Cole Point: 01-17-2009

[HikeUp]

Hiked up to Cole Point this morning. Started about 7a and by 8a the wind was blowing a steady 20 mph making it pretty damn chilly. I took the Sierra Club HPS route #1 (refer to topo) - after parking (pt. A) the first part is pretty much 'find your own way up to the ridge' (pt. B) so spend a little time studying the topo before heading that way. The cross country travel is pretty easy since this is on the desert side of the range and the chaparral is not too dense. Once on the ridge (pts. C and D) there is always a good use trail to follow all the way up to the peak (Pt. E).

Route was pretty much litter free which I've read can be an issue around this area. Great views of the desert and surrounding peaks and canyons.

Constant gunfire from the shooting range down in the adjacent Kentucky Springs Canyon is a bit unnerving at first but you get used to it.

Mt. Emma and Old Mt. Emma to the north with shooting range down in cyn....



Found the register intact (it dates back to the 90's as far as I could tell). There is a USGS benchmark thingy about 100' north of the register on the side of a largish rock - I assume this was not the original orientation of the rock since it is not embedded in the ground and a benchmark on the side of a rock is not very easy for a surveyor to work with!

Register (rock with benchmark can be seen in background in front of brush)...


Rock with benchmark...


Benchmark...


Emma and Old Emma...


Looking east from Cole (I think Pleasant View Ridge can be seen in its entirety almost?)...


More pics.

[Hikin_Jim]

Interesting. I live fairly close to the area around Cole since Big "T" Can. Rd. is practically out my back door, but I've not done much hiking N of Mill Creek Summit.

Looks like it was pretty much front country stuff, yes? Any trees on "Cole" itself? Interestingly, if you look at the typefaces, "Cole" is not the name of the physical feature. "Cole" is the name of the triangulation point. I haven't seen a lot of named triangulation points elsewhere, but they're in a lot of spots in the Angeles, sometimes sowing confusion such as in this example, where "A" is the triangulation point "Pallent" and "B" is the physical feature named "Pallet." Here's another example where "Twin" (pt "A") marks the summit of Waterman Mtn. not one of the summits of Twin Peaks (pts. "B" and "C").

[HikeUp]

...but I've not done much hiking N of Mill Creek Summit.

Probably because there ain't much to do north of Mill Creek Summit! I am using Cole (and Emma/Old Emma soon) as simply a reason to go for a hike.

Looks like it was pretty much front country stuff, yes? Any trees on "Cole" itself?

The area is a lot like the front country except the chaparral is not as dense. There were a few areas where some pines were growing (not sure what kind - and mostly on north shady areas) but otherwise it was typical chaparral. If you head south from Cole towards Pacifico you'll start hitting more and more trees obviously. In fact I think you can follow a ridge south from Cole to where it will connect with the PCT between Pacifico and Mill Creek Summit - would be interesting to explore.

[Ze Hiker]

Nice pics!

It seems you are just moving north along the AFH each week!

I like the idea of combing Cole Pt and Pacifico, I may check that out...

[Hikin_Jim]

The area is a lot like the front country except the chaparral is not as dense. There were a few areas where some pines were growing (not sure what kind - and mostly on north shady areas) ...

Probably Big Cone Douglas Fir Pseudosuga macrocarpa given the altitude and description.

If you head south from Cole towards Pacifico you'll start hitting more and more trees obviously. In fact I think you can follow a ridge south from Cole to where it will connect with the PCT between Pacifico and Mill Creek Summit - would be interesting to explore.

Hmm. Interesting indeed, but some of that stuff on the N face of Pacifico is freaking steep. Looking at the topo map from Cole (Pt. "A") to Pacifico (Pt. "J"), it doesn't look too bad as you go up and down the bumps from "A" to "D". The section around "E" looks a little steep. You'd join the old road at "F" and take the road to the PCT ("G"). I have a vague memory of that old road. I don't think it's used anymore but probably passible on foot. The PCT between "H" and the closest approach to the summit ("J") was designed by Mortimer Snerd. Blindfolded. I mean, it just makes no sense at all. Looks like they were trying for mileage not for getting anywhere. Personally, I'd probably leave the PCT at "H" and follow the road shown to "I" and then try going up from "I" up the ridge to "J." I don't know what the brush is like from "I" to "J" and it would defiinitely be steep, but the last time I went from Mill Creek Summit to Pacifico, I swore never again after I looked more carefully at the topo and realized just how idiotic that section of trail is. Getting up Cole and then along that ridge up and over the various bumps and finally summiting Pacifico looks like a long day. I suppose if one were to place a car on Pacifico first and then start the hike, it wouldn't be too bad.

