East Mermaid (Peak 3702) and Middle Mermaid (Peak 4065) via Bear Canyon Trail (trip report and gallery)

[headsizeburrito]

I was looking for a good adventure this week and originally planned on scouting possible alternate routes to Triplet Rocks, but light snow in the forecast convinced me to save it for another day for safety reasons. That forecast was later revised down and I'm pretty sure nothing actually fell, but better safe than sorry. I've seen the Mermaid Peaks mentioned a few times as rarely visited and difficult to access, so I figured it would be a good place to check out since they are at low elevation and I've spent very little time west of the 39. The peaks aren't officially named, but since they are above Little Mermaids Canyon and Big Mermaids Canyon, their unofficial names have become West Mermaid (Peak 4654), Middle Mermaid (Peak 4065) and East Mermaid (3702).


Here are two trip reports for East Mermaid with more pictures and info, I haven't found any reports on the other two peaks:


20090429-peak-3702-t1422.html


pk-3702-bear-creek-2-21-11-t3531.html


I considered starting from the Smith Mountain trailhead and tagging that summit along the way because I haven't been there before and want to check it out, but figured I needed to maximize my time on the Mermaids. A report said the lower section of the Bear Canyon Trail was in good shape, so that was the most efficient way to go. I parked at the West Fork trailhead and left the car about 6am, crossing the bridge and walking the paved Devils Canyon Dam Truck Trail/2N25 a short distance to where Bear Creek joins the West Fork San Gabriel River and the Bear Canyon Trail begins. The trail requires a decent number of easy rock hop crossings here and there (at the current water level) but the trail itself is in good condition, very easy to follow, and nearly flat. Along the way are an old cabin ruin and a couple nice campsites.


I vaguely remembered one of the trip reports saying the best way they found to go up to 3702 was a scree slope and that the other approaches all looked too brushy, but I couldn't remember the details. From looking at the map my plan was to follow the trail upstream towards the junction with West Fork Bear Creek and look for a decent way to get up, or just take the east ridge where the slope would be easiest. At the big bend in the creek there is a saddle to the west below a steep and loose slope, but I wasn't sure if that was it and decided to go a little further up to see if anything looked promising. Nothing looked obvious, but I decided to give the ridge a look. After a short but steep climb to the ridge I quickly realized it wasn't a good route. I had come prepared to do battle with the brush and brought small loppers and a pruning saw, but the vegetation was thick enough that tools would be a waste of time and trying to push through would take forever and make it very unlikely that I could reasonably hope to get to 3702 with enough time to go beyond.


Backtracking to the scree slope below the saddle I started climbing the chute on the far left. It is steep and loose class 2 with a couple moments of easy class 3 and quickly climbs about 800ft to the ridge. From the ridge it's moderate scrambling and bushwhacking north and west along an obvious route to the summit of East Mermaid. The summit is flat and unremarkable with dense brush, but there is one clear patch of ground where I stopped for a snack. I also saw the rocks used to make a smiley face from the 2009 trip report above, but didn't think of fixing them until later. Oh well! If you push through the bushes to the edges of the summit you have excellent views east to Smith Mountain with Mount Islip and Hawkins Ridge in the distance, north to Twin Peaks and Triplet Rocks, and west to the other two Mermaids and the peaks and ridges that eventually lead to the west side of Twin Peaks. This would have been a reasonable place to turn back, but since I'm stupid and it was only 9:30am, I headed west for Middle Mermaid.


From what I could see it was basically solid vegetation all along the ridge and south slope, but the north face is a little less dense. My plan was to stay just below the ridgeline on the north side to avoid the worst of the bushwhacking, then cut up to the summit. This sort of worked, but replaced dense brush with crossing steep and loose slopes, occasional minor gullies, and other assorted terrain obstacles. There was nothing technical or exposed, but it was still very slow going. There have been illegal pot grow sites in this general vicinity as well, so I was on the lookout for any signs of people or grow sites. I assume February is well outside when anything would be active and I was high up on a steep slope, but you never know. I was able to follow scattered trails here and there that were obviously animal paths (prints, droppings, and I found an antler!), but would occasionally find something that looked a little like a human footprint. I did find one partially cut back yucca along one path that looked like it was done by a person, as well as a single tree cut by a saw years ago along one of the more established paths I came across. Other than that I didn't find any signs of people, grow operations, or associated trash, just a couple mylar balloons landed from who knows where. Eventually I had to start climbing for the summit, which was when the real bushwhacking began. It's almost all above head height and in the middle of it you can often see only 20-30ft ahead of you. I was glad I remembered my thicker gloves, as getting through it requires constantly using both hands to snap the dead stuff while stepping over some branches and pulling others over your head to squeeze between them.


