survey of West Mesa and Monument Trails Cuyamaca Rancho State Park July 13, 2009 Oakzanita Parking area on C-79 in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park 53--384--34--565 8:00 AM I set out on foot from the Sweetwater Parking Area, mileage 0.00 I cross the bridge over the Sweetwater River and turn L I follow the southern connector to West Side Trail 54-700-34-520 junction with West Side Trail I go N on West Side Trail 709-516 733-483 this part of the trail is a little overgrown 54-775-34-465! previously surveyed junction with connector, end of this part I continue N on West Side Trail L on Japacha FR West Side Trail to the R, I continue SA on Japacha FR 55-328-34-753 a tree has fallen across the road [draw line down to 318-753!] I start calling lat/lon at 55-481-34-768 the road there is quite overgrown, apparently it hasn't been driven in a while 513-738 526-731-"stream crossing" 563-695 597-674 619-671 637-681 658-690 55-678-34-720-junction West Mesa Trail to L, I continue SA this is now West Mesa FR 746-681 743-682 801-646 818-627 844-552 this part of the FR looks like it's driven, there has been some revegetation going on there are [pine (?)] seedlings with mesh cylinders to protect them from herbivores 889-516 974-476-"stream crossing" 995-396 11-361 56-48-34-307 Fern Flat FR to L, mileage 2.42, I turn L 65-335 71-351 71-370 100-394 121-436 111-446 102-489 113-511 124-494 137-492 153-520 180-549 183-563 184-573 207-610 281-622 315-641 330-655 341-679 406-704 442-731 468-724 488-725 503-740 56-506-34-779-junction 3.27 miles, West Mesa Trail L, I turn L 500-799 467-835 456-850 445-855 428-887 the original trail here is apparently quite eroded, the current trail runs beside it, meandering from side to side 417-915 391-958 372-970 358-991 dry stream crossing 335-13 trail here is overgrown, quite a lot in some places 294-31 271-38 250-62 pine seedlings here, more than five feet tall 269-105 328-167 338-202 56-357-35-236 3.89 miles, C-11 connector to R, I turn R onto C-11 365-212 367-202 383-178 391-153 410-141 418-93 435-56 458-39 473-12 486-992 519-980 541-985 much of the trail here is quite overgrown 577-990 578-968 601-934 622-910 653-895 682-906 715-890 730-877 745-883 56-759-34-889! trail emerges on Fern Flat FR, there is a sign on this trail, there is a signpost on the FR, but it has no signs on it end of this part, I turn around 5.25 miles, back at West Mesa Trail [56-357-35-236] I turn R and continue on West Mesa Trail 369-267 365-292 this trail is apparently the remains of an old FR 358-351 369-379 357-381 the trail contours the hillside here, and I have a good view to my L 338-422 342-449 although this is an old FR, some parts are quite overgrown 342-456 320-468 311-485 309-504 256-513 245-540 233-543 some recovering oaks here, and shade, and poison oak 183-540 155-545 121-564 120-591 92-587 to my L and SA is a patch of unburned oak and pine 31-615 56-6-35-626-junction Burnt Pine Trail to my R, 5.91 miles [I continue on West Mesa Trail] 971-654 931-676 882-718 dense, unburned grove off to my L, it's probably one of the springs shown on the map [CRSP trail map] 830-754 764-764 751-794 745-800 703-808 692-819 trail here is littered with the cut-up remains of burned trees, but among the destruction there are pine seedlings [about four or five feet tall] 679-825 634-801 617-801 55-601-35-795-junction Arroyo Seco Trail to R, 6.51 miles, I keep L and continue on West Mesa Trail 582-773 I see a couple of large birds, probably hawks, soaring near here, and I get two pictures 559-742 532-692 491-636 463-626 448-616 trail here veers around some fallen logs that have not yet been removed 445-607 413-583! I'm going to stop calling lat/lon because this trail has already been surveyed although it's an old FR, this trail is quite overgrown 55-153-35-247 junction with Monument Trail, 7.27 miles, I continue on Monument Trail 136-234 109-233 83-210 71-192 69-173 55-164 36-163 I stop here to eat my lunch 34-137 9-130 the trail is quite overgrown here 978-85 950-50 941-21 957-992 957-976 936-939 915-920 878-905 847-897 819-887 807-876 815-856 845-864 877-865 895-863 873-848 876-800 863-766 847-753 833-726 828-704 807-690 780-683 753-691 736-713 730-719 707-714 693-714 666-704 649-708 652-757 651-772 643-778 640-785 630-823 625-855 614-865 599-857 589-865 553-857 533-857 530-869 54-521-34-879! junction with West Side Trail, end of this part, I stop calling lat/lon, I go back to the parking area on West Side Trail, 8.75 miles here 12:40 PM 9.37 miles, back at the truck, end of survey