EISPIRATEN

It is a brushfest. ... While pushing through the whiterhorn I sought out the rocky islands, and nothing wakes you up quite like exposed 3rd class moves on unstable rock where you have to fight with sharp plants for holds.

Ahhh... memories. :D

My Thermarest (strapped on the outside of my pack ...

A friend snapped this picture of a worm-like creature in Big Santa Anita Canyon last week.

He estimated the length at 1-2ft.

Can anyone help identify? Thanks!

Sean wrote: If you want to know what's in the box, you'll have to go up there and find it for yourself.

What's In The Box?

HikingGeek, I believe my wife and I passed you as you were descending from Langley. We were up-bound, perhaps 0.5mi beyond Old Army Pass, still below the start of the cairns. You described the two major ascent routes for us, which proved helpful. Thanks!

Was nice to meet you, even if I didn't know ...

For those who care, details of the computation are here: https://notes.secretsauce.net/notes/2015 ... tains.html
Wow... wonderful!

Would definitely be up for a visit to one or both Poles sometime, if you or any other forum members want to make the trip.

Thanks for asking a good question, and ...

Now this here is a proper trip report!

A partial answer to your question...

I have descended Thunder Ridge from the upper lift terminus atop Thunder Mountain to a prominent point on the ridge above the Chapman Trail. From there we descended directly down the SE slopes to Chapman. (See attached KML file.)

This upper portion of Thunder ...

I had the notion of climbing to Peak 6857 (SW of Ontario Peak), but I ran out of time and had to turn around maybe 400 feet from the top.

That there is Turtle's Beak . Get with the program! :wink:

Definitely worth a visit sometime, as it's a beautifully remote perch. Lots more colorful rock on ...

Anyone else notice that peculiar sharp spear in the boundary line near Stockton Flat? Would that possibly accommodate the bottom of a ski lift in the "future expansion" that Baldy Ski Lifts has been talking about since before time began? Or was that upper northeasterly lobe shape intentionally ...

Why was the front county left out? Excellent question...
I agree with the posts saying debris basins, power lines, water companies etc. Have too many powerful interests behind them
I'll note there is language in the Proclamation that would seemingly allow such activities to continue unabated ...

The official order with boundaries
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-10 ... -24849.pdf

I've attempted to trace the National Monument boundary in KML and KMZ format. I've started a separate thread where can hopefully converge on a map that is both accurate and more useful than the low ...

I've taken a stab at defining the newly declared National Monument boundary in KMZ and KML format. (Attached below.)

I created the map by painstakingly following the point by point definition provided in the proclamation . I am not at all confident that I did this in an error free manner. So ...

I understood this question to be a "fantasy land" hypothetical. Why do I get the feeling these will be the last forum posts we see from Taco and Uncle Rico? :shock:

Unless Uncle Rico can get a WiFi hotspot going up there on Pine Mountain...

I of course have no choice but to build my cabin on ...

Does anyone have any firsthand observations or reliable info for the roads in the Mt. Baldy area following the flooding of Sunday 2014-08-04?

Is the Mt. Baldy Road open up to Icehouse? To Manker? To the Mt. Baldy Lifts?

From what I've heard in the media, it sounds like the Bear Canyon area was ...

Does anyone know of a good route between Little Santa Anita Canyon and Big Santa Anita Canyon?

The only way I know of is up the Mt. Wilson Trail all the way to the benches at Manzanita Ridge, then down the Upper Winter Creek trail to Hoegee's. At over 4400 feet, this crossing is quite high. (Might ...

Here is a video from a quadcopter at the 2014 Newcomb Saddle Aid Station...
MikeP, thanks for the wonderful aerial footage.

In my experience, trail "running" uphill is much like hiking uphill, generally a sufferfest. But on a neutral or slightly downhill single track that is neither aerobically ...

shreddy wrote: Once again I timed out at Idle Hour. The course is relentless! ... I'm signed up for 2015.

Shreddy, congrats on another fine attempt!

I'm in awe of all who even start the race. Maybe someday...

drndr wrote: Manker to Peak via ski hut in _____ hrs.
R2R via S. Kaibab in ______ hrs.

Manker to Peak via ski hut in 2:00 hrs.
R2R [South to North] via S. Kaibab in 8:45 hrs.

Has anyone free climbed Cloudburst or Supercloud? How far can you ascend without gear?
I believe you could make it all the way up Cloudburst. Brennen says, "The remainder of the hike is quite straightforward. Cloudburst Canyon itself is rocky but easy going with little brush and no significant ...

VermillionPearlGirl wrote: Any idea what the mileage on this loop is?.

I'd estimate the loop distance at 15 miles.

1. Anyone been by since the fire? What kind of shape is the trail camp in?

I passed through Bear Canyon on 2014-03-03 . The camp is in very good shape, with several good clean and flat spots for a tent, several picnic tables, and several fire-stoves.

2. Anyone been by lately? Is the creek ...

Bear Canyon has received quite a bit of discussion of late, following two recent rescues involving lost hikers and mountain bikers . I'd traversed Bear Canyon since the Station Fire, but a co-worker also described challenging conditions in Bear Canyon last weekend, so it seemed worth a look to see ...

Taco wrote: Easy low angle terrain, but steep enough to be able to glissade quickly down.

Easy enough if you can see where you're going!

With rime-glazed goggles and glasses (if on) or wind-whipped graupel stringing the corneas (if off), I found our descent of the bowl rather sporting.

2. Is there a benefit to using one format over another and is one more generally accepted/utilized than the other?
It is much easier to calculate the difference (i.e. the angular distance) between two coordinates expressed in decimal degrees than between two coordinates expressed in degrees ...

You may want to check out Taco's recent descent and LD's earlier ascent of the canyon. My recent trip along the ridge above may also be of interest.

We like wildlife, remoteness, and adventure! I can also say that off-trail opportunities are a plus.
Especially if you are experienced with ropework and could bring the required gear, Chris Brennen's Adventure Hikes and Canyoneering in the San Gabriels provides an excellent list of adventurous ...

Hikin_Jim wrote: Here's another idea, this time a loop route.

Start at Chantry Flats. Night one spend at either Devore, West Fork, or Valley Forge camps. All have reliable water.

Night two spend at Idlehour.

Hike out day 3.

HJ

Three days? That's but a wee Elwood day hike.

Great trip and really nice trip report Norma!

Even it is much delayed. :P

We lost an hour of time and a pint of blood each when we lost the trail near the ridge and chose not to ascend and find it but try and shove our bodies through buckthorn.

Did you try keeping to the north side of the ...

Hikin_Jim wrote: It really deserves a proper name.

If I asserted a faint resemblance to a cartilaginous shell, could we call it "Turtle Peak"?

Atop East Twin Peaks at sunrise yesterday, Peak 6857 was silhouetted in near perfect alignment with the much more distant San Jacinto Peak.


Ontario and Jacinto by cpandmd, on Flickr