Obstacles
Moving along the ridge toward Wanat Peak
During the side hill traverse under Wanat Peak, I lost the use trail. There were three gullies to cross to reach the saddle below Little San Gorgonio. I went too high on the traverse which made it more difficult and dangerous with no upside. I did a little better on the way back, but was never sure I was on the use trail. The final march up the burned ridge was on a well defined use trail and a relief. Views were splendid. Both San Gorgonio and San Jacinto loomed large. There were no marks. I found a pair of register cans, but no register inside. It needs a new register. After some photos, I felt like I had enough motivation and provisions to go for Wilshire Mountain.
Final push to Little SG
Summit and San Jacinto
Big San Gorgonio
Hilarious AarJay humor on a register can
I started along the ridge to Wilshire, reaching an unnamed bump with radio towers and scientific equipment. There was a sign noting the land and equipment were private property to discourage vandalism. The unnamed bump was the terminus of a rough bulldozed road. Since Wilshire was the next big bump, I stayed on top of the ridge, crossing the road a few times. I didn't have a precise GPS location for Wilshire, but eventually, I stumbled on a clearing with a couple of registers. The original nested cans had been smashed and were hard to open. It held a couple of old registers. A newer can had a fresh register going back to 2023. An 8' class 2 boulder was the high point. No real views from Wilshire since it was surrounded by trees. It was about 400' up getting back to Little SG. The descent went slowly. I took a couple of unplanned butt slides on the slope, triggering impressive rock slides below. When I got back to the stream, I took off my boots to cool my feet in the water. It was a welcome respite from the warm afternoon sun. I cruised back on the same route, feeling worked. It was a difficult, but manageable and satisfying hike.
Flat Wilshire summit
Mill Creek
