Hidden Gem of the Santa Ana Mountains- Yeager Mesa

[scottawr]

I took a short hike down the Trabuco canyon trail to an unmarked trail maintained by the local mountain bikers that leads up to a unique little spot high on the bell ridge.

Yeager Mesa was a privately owned mining claim now its just a beautiful meadow lined with oak and pine trees. The mesa has great views of the surrounding santa ana peaks like Santiago, Trabuco and Los Pinos. I have hiked most of the trails in the northern santa anas and this is one of the more serene spots I have been to.

I estimate the trail was about 5-6 miles and 1200ft to the mesa and back, it only took me an hour or so to get to the mesa. I only saw one mountain biker on the trail surprising because the super popular holy jim trail is less than a mile away.

Pictures - http://www.flickr.com/photos/98779591@N ... 103614653/

http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=33.68118,-11 ... 0Peak%20CA

[tekewin]

Great photos of the mesa!

By an odd twist of fate, I visited the mesa on Sunday, but I came down from upper Trabuco after going over Vicker BM, then back up West Horsethief trail, and over Horsethief Peak. I initially missed the Yaeger trail and wasted some time looking for it before I found it.


Yaeger Mesa from West Horsethief trail

Full report:
http://ironhiker.blogspot.com/2014/01/v ... -peak.html

[scottawr]

I poked around for the plane wreck but could not find it, but I didn't look too hard though. Did you go up the ridge? or did you follow the trail that looks like a downhill mountain bike racetrack?

that's an odd way to do the trabuco/horsethief loop but after going down the bumpy trabuco canyon road for the 100x I think I may just come up the Main divide from bluejay like you did.

all of the trip reports I had read made it seem so distant and hard to reach, but its really close to the main trail. I'd be using this trail way more if it weren't such a hassle driving trabuco canyon.

[tekewin]

I poked around for the plane wreck but could not find it, but I didn't look too hard though. Did you go up the ridge? or did you follow the trail that looks like a downhill mountain bike racetrack?

that's an odd way to do the trabuco/horsethief loop but after going down the bumpy trabuco canyon road for the 100x I think I may just come up the Main divide from bluejay like you did.

all of the trip reports I had read made it seem so distant and hard to reach, but its really close to the main trail. I'd be using this trail way more if it weren't such a hassle driving trabuco canyon.

I didn't see the wreck going up, but found it coming down. It is just below the mesa about 10' off trail to the right coming down, on the left going up.

I reversed the conventional trabuco/horsethief loop because I hate driving that road and would rather do extra miles. Most of the trip reports I found on the mesa were biking reports without much detail, so it took me a while to find it. Cool place, though.

[davantalus]

Man, you guys must be immune to poison oak.

[scottawr]

the poison oak was nonexistent on my route, not sure about tekewin's his path was a little more adventurous.

[tekewin]

Yeah, not much poison oak. There was a little on the upper Trabuco Canyon trail, but easily avoided.