Goodykoontz Peak: 07-11-2009
Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 4:21 pm
Hiked up to Goodykoontz Peak (point 7558') this morning via HPS route #3...
I started at 5:30a so I had cool temps and plenty of shade for the ascent. Back to car by 10:30a before it really got too hot - it was warming up fast. There is semblance of a use trail developing on the cross-country ridge route along with the occasional duck. Best to stay on or very near the ridge because footing was pretty solid even on the steepest sections. If you stray from the center of the ridge you quickly get into a "sidehilling" situation on even steeper terrain.
Nice views from the ridges and the peaks even though there are lots of trees. Saw no one else until I was hiking back past Cooper Cyn. Falls. Then the hordes were making lots of noise and blocking the trail
. Lots of mosquitoes but either they didn't like my blood or they hadn't yet learned how to bite.
Pics.
This is the point where you leave the Burkhart Trail to ascend the northwest ridge of point 6709' (approx. N 34.37199 W 117.89763). Note fallen tree and duck on right...
View of desert through Burkhart Saddle...
The Parking area is the day use lot at Buckhorn Campground.HIKING ROUTE 3
* From the parking area (6460'), hike north down the Burkhart Trail (10W02) about 2 miles to a junction with the PCT just past Cooper Canyon Falls.
* Turn right (east) on the PCT, crossing Little Rock Creek (5600') in about 0.3 mile, and then proceed 100' farther to a trail junction with the Rattlesnake Trail (signed).
* Turn left to stay on the Burkhart Trail and head north for 1 1/2 miles until the trail meets the northwest ridge of Bobcat Knob (6709'). At this spot the trail begins an obvious descent into the bottom of the large canyon on your left (west).
* Leave the trail here and ascend steeply to the Knob, then follow the main ridgeline east to the summit.
I started at 5:30a so I had cool temps and plenty of shade for the ascent. Back to car by 10:30a before it really got too hot - it was warming up fast. There is semblance of a use trail developing on the cross-country ridge route along with the occasional duck. Best to stay on or very near the ridge because footing was pretty solid even on the steepest sections. If you stray from the center of the ridge you quickly get into a "sidehilling" situation on even steeper terrain.
Nice views from the ridges and the peaks even though there are lots of trees. Saw no one else until I was hiking back past Cooper Cyn. Falls. Then the hordes were making lots of noise and blocking the trail
. Lots of mosquitoes but either they didn't like my blood or they hadn't yet learned how to bite.Pics.
This is the point where you leave the Burkhart Trail to ascend the northwest ridge of point 6709' (approx. N 34.37199 W 117.89763). Note fallen tree and duck on right...
View of desert through Burkhart Saddle...
