10,000' Ridge -- Spring Conditions Ascent

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Mon May 09, 2011 9:07 pm

Thursday, after work, I decided to take a little drive over to the SGW as a part of a planned ascent of Ten Thousand Foot Ridge.

Good thing I had reservations at the San Gorgonio "Hilton."

Just before dawn the following day.

First light of dawn on the high country.

South Fork of the Santa Ana River.

Dry Lake, first look.

Dry Lake.

Ascending the flanks of Lake Peak.

The view from the east ridge of Lake Peak. That's San Jacinto Peak.

My objective, the high point of Ten Thousand Foot Ridge.

Bighorn Mountain, left, and San Gorgonio Mountain, right, both over 11,000 feet (3350m) in elevation, the number three and number one, respectively, highest peaks in Southern California. Note glacial moraines.

Approaching the high point of Ten Thousand Foot Ridge.

On the summit of Ten Thousand Foot Ridge.

Descending.

Back at Dry Lake.

Whoever said that Southern California doesn't have any decent scenery needs to get out more often! (click to view high res)

Bidding the high country farewell.

All in all, a very fine day of real hiking, of getting off into the back country. The summit register recorded only one other visit besides my own since the previous fall. The high point of Ten Thousand Foot Ridge is remote country indeed. I saw not one person all day, and this in an area home to some 15,000,000 people.

HJ

Post by **HikeUp** » Mon May 09, 2011 9:51 pm

Cool stuff. I'm jealous!

obie · Post by **obie** » Mon May 09, 2011 9:58 pm

That looks like a heck of a lot of fun HJ! Super pictures...thanks!

Curious about your tarp: do you have a line ready to string it up should the wind start whipping? Or do you just roll over to leeward and sleep thru the weather?

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Mon May 09, 2011 10:31 pm

HikeUp wrote: ↑Cool stuff. I'm jealous!

It was really nice. 8) I took over 300 pics.

HJ

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Mon May 09, 2011 10:34 pm

obie wrote: ↑That looks like a heck of a lot of fun HJ! Super pictures...thanks!

Curious about your tarp: do you have a line ready to string it up should the wind start whipping? Or do you just roll over to leeward and sleep thru the weather?

Glad you liked the photos. I thought the photos of the lake came out well.

As for the tarp, it depends. If there's really going to be weather predicted, then I'll bring something else.

In this case the prediction was for clement weather, so I just threw some short cords and a bag of stakes in the trunk of my car -- which as it turned out I didn't really need.

The wind did come up a bit, but not bad, in the wee hours, but I just rolled up into an HJ burrito and did just fine.

HJ

lilbitmo · Post by **lilbitmo** » Mon May 09, 2011 10:59 pm

Really great shots and report HJ

I like the shot of the summits reflecting in Dry Lake and the comment, I agree there's so many nice ascents here that get overlooked.

Curious though, you shot leading up over Lake Peak to Ten Thousand Foot Ridge shows nothing but patchy snow and dry dirt near the top but your descent picture shows nothing but snow, obviously you went up one way and came down the another, what was your decent route back to Dry Lake?

I also see you got the "Blue Room" at the Hilton that included the Red Comforter and the Orange Mattress

- I do the same thing with the tarp, rarely bring a tent unless it's going to rain, always works for me

yobtaf · Post by **yobtaf** » Tue May 10, 2011 4:57 am

Thanks for sharing!! Absolutely beautiful.

Zach · Post by **Zach** » Tue May 10, 2011 7:22 am

sweetstacks! i've seen that ridge labeled on my SGW map and always wondered what it was like to get out that way. great pics, nice TR!!

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Tue May 10, 2011 7:26 am

lilbitmo wrote: ↑Curious though, you shot leading up over Lake Peak to Ten Thousand Foot Ridge shows nothing but patchy snow and dry dirt near the top but your descent picture shows nothing but snow, obviously you went up one way and came down the another, what was your decent route back to Dry Lake?

Patrick,

Conditions were highly variable. Anything north facing had multiple feet of snow. Something 10 feet away but south facing would be bone dry. Especially on the ridge top it was a pot hole fest, so I did vary things a bit on the way down. I also didn't want to undershoot Fish Creek Saddle and have to climb, so I stayed higher on the ridge and then descended more steeply to the saddle.

Here's a bit of detail on my route.

I went to Dry Lake via the old mining trail that was used for the mine at Mine Shaft Flat. On the return leg, I just took the regular trail. I was getting a bit tired of snow and of post holing by that time.

On the return leg from Fish Creek Saddle, I went north into the next major drainage. No special reason other than maybe because there's more water there. The better route for when there is snow is the ridge *between* the two drainages.

HJ

Dave G · Post by **Dave G** » Tue May 10, 2011 7:31 am

Nice hike and TR, HJ! I've been wanting to do that ridge ever since I got a good look at it on last summer's scout backpack.

