EISPIRATEN

On Sunday 1-20-08 Tom, Augie and I climbed San Sevain LO and Buck Point via the ridge ascending from the North end of Etiwanda Ave. in Rancho Cucamonga. It was great. The ridge/fire break was a little bushy, but most could be detoured around and did not cause too much pain. Once we made it to the fire road we walked 3 miles to San Sevain LO (tackled more bush along the "road" to the lookout) and then back and on to Buck Point. We ran into some drifted snow along the north side of Buck Point. Overall a good day of 16 miles and 6000 ft gain. I made up a Mountain Page on Summit Post and Tom did a Route Page.

http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock ... okout.html

http://www.summitpost.org/route/374523/ ... ridge.html

And as usual, here is my website page with GPS tracks, Topo Map, elevation Profile and link to Flickr photos.

http://www.gpsmountaineering.com/sanser ... dbuckpoint

Nice TR. What's it like to be a human voodoo doll for the buckthorn bushes?

Nice going Travis. Thanks for the trip report. Buck Point should be called Buckthorn Point ouch!!
It reminds me of the Skyline trail in the early 60's except that there was more thick manzanita than buckthorn and cacti.

Nice! Cant imagine hiking that in the summer though..whew....

yes, the buckthorn was the biggest downside of this hike. I wore thick pants which helped, but I did feel a little like a pin cushion and had to pull out a thorn stuck in my leg. With a little trimming and some cairns making the detours this could be a nice route. However, I don't see myself going up there anytime soon now that I bagged thsoe 2 peaks. Maybe at some point I may go for Cucamonga using this trail.

we all joined efforts and wrote a Trip Report.

http://www.summitpost.org/trip-report/3 ... point.html

SOOOOOOOPAH TRIP REPORT!

Thanks for putting that trip report together guys...well written...does this trip change(or reinforce?) the mindset about the Big Horn ridge project?

AW wrote:Thanks for putting that trip report together guys...well written...does this trip change(or reinforce?) the mindset about the Big Horn ridge project?

I want Travis to take out his magnifying glass and review the Google image of Big Horn Ridge again before commiting to that one. I guess based on what we think right now it's a lot, lot more gnarly than Etiwanda Ridge.

AW wrote:Thanks for putting that trip report together guys...well written...does this trip change(or reinforce?) the mindset about the Big Horn ridge project?

For me it reinforces that it is possilbe and we can't let a little brush stop us. Wear gators, thick pants (even jeans if necessary), a strong coat and be prepared to bushwhack. I perfected some of my techniques, often you can step near the base of the brush and trample it over, thereby making it easier for others too. However, the buckthorn is nasty and large patches of it will significantly slow our progress. On this route the brush cleared at the higher elevations, and I would hope that this would be the same with Bighorn Ridge.

If we indeed get a lot of snow this weekend perhaps it could be done as a snowshow and walk right over the brush?

I want to go, but hard to determine the right time.

Augie wrote:

AW wrote:Thanks for putting that trip report together guys...well written...does this trip change(or reinforce?) the mindset about the Big Horn ridge project?

I want Travis to take out his magnifying glass and review the Google image of Big Horn Ridge again before commiting to that one. I guess based on what we think right now it's a lot, lot more gnarly than Etiwanda Ridge.

Download the file and check it out with Google Earth yourself (download the latest version of Google Earth, it seems that I can zoom in better now)

http://www.gpsmountaineering.com/bighornridge.kmz

Follow the red route up to where it joins the ridge. The brush looks a little thick for the first 1/4 of the ridge, but then it clears up and looks like it would be fine. Once you get out of the chaparral and into the conifers it looks like the brush should not be a factor.

I want to try it, but am not sure when would be best. With snow or after it melts.

I'd be up for that in winter, very very preferably. Snow should be above major bushwhack-suckage, with a bit of convergence zone of bushwhack and snow (wet bushwhack), and then just nice stuff further up.

Just a couple of things to throw out there on the Cattle canyon trail....you might be able to descend to the canyon itself leaving the trail at the yellow arrow....looks like a long scree slope to avoid the old dood w/gun.

However I think one of Rick's photos is where the blue arrow is...there was machinery and what not located there..

but as TacoDelRio pointed out, someone will eventually just hike there...

I am very confident it can be done from Heaton, its just such a long hike....

Anyways, Triplet rocks first is my 2 cents......

oops, forgot to add the picture....