Santiago Canyon - Pacifico Mountain

[Elwood]

This past Saturday was a glorious time to be hiking just about anywhere in the San Gabriel Mountains. My increasingly evil twin brother Jake was intrigued by the trail up to Pacifico Mountain from the end of Santiago Canyon Truck Trail (4N20). He decided to give it a go. Any resemblance to persons alive or dead are purely coincidental. Jake parked the car just outside the forest boundary and hoofed it up to the (at that time) closed gate at 4N20. He proceeded up along the well-used dirt road that services the shooting areas, then down the continuation into Santiago Canyon. Recent foot and vehicle traffic appeared to be virtually non-existent in the canyon. Jake took the obligatory off-route meander over a very steep bump east of the trail, then found his way once back at the flowing stream bed. He followed the stream up-canyon for a bit before taking the ridge that brought him to the Pacific Crest Trail, west of Pacifico's summits. Rather than risk uncertain footing on the snowy Crest Trail, he hiked the ridge line directly to the true summit on the upper campground. Jake was carefully spying the three major ridges to the east as he ascended, picking his return route. Following a rest and a couple of Clif Bars atop Pacifico, Jake donned crampons and axe, just in case there was still frozen stuff under the snowy north-facing ridge top. Unlike in many recovering areas of the Gabes, there was virtually no visible revegetation occurring on this ridge, even amongst the hardy manzanita and juniper. Perhaps it's too early in the season.


The view towards County Route N3 from Forest Service Road 4N20.


Desert Marksman R&PC. Very cool looking range.


One of the ridges descending from Pacifico's summit, as seen from 4N20.


Santiago Canyon creek, flowing towards Little Rock.


View down Santiago Canyon from a spot past roads-end. Note fire damage adjacent to 4N20.


Ascending ridge above picture center carries the "trail" indicated on USGS topo map of the area.


One of the biggest ursus americanus tracks that I've seen to date. It's unsmeared and the back of the heel is adjacent to the third set of eyelets on the boot. Would've loved to have seen this bear. If I was there, of course.


It's difficult to see in the picture how far this big boulder is protruding, and how precarious it is.


Burned manzanita stand, up Santiago Canyon.


Looking towards Palmdale, over the western section of Pleasant View Ridge.


Looking back towards Acton. That's Highway 14 way back in the distance.


Strawberry, Josephine and the intervening hillsides.


Mount Gleason hogback, Road, and the hillsides west of Mill Creek Summit.


One of the lower summits on Pacifico Mountain.


A very full looking Little Rock Reservoir, as seen from the top of Pacifico.


Pretty granite outcrop, scorched and unscathed shrubbery atop Pacifico Mountain.


Roundtop brazier, with one of Pacifico's buttresses in the foreground.


Inviting view of the San Gabriel high country from just below Pacifico Mountain's summit block; the one with the pole cemented into it.


Snowy top of the ridge descended back to the floor of Santiago Canyon.


A view a little farther down the ridge.


Interesting looking burned out trunk.


More manzanita and a view of last summer's devastation in Santiago Canyon.


A last look back up the canyon, at the snow.


GPS track and elevation profile.

[cougarmagic]

8) Jake...

It's really nice to see Pacifico didn't get completely wrecked.

I noticed the same thing about certain areas not regrowing yet - in Lower Big T, vegetation is exploding - there's a nice sheen of green grass on almost everything, wildflowers blooming already, and the sumac and manzanita are busting out. But as you get farther up the road, there are still such big patches of moonscape. I can only guess the higher elevations are just not warm enough yet - it certainly got enough rainfall.

That sure is a big bear.... Gotta wonder what he's finding to eat.

Thanks for the report and pics.

[tinaballina]

Great pics and tr...it was beautiful this weekend.

[He219]

Beautiful pix and TR, Elwood! The burn images are surreal.
That black bear print would look great cast in plaster ...
Cheers-

[norma r]

Beautiful photos! Loved the bear track. I too would like to see a bear while out in the wilderness. So far i have only seen them on the roadside, in parking lots & breaking into cars. doesn't count!! but seeing their tracks is always cool.

[lilbitmo]

My increasingly evil twin brother Jake was intrigued by the trail up to Pacifico Mountain from the end of Santiago Canyon Truck Trail (4N20).

Let your evil twin know that I like his pictures. It’s been too long since I hiked through that area on the PCT in 2007. Hope it starts recovering real soon.

I’m not sure I would want to meet that bear in that area when he was hungry, I might move down the food chain way to quickly.

Nice work – Evil Jake

[Kit Fox]

Are the gates past Desert Marksmen still locked?

This entire area was closed to all forms of access thanks to the Center for Biological Diversity's lawsuit against the USFS back in 97. I'm still pissed about the closure because it took away my favorite spots to hike legally.

[TracieB]

Great photos Elwood! Thank you for posting!

[Elwood]

Thanks for all the kind words, I'll be sure to relay them or get Jake to request his own darned SGMDF login. The gate just past Desert Marksman's access road is indeed locked. Apparently there was a separate chain-link fence erected past this gate, which has been knocked down, similar to that near Pinyon Flats on 5N04.4.

[AW~]

Well tell Jake he certainly can eat up distance hikes and just spit em out..nice job! He wouldnt have seen a tallish climbing crag on Pacifico?

[Taco]

That might be one of the 600m ranges. Super neat.