Eventually almost at the summit it starts to flatten out but the last 50 yards to the actual high point on the far end seemed to go on forever. I was planning on putting my tools to use at least once by clearing a little circle at the high point, but was pleasantly surprised to emerge in a small open area with a few rocks and a spectacular 360 view. I was glad it had a nice payoff because it took more than two hours to go less than a mile between the two peaks! I did spot two pieces of thick wire wrapped around some rocks that have clearly been there for many decades, but no signs of recent visitation. Looking along the ridge to West Mermaid made it instantly clear that this was my turnaround point for the day. Based on the distance, dense brush, and steeper terrain I would estimate it would take another four hours to reach 4654, to say nothing of getting back.


After a hard-earned break it was time to head back. I was concerned about accidentally dropping too low on the return if I tried going back the way I came, so instead I used the "I'm the Juggernaut, bitch!" method of route finding and stayed directly on the ridge back to East Mermaid. As expected it was very slow going through dense brush all the way back, taking over two hours. From 3702 things happily picked up in pace significantly. Descending the steep and loose ridge to the saddle takes some care and attention to avoid slipping, but anything other than bushwhacking was a welcome change. From the saddle down the slope back to Bear Creek also went quickly, and I saw my first and only other person here as I rejoined the trail and hiked the easy few miles back to the trailhead, returning at 5pm.


I'm still interested in finding a way to West Mermaid, but it certainly won't be simply continuing along the ridge from the other Mermaid peaks. I'm thinking of going back up Bear Canyon Trail and taking the West Fork Bear Creek as far as possible, the looking for a route to scramble up 4654 from below. One sentence of one trip report I found suggested that at least part of West Fork Bear Creek is passable, so that's a start!


All in all I got what I wanted out of the trip. I made it to two rarely visited peaks, did a little scouting for future trips, and even made it back before dark! It was great to see an area I've never been to before and a good reminder that there are tons of good adventures outside of the 8k+ peaks I spend most of my time at on the eastern side of the range.

Stats: 11.8mi, 3,400ft gain/loss, 10h52m, 9 mylar balloons found and packed out, beating my previous record by one!

[headsizeburrito]

West Fork trailhead

West Fork and Bear Creek junction, start of Bear Canyon Trail

Cabin ruins along Bear Creek

On the way up Bear Creek

East Mermaid (Peak 3702) from below

Looking up to the saddle below East Mermaid

[headsizeburrito]

Going up a chute to the saddle below East Mermaid

East Mermaid summit looking towards Middle and West Mermaids.

Looking west towards Middle Mermaid

It's hard to take a good picture of bushwhacking, this was an easy part...

Detail of the ridge between Middle Mermaid and West Mermaid from the summit of Middle Mermaid

Panorama shot from Middle Mermaid, West Mermaid on the left to East Mermaid on the right

Stats and GPS track

[Tom Kenney]

Zowie! Thanks for the report/pics.

Nope, no precip yesterday. I did a PM out-and-back from Red Box to Monrovia Peak (north ridge of), starting 3:30 PM at Red Box, 37F and looking like 'precip any minute', but nothing came down, and had a beautiful sunset all the way out. Returned to Red Box 9:50 PM, and it seemed warmer than when I left, still no precip but patchy fog.

A first for me yesterday also: first time I've seen Cogswell Reservoir, and it was mostly empty. I had no idea it was 'fjord country' like Tujunga Res. Spooky-looking place!

[anarchist]

Great job getting out there! Kinda hard to cut through what you can't figure out where to start and has no end???

[AW~]

Wow...good job though! I do hope someone makes it to Little Mermaid peak. I actually made yet another attempt at it, but I dont have the conditioning to make it there. It should be approached from the north. Either by the ridge next to Cogswell or via Hwy2/pk 5111(a lot less mileage, /more elevation/ best scenery). If you get to the ridge next to pk5014, it goes down south to the top of the Bear Creek and then up the north side of Little Mermaid. Pk5014 is the best peak in the area. If via Cogswel

l, its going to be sage brushy here and there, but its less intimidating than from ACH.

[headsizeburrito]

AW, which route did you take and how was it along the section you covered? Starting from 5111 looks interesting and some aerial photos show less vegetation than the ridge I took between 3702 and 4065, which is the big obstacle just due to killing speed. It would certainly have better views than being in a canyon for 90% of the distance.

I am still tempted by Bear Creek to West Fork Bear Creek and finding a way up from there. Assuming West Fork Bear Creek is actually passable (one throwaway sentence in a trip report I found suggests it is, and at least on the map the first half seems nearly flat) I could make a quick approach and maximize time and energy for the climb up.

[Uncle Rico]

Not being familiar with the area, I assume there is good reason no one has suggested the ridge dropping south from 4654 that skirts the west side of Little Mermaids Canyon. Topographically it looks feasible. Practically it may not be.

[Sean]

Not being familiar with the area, I assume there is good reason no one has suggested the ridge dropping south from 4654 that skirts the west side of Little Mermaids Canyon. Topographically it looks feasible. Practically it may not be.

I think the south approach has high potential for catastrophic failure. From what I've read about the Mermaid canyons, they are not good bailout routes if you need to get off the ridge. And that's saying nothing about the brushfest, steepness, or navigational issues. Priority one should be having a good escape route.

