Lobo canyon (SG wilderness) 2/20/12
Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 11:53 am
A chilly early morning on the Angeles Crest as I walked from Shortcut to elev 5111, home of rugged looking Skull canyon. One look at peak 5171 this early in the morning, home of Inferno Gulch, was enough to determine to save it for another day or another decade. Thus I started down the ridge, which was kind of slow going, even though it was mostly brush-free save for poodle dog bush. Passing by Bobcat canyon, and then approaching the West Fork or Devils Canyon at the same time, both sides of the steep dropoffs of the ridge.
Eventually I dropped into a nifty side drainage to Lobo that I noticed on Google Earth. Easy going, trade side canyon, except for a 2 tiered waterfall. Near Lobo canyon there was a half grassy half sandy area that had plenty of prints, and I began to feel lucky I wasnt staying the night here. It appeared that I hit Lobo canyon at exactly the right time as it turned into a trade canyon watercourse. Most of the drops end up being 20ft small, but they dont look that way. I did the only rappel of 70ft cliffside to avoid one of these hehehe. A few swims and whatnot and the canyon ends into a pretty section of the West Fork of the SG river on the Redbox side of things. A short walk to Tumbler canyon, which was rather a letdown. It was 12:45 pm, elevation 2300 or so.
It was 2:00 pm by the time I reached the shortcut road, but it had been a slog for sure, with the only real use trail with 50 yards of the road. A river, a lot of which was in the shade, so time appeared to be 2 hours later. Then up the hellishly long Shortcut road, complete with its 3 downhill parts
. I got back about at 5:45 pm, with not much light left.
Supposedly this road is 3 miles long, guess I was walking rather slow.
Dawn on the crest
Starting down the ridge to Lobo
Twin Peaks West Ridge
Lobo canyon down below
Tracking alongside Lobo canyon
Lobo watercourse
canyon travel
70ft rappel to avoid keeper pothole
Flash flood remnants
Last obstacle/swim
West Fork near Tumbler canyon looking towards Cogswell
Remembering Lobo
Eventually I dropped into a nifty side drainage to Lobo that I noticed on Google Earth. Easy going, trade side canyon, except for a 2 tiered waterfall. Near Lobo canyon there was a half grassy half sandy area that had plenty of prints, and I began to feel lucky I wasnt staying the night here. It appeared that I hit Lobo canyon at exactly the right time as it turned into a trade canyon watercourse. Most of the drops end up being 20ft small, but they dont look that way. I did the only rappel of 70ft cliffside to avoid one of these hehehe. A few swims and whatnot and the canyon ends into a pretty section of the West Fork of the SG river on the Redbox side of things. A short walk to Tumbler canyon, which was rather a letdown. It was 12:45 pm, elevation 2300 or so.
It was 2:00 pm by the time I reached the shortcut road, but it had been a slog for sure, with the only real use trail with 50 yards of the road. A river, a lot of which was in the shade, so time appeared to be 2 hours later. Then up the hellishly long Shortcut road, complete with its 3 downhill parts
. I got back about at 5:45 pm, with not much light left. Supposedly this road is 3 miles long, guess I was walking rather slow.
Dawn on the crest
Starting down the ridge to Lobo
Twin Peaks West Ridge
Lobo canyon down below
Tracking alongside Lobo canyon
Lobo watercourse
canyon travel
70ft rappel to avoid keeper pothole
Flash flood remnants
Last obstacle/swim
West Fork near Tumbler canyon looking towards Cogswell
Remembering Lobo
