A New Dawn (Peak 6582) Traditional Cache
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(regular)
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Peak 6582 represents the high point on the Santa Rosa crest route between Rabbit Peak (6666’) and Toro Peak (8716’). The summit features a huge rock cairn and a peak register which identifies it as Lorenzen’s Peak. Jerry Schad refers to this mountain as Dawns Peak in his Afoot & Afield in San Diego County (although it is actually in Riverside County). The cache is placed a short distance north of the summit with a grand view of Rockhouse Valley and Toro Peak.
Dawns Peak offers one of the most dramatically remote high points in the vicinity of Anza Borrego Desert State Park. Unlike the broad flat that represents the top of Rabbit Peak, here the Santa Rosa ridgeline is narrow enough that you can look out to the east and the west from nearly the same point. As an extra bonus, you are likely to find signs of earlier Native inhabitants of this harsh terrain, including morteros, grinding slicks, pottery shards, and rock art.
There are at least three ways to reach this point. For the truly adventurous, you can start at Toro Peak and follow the ridge all the way down to the Villager trailhead off highway S22. Distance from Toro to Dawns is a bit over 9 miles with a descent of 4300’ and ascent of 2600’ one-way. Another option, which a very few hardy souls attempt, is to start at the Villager trailhead and climb the ridge. Distance from Rabbit is a rugged 6 miles with net gain of 2350 feet and loss of 2300. By the way, just getting to Rabbit is a strenuous affair that usually takes two days. Through hikes require exceptional speed and endurance under very challenging route finding conditions and typically involve pre-staged water caches along the way.
A more reasonable option, the one I took, is to follow the route Jerry Schad recommends in Afoot & Afield in San Diego County, starting in Clark Valley off Rockhouse Truck Trail. Refer to Area D-4, Trip 1 for directions. I parked at N33 22.617, W116 19.781, elevation 900’. Head northerly toward the highpoint labeled Corp on USGS topographic maps and ascend the first ridge to the east. There are occasional trail ducks marking the path, more frequently on the lower sections. I used my GPSR to measure the round trip distance as about 14 miles with a net ascent of nearly 6400 feet. In the last mile you climb an impressive 3000 feet! Although I know of a few peak bagger friends who have done this climb as a long day hike, I decided to camp overnight at 2580 feet near the area recommended by Jerry. A nice campsite out of the main wash can be found at N33 25.493, W116 19.816. From here, the ascent of Dawns is “only” 3.5 miles one way. A pre-sunrise start from camp is highly recommended and leaving the top by noon is the best way to make it back to the parking area before dark. My summit day took 13 hours including an hour and 20 minutes at the summit. The peak register is located at the eastern base of the large cairn.
This trip is recommended for experienced desert hikers only and is best done with at least one other person for safety reasons. Normal desert cautions apply. You will need to carry all of your water. For reference, I consumed over 5 liters each of the two days of an early April overnighter. Also be on the lookout for typical desert hazards, such as snakes, thorns, and loose rocks that can break free on these slopes at any time.
The cache container is an uncamouflaged 8-inch diameter cookie tin placed within 30 feet of the ridge running “trail” to be in compliance with State Park regulations. Original contents include a Sterling silver gecko charm, a handmade bead gecko, an Earth Day geocache pin, a small compass with mesh strap, a Hawaii key ring, a Marvin the Martian key ring, and a selection of lizards and stretch lizards.
Enjoy the view while logging your find!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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