On the other hand, approaching from the East is a very doable intermediate level hike with some interesting XC nav challenges. From Alder Saddle (road closed until May ~15th or so) proceed to point "A" on the map which is a fairly sharp bend in the road. Scramble up to the PCT (Pt. "B"). The PCT is totally mismarked on this map. The PCT is on top of the ridge above "A"). Follow the PCT to point "C" on the N ridge of Pacifico. Leave the trail and head directly up to the summit "D". The section from "C" to "D" is easy, open pine forest; a really fun albeit short high country jaunt. From the summit ("D"), proceed down the road to "E" where an old spur heads first SE then E. The old spur peters out somewhere around "F," but you can follow the (very) faint remains of an old bulldozer track for a while. Eventually, one cuts XC to the NE or ENE and intersects the PCT (vicinity pt. "G"). The PCT is hard to miss. I'm pretty sure the PCT runs a little lower than how it's depicted on this map, and the trail that goes straight up the ridge is non-existent to the best of my knowledge. Once you hit the PCT, retrace your steps back to point "A" and your vehicle. I think it's about 7 miles total. Nothing too bad, but from "F" to "G" you have to look sharp to find a route that isn't too steep or overly brushy. Again, I think the PCT runs lower than shown (I could be wrong, this is just a subjective impression) and that the distance from "F" to "G" is longer than one might infer from the map.

[Rumpled]

Care to give an idea of distance and time for the hike?
I'm going to be in the area in late February to watch Lance et al zoom by and would like to know more about the area. The Tour will go up and over Mill Creek Summit. A short hike would be good.

My family belongs to 1000 Trails and there is a CG in Acton that I can stay at for free with my trailer. Never been there, going to check it out.

The benchmark you pictured is reference mark #2. It would have originally pointed to the Cole benchmark. There should have also been a RM#1 close by. RM#1 was 10.582 METERS from COLE and RM#@ was 13.710 METERS. As of 1967 the mark was in good condition, from the NGS

EW7198'STATION MARK IS A STANDARD DISK, STAMPED COLE 1940, CEMENTED
EW7198'IN A DRILL HOLE IN THE TOP OF A SMALL BOULDER WHICH IS FLUSH
EW7198'WITH THE SURFACE. IT IS ON THE HIGHEST PART OF THE HILL IN
EW7198'THE CENTER OF A FIREBREAK.
EW7198'
EW7198'REFERENCE MARK 1 IS A STANDARD DISK, STAMPED COLE NO 1 1940,
EW7198'CEMENTED IN A DRILL HOLE IN THE TOP OF A 1 X 2 FOOT BOULDER
EW7198'WHICH IS ABOUT 2 FEET LOWER THAN THE STATION.
EW7198'
EW7198'REFERENCE MARK 2 IS A STANDARD DISK STAMPED COLE NO 2 1940,
EW7198'CEMENTED IN A DRILL HOLE IN A 1-1/2 X 2 FOOT BOULDER PROJECTING
EW7198'ABOUT 8 INCHES ABOVE THE SURFACE AND IS ABOUT 1 FOOT LOWER
EW7198'THAN THE STATION.


Here's a good description of Triangulation marks
http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index. ... pic=185361

Surveyors seemed to have done some funny things. Sometimes they use a local feature name, sometimes in the "wrong" place. Sometimes they come up with a name, and because it ends up on the topo they've kinda named the feature. Other times you just can't tell.

[HikeUp]

Care to give an idea of distance and time for the hike?

4 miles round trip and 1700' total gain. Real easy to get onto the wrong ridge while descending if you're not paying attention, but also real easy to recognize the right one if you have even a little sense of direction.

Nearby are two other Sierra Club HPS peaks - Emma and Old Emma (these 2 are often combined into a loop hike with or without car shuttle along Mt. Emma Road). Also, nearby Mt. Gleason may or may not be a drive up (depending on snow/ice conditions on the road (see my recent TR)).

Thanks for the information regarding the reference marks! Interesting stuff.

[HikeUp]

Hmm. Interesting indeed, but some of that stuff on the N face of Pacifico is freaking steep. Looking at the topo map from Cole (Pt. "A") to Pacifico (Pt. "J"), it doesn't look too bad as you go up and down the bumps from "A" to "D". The section around "E" looks a little steep. You'd join the old road at "F" and take the road to the PCT ("G")... I don't know what the brush is like from "I" to "J" and it would defiinitely be steep...

Jim, I agree getting to point E from Cole would be 'easy', but I bet you might run into short sections of class 2 (maybe 3) stuff right around point E. You would actually cross the PCT north of where your point F is (at the 6000' contour) - the topo map (used by acme) is almost entirely wrong with regards to where the PCT is in this area. Switch to satellite view on acme and zoom in - you'll see the trail as it switch backs up from the 6000' contour.

Getting from I to J is indeed steep but almost entirely brush free - you're under a canopy of trees.

[Hikin_Jim]

... the topo map (used by acme) is almost entirely wrong with regards to where the PCT is in this area.

Boy, and howdy. Maybe those were some interim trails or something until the present day PCT was put through.

Getting from I to J is indeed steep but almost entirely brush free - you're under a canopy of trees.

Cool, thanks; great 411.