Hiking the Santa Rosa Plateau: Vernal Pool Trail, Punta Mesa Trail, Monument Road, Trans Preserve Trail

Participant: Tom Chester
Date: 20 November 1998 (Written up 21 December 1998)
Numbers: 7.3 miles, ~750' elevation gain.

The pools looked "mowed" as I drove to the Vernal Pool Trailhead, but when I got to the main pool it was just the different plants growing in the pool area that caused that appearance. Last year at this time, after the previous year's burn, there was a nearly virgin landscape available for growth. This year, the annuals were still 3' high or so. I wonder if wildflowers such as the low shooting stars can be as good this coming spring, having to battle through the remnants of last year's tall annuals.
The Punta Mesa Trail was great, hiking along the places I can see from my house in Fallbrook. The highlight for me was Monument Hill, named for the USGS marker on it. I wasn't sure whether I was going to find a USGS marker, a graveyard, or the statues in center field of Yankee Stadium!
The view was stupendous - in addition to the usual views of San Gorgonio, San Jacinto, and Palomar Mountain, I could see Mt. Baden-Powell and Baldy in the San Gabriel Mountains, Cuyamaca Peak, Mt. Woodson, Sleeping Indian in Fallbrook, and the ocean.
Halfway between Poppy Hill and Monument Hill Road, you can see the 200" dome on Palomar Mountain in the dip between Aqua Tibia and the middle part of Palomar.
Explanation of column headings

Detailed Hiking Log
Recording
number Mileage Time
arrived Time
left Altitude
(feet) Comments
0 0.00 10:00 1950 Vernal Pool Trailhead.
1 0.55 10:13 1800 Main Pool.
2 1.55 10:37 1650 Jct. Ranch road, went right.
3 1.65 10:40 10:57 1600 Adobes. Ate lunch and accumulated 0.10 mile walking around.
4 2.10 11:09 1600 Jct. Adobe Loop and Punta Mesa Trail. Sign: "1.9 mi to Monument Hill Road". Continued ahead on Punta Mesa Trail.
5 3.05 11:32 1500 Jct. Trail to right. Continued ahead on what is now a "mowed highway", instead of a trail.
6 3.75 11:47 1600 Permanent pool on east.
7 3.80 11:49 1600 Jct. Monument Rd. Went left on it. Sign: "Monument Hill 0.7; Waterline Road 0.7; Adobes 2.4 mi".
8 3.95 11:55 1700 Jct. Vista Grande Trail. Sign: "Ops center 1.7; Monument Hill 0.5".
9 4.30 12:11 1800 Jct. Trail to Monument Hill. Went left on it.
10 4.40 12:13 12:25 1850 1939' Monument Hill. See text for great views from here.
11 4.55 12:28 1800 Back at Monument Road. Went left.
12 5.05 12:42 1800 Jct. Lomas Trail north. Continued on Lomas Trail/Monument Road. Sign: "Adobes 0.9 mi; Ranch Road 0.5 mi; Visitor Center 2.2 mi".
13 5.20 12:47 1800 Jct. Lomas Trail South. Sign: "0.7 mi Adobe". Continued on Monument Road.
14 5.40 12:52 1800 Jct. Ranch Road. Continued west on short connector trail. Sign: "Lomas Trail 0.3 mi; Monument Hill 1.2 mi; Trans-Preserve Trail 0.3 mi".
15 5.50 12:55 1750 Jct. Trans-Preserve Trail. Went left.
16 5.75 1:01 1750 Fork in trail, left fork leads back to Ranch Road, right fork continues Trans-Preserve Trail. Took right fork.
17 5.80 1:03 1700 Jct. road to Hidden Valley. Sign: "Adobes 0.6 mi; Vernal Pool 1 mi; Los Santos Trail to Vernal Pool Trail 2.4 mi; Hidden Valley Trailhead 1.5 mi". Discovered I lost my kerchief, so turned around and found it 0.25 mile back.
18 6.35 1:18 1600 Back at #17 after retrieving kerchief.
19 7.00 1:37 1950 Jct. Vernal Pool Trail. Went right. Sign: "Ranch Road 0.8 mi; Vernal Pool Trailhead 0.4 mi; Adobes 1.3 mi".
20 7.30 1:45 2000 Vernal Pool Trailhead.

**Detailed Hiking Log**
Recording number	Mileage	Time arrived	Time left	Altitude (feet)	Comments
0	0.00	10:00		1950	Vernal Pool Trailhead.
1	0.55	10:13		1800	Main Pool.
2	1.55	10:37		1650	Jct. Ranch road, went right.
3	1.65	10:40	10:57	1600	Adobes. Ate lunch and accumulated 0.10 mile walking around.
4	2.10	11:09		1600	Jct. Adobe Loop and Punta Mesa Trail. Sign: "1.9 mi to Monument Hill Road". Continued ahead on Punta Mesa Trail.
5	3.05	11:32		1500	Jct. Trail to right. Continued ahead on what is now a "mowed highway", instead of a trail.
6	3.75	11:47		1600	Permanent pool on east.
7	3.80	11:49		1600	Jct. Monument Rd. Went left on it. Sign: "Monument Hill 0.7; Waterline Road 0.7; Adobes 2.4 mi".
8	3.95	11:55		1700	Jct. Vista Grande Trail. Sign: "Ops center 1.7; Monument Hill 0.5".
9	4.30	12:11		1800	Jct. Trail to Monument Hill. Went left on it.
10	4.40	12:13	12:25	1850	1939' Monument Hill. See text for great views from here.
11	4.55	12:28		1800	Back at Monument Road. Went left.
12	5.05	12:42		1800	Jct. Lomas Trail north. Continued on Lomas Trail/Monument Road. Sign: "Adobes 0.9 mi; Ranch Road 0.5 mi; Visitor Center 2.2 mi".
13	5.20	12:47		1800	Jct. Lomas Trail South. Sign: "0.7 mi Adobe". Continued on Monument Road.
14	5.40	12:52		1800	Jct. Ranch Road. Continued west on short connector trail. Sign: "Lomas Trail 0.3 mi; Monument Hill 1.2 mi; Trans-Preserve Trail 0.3 mi".
15	5.50	12:55		1750	Jct. Trans-Preserve Trail. Went left.
16	5.75	1:01		1750	Fork in trail, left fork leads back to Ranch Road, right fork continues Trans-Preserve Trail. Took right fork.
17	5.80	1:03		1700	Jct. road to Hidden Valley. Sign: "Adobes 0.6 mi; Vernal Pool 1 mi; Los Santos Trail to Vernal Pool Trail 2.4 mi; Hidden Valley Trailhead 1.5 mi". Discovered I lost my kerchief, so turned around and found it 0.25 mile back.
18	6.35	1:18		1600	Back at #17 after retrieving kerchief.
19	7.00	1:37		1950	Jct. Vernal Pool Trail. Went right. Sign: "Ranch Road 0.8 mi; Vernal Pool Trailhead 0.4 mi; Adobes 1.3 mi".
20	7.30	1:45		2000	Vernal Pool Trailhead.

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T. Chester's Hikes at the Santa Rosa Plateau

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Updated 21 December 1998.