Outbound Collective logo

Ben Huntley

Tolerable husband. Maniacal engineer. Troglodytic adult. Postulant mountaineer. Erstwhile cyclist. Transitory Earthling. Character-building expert.

Technically, there is no trail to the top of Mt. Silliman...and that makes it a real adventure in my book. It's cross-country rambling the way John Muir would have done it. The highlight of this trip for me was the 1,000' vertical feet you gain while ascending "the slabs"...a huge, steep (really steep), sidewalk of granite. We spent the night at the lake at 10,000' south of the summit. The views into the Central Valley were awesome. We could see the whole farming grid and roads all laid out in front of us.

When it's really windy, like, sticking-your-head-out-a-sunroof-on-a-freeway windy, the level of adventure on this hike goes way, way up. This hike gives you a nice taste of San Diego's backcountry, and puts you on a mountain peak that really feels like a peak: birds of prey overhead, sheer rock drops, and giant views. It's also fun to stand on the PCT, close your eyes, and think about that thin little trail winding all the way to Canada. Maybe someday I'll go all the way...