[AW~]

AW, which route did you take and how was it along the section you covered? Starting from 5111 looks interesting and some aerial photos show less vegetation than the ridge I took between 3702 and 4065, which is the big obstacle just due to killing speed. It would certainly have better views than being in a canyon for 90% of the distance.

I am still tempted by Bear Creek to West Fork Bear Creek and finding a way up from there. Assuming West Fork Bear Creek is actually passable (one throwaway sentence in a trip report I found suggests it is, and at least on the map the first half seems nearly flat) I could make a quick approach and maximize time and energy for the climb up.

Ive been mixed up with all 3 approaches. For this one I came from 5111...but for #1, I messed up the transition to Devils Canyon. Theres a key part of going down to the canyon properly. The gulch on the way down I call 'Inferno'....and to do this 100% its best to cross the top of Inferno Falls, which takes a leap of faith kinda, but thats the best. The use path down the south ridge of Inferno is in great condition, never was better. Stay on the left all the way which is something I didnt do. Just before the top of Inferno it looks like its going to cliff out, but if you *carefully* find your way down the 50ft to the dry creek Inferno, you cross it to the north ridge of the gulch and take that down to Devils Canyon, easy smeasy. It lines up perfectly with the ridge you would go up on the other side. I do know the ridge that goes to the West Ridge of Twin peaks. At this time, you have to stay on the ridge proper all the way to peak 5585. Then going south theres one more subpeak, and then its probably sage brushy to peak 5014, however the ridge down to Bear Creek is a little bit before pk 5014. That ridge requires looking at the satellite whereby you go down a bit and then make a left onto adjoining ridge to stay in the clear. That last downhill will give you all the looks at the northern approach, which should be very much on target. The northern approach doesnt get to the peak..instead getting on to Mermaid ridge where one would contour around to the southish face. I knew back in Devils Canyon I wasnt going to make it to the peak, and there was supposedly a storm coming overnite.

The Cogswell one is more straightforward. The transition to the West Twin ridge happens at a small clearning past the bridge(and past the road down to the bottom of the dam past the bridge). The ridge goes a bunch of different directions before heading up. Theres one easy part of getting onto another ridge to close out the first subpeak, and then onto 4177. Once you are there you can see peak 5014...yonder. The 600ft down and back up are clear. Then there will be brush. It'll be way less difficult than what you just did, but at the same time its brushy. This will be the first route to overgrow...and its certainly getting close.

Via Bear Creek...I personally dont like that one at all, but I suppose it might be doable. Its not as bad as walking the West Fork San Gabriel river in the creek vs the road but it basically never ends, and so the 6 miles are at least twice as long in time. Its possible to shorten the time if one takes the correct path. The only thing I remember is to stay left(south side) going upstream in the beginning....for like until you are literally forced out. If your plan is to stay in the creek, forget it, you have to take chances on either side. The only 'obstacle' is a slot like pool that is scrambled around canyon north(right side). At some point, the water will stop and thats where Id expect trouble. There still like 900ft of going up the creek that needs to be done at that point too, to get to the northern approach, which I dont know how one would know where that would be.

[AW~]

Not being familiar with the area, I assume there is good reason no one has suggested the ridge dropping south from 4654 that skirts the west side of Little Mermaids Canyon. Topographically it looks feasible. Practically it may not be.

Totally overgrown at lower elevations. Lion country. Big Mermaid all the way could be doable. There is definitely one obstacle early on that will be needed to get past...if you like doing a full swim in ice cold water and somehow climbing a small waterfall....or theres an 800ft elev gain bypass just to get around this one deal lol.

[Uncle Rico]

Not being familiar with the area, I assume there is good reason no one has suggested the ridge dropping south from 4654 that skirts the west side of Little Mermaids Canyon. Topographically it looks feasible. Practically it may not be.

Totally overgrown at lower elevations. Lion country. Big Mermaid all the way could be doable. There is definitely one obstacle early on that will be needed to get past...if you like doing a full swim in ice cold water and somehow climbing a small waterfall....or theres an 800ft elev gain bypass just to get around this one deal lol.

That's all? You mean there's not like rickety bridge over a firey chasm too? Lol.

[_kick_rocks_]

Wow...good job though! I do hope someone makes it to Little Mermaid peak. I actually made yet another attempt at it, but I dont have the conditioning to make it there. It should be approached from the north. Either by the ridge next to Cogswell or via Hwy2/pk 5111(a lot less mileage, /more elevation/ best scenery). If you get to the ridge next to pk5014, it goes down south to the top of the Bear Creek and then up the north side of Little Mermaid. Pk5014 is the best peak in the area. If via CogswelLM.jpgl, its going to be sage brushy here and there, but its less intimidating than from ACH.

I climbed peak 5014 with the same route you suggested here. I got my ass handed to me by poodle dog. That was about a year and a half ago i think. Be careful!