EISPIRATEN

Right -- I was referring to the East Fork Ranger Station at Heaton Flat, just off the parking lot. I always used to self-issue a permit there but there were no forms last time we were there. That station seems more and more abandoned every time we visit.

There used to be a stand outside of the Ranger Station at Heaton Flat for self-issue permits. When we did Iron last spring, there were no permits.

I have never seen a ranger or had a permit checked in that area.

I did think one had to have an Adventure Pass to park at Heaton Flat.

He219 wrote:

I brought only a cordalette and a couple nuts for emergency purposes.

Classic Rick Kent ..

Yes -- those were his emergency rations.

I'll look for a reference, but I recall that the vertical error for a typical GPS unit is about 1.5 times the horizontal error. Under good conditions, the GPS altitude will be that good with or without a barometric altimeter. If a GPS has a barometric altimeter, it is used to improve the stability o...

Speaking of flora, I'm always intrigued by the abundance of poison hemlock (the same thing that killed Socrates) in the same places you'll find poison oak. Add the Castor Bean plant down at the lower elevations and we've got our fair share of toxic flora in the San Gabriels. True, but I'll bet the ...

He219 wrote:Looks like they've got a bit of work to do there.

Hey! A couple of hours with a guy and a snow shovel and the road will be as good as new!

There is no approach from the west by vehicle. Rte. 2 has been closed from Islip Saddle to Vincent Gap since early 2005. (This is aside from winter closures lower down.)

See this thread.

Unfortunately, this search ended badly. Robert Bruner was evidently killed in a fall near Falling Rock Canyon (which is the route to Sugarloaf Peak from Icehouse Canyon). Body of missing hiker found near Mt. Baldy The Associated Press Article Launched: 03/02/2008 06:48:22 PM PST MOUNT BALDY VILLAGE,...

Mt. Whitney, The Sierra Nevada & Beyond... is back!

Prior to reaching the Ski Hut, do you feel that Yak Trax would suffice for the trail preceding the Hut? I have never used YakTrax, but I believe that the answer is "yes" because I could have made it to the hut with just boots. The Microspikes just made the trip more pleasant. :D On my way...

I ordered them from the manufacturer for $59 per pair.

YakTrax are cheaper. I chose microspikes based on reading a bunch of reviews for various products of that general type.

Do you recall if there was much snow east of the parking area at Manker Flat? A few hiking buddies and I are doing snow safety practice Sunday morning. I'm wondering if we can start right from the parking area, or if we'll have to climb to find enough snow cover. I was not paying attention to the a...

I hiked the Ski Hut trail today. I was fighting a bad combination -- a late start and an early turn-around because I wanted to get to Eric's first track meet of the season -- so I ended up going only as high as the ridge above the Ski Hut. There was sporadic snow on the way to the Hut and plenty abo...

The Wikipedia article on the Dyatlov Pass Accident is interesting (note that is is in the "disputed" category).

Good campfire material from SFGate.com . How creepy do you want it? The famously eerie tale of nine dead Russian hikers, with all the bizarre details you can handle By Mark Morford, SF Gate Columnist Wednesday, February 27, 2008 I admit only to this: I can get deeply creeped out, down to my very cor...

TacoDelRio wrote:Found a Yaktrax thing near the summit of Iron Mountian 8007. Mid-February 2008.

OMG. That means the yak is running around loose on Iron Mountain. Until the cougars get him, that is.

The ACR Web site has a chart that compares the specs of all of their PLB models.

It seems as if you have a pretty good system. I do similar things. I save raw data separately from edited track files. I have lots of folders/subfolders for various geographical areas. I also have a separate set of folders for downloaded tracks from various sources on the Internet. One issue is data...

HikeUp -- It'll be hotter by summer and that'll be a good excuse to slow it a bit. :) I hadn't noticed the elevation gain/loss figure in the profile. It does seem to be exaggerated by ~1000'. The 5200' in the profile comes from the TOPO! program based on a track obtained from GPS data. I will have t...

No thanks Alan. I concede that their Euclid route is far superior in every fashion. I’m all for finding new fast escape routes out of the OC. I particularly like the notion that it will give me more time to stuff my face with fritters. It’s a win-win :D It is true that the money saved on traffic ti...

I see a race coming on.

Watch out for the CHP!

Hikin_Jim wrote:How was that section where you drop down from the Toll Road along the steep part of the ridge en route to the Hoegee's area?

Was the snow pretty crusty or was it slush or ?

Once I got to the Toll Road there was no more snow.

I did this hike yesterday under benign conditions. My TR is here. I had not done the hike in years and was curious about how dangerous things could get near the top. The sign in the picture linked by HikeUp says it all. Above the spot called "Halfway Rest" between Sturdevant Camp and the s...

Chantry Flats was packed. I ended up parking just off the road, between the stop signs about 0.33 miles below the entrance to the parking lot. There were plenty of people near the beginning of the trail (heading for the falls). There were a couple of large groups of backpackers coming down above the...

If you decide to go up Mt. Wilson, don't look for "Chantry Flay." Try "Chantry Flat." Sorry to mislead you good folks.

(I hope that, by pointing out my error, I can avoid a public flaying.)

I hiked up Mt. Wilson from Chantry Flats today, beginning at noon and finishing at around 4:30. Temperatures were 46 - 67. I took the Sturdevant Trail up and the Upper Winter Creek Trail back down. There was some snow near the top on the way up and on the first bit of the descent, but things were ge...

Baldy or no Baldy, Iron Mountain by any route is always an accomplishment.

Hello to Kimmi -- we met her last week on Vivian Creek. One of these days we have to meet TacoDelRio, not to mention Travis!

From the LA Times Rebirth of a pioneer gives skiers a lift Mt. Waterman resort, closed for five years, gets a late-season revival, delighting those who knew it. By Deborah Schoch Los Angeles Times Staff Writer February 17, 2008 The Mt. Waterman Ski Patrol never really went away. Although the lifts s...

The subject of never glissading with crampons on comes up on the Whitney Portal Store board occasionally. When the old timers trot out their stories of exotically-broken ankles and destroyed knees, it is enough to convince the less-experienced (a class that includes me) to take the things off. Gliss...

Awesome trip!