I plan to hike this route with my wife and a friend this weekend. We'll take 2 cars, leave one at the bottom of the chair lift, park the second one just past the end of the pavement on Lytle Creek Road, walk up to the notch, then take the chair lift back to the first car.
I haven't been able to find any trip reports from the last few years, here or elsewhere. Looks like it'll be about 7 or 8 miles with about 3000' of climbing. So it's not a major hike, but I thought it might be different and fun. I know that this route passes a shooting range and gets some off road vehicle traffic, at least part way up. I phoned the local ranger office and got a little info but the fellow wasn't familiar with the condition of the (former) road.
I drove up that road last week and got about a mile up the unpaved section before it got too rough (it's very rocky). So we'll probably park near the end of the pavement or just past that.
Has anyone hiked this route in recent years? Does it get much off road traffic? What's the general condition of the road, and are there good views along the way?
I'm guessing that it's probably ok but was hoping to get some first hand intel before the 3 of us head out there and commit to the car shuttle. Thanks in advance.
Lytle Creek to Baldy Notch via the Forest Roads?
I glanced at the Tom Harrison map. Even starting from the end of the unpaved road, it looks like considerably more than the 7-8 miles and 3k of elevation gain you are estimating. For example, the trailhead is 4k and the high point on the trail is 8,800'. I seem to recall some elevation loss between Timber and Telegraph which must be gained back, and there is more elevation gain if you detour to the summits of the 3T's. I think it is a tougher hike than you are expecting.
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David Martin
- Posts: 85
- Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2020 7:08 pm
Edward, thanks for your reply. But you mention Timber and Telegraph, which aren't part of my route. Maybe you thought I planned to come up from Middle Fork Rd.?
I'm seeing that the start point is about 4800' and the high point is just over 8000', near the notch. Here's the route I drew on AllTrails, which shows almost no elevation loss. https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/l ... ch-52dfa8e
I'm seeing that the start point is about 4800' and the high point is just over 8000', near the notch. Here's the route I drew on AllTrails, which shows almost no elevation loss. https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/l ... ch-52dfa8e
Probably more of a full blown zombie report (vs. the usual necro):
stockton-flat-icehouse-saddle-july-4th-t1665.html
stockton-flat-icehouse-saddle-july-4th-t1665.html
Elwood!
I have ridden from the pavement-dirt part of Lytle up and over Baldy Notch several times in recent history. Traffic is low, the shooting range is small and quiet (maybe private, I haven't shot there), some varmint hunting occasionally in Stockton Flat, some randos offroading, almost always quiet. I've spent a lot of time back there in the canyons between the peaks and I love it. Not many humans, a very valuable thing in our time. No water right now I think, unless you made an insane detour into the canyon north of Harwood, where there's typically a little. Love that place as well. It's kinda pretty out there but maybe a little boring for a hike, since its on an old rough road.
I did a super fast cheeseball tracking thing of the route from where pavement turns to dirt near the shooting range to the top of the lifts and its approximately 8 miles with 3800ft of gain. A rough track, so those numbers are quite approximate. I see your alltrails link and would go with those numbers over mine.
I have ridden from the pavement-dirt part of Lytle up and over Baldy Notch several times in recent history. Traffic is low, the shooting range is small and quiet (maybe private, I haven't shot there), some varmint hunting occasionally in Stockton Flat, some randos offroading, almost always quiet. I've spent a lot of time back there in the canyons between the peaks and I love it. Not many humans, a very valuable thing in our time. No water right now I think, unless you made an insane detour into the canyon north of Harwood, where there's typically a little. Love that place as well. It's kinda pretty out there but maybe a little boring for a hike, since its on an old rough road.
I did a super fast cheeseball tracking thing of the route from where pavement turns to dirt near the shooting range to the top of the lifts and its approximately 8 miles with 3800ft of gain. A rough track, so those numbers are quite approximate. I see your alltrails link and would go with those numbers over mine.
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David Martin
- Posts: 85
- Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2020 7:08 pm
OK, we walked it yesterday, everything was fine, and Taco’s description sums it up pretty well.
After leaving a car at the bottom of the chair lift we drove the second to there Lytle Creek Rd. and I parked about a mile beyond the end of the paved section, just past the shooting range. We started walking at about 8. Heading up to Stockton Flats we were passed by maybe 10 high clearance trucks…and a Subaru sedan. That road is super rocky and has a few deep ruts but it’s not that bad. I’m sure I could have driven my 2WD 4Runner all the way in but we were glad to walk.
