It's been a couple of years since I visited Smith Mountain, and on my previous trek I thought I could head up the peak just not of the saddle and then walk down the firebreak and rejoin the trail. So last weekend I left the house relatively early, I was the first car to park at the Bear Creek trailhead. Not much to talk about as this is a well-known track, there was a little bit of water running at the last of the canyon crossings. The north side of Smith had a bit of snow, it was a little soft. I didn't think it was enough to be dangerous but enough to be careful. Sometime in the recent past folks have tied pink ribbons on the way up to guide the way. I went past a few of them and went alternate routes around others. A nice break at the summit was followed by four people arriving to join me so I promptly went down. From the saddle I went up the firebreak, which is pretty steep. It seems to get softer and more gravel-like on the ascent which of course made the walk harder. I took a longer break at the top of Peak 5490, views were fantastic out toward Catalina and over the Station Fire burned areas. Walking down from there, I took a while to actually find the firebreak going down the east side, it's much clearer in the satellite photo than in person. It's also very soft and chewed up, I was expecting a nice smooth road so once I started down I wasn't about to go back up. I'm curious about the process to make these breaks, this one is full of bumps and depressions mixed with chewed-up brush. The dead brush is so dry I think the fire hazard is higher now than when this work was done. Anyway, it was a long slow journey downhill, I fell twice from my feet getting caught up on some branches. As I neared the trail, I had to go straight down the side of the mountain for about 50 vertical feet. I somehow took the same path that another human had followed recently, as I saw the same footprints and trekking pole scars that I was leaving. Once back on the trail it was just about a mile further in the warm sunshine back to my vehicle. I also learned the McDonalds on Azusa below the 210 is definitely the cleanest one around.
AllTrails claims about 7.5 miles and 3100 feet of gain/loss.
Starting out on the trail, Smith in view.
Smith from the saddle - light snow coverage.
Smith summit.
Eyeing the firebreak route up 5490.
View of Baldy from most of the way up the firebreak.
Summit of 5490, so much for my dream of a first ascent.
Looking for the firebreak, it was downhill further than I thought.
The route down.
In the midst of the crummy terrain I found a couple of pine trees that looked to be intentionally planted.
The firebreak ran out near this ridge, I had to get to the far side to rejoin the trail. Pushing through a lot of bushes here.
