EISPIRATEN

If you keep going down Nine Mile Creek (from Jordan) to the Kern River, there's an amazing cabin there (mostly stone!) with a covered outdoor kitchen right on the river bank. This is the view up-river from the 'deck' of the kitchen: https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/a4.pbase.com/u14/thomasjkenn...

Spectacular!

Hmmm...now I have old Gordon Lightfoot songs looping in my head... ?

I had occasion to be at Grassy Hollow on Saturday (2020-04-25). It appears that CA-2 is closed at (and west of) Big Pines/N4 junction. I say 'appears' because I didn't actually go to the N4, but there was no traffic at Grassy Hollow, stragglers hiking the road mid-lane, and Inspiration Point was emp...

I'm glad we don't know anything about the accessibility of closed 39, it might lead to some random adventuring... ?

I was about to try my Islip Ridge loop (which starts via Little Jimmy Rd). Thanks for the info, sounds like I'll wait a week or two. RE: camp-out, Hawkins Lookout sounds boffo!

HA! 1978 would be the year my friends and I attempted to raft down Magnolia Blvd in Sherman Oaks.

Taco wrote: ↑ I would like to camp at the summit sometime, if you’d like to meet us, like a SGMDF potluck or something.

Excellent idea...when the snow melts!

Here's my latest from Islip last year: Fill In The Blank When last I tried CA-39 as a return to CA-2, the way was blocked. Edison is doing work up there, and have a full-time security person guarding the gate. I had to return via Windy Gap Tr. This was late last summer, they may have finished the wo...

I'm researching something, and stumbled upon this very interesting document: http://www.rmc.ca.gov/grants/update/q&a_docs/Mountains%20Target%20Project%20Area.pdf RMC is Rivers and Mountains Conservancy. The document describes current (and maybe completed?) land acquisition projects. I haven't re...

So is this rebuilt trail finished? Is it secret? I only had a short convo with Person X. He did mention that he welcomes traffic to help burn it in, but also seemed reluctant to publicize, especially on bike forums. It's not finished yet, with maybe 2 years' work to go unless some more help arrives...

I found a mini-pump on Rincon Rd ~2km east of West Fork CG. PM me brand and description, and we can arrange delivery.

BORING: I've been doing laps on Rim Tr/Rincon Rd to chew at the deadfall. There is another phantom out there with a slightly bigger saw than mine, but the really big stuff remains. INTERESTING: I met a guy out on the trail, echoes from the past, acquaintance-of-an-acquaintaince sort of thing (though...

dima wrote: ↑I think the metal thing is a stove

Agree. I've seen quite a few of these over the years.

Ah. Thanks, both, for the info. Mine occurred in my late 30s, hasn't popped since (yet?). The emergency room folks said to sling it for a couple weeks. I immediately started to read about it, and found that best advice for adults is to try to work it as soon as possible, but gently at first. Knowing...

USFS is doing a controlled burn on the summit of Mt Wilson, specifically the top of Kenyon-Devore Tr. I was there yesterday, smoke was augmenting the clouds and produced a dense fog. I'd apparently gone quite a ways into the burn before I actually saw it...eerie little campfires surrounding me in th...

Did you dislocate a shoulder? I did, but managed to avoid severe cuff injury. I'm sure I stretched it a little, so I've always been worried to re-dislocate. Also, the weather causes it to 'sing in concert' with my other bone injuries.

Nice pics! Welcome back!!!

Elwood wrote: ↑I didn't cheat, but you might want to check the filenames before posting

?

Josephine Strawberry Condor Lukens (from Mendenhall I think) Close. I had to do quite a bit of map fiddling to make sure, but Josephine is hiding! L to R: Strawberry, Lawlor (behind, right of Strawberry), Condor (midground), Lukens. The unofficially named 'Fox' Peak is just visible over Condor's sh...

There are 4 named peaks in this one:

@walker re: downed trees, all of the above, but the kicker is severe wind events. re: pine death, the ponderosas (Chilao) seem fairly resistant, white firs are suffering (East Blue Ridge), live oaks are resistant but cope by 'suiciding' select branches. Sorry to be brief...falling asleep! Cheers! ?

This reminds me: I've been thinking of joining a trail maintenance crew. Any recommendations? San Gabriel Tralbuilders? The other very active group I know of in the area is Mount Wilson Bicycle Association . I'm not sure with which group Our Gracious Host is affiliated, but that would be my choice,...

North side of Mt Wilson is similarly affected. Rim Trail yesterday had quite a bit of snow for first few switchbacks, still deep in places. Middle section was OK, but had some deadfall. The worst was just west of Newcomb Pass, where it appears a tornado whacked a path straight down the mountainside....

Hoegee's was our scout troop's 'quickie' - did many weekends there due to the short drive and easy hike. On one outing, spent a rainy night, 5 drenched scouts in a 2-man orange tube tent. On another, one of the guys brought a frozen pizza...no clue how he would cook it on a Svea stove. Rob, I think ...

Looks like a fabulous day out! I'm leaning toward buying a stove soon, and I will make sure it has a built-in igniter. :P And coffee apparatus....those Fremen were on to something. RE: snow, I did Shortcut Rd from CA-2 to the river twice last week. Snow was 30-40cm deep, soft, with 2 distinct layers...

I walked up part of it from the bottom. It is a lonnnnnng ass road. You can take a 4 wheeler the whole way if you get a permit. I did the exact opposite, rode my bike from Red Box to Pine Mtn, saw the road dropping precipitously toward CA-39, and decided I'd seen enough! :) I read a TR somewhere a ...

The last storm did some severe damage in the Mt. Wilson area (north side, West Fork). Many hundreds of trees blown down on Shortcut Road and Rincon Road (probably also all trails in the area). I did what should have been a quick ride yesterday that turned into a '3 hour tour' as I dragged my bicycle...

'Class 3' is often used to describe unprotectable Class 5. It's a morbid inside joke of a sort.

Fortunately, my start was less than halfway from Vincent Gap to Dawson Saddle. Easy, but grueling after my knee-straining descent.

I did a quick run up Mt. Baden-Powell yesterday, taking one of several alternate routes I have on my todo list, the North West Ridge - AKA Rain Gauge Ridge. The start is a parking pull-out near a low stone wall and a rain gauge, where the NW ridge meets the highway. I started at a little after 3:00 ...

Sean wrote: ↑How was the wind and temp?

Shorts'n'shirtlseeves on the way up, with just a little breeze...very nice!