a no-brainer. The “resort” was actually a pretty run-down property that was a former nudist colony. To be honest, the place was downright creepy, but we made the best of it and got a good night’s sleep under the stars with just mats and sleeping bags.
To be honest, the place was downright creepy, but we made the best of it and got a good night’s sleep under the stars with just mats and sleeping bags.
Summiting the Mountain was the Easy Part
According to my GPS, our hike was slated to cover 16 miles, but as we would soon discover, the desert had other plans for us. Setting out as dawn painted the landscape in gold and orange, we marveled at the rugged beauty that surrounded us. Scaling the peak of Jacumba Mountain proved to be just the beginning of our test for the day. The real challenge lay in traversing the unforgiving desert terrain and navigating through a lot of cacti. Sean got the worst of the cactus later in the day, but none of us walked way unscathed.
Scaling the peak of Jacumba Mountain proved to be just the beginning of our test for the day.
The Closest I’ve Ever Come to Being Struck
Eventually, we saw the trestle bridge as we descended down the spine of a steep ridgeline. I was scouting ahead of the group route-finding through a boulder field. I jumped off a rock to a large flat boulder two feet below me. I landed about 12 inches from the head of a three-and-a-half-foot Western Diamondback rattlesnake. The moment I landed, he reeled back, coiled, rattled, and started hissing.
I landed about 12 inches from the head of a three-and-a-half-foot Western Diamondback rattlesnake. The moment I landed, he reeled back, coiled, rattled, and started hissing.
Time slowed, and I saw his head move back and forth as if he was triangulating the point where he could strike. I jumped away. The snake was so angry that he ended up hissing and rattling for another ten minutes while I waited for the guys to catch up to me. It was an odd feeling afterward. It was over in a moment, but the outcome could have been quite bad. I knew he was fast then me and he could reach one-and-a-half times the length of his body in a strike. He could have easily struck me. I imagine he was just as afraid of what I might do to him as I was of what he might do to me. We were mortal enemies, but there was mutually assured destruction if either of us decided to fight today. I took another 10 minutes for the guys to reach me and I spent that time telling God how grateful I was for him keeping me safe.
The Long Way Home
After the close call the with snake, we got off the ridge and crossed the dilapidated trestle bridge with caution. The crossing was more unnerving than I expected. It’s an old decaying bridge with a lot of missing planks. There are places to fall through if you are not careful. It was a warmer day than I expected, and we had seven miles of hiking left in the heat. In an unexpected turn of fortune, we found ourselves walking through tunnel after tunnel, where strong, cool breezes gave us relief from the heat! As the miles stretched on, we encountered more trestle bridges, each one a testament to the ingenuity of those who had come before us.
In an unexpected turn of fortune, we found ourselves walking through tunnel after tunnel where strong, cool breezes gave us relief from the heat!
Nine hours from the time we left, we reached our car. It always feels great when you push through the discomfort (or danger) and finish well. But perhaps the greatest reward of today was witnessing the wonder and excitement Jayden and Joey had, experiencing a hard desert adventure for the first time.
Elevation Profile
