I had the plan this day to hike to Gordon Point and Morgan Hill to the NW of Palomar Mtn State Park by following the dirt road from Doane Valley from near the campground and school camp up and down a nice ridge and met up with Palomar Divide Road, and headed WNW awhile until I ran into a gate blocked off by private property. I was super bummed!! I saw a house and old truck up the hill, and did not wish to trespass just to summit some peaks, so I had to abandon the idea. I wonder how those on Peakbagger are getting up to the peaks! One member on the site took the route I was attempting, so I wonder if he trespassed! So I had to go slog back up the dirt road, which was a steep climb, up and over the ridge and re-evaluate my options. On the ridge, I tried 2 cross-country descents to see if I could find another route to the peaks with no success, so twice I had to regain the ridge in defeat! Looking to the southwest I saw that the ridge lead to a peak off further to the southeast, which I suspected may be Peak 5696. I thought that it might be due to its relatively clos proximity to the observatory area. Regardless if it were 5696 or any random peak, I did not care, I was going to summit something today!!!! So, I followed a dirt track on top of the ridge towards it passing some burned areas including a cabin. I followed the ridge until I saw a ribboned use trail. I started following it for a short time, and saw it headed downhill, so I abandoned it and started bushwhacking and going cross-country to continue gaining the ridge, found another ribboned route and followed it until it seemed to go downhill again, so again I went cross-country up to another ribboned route on the ridgeline to small saddle between the two highest points in close proximity. I was not sure which was the highest, so I went to the one on the right (more southerly), and then went to the more northerly one which had a summit register. Upon opening the register, my intuition was right, it was Peak 5696. I was so happy to reach a peak, and so I signed the register and returned to the ribboned route on the ridge top and followed it back to the dirt track near the burned cabin. If I had taken the time to look in the ceanothus a little more, I probably would have seen the ridgeline use trail and could have followed it to the peak negating the need for bushwhacking and cross country, but, it did add to the adventure factor a great deal. I followed the ridgeline dirt track back to the fire road and returned on it back to Doane Valley and my car. Following the use trail in the first p0lace would have also negated all the deadfall I had to hop over as well! It was a crazy and interesting day. I have visited Palomar many times, but this was the most adventurous of all my times here, and the only time I have done any cross-country in the area as well! I have to say that the views along the way were stupendous, and the local scenery, with huge Black Oaks and dense forest in spots was no less fantastic! There are 4 species of oak and at least 2 hybrid oaks along the route as well! Any frustration I had about earlier was washed away! With all the detouring, I am not sure how much elevation gain I did for the whole day, but getting to 5696 from Doane Valley is roughly 1,050'. Mileagewise, I am not even sure, but it is not a super long nor strenuous hike if going to the peak and back from/to Doane Valley, maybe as bout 4-6 mi r/t. I probably did closer to 7-8 mi r/t and 1,500-1,800' with all the detouring.