Santa Rosa Peak
Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2015 4:28 pm
On the way to Indian Wells last week I decided to stop for a hike in the Santa Rosa mountains. The book said Santa Rosa peak was a good one. Distance (book 16 mi -- actual 19 mi), time 7.5 hours, elevation gain 4,000'. Water, some.
The hike starts at a well marked parking lot off of the 78.
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/gallery.myff.org/gallery/1873150/Santa Rosa Peak 1.jpg)
The first part of the hike is on a more or less good jeep track with a fair amount of elevation gain over 5.5+ miles. You end up at a kiln with good views of the San Jacinto massif and the valley below
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/gallery.myff.org/gallery/1873194/santa rosa 1.jpg)
Beyond the locked gate the trail seems to go up, but in fact it is a very messy overgrown old jeep track that goes down to the right and traverses.
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/gallery.myff.org/gallery/1873197/santa rosa 2.jpg)
The jeep track turns up the mountain in a mile and enters a really nice oak and pine forest and from there to the top is forested.
Mistletoe
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/gallery.myff.org/gallery/1873198/Santa Rosa 3.jpg)
and some patches of thin snow on the ground
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/gallery.myff.org/gallery/1873199/santa rosa 4.jpg)
finally a view of the peak. the light patches on the trees are ice covered branches. They will soon become a problem as they were crashing all around me in very large chunks. I fashioned a helmet out of my spare layer to protect my head from an iceberg falling 50'.
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/gallery.myff.org/gallery/1873200/santa rosa 5.jpg)
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/gallery.myff.org/gallery/1873204/santa rosa 6.jpg)
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/gallery.myff.org/gallery/1873205/santa rosa 8.jpg)
A little ridiculous but necessary. I was hit by a few chunks of ice, luckily not big and only in the shoulder and calf. The pelting went on for about a 1/2 hour of the hike.
I returned to the car after 7 1/2 hours happy about my first hike in the Santa Rosa Mountains.
The hike starts at a well marked parking lot off of the 78.
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/gallery.myff.org/gallery/1873150/Santa Rosa Peak 1.jpg)
The first part of the hike is on a more or less good jeep track with a fair amount of elevation gain over 5.5+ miles. You end up at a kiln with good views of the San Jacinto massif and the valley below
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/gallery.myff.org/gallery/1873194/santa rosa 1.jpg)
Beyond the locked gate the trail seems to go up, but in fact it is a very messy overgrown old jeep track that goes down to the right and traverses.
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/gallery.myff.org/gallery/1873197/santa rosa 2.jpg)
The jeep track turns up the mountain in a mile and enters a really nice oak and pine forest and from there to the top is forested.
Mistletoe
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/gallery.myff.org/gallery/1873198/Santa Rosa 3.jpg)
and some patches of thin snow on the ground
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/gallery.myff.org/gallery/1873199/santa rosa 4.jpg)
finally a view of the peak. the light patches on the trees are ice covered branches. They will soon become a problem as they were crashing all around me in very large chunks. I fashioned a helmet out of my spare layer to protect my head from an iceberg falling 50'.
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/gallery.myff.org/gallery/1873200/santa rosa 5.jpg)
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/gallery.myff.org/gallery/1873204/santa rosa 6.jpg)
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/gallery.myff.org/gallery/1873205/santa rosa 8.jpg)
A little ridiculous but necessary. I was hit by a few chunks of ice, luckily not big and only in the shoulder and calf. The pelting went on for about a 1/2 hour of the hike.
I returned to the car after 7 1/2 hours happy about my first hike in the Santa Rosa Mountains.