EISPIRATEN

I would like to cordially invite you all to our latest venture, the Hundred Saddles Section.

The curve of a mountain is like the curve of a frown! Turn that frown upside down and get back in the saddle instead! Saddles have beautiful views, nice breezes in summertime, and are great places to have lunch. It's well known that saddles are preferred travel routes for wildlife. (Ever see a bear on a peak? Of course not!)

Please help us compile the official list. Like the Hundred Peaks, there are some (Islip Saddle...ahem) that are easier than others (Gunsight Notch anyone?)

Gaps and notches count, so long as they fit the mathematical regulations for Indefinite Hessians. This is all quite simple to understand:

A simple criterion for checking if a given stationary point of a real-valued function F(x,y) of two real variables is a saddle point is to compute the function's Hessian matrix at that point: if the Hessian is indefinite, then that point is a saddle point. For example, the Hessian matrix of the function z = x2 − y2 at the stationary point (0,0) is the matrix



which is indefinite. Therefore, this point is a saddle point. This criterion gives only a sufficient condition. For example, the point (0,0) is a saddle point for the function z = x4 − y4, but the Hessian matrix of this function at the origin is the null matrix, which is not indefinite.

(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saddle_point)

Saddle Bagging can obviously be combined with Peak Bagging, or Near Peak Bagging, and some saddles are worthy enough hikes on their own (such as Icehouse Saddle, Dawson Saddle, and that cool one between Icehouse and Cucamonga Peak.) Discover one, and we'll name it after you!

Thank you for your attention in this very serious matter and we look forward to your comments and suggestions.

Didn't George Washington pretty much null out the Hessian matrices at the Battle of Trenton? We need a more American criterion for saddle points!

One of my favorite saddles to ride/hike is Bommer Ridge Road in Laguna Beach.

That would qualify, yes?

Technically one could say it connects two high points - Signal Peak and Water Tank at the end of Boat Road.

One of the most pleasurable trails to ride/hike in Laguna Beach.

I didn't think the Hessians employed cavalry.

Hmm...

I think I detected the sweet aroma of a NSS (Near Saddles Section) blowing down from the Verdugos this morning.

lol, soon this forum will turn into a nonlinear dynamics and chaos discussion.

Too late?

Heck, determination of the Hessian's indefiniteness involves methods such as developed by Laplace, Newton, Taylor, Jacobi, etc.

I wonder if they were hikers. I often become stationary when I reach a saddle.

Hessians, Laplacians, Jacobians, null [spaces]... the dork is strong with this group. I feel most at home.

turtle wrote: ↑Hessians, Laplacians, Jacobians, null [spaces]... the dork is strong with this group. I feel most at home.

I agree that this group has unlimited promise.

cougarmagic wrote: ↑Saddles have beautiful views, nice breezes in summertime, and are great places to have lunch.

It's well known that saddles are preferred travel routes for wildlife. (Ever see a bear on a peak? Of course not!)

That's exactly why we used to call it a day when we hit the saddles - the sweet views and the chance of sharing a Snickers bar with a bear or two

Ok, I admit it - it was usually the tempting smells of the pastrami sandwich in my back pack - who needs to reach the peak - PASTRAMI NOW!

I'll never forget the time when were supposed to reach Ontario peak - but we said screw it, this spot right here looks great... it really wasn't even a saddle!! We were essentially blocking the trail as we broke out the grub! The looks from hikers going to and coming back from Ontario peak were classic - everyone was like 'WTF' are the lazy dweebs stopping here fore

I like saddles so much - got this painting at a garage sale --- without shame, it hangs on my wall!!



Aim high, settle for the saddle!

Hey, I sense a bumper sticker ready for the making...

outwhere wrote: ↑settle for the saddle!

ding ding ding we have a winner!

(For the record, I am completely lost on the saddle math...I will need to rely on my gut instinct and my liberal arts degree to determine if I have reached the saddle. I could however compose music, or a poem about the experience.)

turtle wrote: ↑Hessians, Laplacians, Jacobians, null [spaces]... the dork is strong with this group. I feel most at home.

What's this about lapdances?

One of my favorite SG saddle thats somewhat accessible is the GFF Viewpoint along Fall Creek fireroad. Travelling along a fireroad and one side having no view due to the fireroad being cut into the hillside. Then, all of a sudden, and perhaps as a surprise, the saddle is encountered and the GFF(Great Falls of the Fox) gorge is framed against the GFF shortcut ridge and a granite wall. At the same time, the other view is starting to open to the right, having passed the west fork of Fall Creek....you can see the BT road, and back to MtJospehine to various degrees.

Ive always taken a break here. With a little zigzag here and there, the 7th falls of the Fox can be partially seen..although if the main falls(5th) are running they dominate the sound and view. Typically encountered with nary another party in sight or expected to be in sight, the temptation occurs to view the surroundings as wild, as if no one ventures to the parts being viewed. However, such is not the case , from the saddle "WhiteRock" on Fox SE ridge to the Maxon approach.

