EISPIRATEN

So, got a job in Irvine. Been commuting 3 to 5 hours a day. Pretty much sucks, so we're moving. Been in Glendale/Pasadena/Eagle Rock/Tujunga/La Crescenta pretty much since 1962 but time to move.

So, is there a forum for the Cleveland National Forest? Gonna be in totally new territory. Gonna need a little help.

How about a good guide book. A sort of Trails of the Angeles for Orange County? Any recommendations?

HJ

Afoot and Afield in Orange County by the late Jerry Schaad

http://www.amazon.com/Afoot-Afield-Oran ... 0899973973

Also - keep in mind you're now closer to San G and San J.

Yeah
My son will likely be working in the Irvine Area when he graduates UCI this year.

Obviously Santiago & Mojeska (Santa Ana Mtns) will be your go to day to day hiking area

As mentioned Jerry Shad's Afoot and a field is the gold standard though it may be a bit dated

I was looking for some info on trip out there online and found little

True you will be closer to San J and San G but it won't be like the Cresenta Valley area

I understand your pain as I worked out of an office in Irvine and then Placentia doing field service work on CNC machines about 10 years ago.

Jim, I see a new discussion board coming!!!! You are the moderator:)

Another possibility is to have Santa Ana Mountains tab in this discussion group.

I have two copies of Jerry Schad's book, I have another copy of the very, very old "Santa Ana Mountains Trail Guide" by Kenneth S. Croker (Fourth Addition from Aug 1991

Though not much has changed over the years there are some trials that are not in the books. The books typically divide the main area's into three sections, Saddleback to the 91 Freeway, Ortega to Saddleback and then South of Ortega. Or north, central and south (with the south being considered the San Mateo wilderness area).

Schad's book divide's them further into M-1 (the north main section), M-2 the Middle section) and M-3 the southern section with some overlap in each (why he does this is a mystery), he goes on to sub-divide the foothills that lead into the mountains as F-3, F-4, F-5 (west side with overlaps into M-1 and M-2 and F-6 is over on the east side south of Lake Smells-some-more and leads into the east side of M-3. These sub-divided sections are just county parks or city parks that sit at lower elevations that are great for family outings that don't require the full day to tackle.

Sections F-1 and F-2 are Chino Hills State Park and those other parks that sit inside Anaheim Hills and the city of Orange.

There are over 70 hikes in the Santa Ana's that can be found in both books, the main thing to remember is that water is a problem, yes you can find it at low elevations but above 1,500 feet it becomes more and more scarce but it's out there. Like the front range on the San Gab's there's plenty of poison oak and for half the year it's hot out there.

The other thing to remember is that certain trails get extensive use by mountain bikers, you can tell right away by the rutting, but also remember that they use all the trails, not just the primary one's. The location to the suburbs' gives easy access to a very large number of a healthy group of individuals, so be vigilant about watching out and be very vocal on the trails as they come down the trails super fast sometimes.

Schad's book is onsale here for a dollar 99.

Croker's book is much harder to find as it's out of print but you can start here

And you can find copies of Schad's book online where you can view some of the contents before buying the book.

If you need any BETA on any trail feel free to ask.

Sam Page and I have done quite a few of the trails on the west side. Some of which are not listed in the books, but have become favorites over the years, one of which is "Bell Ridge to Los Pinos Peak"
Look forward to seeing you in the neighborhood
Lilbitmo

Here is the misc news contribution :

Booby traps found in Cleveland National Forest! 9/22/13

"....My son and I found hidden booby traps on a public foot path in the Cleveland National Forest while hunting today.
My son almost got his foot impaled by one. We couldn't leave those things out there for someone else to get hurt. We cleared about 1/4 mile of the path and found several of these improvised booby traps!... "

Might be better to make it part of this site. This should ideally just be a SoCal site, or all of California or whatever instead of just the SG's, IMHO. I doubt you'd get enough traffic to build on a forum for the CNF alone.

If you guys think it's wise, I can add new areas/sections for different ranges.

Hi long time lurker, first time participating.

Cleveland national forest is my backyard and it has plenty of great hikes.

my favorite hikes in the area are.

Santiago peak via the Holy Jim trail
Silverado -Modjeska loop
Los pinos peak via the trabuco canyon trail
Los pinos via Bell Ridge
Sitton Peak
San Juan trail to Sugarloaf & Old Sugarloaf
Tenaja Falls, San Mateo canyon and fisherman's camp.
san juan loop - great for kids
hotspring canyon to upper falls (going past upper falls is canyoning)
blackstar canyon falls (unique falls)
Harding canyon falls (long and lots of boulder hopping)

really popular mountain biking area, but midweek hiking will get you plenty of solitude.

Taco wrote: ↑Might be better to make it part of this site. This should ideally just be a SoCal site, or all of California or whatever instead of just the SG's, IMHO. I doubt you'd get enough traffic to build on a forum for the CNF alone.