There’s a gate at the entrance to Stockton Flats that looks like it’s never closed, and another near the end, where Baldy Road starts switchbacking up the canyon, that looks like it’s never open. Stockton Flats itself was really nice; we stopped several times to enjoy the shade of the huge pines. There were a few campers but the area is very spread out, and quite peaceful. The three of us really liked walking through there.
There’s not much in the way of views. On the first half of the walk, heading up the wash, you get glimpses of Baldy and the back of Dawson. After the closed second gate there are plenty of slightly claustrophobic views of the canyon walls on either side, with occasional views northeast towards Victorville, Barstow, and the SB mountains on the other side of the 15. During the 8 miles of climbing the grade was a nearly constant 8%. The notch and chairlift are hidden until the very end of the walk. I was hoping that by looking around I’d be able to get a better feel for the Pine/Dawson ridge route to Baldy, which we plan to hike soon, but that too was hidden from view.
Lytle Creek and nearby Scotland were settled in the 1850’s and have some interesting history. I read that the road we walked (the lower portion?) was built in the 1880’s or 90’s to serve the Lytle Creek Mine.
It was about 3300’ of climbing, about 9.5 miles including the chairlift ride down and the walk back to the car. I’d give this route 3 stars out of 5. If you love climbing loose wide rocky roadways, you might give it a 5. But it was interesting to see this little hidden pocket of the SG’s and the beer and burger at the notch were fun, along with the chairlift ride down.
In the next month or so we plan to hike from Middle Fork Rd. to Icehouse Canyon. That’s not far from this area, but I’m sure it'll be a very different experience.
After leaving a car at the bottom of the chair lift we drove the second to there Lytle Creek Rd. and I parked about a mile beyond the end of the paved section, just past the shooting range. We started walking at about 8. Heading up to Stockton Flats we were passed by maybe 10 high clearance trucks…and a Subaru sedan. That road is super rocky and has a few deep ruts but it’s not that bad. I’m sure I could have driven my 2WD 4Runner all the way in but we were glad to walk.
There’s a gate at the entrance to Stockton Flats that looks like it’s never closed, and another near the end, where Baldy Road starts switchbacking up the canyon, that looks like it’s never open. Stockton Flats itself was really nice; we stopped several times to enjoy the shade of the huge pines. There were a few campers but the area is very spread out, and quite peaceful. The three of us really liked walking through there.
There’s not much in the way of views. On the first half of the walk, heading up the wash, you get glimpses of Baldy and the back of Dawson. After the closed second gate there are plenty of slightly claustrophobic views of the canyon walls on either side, with occasional views northeast towards Victorville, Barstow, and the SB mountains on the other side of the 15. During the 8 miles of climbing the grade was a nearly constant 8%. The notch and chairlift are hidden until the very end of the walk. I was hoping that by looking around I’d be able to get a better feel for the Pine/Dawson ridge route to Baldy, which we plan to hike soon, but that too was hidden from view.
Lytle Creek and nearby Scotland were settled in the 1850’s and have some interesting history. I read that the road we walked (the lower portion?) was built in the 1880’s or 90’s to serve the Lytle Creek Mine.
It was about 3300’ of climbing, about 9.5 miles including the chairlift ride down and the walk back to the car. I’d give this route 3 stars out of 5. If you love climbing loose wide rocky roadways, you might give it a 5. But it was interesting to see this little hidden pocket of the SG’s and the beer and burger at the notch were fun, along with the chairlift ride down.
In the next month or so we plan to hike from Middle Fork Rd. to Icehouse Canyon. That’s not far from this area, but I’m sure it'll be a very different experience.
I drove my 2wd Nissan pickup to near the end of the dirt road closest to Dawson Peak's NE side, where Fritz and I climbed the NE face in 2008 or so. It was rough but doable if you didn't care about beating your truck up.
Glad you enjoyed parts of it. The trees are wonderful. The more fires we get, the more I stop to be with the trees. I only wish I could live long enough to grow alongside a huge Lodgepole or a stunted Limber Pine until it grows very old. Cheers
Glad you enjoyed parts of it. The trees are wonderful. The more fires we get, the more I stop to be with the trees. I only wish I could live long enough to grow alongside a huge Lodgepole or a stunted Limber Pine until it grows very old. Cheers
I prefer Middle Fork to North Fork. Though there are some neat things to see if you leave the road through North Fork. Some of the side canyons are spectacular.David Martin wrote: ↑ In the next month or so we plan to hike from Middle Fork Rd. to Icehouse Canyon. That’s not far from this area, but I’m sure it'll be a very different experience.
I drove to Stockton Flat several years ago in my SUV but last time I checked the riverbed crossing was jacked up. Anyone know its current state?