Smith Mountain: 07-24-2010

Post by **HikeUp** » Sat Jul 24, 2010 12:51 pm

Hiked up to Smith Mountain this morning. Started at 6:00 and finished by 9:30, but it still was too hot for my liking. The trail head for trail 9W10 is on Highway 39 at mile marker 32.14 (18.2 miles north of the 210 freeway). Currently the road is gated at this location and you cannot go any further north in your car.

The trail is in great shape up to the saddle north of the peak. The use trail up the ridge to the peak is pretty much non existent because of the new firebreak that was created during the fires of 2009. You can make out new paths being created through the debris on the firebreak, but for the most part you're on your own. It's a steep and rocky ridge that I'd rate as class 2 unless you are really really patient at finding a path through the debris and rocks. Patience is something I'm not familiar with, so I even found some class 3 sections! Mo rocks mo fun!

Pics.

Oh. And there was a vicious beast on the side of the trail that triggered my "transporter" defense mechanism. It buzzed and instantly I was transported about 5 feet further down the trail...

I kept going a bit further but then returned to see if the monster was still there, and shot this video as he got fed up with me and left...

Ooh, and flowers!

AlanK · Post by **AlanK** » Sat Jul 24, 2010 1:27 pm

Nice video of your new friend. 8)

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Sat Jul 24, 2010 9:57 pm

Nice pics. How did the trail look going down into Bear Creek? I notice the trail sign lists the distance all the way to the West Fork road.

Exactly what type of rattler was that one? I saw one with very similar markings today on the Mt. Wilson trail.

HJ

mattmaxon · Post by **mattmaxon** » Sun Jul 25, 2010 7:14 am

that is one big snake!

flower id's

Silene californica

Common names: California Indian pink, California scarlet champion, Indian pink

in the background
Eriogonum fasciculatum

Common names: California buckwheat, Eastern Mojave buckwheat

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Sun Jul 25, 2010 7:27 am

That's Eriogonum fasciculatum? Uh, oh. I've been calling it Eriogonum californicum which judging by the site I'm quoting is some kind of pseudo-wannabe Latin name.

HJ

Post by **HikeUp** » Sun Jul 25, 2010 8:19 am

That snake was about 3 to 3.5 feet long I estimate. I have no idea what kind of rattler it is so I'm gonna guess 'vicious ferocious big pointy teethus'. I could be wrong.

Anybody have some real info on what kind it is?

HJ: the trail down into Bear Cyn. disappears into the trees pretty quickly after leaving the saddle, but I think it is open and at least somewhat maintained now - I recall some blasting work being reported on by someone on this forum. I've never been down that way but it would probably be a nice car shuttle hike if you could convince someone to leave a car at the West Fork lot!

Matt: Thanks for the flower id!

mattmaxon · Post by **mattmaxon** » Sun Jul 25, 2010 8:23 am

Hikin_Jim wrote:That's Eriogonum fasciculatum? Uh, oh.

Yeah I've not bothered to break it down to any of the subspecies The Eriogonum fasciculatum, is a bit of a catch all for buckwheat

The site you are using also ID's ERIOGONUM californicum as Eriogonum fasciculatum var. polifolium

I have never had a fire in my belly to get out the loupe, scalpel etc... to do a definitive identification of the various Buckwheat's

I refer to it collectively as "California Buckwheat Brush", knocking it back is best accomplished with a 3 tooth brush cutter blade and grubbed out with a Pulaski or a mattock

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Sun Jul 25, 2010 9:15 am

HikeUp wrote:That snake was about 3 to 3.5 feet long I estimate. I have no idea what kind of rattler it is so I'm gonna guess 'vicious ferocious big pointy teethus'. I could be wrong.

Anybody have some real info on what kind it is?

I'm going to tentatively identify it as a Southern Pacific rattlesnake (no affiliation with the railroad).

HJ

Elwood · Post by **Elwood** » Sun Jul 25, 2010 9:32 am

Great snake picture and video. I concur regarding the I.D. : Crotalus Oreganus Helleri. Last time I hiked up Bear Canyon from West Fork was before last year's fire and before the very wet winter. The trail was complete from W.F. to the trailhead near Coldbrook Guard Station (site). My trek also preceded the recent blasting and repair work. As I recall that particular slide was scary to cross.

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Sun Jul 25, 2010 9:51 am

Here's the one I saw yesterday on the Mt. Wilson trail. I think it's the same species. Seemed like his rattle was unusually long.

HJ

Elwood · Post by **Elwood** » Sun Jul 25, 2010 10:05 am

That rattler looks open for business! Was it rattlin' ?

JayO · Post by **JayO** » Sun Jul 25, 2010 11:28 am

The rattler transport came in handy for me yesterday as well. I was running down the trail from Sitton Peak off the Ortega Hwy and jumped over a brown stick - which indeed was a 3-4 foot brown rattlesnake.

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Sun Jul 25, 2010 4:35 pm

Elwood wrote:That rattler looks open for business! Was it rattlin' ?

Oh, yeah. In a big way. That was one P.O.'d rattler. I was still 15' or more feet away when it coiled and went into "don't tread on me" mode. It was on the Mt. Wilson trail, and there were a number of people about. I imagine I wasn't the first person it coiled up on. My sister kind of freaked and left the trail to go around it. I watched it for a while until it cooled down a bit and then warily walked by it (the trail was quite wide at this point). I kind of felt maybe I should have used my trekking poles to move him off the trail so the next guy didn't get bit, but I didn't quite have the nerve. Hopefully he crawled off on his own.

He looked fairly big. Not sure what he'd roll out to. That photo was taken with 3X zoom from 10' away, and like I say the rattle seemed unusually long to me which might indicate this was an older, larger snake. Either way, I wasn't too eager to mess with him.

I've been seeing a lot of So Pac's lately. Are they taking over the neighborhood or something?

HJ

Post by **HikeUp** » Sun Jul 25, 2010 11:17 pm

Thanks for the snake id guys!

Hikin_Jim wrote:Seemed like his rattle was unusually long.

Bragger!

Maybe he just likes to change outfits more often

JayO: indeed the transport defense comes in handy! I have no recollection of actually moving that far, but i do remember launching a few F-bombs at the s.o.b. while I was doing so!

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 6:25 am

HikeUp wrote:i do remember launching a few F-bombs at the s.o.b. while I was doing so!

That'll teach him!

I'm not too worried about buzz tails when I can see 'em. It's the ones where I'm not quite sure where they are that get me.

I was coming back from a backpack one time. It was a pretty grueling one on a hot day. A buzz tail let loose with his rattle of death in the midst of a bunch of overgrown buckthorn. Despite being exhausted, dehydrated, and laden with a heavy pack, I found myself instantly about 10 feet back up the steep trail. People that say the transporter beam on Star Trek was just make believe obviously aren't hikers.

HJ