EISPIRATEN

This past week I've managed to clear most of the vegetation on the trail to Bailey Canyon Falls. It's a short trail. The tread needs a lot more work which I'll try to get to this week and next. But it's worth the 30 minutes or so to go see the falls which, surprisingly to me, are still flowing well ...

I was out exploring the San Bernardinos recently and I stumbled upon a few hot spring pools. Are any of you familiar with these and if so, do any of you know if this spot has a name or something? I was looking online and not able to really find much info on it.

There was one pool along a canyon ...

https://forums.wildfireintel.org/t/ca-anf-bridge/27448/15
"muni_captain

51,167 acres this morning. The fire grew to the north towards Pinion Hills. It held in the Mt Baldy Village area with lots of resources prepared to ensure the fire does not cross the canyon to the east, which would allow for ...

Things are look a lot calmer at the base of Baldy Canyon. Hoping for rains tonight and greater containment.

Well this is just stupid: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/angeles/ ... ?aid=90800

Ran Ontario this morning and had a decent vantage of the damage in Cattle Canyon / Baldy Basin. Also ran into what looks like one of the fires that started in Icehouse Canyon that was thankfully quickly put out.

I've got to imagine the erosion is going to be crazy the next couple winters with ...

Over the weekend some of us celebrated the forum's anniversary with a trip to Monte Cristo Campground and hikes to Rabbit, Granite and Roundtop. Cecelia and I started by driving to the campground on Friday afternoon and securing site #11, which has space for several tents under a big sycamore tree ...

Oh yeah, got this bad boy fixed permanently today. Drilled out the holes and replaced the bad rived with a screw and nylock nut. And I figured out how to collapse it correctly. This was also in the Big5 daily deals yesterday.

This morning Jeff and I checked out Chantry Flats. We really had no specific trails in mind but we were both excited to see Sturtevant Falls.

Thank God It wasn't crowded. There were only a few cars in the parking lot and a couple of bikers.

As we descended the newly paved road, the first thing we ...

The Santa Clara divide sets 'em up, and I knock 'em down.

Tuesday morning I knocked off a couple peaks along the Santa Clara divide road along its lonely path to Magic Mountain.

Met some friendly deer hunters at the trailhead. No luck for them this morning, they were going to try again the next ...

This trail, between Horse Flats and the summit of Mt. Hillyer, is in excellent condition. It passes through one of the more beautiful areas of the backcountry.

This is mostly a report about the Rincon Shortcut OHV road that starts by the Rincon Fire Station.

To use this road, you need a permit from the Glendora Ranger Station (Mon-Th). Permits are good for two weeks and they change the gate lock combo every two weeks. They also give you a sticker to put ...

Last Wednesday, my friend picked me up at around 530 am and we headed our to Ojai.

We had intended to start hiking at 730 am but we had made several stops along the way to get breakfast and other necessities.

We finally arrived at Rose Valley campground just before 9am

When we arrived it was a ...

I had received a personal invitation for a tour of the Monte Cristo Mine from Lars the current owner.

Last Saturday me, Ed, Jeff, Dima & Matt met Lars at the locked gate by the Monte Cristo campground.

We followed him in two cars. I've walked this road many times but driving on it was quite a ...

A few more pics

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So after reading Tekewins report on the Rincon road I got my permits to drive the Rincon road from Glendora Ranger station (by the way is very nice)

Anyways, they gave me 3 codes to the gate so I have access until December 14th.

As Tekewin said the road is nice. Some areas are smoother than others ...

Timing Is Everything

Report and pics

Snow Creek isn't a viable route every year. The mountain needs the right amount of snowfall at the right times in the right places with the right temperature systems during our short SoCal winter. Thankfully, January and February made it clear that 2024 ...

Neat! I've never been in this one, but I did find some near by a couple years ago. I noticed some copper carbonate minerals on the rocks near a section of the mountain with a bunch of adits. It would be nice to check that spot out in the future if there's another opportunity to visit. I need to ...

I've been helping one of my Wednesday crazies accompliish the Sierra Club HPS list.

Last Wednesday we scheduled Mt Lewis. Since the road was closed to Dawson Saddle we decided to walk up the road.

I was also curious about the progression of the construction.

We started around 8am. There was only ...

For Cecelia's birthday I took her to the Mojave National Preserve for a bit of desert scrambling. We left LA at 4:00 AM, shopped in Barstow, and rolled into the Preserve at 7:50 AM.

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We then reached Hole-in-the-Wall by 8:15 AM.

IMG_20241124_083149994_HDR.jpg ...

In 2017 Cecelia and I failed to bag Middle Benchmark due to me being stupid . Today we rectified that mistake and finally got our butts up there. Yes, we drove 99% of the way, but, hey, at least we walked the non-road portion (i.e., the firebreak) and stood on the true summit. We also found the ...

My fitness is moving along quite nicely so I decided on some possible xcountry exploration. I had noticed that there were a bunch of old trails that had existed between the 5 and Lake Piru. This area is pocketed with private properties in the middle of the National Forest but the trails definitely ...

Sean and I made the long drive to the trailhead for Stepladder Mountains (DPS #94, 2940') on Friday and camped. Well, Sean set up a tent and I slept in the truck. From highway 95, there were 17 miles of good, then bad dirt roads. The powerline road was smooth, the pipeline road not as good, and ...

I stopped to pee near this ocotillo and decided it was picture worthy. I promptly lost sight of Tekewin and got lost after this. Thanks a lot, Ocotillo!
Bonus hedgehog cactus.

My father and I have a tradition, dating back to Cowen Hill in Maine from the year 2000 when I was 14, of doing a short and sweet hike on Christmas Eve. We've been able to get one in most years since.

With my parents in Ogden, Utah over Christmas, the family made the 10 hour drive to visit and we ...

From Shoemaker road(open):
east fork road open til Camp Williams store....with stop signs and not the closure sign.
eastern Rattlesnake peak is burnt (again), no signs at Shoemaker, so open.

In picture top of Iron Mountain good...and Heaton Flat campground..and restroom at parking lot ...

That day in September after we all did Rabbit, myself, Dima and Jeko were at a tunnel entrance (forget the more technical term) after coming down Roundtop, on that ridge between Iron #3. I think thats what HikeUp is referring to, and I assume is part of the Gold Bar Mine. But haven't been down in ...

Just wanted to share with everyone that Brown's Flat did not burn in the recent fire. Not that I'll ever set foot there. But maybe someday a trail could be rebuilt to allow access?

Sunset Peak's north slopes did mostly burn. Maybe some pines up did high survive...

Cliffed-out hiker near Sturtevant Falls.

https://fb.watch/wUa_kp_LTd/

I hiked to Twin Peaks from Three Points today, looping back through Waterman descending down onto the PCT. I'd like to be more specific with trail names, but as far as I can tell, they don't have any?
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It seems strange these trails would be nameless because they're ...