If you guys think it's wise, I can add new areas/sections for different ranges.

I agree. Adding new sections would be best.

I like the idea of subforums for other local ranges. I suggest having one broad forum for non-SGM, rather than cluttering up the list with one for each range. That way, in theory, you include every range on earth. Under non-SGM you could then have subcategories for more popular local places.

gwjones00 wrote: ↑Afoot and Afield in Orange County by the late Jerry Schaad

Seems like a consensus on this one. I think I've got an old copy in our storage unit. It'll be nice to move out of the shoe box apartment we're living in to a bigger place where I can have my hiking guides out again.

gwjones00 wrote: ↑Also - keep in mind you're now closer to San G and San J.

Yeah, about 20 minutes on average, depending on whether I'm going to San G or San J. Nice. I'll take it.

HJ

mattmaxon wrote: ↑True you will be closer to San J and San G but it won't be like the Cresenta Valley area

Yeah, I was 5 minutes from 3N76 (Haines Canyon Road) when I lived in Tujunga, and I'm 10 minutes from Angeles Crest Highway now. It's going to suck giving up that access for mid-week hikes. Access is everything.

I'm about 10 minutes from Los Flores Motorway (Verdugos) and 12 from Beaudry Blvd.

From the Verdugos last night:


HJ

lilbitmo wrote: ↑"Santa Ana Mountains Trail Guide" by Kenneth S. Croker (Fourth Addition from Aug 1991

Excellent beta from lilbitmo and scottawr. I'm looking forward to checking out some of those hikes in the new year. I'll also have to see if I can find a copy of Santa Ana Mountains Trail Guide.

HJ

You also might want to grab a franko's map of the Santa Ana Mountains/chino hills state park, it's geared more toward mountain biking but it has all of the popular trails of the area. I think REI usually has some available.

I usually have my bear bell on my pack when on some of the singletrack trails that are more popular with the mountain bikers as some of them get going pretty fast.

And if you plan on doing the Holy Jim Trail to the falls I0 recommend adding "Falls Canyon" it is only 1/4mi to a nice 35ft falls and its on the way to the Holy Jim Trailhead. The canyon is not marked by a sign or trailhead but there is a well worn trail with 100% shade and a creek its great even on hot days.

Jerry Schad's book is probably the only one you'll find that covers the northern area of the Cleveland Natl Forest/Santa Ana Mtns, and its good. I've also got a copy of Ken Croker's book (1985 version, just after the San Mateo Wilderness was created). Its small enough to fit in the back pocket of your jeans. Its got a lot of hand-drawn maps (some still quite accurate) and a great mileage chart for points along the Main Divide Truck Trail at its center.

Overall, the Santa Ana Mtns/CNF are a great respite from the more overcrowded San Gabriels/San Berdoos/San Jacinto Mtns.

Intro hike - Since you have a kid, try the 3 mile San Juan Loop trail off the Ortega hwy. Kinda wimpy, but worth trying once. Its a great way to introduce yourself to the low-altitude plants/environmnt that is the Santa Ana Mtns. More adventruous? try the hike to Sitton Peak. Great eco-hike and nice views out towards the ocean.

Caveat: Th Ortega Hwy/State route 74 turn-off from the I-5 to get to these hikes is currently undr major construction, so a detour is needed. Post here later on and I'm sure someone can give you directions to get around the mess.

We have hiked from the trailheads at Silverado and Modjeska Canyons. Parking is limited and an Adventure Pass is required. At Silverado, there are only 8 spaces. If the gate for Maple Springs Road is open, you can drive in and park anywhere along the side of the road. If the gate is closed, then finding parking is a scramble. At Modjeska, there are about 20 spaces that fill early on weekends. The Tucker Nature Center is there. They vigorously deny hikers and mountain bikers the use of their parking lot or even their restrooms. The locals get antsy about people parking in front of their garages or driveways. There is one garage with a sign that reads: "The last guy who parked here is still looking for his car."

The trails are popular with mountain bikers. On the wide fire roads, it's not a problem, but watch out when approaching a blind curve on a single track trail. The only water source that we have visited is Laurel Spring on the Harding Truck trail. The water flows down an embankment to a cistern box. I am not sure where the source is. There is another cistern box higher up the hill. The water could be flowing from there. I would not drink that water without treatment. These trails have little shade and we hike them only in cooler weather.

The hiking itself is great. The land east and west of the mountains is flat. So, you get nice views quickly. The grades are somewhat less steep than the Baldy area trails. The exercise factor is not as good, but they are more family friendly.

The OC has other options that we hike a lot: Chino Hills State Park, Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, and Crystal Cove State Park. These are also best done in cooler weather. Good luck!

NICE! Thanks for all the recommendations.

