Pine Mountain #2
Peak Name
Elevation
feet
Status
Region
Range
Nearby peaks
Location
Description
Once past Palm View and Cone, the Desert Divide continues its descent to reach Pine Mountain #2 and its companions Pyramid and Lion along the Pacific Crest Trail. There are a wealth of views; the San Jacinto high country which now seems more distant to the north, the Santa Rosa Mountains to the south, Lake Hemet to the west and tribal lands with the amazing Palm Canyon below to the east. Pine is usually hiked together with its neighbors Pyramid and Lion, or other peaks on the Desert Divide.
Route 1 starts from the Cedar Springs Trail near Morris Ranch and ascends to the PCT, past Pyramid Peak, and a short distance off-trail to the peak.
Maps generated from CalTopo.com, reproduced with permission
Downloadable Maps, Files, and Guides
Driving route
Take I-10 or SR 60 east to SR 79 in Beaumont. Take exit south to SR 79.
Go south on SR 79 to the Ramona Expressway. Turn left (east).
Go east and then southeast on the Ramona Expressway until it ends at SR 74. Turn left (east).
Go east on SR 74 to Mountain Center (junction with Idyllwild Highway SR 243).
Continue east on SR 74 for 8.7 miles to Morris Ranch Road on the left at a fire station. Turn left.
Go north on Morris Ranch Road for 3.7 miles to an iron gate on the right with a sign “Cedar Springs Trail”. Park off the pavement near this spot.
Hiking route
From your parking spot, hike down the road to the trailhead (5430′).
Go through the gate. (There are several gates on this trail. Be sure to close each gate as you pass through it.) Immediately on the left is another gate. Ignore it. It is another access to the trail for equestrian riders in the area.
Continue up the road past a water tank to another gate. The trail turns left just before the gate.
Soon you come to another gate. Go through this gate. Here you leave the fences behind, as this is the National Forest boundary.
Continue up the road as it becomes a trail and it begins to climb until you come to another gate. This is not a boundary but is part of a cattle drift fence. This keeps range cattle out of selected sections of the National Forest.
Continue up to a saddle at 6800′-. This is the junction of the Cedar Springs Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) on the Desert Divide.
Turn right on the PCT and follow it east and then south until you reach a saddle just southeast of Pyramid Peak. This is the turnoff for Pyramid Peak.
Continue on the PCT about 1/4 mile to a trail on the left marked by ducks. This is the turnoff for Lion Peak.
Turn left (east) on this trail and follow it a short distance up to the top of a ridge.
Turn left again (north) and follow this ridge up to its high point.
Turn right (east) and hike down into the saddle west of the peak.
Follow a good, clearly visible ducked and brushed-out route off to the right as it skirts the base of the hill on its west side and slowly climbs directly up to the summit. It is not necessary to climb the large, plinth-shaped rock at the south end of the summit ridge.
Additional Peak Information
Special conditions: With the passage of time ducks disappear and brush regrows. The hiker should be prepared to find no ducks in place and the route completely overgrown with brush. Conditions in the field are dynamic and changes over time are to be expected.
Note: The section of the route where you hike down into the saddle west of the peak needs to be ducked. There are many use trails to this saddle, and it would be helpful if this section of the route were ducked to focus the travel on one preferred route.
External Links
Nearby Peaks
External Links
Peakbagger.com
Nearest ranger station
NOAA Forecast
Google Earth
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