In San Diego with the family at Grandma's, the van was absconded by my wife
and daughter to drive to UCSD so Jackie could visit a friend. That
left me wandering around Rancho Bernardo on foot. I spent a few hours hiking
around the urban landscape and tagging a few undeveloped bumps on the edge
of town. Neither is particularly impressive and both have little prominence.
They appear in the PB database, but not LoJ. With several ways to reach
each, I picked the access routes starting from Bernardo Center Dr. Sol BM has
an unsecured gate and rough use trail that starts on the north side of
the boulevard just west of the Deerwood Apts. The use trail joins a better one
that comes from the north off Camino Del Norte, just past a white wooden section
of fencing. At a junction, a trail then leads west up to the highpoint.
The modest summit overlooks the ubiquitous urban developments that
sprawl in most directions. To the south is Black Mtn OSP, a welcome
island of undeveloped land in the area. Ebony BM is a small point in the NE part
of the park, along a ridge that leads to the highpoint of Black Mtn. There is
a trailhead at the end of Camino Crisalida off Bernardo Ctr Dr, poorly
marked. The trails are rough but serviceable, one branch leading up to Ebony BM
from the north. There is a sad little bench about halfway up and a neglected
picnic table at the top. One can continue on the trail to the summit of
Black Mtn (and
a handful of other equally undeserving PB "summits" along the way) in about
two miles. Having already been there some years earlier, I chose to head
back to Rancho Bernardo in search of lunch...