Started off short of 11am at Manker on my 3rd different SG heavy duty wilderness route . I was thinking the ski lifts would be open but no such luck. Slowly moving up through the heat, but at least a cold wind would blow now and then. Reached WBaldy almost 5 hours later. Hmm...already behind schedule. Started down San Antonio ridge, running into a couple of backpackers coming up from Heaton. "Where are you going?," they asked.
Coming down the ridge and hit a patch of buckthorn on the Heaton side..arrgh, it seems people prefer this side, but the Fish Fork side is where I spent most of the time. Went down a ridge to FF that was obscured by pine trees. Better than Copter ridge if I do say so. Ended up in a feisty tributary to Fish Fork, that kept on trying to scare me with not so surprise drops . Met Fish Fork at elev 6900, a bit above where it was taming. Rappelled a short jump into a pool in some narrows and setup for the night, wondering where was that grotto at 6600?
Next morning 5:30am, past the scenic grotto, but FF wouldnt relent. I thought I would hit some easy section once I got to the Campsite peak/SA Ridge draw that the Sierra Club used long ago, but no such luck. Now it was straight up wilderness creeking. I think I spotted Little Fish Fork, but I was in a hurry. Finally hit drop 1 at like 8am. Rappel 1 into the bowels below the chockstone, worrying that my rope was going to get stuck in a crack. Once in the water, a small current towards the waterfall... A long creeking of various difficulty then it was time for rap2 aka the falls. Did a silly job replacing one of the webbing here, wondering again, why I didnt push the anchor out closer to the edge of the rappel. No water hazard at this time and it was 2:45pm. 2 more rappels and one almost swim(a nice log was floating that I grabbed a ride on
![Smile :-)](./images/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif)
Sprained my ankle, then kept on respraining it. The creek wasnt too bad initially, but once past a tributary, it was slowing me down. Finally at the San Gabriel river & Fish Fork camp with about 1 hour of daylight left. A bit of creeking until past Falls Gulch, the trails started, although they were a tad overgrown. Met some prospectors before the Narrows who were very concerned about how this was going to turn out. Gave me a MRE, which was yummy considering how hungry I was. Almost to the bridge I decided to call it a day, considering I had no headlamp.Next morning off at 5:15am and eventually the sights were 99 cents store, Modelo, writing I couldnt deciper, empty Nissin ramen cups,etc. A preview to Memorial day. Finish 8am.
Snow!
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/gallery.myff.org/gallery/1562236/tr1.jpg)
Time to go the right on the SA ridge
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/gallery.myff.org/gallery/1562237/tr2.jpg)
Fasten your seatbelts
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/gallery.myff.org/gallery/1562238/tr3.jpg)
Thats our creek off to the right
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/gallery.myff.org/gallery/1562239/tr4.jpg)
One of the last looks at Baldy
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/gallery.myff.org/gallery/1562240/tr5.jpg)
In the tributary. There still is a better put together pair past the falls, left over from a previous tr?.
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/gallery.myff.org/gallery/1562241/tr6.jpg)
Technical bugger of a tributary...quite a few waterfalls bypassed, mainly in the 40ft range.
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/gallery.myff.org/gallery/1562242/tr7.jpg)
Rap into a pool...then setup for the night
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/gallery.myff.org/gallery/1562243/tr8.jpg)
Grotto area...I knew my camera wouldnt pick up how good it looked early in the morning so I didnt even bother with the main seepage.
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/gallery.myff.org/gallery/1562244/tr9.jpg)
Mucking towards Little Fish Fork.
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/gallery.myff.org/gallery/1562246/tr10.jpg)
The nifty pothole(byapssed)
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/gallery.myff.org/gallery/1562247/tr11.jpg)
Thats just how it hits the viewer.
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/gallery.myff.org/gallery/1562248/tr12.jpg)
Tributary waterfall
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/gallery.myff.org/gallery/1562249/tr13.jpg)
Tall(maybe 300ft?) something or another
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/gallery.myff.org/gallery/1562250/tr14.jpg)
It aint over yet.
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/gallery.myff.org/gallery/1562251/tr15.jpg)