Stanley Peak is the highest legal point within Daley Ranch, a city park
on the north side of Escondido. Burnt Mtn, on the northwest side of the
park, is a few hundred feet higher but
within a closed area. While staying at Grandma's in Rancho Bernardo,
Jackie and I headed to the park for a few hours in the afternoon to get
some exercise and pay the summit a visit. We parked at the southern
trailhead
at the end of La Honda Drive and did a six-mile loop, first
visiting the Ranch House
in the center of the park before making our
way to Stanley Peak. The park is quite popular and we found the trails
busy, but had the top
to ourselves for the fifteen minutes we spent
there. It was a bit warm when we started, in the upper 70s, but had
cooled nicely to the 60s before we returned. I had a few other short
hikes in mind to add to this, but we were squeezed for time and needed
to get back to Grandma's for Christmas Eve dinner. Mmmmm...