20 Ghost Mountain

SCENERY:

DIFFICULTY:

TRAIL CONDITION:

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CHILDREN:

DISTANCE: 1.4 miles round trip

HIKING TIME: 1 hour

OUTSTANDING FEATURES: A climbing path to the home site of the South family, who lived at the top of this mountain, perhaps the proverbial “top of the world” to this creative, colorful couple and their children.

The history evident on this immediately climbing trail makes the hike a wonder from the first step. The Souths, a family who lived on Ghost Mountain in the 1930s and 1940s, carefully placed rocks along the route that still provide good footing. The quiet mountaintop, with its ruins of the family’s rural lifestyle, offers a pretty view and sparks imaginings about how they lived.

Directions: Where CA 78 meets County Route S2 (the Great Overland Route of 1849), head south on S2 for 6.4 miles to Blair Valley Road. Turn left onto this flat, dirt road suitable for most vehicles and follow the signs (bearing right) to Ghost Mountain, about 2.4 miles. Parking turnouts are next to the trailhead sign on the left.

GPS Coordinates		20 GHOST MOUNTAIN
UTM Zone (WGS84)		11S
Easting		557008
Northing		3651825
Latitude–Longitude		N 33º 0’ 12.0996”
		W 116º 23’ 23.0047”

The path begins at the base of Ghost Mountain and quickly becomes steep. A level stretch begins after just 0.4 miles, allowing a breather as a southerly view of the Vallecitos Valley, backed by the Sawtooth Mountains, appears beyond the rocky trail. The trail continues northeast, beginning to climb steeply in spots that make you appreciate the efforts of the family who once lived here. Steps have been whittled into existing exposed rock in some areas, while stones have been lodged in place for easier footing in others.

After a short distance, the trail again levels. Easy ground leads to the dilapidated remains of the cabin home of painter-writer Marshall South; his wife, Tanya; and their three children. They called the cabin “Yaquitepec,” a combination of two Indian words that refer to the Souths’ quest for freedom on this desert hill. An old water cistern is nearby, as well as a shallow pool and other artifacts from their rainwater collection efforts. The trail continues for approximately another 0.1 mile, ending at an outcropping of boulders overlooking the valley below.

Give yourself time to sit and ponder how it must have been to live virtually cut off from civilization other than your immediate family. (And take care to note that this is a historic site, which should be enjoyed but not disturbed.) The Souths called Ghost Mountain home for 16 years, during which Marshall South penned regular articles about their desert lifestyle for Desert Magazine. The couple then divorced. Tanya, a poet, took their three children and reentered San Diego civilization, while Marshall moved to Julian. San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper articles and historical accounts speculate about how happy the family really was during their time on Ghost Mountain.

Other than the remnants of the South family’s life and a lovely view, the hike offers an aerobic workout up and down the steep path. On my last visit, I met an active 89-year-old woman treading along the trail, which climbs approximately 400 feet in quick succession, proving that hiking may indeed be the fountain of youth.