During rain, the color lights up(especially the pink of the granite wall), with just higher elevations in a fog or clouded. The telephone line pilons that line up into the clouds make Fall Creek look like some major expedition.

Cross country ventures really amp up the experience for future visits to the saddle as well. Flashback memories are common

cougarmagic wrote: ↑ (For the record, I am completely lost on the saddle math...I will need to rely on my gut instinct and my liberal arts degree to determine if I have reached the saddle. I could however compose music, or a poem about the experience.)

Iron Mtn via Heaton - "And you said I would enjoy saddles"...then that steep climb and "Allison saddle was so comfy".

We'll need a logo.



HJ

P.S. How do I miss classics like this?

cougarmagic wrote: ↑

outwhere wrote: ↑settle for the saddle!

ding ding ding we have a winner!

{Sound of applause as I reach the podium on the saddle for my acceptance speech}:

I'd like to thank my fellow failures of the trail for this unrewarding award... of course none of them can be found on this forum - all you peak baggers posting your trip reports here, snubbing your nose at us 'saddle stoppers' --- we see your look of disgust as you kick up some dust as you head towards your loftier goals... don't worry, a little dust on our Doritos won't keep us down, ooops, I meant up...... we also hear the snide comments too - just because you're 100 yards away, doesn't mean we can't hear you ya know... also remember that 'he who laughs last' is also the first one back to our cozy cars too,,,,,, well back in time to catch the second half of the football game while you are only pondering your twice-as-long descent...

We will also get our 'pay back' on you the next time we see you at Subway or Togo's ordering your veggie sandwiches --- as we loaf and socalize, we manage to get our laughs in... yes that is us chuckling in between gulps of pastrami as you walk out the door, undoubtedly heading out to reach more peaks... we say a little prayer for you too, for a peak to be socked in by drizzle and fog...

With that said, I will patiently await my 'settle for the saddle' award --- the boxes of pastrami, hot dogs and Ding Dongs may be sent to............

Good job. Here's your prize money. Hope quarters are OK.



(Hey, this is a pretty big time section.)

HJ

Bingo!

outwhere wrote: ↑ 'saddle stoppers' ...

Here's a photo of me saddle bagging in the Big SAC...

And who's the guy walking in front?

[Couldn't resist, no disrespect intended. really]

Hard to tell one fat ass from another, eh?

Around here, better to be confused with an ass than a "mule".

(what and you thought only cougarmagic could get good wildlife photos?)

HJ

Here are two lists to keep you busy while looking for new saddles
http://angeles.sierraclub.org/lpc/lpclist.htm
http://angeles.sierraclub.org/hps/hpslist.htm

here's some saddles with benchmarks. clearly should be the highlight of such a list. good luck

Zé wrote: ↑here's some saddles with benchmarks. clearly should be the highlight of such a list

I spent a night at "C" about ten years ago and concur with Zé -- it is definitely a spectacular perch.

I like saddles. Their silhouette reminds me of the hourglass figure of a woman

I went through my photo archives and found some favorite saddles. See if you recognize them. Answers at the end.

Saddle "A":


Saddle "B":


Saddle "C":


View of Saddles "B" and "C":


Saddle "D":


Saddle "E":


Saddle "F":


Saddle "G" (pretend the sign isn't there):


Saddle "H":


Saddle "I":


Saddle "J":


Saddle "K":


Saddle "L":


Saddle "M":


Saddle "N":


Another view of Saddle "N":


Saddle "A": Between Bighorn and Cucamonga. I call this the Christmas Tree Saddle because of that one pine tree on the side.
Saddle "B": Between Timber and Telegraph
Saddle "C": Between Telegraph and Thunder
Saddle "D": Between Baldy and West Baldy
Saddle "E": Somewhere along the Bear Flats Trail before W. Baldy
Saddle "F": Going to Pine Mtn from Guffy, just before that steep section
Saddle "G": Windy Gap
Saddle "H": Between Jepson and Little Charlton Peak, AKA "Little Draw"
Saddle "I": Between San Gorgonio and Jepson, AKA "Big Draw"
Saddle "J": Between Jean and San Jacinto
Saddle "K": Between Rattlesnake and the peaklet to the west
Saddle "L": Along the trail to Rattlesnake
Saddle "M": Along the SA Ridge to Iron, Ze's point C
Saddle "N": Gunsight Notch!

very fun Tim! gotta admit i didn't know K & L and i have never climbed on N, but knew it, cuz it looks exactly as it should.

i think we should have a SGMDF movie night and watch The Canyon. it seems to highlight that the GC Wolf Recovery Project is going well. i'll bring the popcorn.

norma r wrote: ↑i think we should have a SGMDF movie night and watch The Canyon. it seems to highlight that the GC Wolf Recovery Project is going well. i'll bring the popcorn.

Popcorn - I'm in