Alimony Ridge
Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 8:57 am
I didn't know much about Alimony Ridge, except that it was labelled on maps and had a measured highpoint of 4939'. And also that it looked accessible from Alimony Road in Juniper Hills.
Alimony Road is an unmarked dirt track that branches off Cima Mesa. I drove up the road for about 1.75 miles, to where a couple closed gates stopped my progress at the Forest boundary.
Signs prohibited further motor traffic, nevertheless local off-roaders have created a bypass track around the gates and have done a fine job on the rolling Alimony ridge trail, which takes off a mere quarter-mile beyond the locked gates.
I enjoyed the views of the high desert and of Bare Mountain, directly across Little Rock Creek to the south.
It's only a couple miles one-way to the summit, which was a good thing since the 90-degree heat felt less than comfortable on the exposed ridge. One might find some shade under an occasional tree.
But I wouldn't count on it mid-day.
After an hour of strolling and picture-taking, the summit was in sight.
The motorcycle track runs along the side of the peak, so I stepped off onto a short deer path that led through some brush and small trees to a relatively clear area at the highpoint, where I built a small cairn, since I couldn't find any register or signs of human visitations, other than ancient work by fire crews.
In the shade of a small tree I drank some sparkling lemon water (my new summit reward) and gazed across the canyon at Bare Mountain. Pacifico was obscured by the hazy shine of the low, western Sun. To the east, the giant toes of Pleasant View Ridge seemed unremarkable and treeless, except that they belonged to one of the great ridges of the Gabes. The view toward the Mojave, not so good from the broad highpoint. It's probably a lot better from the bump further north a half-mile along the ridge. But I was only interested in bagging the highpoint, so I finished up my flavored bubble water and headed back to the car.
Alimony Road is an unmarked dirt track that branches off Cima Mesa. I drove up the road for about 1.75 miles, to where a couple closed gates stopped my progress at the Forest boundary.
Signs prohibited further motor traffic, nevertheless local off-roaders have created a bypass track around the gates and have done a fine job on the rolling Alimony ridge trail, which takes off a mere quarter-mile beyond the locked gates.
I enjoyed the views of the high desert and of Bare Mountain, directly across Little Rock Creek to the south.
It's only a couple miles one-way to the summit, which was a good thing since the 90-degree heat felt less than comfortable on the exposed ridge. One might find some shade under an occasional tree.
But I wouldn't count on it mid-day.
After an hour of strolling and picture-taking, the summit was in sight.
The motorcycle track runs along the side of the peak, so I stepped off onto a short deer path that led through some brush and small trees to a relatively clear area at the highpoint, where I built a small cairn, since I couldn't find any register or signs of human visitations, other than ancient work by fire crews.
In the shade of a small tree I drank some sparkling lemon water (my new summit reward) and gazed across the canyon at Bare Mountain. Pacifico was obscured by the hazy shine of the low, western Sun. To the east, the giant toes of Pleasant View Ridge seemed unremarkable and treeless, except that they belonged to one of the great ridges of the Gabes. The view toward the Mojave, not so good from the broad highpoint. It's probably a lot better from the bump further north a half-mile along the ridge. But I was only interested in bagging the highpoint, so I finished up my flavored bubble water and headed back to the car.