HJ

Welcome to Orange County, Jim. Lots of good day hikes in the Santa Anas and surrounding areas. Some opportunities for overnighting. I'll trade you some local trail knowledge for some camping expertise.

You got yourself a deal, bro.

HJ

scottawr wrote: ↑Hi long time lurker, first time participating.

hotspring canyon to upper falls (going past upper falls is canyoning)

I just did the upper canyon to the 2nd falls, tried to bushwhack around it, which is possible but would have taken forever. I think I can get to Tanriverdi Falls (160'), the jewel falls of OC, by going over Los Pinos on trail and bushwhacking down one of the ridges. If I ever attempt it, I'll post it. The canyoneering types might like that canyon, or not. It looks like a beast from the two trip reports I've read, especially getting out.

Blackstar is also a cool hike. Not sure there is another hike in the OC with boulders like that.

Nice. I've never even heard of these places. I'll miss being 10 min. from ACH, but I love going to places I've never been.

HJ

hot spring canyon is one of the great hidden gems of the area, I hope we get more rain this year a lot of the local falls were pretty lackluster this year. I would hate to make the long trek from below and have the falls be dry.
the los pinos ridge- tanrvendi sounds like a hell of a bushwhack but I'd be interested. have you ever thought of taking the drainage from the saddle between sugarloaf & old sugarloaf?

Hotspring canyon in june- http://www.flickr.com/photos/98779591@N ... 045459789/

Blackstar is a great scramble, if you liked the boulder scramble part you might be interested in Harding canyon. Its about 8mi round trip or 3 hours of boulder hopping to 7 of the best swimming holes in the OC, and a 35ft falls, there is another falls farther but I've never been if its wet enough i might make a trip this spring.

Harding canyon- http://www.flickr.com/photos/98779591@N ... 923081375/

scottawr wrote: ↑hot spring canyon is one of the great hidden gems of the area, I hope we get more rain this year a lot of the local falls were pretty lackluster this year. I would hate to make the long trek from below and have the falls be dry.
the los pinos ridge- tanrvendi sounds like a hell of a bushwhack but I'd be interested. have you ever thought of taking the drainage from the saddle between sugarloaf & old sugarloaf?

I looked at that carefully in Google Earth and it looks "thick", tougher than coming down from Los Pinos. I've been to both Sugarloaf and Old Sugarloaf, but it might be easier. Not sure.

Blackstar is a great scramble, if you liked the boulder scramble part you might be interested in Harding canyon. Its about 8mi round trip or 3 hours of boulder hopping to 7 of the best swimming holes in the OC, and a 35ft falls, there is another falls farther but I've never been if its wet enough i might make a trip this spring.

Harding canyon- http://www.flickr.com/photos/98779591@N ... 923081375/

Will definitely check it out. Thanks for the tip!

I got the idea of descending into the canyon via the san juan trail from this album, http://www.flickr.com/photos/naturalist ... 423660953/.
The pictured parts of the canyon seen fairly clear, but you never know when you will reach a impassible wall of poison oak.

los pinos ridge recon of your suggested route - http://i.imgur.com/1MQQBJR.jpg looks brushy but definitely possible.

I read your trip report when you reached the top of the 2nd falls and were turned back, the trail around the falls is higher on the canyon wall hard to see until you are on it. once you are below the 2nd falls there is an interesting narrow section "single track falls" that can be bypassed on the canyon wall. farther along at the top of the 4th falls "life raft falls" there is another bypass trail high up on the canyon wall. all of the bypasses are a little airy but nothing to insane, I was surprised to find such a well worn path but I didn't want to hike back up the canyon in the dark otherwise I would have gone farther.

from the 2nd falls to where I turned back - http://i.imgur.com/R5XgNCm.jpg

scottawr.

You got pretty far down the canyon. I think I found that use trail you used to get past the 2nd falls, but must have missed the continuation somewhere.

Your suggestion on leaving the trail between Sugarloaf/Old Sugarloaf is definitely better if passable. It avoids the 2000' of loss/gain through the brush coming from Los Pinos.

I'd be up for trying that once that the water at Tanriverdi is flowing.

Lets see if I can get a few pictures from a Jan 2010 hike of Sitton Peak to show up. First picture is looking northeast at the San Gorgonio Wilderness are of the San Berdoo Mtns from Sitton Peak, second should be looking north, with the (higher) summit of Santiago Peak in the center, and the lower Los Pinos Peak to the right (and closer in):

Labeled Santa Ana Mountains panorama - http://i.imgur.com/k2PPASs.jpg

Taken this morning on a bike ride with my mother near Ladera Ranch. stitched 5-6 pictures together and labeled the popular peaks and canyons.

Just noticed I forgot to label Elsinore peak .

Nice high res pano. I had to look up where Ladera Ranch is. I'm such a noob when it comes to the OC.

HJ