"Dry" Lake sure melted out fast! Just two weeks ago it looked like this:

And there was only one wet spot (being utilized here by some locals)

Burchey · Post by **Burchey** » Tue May 10, 2011 7:55 am

Nicely done, Jim! That looked like a blast, and the pics are pretty solid. I was going to head up Jepson on Sunday, but my knee/heart weren't in it. I'm glad you got out in the snow.

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Tue May 10, 2011 12:43 pm

Dave G wrote: ↑Nice hike and TR, HJ! I've been wanting to do that ridge ever since I got a good look at it on last summer's scout backpack.

"Dry" Lake sure melted out fast! Just two weeks ago it looked like this:

And there was only one wet spot (being utilized here by some locals)

Wow! Thanks for the pix, Dave. People told me that everything was still pretty frozen up only a couple of weeks ago, but it's so much more dramatic to see it.

The ducks are still there by the way.

My "some day" hike is to take Ten Thousand Foot Ridge all the way out to the Whitewater River area and meet up with the PCT and to exit via Whitewater Ranch. I think it can be done in two to three (hard) days.

HJ

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Tue May 10, 2011 12:52 pm

Burchey wrote: ↑Nicely done, Jim! That looked like a blast, and the pics are pretty solid. I was going to head up Jepson on Sunday, but my knee/heart weren't in it. I'm glad you got out in the snow.

It was a gorgeous day. I took over 300 pix. I had a great time although it turned into a post hole fest in the afternoon.

One post hole broke through to a void below under an unseen log. THAT could have been ugly.

Pretty grueling toward the end. Was up in that area in October with no snow. Was no big deal. This past weekend, I was freakin' wiped out by the end of the day.

I ate six sandwiches and four pieces of chocolate cake when I got back to "civilization."

HJ

hvydrt · Post by **hvydrt** » Tue May 10, 2011 8:38 pm

I like that picture with the reflection of the peaks on the lake! Nice shot.

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Tue May 10, 2011 10:56 pm

hvydrt wrote: ↑I like that picture with the reflection of the peaks on the lake! Nice shot.

Thanks. I haven't ever seen such a clear reflection on Dry Lake before. It was a real privilege.

HJ

norma r · Post by **norma r** » Wed May 11, 2011 10:58 am

So where are the other 294 photos???

And what's not to love about the SGW. The most beautiful alpine wilderness in So Cal IMHO. Sorry San J, you're second cuz you pack more people.

Excellent trip HJ and it's good to see you out there again and so often. You look very happy! Plus then you have sweet little Hikin' Joyce and the wifey to go back to, so i'd say life is some kind of wonderful these days!

What has it been HJ, three years of a message board forum relationship for us? It's about time we meet on a trail! Gotta' plan something!

TracieB · Post by **TracieB** » Wed May 11, 2011 11:14 am

Beautiful pix, HJ! I agree w/Norma on all counts

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Wed May 11, 2011 3:06 pm

norma r wrote: ↑So where are the other 294 photos???

Be careful what you ask for: slideshow with captions including wild San Gorgonio style Cinco de Mayo party.

norma r wrote: ↑What has it been HJ, three years of a message board forum relationship for us? It's about time we meet on a trail! Gotta' plan something!

Hey now, Ms. Norma, that can be arranged. Where you headed this Saturday? Pick somewhere where I can do a relatively easy hike (Ms. Joyce will probably be coming) and you can charge off on an adventure if you like.

I had been considering Fish Canyon over in Duarte for this Saturday, but maybe that's too tame for you? PM me and let's chat.

HJ

norma r · Post by **norma r** » Thu May 12, 2011 7:50 am

of course you pick this weekend! i was home last weekend.

i'm heading up to the east side to tag two peaks named after two adventurous men, Irvine and Mallory. rain date?!

simonov · Post by **simonov** » Thu May 12, 2011 7:55 am

Those are gorgeous photos, Jim. I was wondering what to do on Memorial Day, and thanks to your report I decided to spend at least one night at Dry Lake. We'll have the puppy with us, so probably won't be climbing to the summit.

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Thu May 12, 2011 8:00 am

norma r wrote: ↑of course you pick this weekend! i was home last weekend.
i'm heading up to the east side to tag two peaks named after two adventurous men, Irvine and Mallory. rain date?!

You're such a tease.

HJ

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Thu May 12, 2011 8:04 am

simonov wrote: ↑Those are gorgeous photos, Jim. I was wondering what to do on Memorial Day, and thanks to your report I decided to spend at least one night at Dry Lake. We'll have the puppy with us, so probably won't be climbing to the summit.

Can't go wrong with Dry Lake. Definitely one of my favorite areas.

The snow in the Lodgepole Camp area should be mostly gone I would think by Mem. Day. Even if it isn't, there are already plenty of bare patches to camp in.

If not the peak, you could do an interesting loop by going up to Trail Flats, then Mineshaft Saddle and then descending via either the old trail from Lodgepole Saddle or from the unmaintained trail from Fish Creek Saddle.

HJ