EISPIRATEN

Victor and I headed out of Millard today, up the fire road towards Tom Sloane Saddle. We got to the helipad on the west side of Mt Lowe Fire Road and then traveled another half mile towards TSS. However, we hit a point where the trail was so badly eroded and burned that it just didn't seem safe to continue on (plus we were running out of time). Has anyone been to TSS recently?
Black flies were NASTY in many parts but everything else was beautiful. I threw up a TR here: http://pasadenahiker.wordpress.com/2011 ... ne-saddle/

MattCav wrote: ↑ I threw up a TR

You threw up? You OK?

MattCav wrote: ↑Has anyone been to TSS recently?

I hiked to Tom Sloane Saddle on July 22. It's in very rough shape. I saw signs for the Bear Canyon Trail and the Tom Sloan/Mt. Lowe Rd. trail, but I didn't see a sign for the trail down to Dawn Mine. Also, it was hard to see the Tom Sloan/Mt. Lowe Rd. trail, even though there was a sign for it. I ended up taking the Dawn Mine Trail, which was unsigned and in horrible condition, completely washed away in several sections. I took this down to Millard Canyon and boulderhopped the rest of the way to Sunset Trail.

Millard Canyon was amazing, but next time I don't think I'll access it via Tom Sloane Saddle. Big mistake.

Hey, Matt,

I can't tell which route you went based on your description. Take a look at this map. Did you take the "new" trail that goes from the closest approach to Tom Sloane Saddle (from point "A" to point "B") or did you take the original Tom Sloane Trail which goes from the trail camp (Point "C") to the saddle? I assume you did not take the trail that goes from the bottom of Millard Canyon (point "D") to the saddle.

By the way, the topo map does not agree with my memory. The trail from the bottom of the canyon and the Tom Sloane Trail do not as I recall join up first and then hit the saddle. My memory is that they join the saddle separately.

The old Tom Sloane Trail has never been in good shape. The first time I took it, in the late 1980's, it was a serious bushwhack. It got reworked in the early to mid 1990's but has since fallen into disuse. I don't know what it's like post fire. Maybe I'll have to check it out.

HJ

Hikin_Jim wrote: ↑By the way, the topo map does not agree with my memory. The trail from the bottom of the canyon and the Tom Sloane Trail do not as I recall join up first and then hit the saddle. My memory is that they join the saddle separately.

At the saddle, the Old Tom Sloan trail branched off separately from the trail down to Millard Canyon (Dawn Mine). Although the Old Tom Sloan trail was barely detectable. I wouldn't have known it was there if it hadn't been for the signpost. I reached the saddle via the new trail (point A to B). Isn't the helipad that Matt mentions at point A? I saw a nice flat bit of ground over there, plus a water tank, I believe.

Sure looks like a helipad. I think that makes a positive ID of the route.

I wonder if the Tom Sloane Trail would be any better, just because of routing. In whatever shape it's in, it will be very faint. I followed it a bit a couple of months ago while at the trail camp, but I was able to find it. Due to time constraints, I didn't follow it far.

HJ

Hey Jim-
We had taken the new trail that goes from A to B. A is definitely a helipad, as I've actually seen SAR land there a couple times. The trail was in gnarly shape and once I get some of my health issues resolved, I plan on heading back there with a rake and some weed trimmers

Yipes. Hope they're resolved soon.

HJ

I'm a little confused on what's where as well, but isn't anything past the helipad in the closure area? Dawn Mine and Tom Sloan trail definitely are.

I've been hiking out of Millard in the morning (not as far as Tom Sloan though) and the spiders and cobwebs are ridiculous. If anyone hikes there after 6am, I'd like you to know I've taken all the cobwebs in the face for you