Cloudburst to Heaton(3 days)
Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 10:23 am
Awesome hike but some bad conditions...it was super hot on the trail and Islip Saddle to Copter was very bad as far as the flying %$@#$ varmits.
Day 1 was supposed to be Triplet, but not paying attention to the journey had me going up close to Waterman summit and ending up on a trail down close to Buckhorn and not TPeaks saddle. Then I couldnt find the buckhorn trail to Twin Peaks from the topo, even though I was at Buckhorn ski club. Anyways I then hiked onward to Copter Ridge via the highway&PCT and met several PCT hikers. As soon as I left Islip saddle, the bugs started up amplifying at Little Jimmy camp(what a joke that place was with the highway about 200ft below). No mercy even at MtHawkins..very hot but even stranger patches of snow(which just amplified the skeeters who loved the slow snow melt). Copter ridge? no mercy here either and it was about 3pm. Luckily there was a nice cold wind occasionally blowing up from below . Snagged a nap, but it was too hot to really be comfortable.
View here was imense. Baden-Powell&Ross, Baldy..everything was around on a decently clear day. I left a summit register, but possibly was not even at the true Copter ridge..anyways there was a sizable drop to another point below. Losing elevation, the terrain changed significantly to very challenging(for me at least) and I arrived at the Iron Fork just as it was almost pitch black after one optional rappel I had just done. Light sleep as I was nervous about bears,m.lions around these parts...there was a full moon out that lighted up the section I was sleeping in...eerie.
Day 2 was just following the creek and I decided to bivy at the east fork, arriving there about 5pm. My feet would tell the story of what I was doing the next day and I had gotten some blisters from being in the water so long. So I suspected the best course was to simply return along the East fork and thankfully managed to waste a lot of time arriving at the parking lot at 3:00pm where my ride came to pick me up at 4:40pm.
A drive back to my home area(N.Hollywood/Burbank) and a delicious meal first.
Day 1 was supposed to be Triplet, but not paying attention to the journey had me going up close to Waterman summit and ending up on a trail down close to Buckhorn and not TPeaks saddle. Then I couldnt find the buckhorn trail to Twin Peaks from the topo, even though I was at Buckhorn ski club. Anyways I then hiked onward to Copter Ridge via the highway&PCT and met several PCT hikers. As soon as I left Islip saddle, the bugs started up amplifying at Little Jimmy camp(what a joke that place was with the highway about 200ft below). No mercy even at MtHawkins..very hot but even stranger patches of snow(which just amplified the skeeters who loved the slow snow melt). Copter ridge? no mercy here either and it was about 3pm. Luckily there was a nice cold wind occasionally blowing up from below . Snagged a nap, but it was too hot to really be comfortable.
View here was imense. Baden-Powell&Ross, Baldy..everything was around on a decently clear day. I left a summit register, but possibly was not even at the true Copter ridge..anyways there was a sizable drop to another point below. Losing elevation, the terrain changed significantly to very challenging(for me at least) and I arrived at the Iron Fork just as it was almost pitch black after one optional rappel I had just done. Light sleep as I was nervous about bears,m.lions around these parts...there was a full moon out that lighted up the section I was sleeping in...eerie.
Day 2 was just following the creek and I decided to bivy at the east fork, arriving there about 5pm. My feet would tell the story of what I was doing the next day and I had gotten some blisters from being in the water so long. So I suspected the best course was to simply return along the East fork and thankfully managed to waste a lot of time arriving at the parking lot at 3:00pm where my ride came to pick me up at 4:40pm.
A drive back to my home area(N.Hollywood/Burbank) and a delicious meal first.
) throughout were blooming...
