Red Box --> Switzer --> Colby Canyon --> Strawberry Peak --> Red Box

TRs for the San Gabriel Mountains.
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David Martin
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Post by David Martin »

During my recent drives up and down ACH I kept noticing a big, pointy, distinctively shaped peak. I took a photo one day and asked Dima, who immediately recognized it as Strawberry.

Kurt and I have been circumnavigating Angeles Forest, mostly hiking the edges of the range, and now we’re approaching Wrightwood, which has meant long drives. Last weekend we decided to stay closer to home and do something more central. Strawberry intrigued me so I put together some possible routes. After getting feedback from Dima I picked a loop that would take us up from Red Box to Switzer, up Colby Canyon to Strawberry's west ridge, and then back down to Red Box. He said it would be “a little exciting” for us, without really explaining why. I’m glad he didn't, because the fun part in the middle was a cool surprise for us.

At 5 AM we parked at Red Box and set out on the Gabrielino Trail in the dark (really dark!), heading towards Switzer. Towards the bottom of the canyon the sky lightened, revealing bright colors from new wildflower growth. We took a little snack break at Switzer, and several hundred carbs later walked the road to the Colby Canyon trailhead and headed up. Wow, Colby’s really beautiful, and building that trail must have been quite an engineering feat. Looking down-canyon, the big buildings of Glendale were just visible through the smog. Lots of other hikers were on the trail, a rare sight for us on these early morning outings. This trail, and the Gabrielino, were in great shape with almost no fire damage.

At Josephine Saddle most of the hikers and groups headed left, towards Josephine. We took the ridge trail to the right, which was also in good shape, but a little indistinct in places. Before long the gnarled rocky summit of Strawberry came into view. We couldn’t see any trace of trail heading up it, and wondered what that part would be like. It looked pretty steep!

Continuing up, we passed about 6 other hikers who were returning from the summit. One dude, who might’ve been a football player, had about 4 times the muscle of Kurt and me put together. After seeing him we might have doubted our worthiness but his partner was a cute young woman in shorts, which encouraged us. (Though in theory he could have carried her up.)

Near the big boulder that marks the start of the real climb, two guys heading down gave us some good tips. Where the trail up appears to go left, go right instead for a bit (very important), and then straight up. Where “Kamper Ken” is painted on a rock, bear left. Look for faded arrows on the rocks, but choose your own adventure, they said. It’s not as intimidating as it looks from here, they said. (Also, I noticed what appeared to be a trail, angling up the southern side of the peak. Whatever that is, ignore it.)

In the end it wasn’t really that difficult, or confusing. We just took it slow, with lots of short breaks to re-center ourselves and check the next little section. Footprints in the dirt and scuffs on the rock helped point the way, and there were plenty of good handholds. I think it took about 30 minutes to climb the final steep section.

Up top on a clearing just before the peak we passed a group that was settled in on folding chairs, laughing and munching on snacks. It looked like a pool party without the pool. Further up, there were several other groups but luckily, the prime spot at the summit marker was vacant so we claimed it and took lunch there while enjoying the views. And man, those views are amazing, especially to the north.

The trail back to Red Box was in good condition but unremarkable, at least compared to the first part of the hike. Lotsa hikers and dogs.

After hiking these mountains once or twice a week since November, I was surprised by how little snow there is now. Baldy had just a thin coat of white, and that was about it. And it was warm! At 5 when we left Red Box it was 62F, 20 degrees warmer than Vincent Gap had been the previous week, two hours later in the morning. On the Gabrielino Trail we felt warm breezes coming up from the L.A. basin before sunrise, and heading down from the summit towards Red Box on those exposed slopes, it was downright hot. That was the first time I’d felt warm while hiking in about 6 months.

13 miles, 5:19 moving time, 3110 feet of climb. What a great day. Kurt said it could only have been better if we'd carried some strawberry ice cream up there, packed in dry ice. Here's my recording. Below are a few photos, but sadly none showing the rock scramble…guess I was too preoccupied climbing it to think about that. But I might go back with my brother in a few weeks and if so, I’ll make up for that, and maybe bring some ice cream, too. :)
If only...
If only...
And then, there we were
And then, there we were
Getting closer!
Getting closer!
Nearing the summit, Kurt looks down towards the last Colby switchbacks that we climbed
Nearing the summit, Kurt looks down towards the last Colby switchbacks that we climbed
The switchbacks up to Josephine Saddle
The switchbacks up to Josephine Saddle
Colby Canyon
Colby Canyon
The colors are coming back!
The colors are coming back!
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JeffH
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Post by JeffH »

Good day on the trails. I'm liking this adventure quest you're on, there are so many places up there I've never seen.
"Argue for your limitations and sure enough they're yours".
Donald Shimoda
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Sean
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Post by Sean »

Very nice. The obligatory question: did you find a steak knife on the summit?
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David Martin
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Post by David Martin »

No, just the tall metal stake that holds the triangular peak marker.

(And a box of random stuff left by previous visitors that I didn't look through — there might’ve been a steak knife inside it.)

But maybe I have misunderstood a cutting remark.
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Sean
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Post by Sean »

David Martin wrote: But maybe I have misunderstood a cutting remark.
Hikeup found cutlery up there ten years ago. So anyone who goes up there gets asked.
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HikeUp
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Post by HikeUp »

I lost my pictures from that hike somehow. 1 hike out of dozens of hikes and it had to be that one!
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David Martin
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Post by David Martin »

I went back up to Strawberry yesterday with Cholada and my brother. It was a beautiful day, but the visibility was somewhat limited by low clouds.

This time I brought strawberries, and strawberry ice cream packed with dry ice so we could have sundaes at the summit.

During our ice cream break at the top it snowed on and off, which was fun! But only at the very top.

I looked all around for steak knives but there were none.
Cholada, Dan, Me
Cholada, Dan, Me
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Sean
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Post by Sean »

Hey, that's a good idea for freezing weather hikes. Does anyone else take ice cream on hikes?
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JeffH
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Post by JeffH »

Sean wrote: Hey, that's a good idea for freezing weather hikes. Does anyone else take ice cream on hikes?
I haven't but I like the idea.
"Argue for your limitations and sure enough they're yours".
Donald Shimoda
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dima
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Post by dima »

No hiking related, but ice cream stands used to be popular in Moscow in the winter. When it's really cold outside the ice cream is firm, so you can bite off chunks of it, and it doesn't make a mess. Definitely a good idea.
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