South Crest at Carlito Springs
The trail head at Carlito Springs leading to the South Crest was an accidental discovery, and the trail head is not marked. It may have been an older version of the trail which was later re-routed to the Travertine Falls area. While it shortens the route to the juncture with the current South Crest Trail, it is moderately steep the entire way. Unfortunately the author picked a summer day when there was smoke in the area from distant fires. The views from the trail would have been much nicer had it been clear!
This hike would also be better in the Spring or Fall, as the temperatures climbed steadily throughout, and the author had to turn around to prevent a rather hot return. The trail head was accessed at 7:30 AM to provide a cooler start.