Islip Saddle to Dawson Saddleish via Hwy2 3/26
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2016 1:55 pm
Yes...there were a lot of cars visting Islip Saddle on this last weekend. Seeing Sean's tr, I thought I would expand on the conditions heading off PCT wise.
I started out around 6:30am, stopping along hwy2 here or there to hang in the snow. A couple of hours later, I finally got to the Throop NW ridge that heads back to Williamson. I would stop at around elevation 6200. Initially I was hoping to cross over to Mount Lewis eastern ridge, but #1 the creek below looked brushy and #2 getting up to the eastern ridge requires 100% steep scree travel. Also that the ridges around here arent that good...low visibility and narrow. Beyond 6200 elevation and down the ridge to S Big Rock Creek was total brush.
I headed back went up to close to Dawson Saddle, and then returned. Along the way I insisted on visiting a waterfall off the road. Worthless super steep endeavor that provided no new sights. Especially bighorn sheep. But I did see 3 separate mule deers so all in all it wasnt a bad day.
Clean up on all aisles request around Little Jimmy Spring. Beyond this a Caltrans rock ran one lane. And most of the mile markers are being replaced so there arent any numbers around.
Theres still quite a bit of snow left...or should I say ice.
I was thinking this was to the spring. Except its not spring around these parts...late winter hehe.
South Fork Big Rock Creek falls#1...this was the waterfall I would visit later.
A seasonal waterfall on Williamson...above the SF trail.
finally some respite on the ridge
A short bushwack ways later to the 'summit'....looking back at the end of the ridge
Towards South Fork
Desert
Islip
Back to the highway
Down into the creek by mount Lewis.
I started out around 6:30am, stopping along hwy2 here or there to hang in the snow. A couple of hours later, I finally got to the Throop NW ridge that heads back to Williamson. I would stop at around elevation 6200. Initially I was hoping to cross over to Mount Lewis eastern ridge, but #1 the creek below looked brushy and #2 getting up to the eastern ridge requires 100% steep scree travel. Also that the ridges around here arent that good...low visibility and narrow. Beyond 6200 elevation and down the ridge to S Big Rock Creek was total brush.
I headed back went up to close to Dawson Saddle, and then returned. Along the way I insisted on visiting a waterfall off the road. Worthless super steep endeavor that provided no new sights. Especially bighorn sheep. But I did see 3 separate mule deers so all in all it wasnt a bad day.
Clean up on all aisles request around Little Jimmy Spring. Beyond this a Caltrans rock ran one lane. And most of the mile markers are being replaced so there arent any numbers around.
Theres still quite a bit of snow left...or should I say ice.
I was thinking this was to the spring. Except its not spring around these parts...late winter hehe.
South Fork Big Rock Creek falls#1...this was the waterfall I would visit later.
A seasonal waterfall on Williamson...above the SF trail.
finally some respite on the ridge
A short bushwack ways later to the 'summit'....looking back at the end of the ridge
Towards South Fork
Desert
Islip
Back to the highway
Down into the creek by mount Lewis.