Anyone familiar with Palomar Divide?

[+Cache'n'Carey]

I heard this was a beautiful drive on easy trails and was thinking of heading out there tomorrow, but it's a little out of my area so I'm not 100% sure of my routing through the trails. I have the CNF topo, but trying to match that up with GoogleEarth is giving me a headache and my searches here aren't yielding good info. Can anyone familiar with recommend the best way to do it?

 

I'll be coming from O.C., but I don't care where I start and where I end up, just don't want to run into anything too challenging because I'll be solo (with passenger) and am not familiar with the area.

 

Thanks!

[+TrailGators]

It wasn't difficult at all when we did it. One guy even drove his 66 Mushtang. It's a beautiful area. You have to park and hike down the the caches along the Barker trail. The lookout tower at the top is very cool. There is a cache right at the trailhead off 79.

[+Cache'n'Carey]

Such a fast response! Thanks Trailgators. I believe the cache you referred to is GCQ1AF White Matters. So then I would I stay on 9S07 the whole way until it dumps me somewhere that looks very close to S6?

 

When I tried for directions via GoogleEarth (I know, I do silly things like that sometimes), it sent me on Oak Grove and High Point Trails to get to Palomar Divide (probaby because they were closer to my home), and not being familiar with them I wasn't sure. I thought I had remembered hearing that High Point was a little tricky sometimes. But it looks like there aren't any caches on those trails any how (yet!)!

 

Thanks!

[+Snake & Rooster]

Such a fast response! Thanks Trailgators. I believe the cache you referred to is GCQ1AF White Matters. So then I would I stay on 9S07 the whole way until it dumps me somewhere that looks very close to S6?

 

When I tried for directions via GoogleEarth (I know, I do silly things like that sometimes), it sent me on Oak Grove and High Point Trails to get to Palomar Divide (probaby because they were closer to my home), and not being familiar with them I wasn't sure. I thought I had remembered hearing that High Point was a little tricky sometimes. But it looks like there aren't any caches on those trails any how (yet!)!

 

Thanks!

 

 

There is a cache or two on Highpoint, but they are towards the end, near 79S. Highpoint connects with Palomar Divide and can be taken all the way from the top, back to 79 if you want a change of pace. It is a bit narrow in places if you meet someone coming the other way, but it is certainly doable with a high clearance vehicle. We've driven it two or three times.

 

Easiest route is the one TG mentioned, starting at White Matters and going up. Everything is well marked and graded. Part of it is even paved. Chuy drove a Corolla up at least once. Don't forget to sign the summit log at the tower. It makes some interesting reading.

 

As to Oak Grove Rd, I suggest starying off it. Sometimes when I've been up there, the gate was locked where it runs into High Point Rd. It'd suck to come up Oak Grove from 79 only to find the upper gate locked.

 

Have fun.

[+TrailGators]

Such a fast response! Thanks Trailgators. I believe the cache you referred to is GCQ1AF White Matters. So then I would I stay on 9S07 the whole way until it dumps me somewhere that looks very close to S6?

 

When I tried for directions via GoogleEarth (I know, I do silly things like that sometimes), it sent me on Oak Grove and High Point Trails to get to Palomar Divide (probaby because they were closer to my home), and not being familiar with them I wasn't sure. I thought I had remembered hearing that High Point was a little tricky sometimes. But it looks like there aren't any caches on those trails any how (yet!)!

 

Thanks!

I would take the 15 south to the 79 east to Oak Grove. High Point is fun but it could be more challenging depending on the last time they graded that road. We went up Oak Grove and down High Point when we did it.

[+Cache'n'Carey]

Perfect! Thanks Snake&Rooster and TG.

 

I'm in a lifted jeep, but abide by "never wheel alone." If it's more than a fire road, I save it until I have another vehicle along for the ride. And I'm the kind that if there's trouble out there...it'll find me!

 

You've both given me exactly the information I was looking for. I was going to just jump in the jeep and see what I could find, then thought better of it. Knew I could count on you guys!

 

Thanks so much!

Edited October 21, 2007 by Cache'n'Carey

[+TrailGators]

Such a fast response! Thanks Trailgators. I believe the cache you referred to is GCQ1AF White Matters. So then I would I stay on 9S07 the whole way until it dumps me somewhere that looks very close to S6?

 

When I tried for directions via GoogleEarth (I know, I do silly things like that sometimes), it sent me on Oak Grove and High Point Trails to get to Palomar Divide (probaby because they were closer to my home), and not being familiar with them I wasn't sure. I thought I had remembered hearing that High Point was a little tricky sometimes. But it looks like there aren't any caches on those trails any how (yet!)!

 

Thanks!

 

 

There is a cache or two on Highpoint, but they are towards the end, near 79S. Highpoint connects with Palomar Divide and can be taken all the way from the top, back to 79 if you want a change of pace. It is a bit narrow in places if you meet someone coming the other way, but it is certainly doable with a high clearance vehicle. We've driven it two or three times.

 

Easiest route is the one TG mentioned, starting at White Matters and going up. Everything is well marked and graded. Part of it is even paved. Chuy drove a Corolla up at least once. Don't forget to sign the summit log at the tower. It makes some interesting reading.

 

As to Oak Grove Rd, I suggest starying off it. Sometimes when I've been up there, the gate was locked where it runs into High Point Rd. It'd suck to come up Oak Grove from 79 only to find the upper gate locked.

 

Have fun.

 

I guess we got lucky with the gate. You can probably call the ranger station to find out if it's locked.

[+Cache'n'Carey]

Such a fast response! Thanks Trailgators. I believe the cache you referred to is GCQ1AF White Matters. So then I would I stay on 9S07 the whole way until it dumps me somewhere that looks very close to S6?

 

When I tried for directions via GoogleEarth (I know, I do silly things like that sometimes), it sent me on Oak Grove and High Point Trails to get to Palomar Divide (probaby because they were closer to my home), and not being familiar with them I wasn't sure. I thought I had remembered hearing that High Point was a little tricky sometimes. But it looks like there aren't any caches on those trails any how (yet!)!

 

Thanks!

 

 

There is a cache or two on Highpoint, but they are towards the end, near 79S. Highpoint connects with Palomar Divide and can be taken all the way from the top, back to 79 if you want a change of pace. It is a bit narrow in places if you meet someone coming the other way, but it is certainly doable with a high clearance vehicle. We've driven it two or three times.

 

Easiest route is the one TG mentioned, starting at White Matters and going up. Everything is well marked and graded. Part of it is even paved. Chuy drove a Corolla up at least once. Don't forget to sign the summit log at the tower. It makes some interesting reading.

 

As to Oak Grove Rd, I suggest starying off it. Sometimes when I've been up there, the gate was locked where it runs into High Point Rd. It'd suck to come up Oak Grove from 79 only to find the upper gate locked.

 

Have fun.

 

I guess we got lucky with the gate. You can probably call the ranger station to find out if it's locked.

 

I can never get them to answer the phone weekends up this way (Trabuco District). Do they answer on the weekends down there?