Ridge Scrambling Adventure to Towsley Pk
Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2017 1:14 am
On Wednesday morning I set out early for a ridge scrambling adventure with a group in the Santa Clarita area. It was a carpool shuttle. We began the hike at Mentryville Park-Pico Canyon and exited Rivendale Ranch at Towsley Canyon. It was quite an adventure.
Passing through Pico Canyon.
We hiked a short distance till the road ended at Johnson Park. Just a bit of history: Mentryville is an old historic town. It was an 1880's oil town and Johnson Park was used by oil workers. There's and old oil rig and equipment in the park.
The semi steep trail starts near the Park and continues to wind around the canyon where it contours up towards the ridge. Not a great shot but this is where the use path begins.
The trail ends at a fire road that continues towards Towsley Park but we went off trail up a steep ridge that consisted of endless ups and downs along the ridge with some bushwacking.
Selfie on the road before I headed up this crazy roller coaster ridge.
Found this old oil sign behind some bushes.
Looking at the ridge we were about to climb.
A few pics of the ridge looking towards Sand Rock Pk, on the far right.
Some cool rocks to hop over on the trail.
After the bushwacking nightmare......
There is a small open space before climbing up and over a false bump just before heading over to Sand Rock Pk.
Sand Rock Pk in the background
Two of us left the group and went off to explore descending from the false bump down the trail to summit Sand Rock Pk, however we ran out of time and had to get back to the rest of the group and our cars. The picture below shows me heading back from attempting to summit the Peak.
We then followed the same path on the return that we had initially scrambled up, descending down but soon went off trail again in a different direction and followed a use path up another ridge towards Towsley Pk.
Towsley Peak summit and register.
Finally we descended down into Towsley Canyon.
A cool rock face as we hike through the canyon.
Then followed the stream back to another road exiting Rivendale Park.
This was a really fun ridge to hike, my plan is to return again to bag Sand Rock Pk
Passing through Pico Canyon.
We hiked a short distance till the road ended at Johnson Park. Just a bit of history: Mentryville is an old historic town. It was an 1880's oil town and Johnson Park was used by oil workers. There's and old oil rig and equipment in the park.
The semi steep trail starts near the Park and continues to wind around the canyon where it contours up towards the ridge. Not a great shot but this is where the use path begins.
The trail ends at a fire road that continues towards Towsley Park but we went off trail up a steep ridge that consisted of endless ups and downs along the ridge with some bushwacking.
Selfie on the road before I headed up this crazy roller coaster ridge.
Found this old oil sign behind some bushes.
Looking at the ridge we were about to climb.
A few pics of the ridge looking towards Sand Rock Pk, on the far right.
Some cool rocks to hop over on the trail.
After the bushwacking nightmare......
There is a small open space before climbing up and over a false bump just before heading over to Sand Rock Pk.
Sand Rock Pk in the background
Two of us left the group and went off to explore descending from the false bump down the trail to summit Sand Rock Pk, however we ran out of time and had to get back to the rest of the group and our cars. The picture below shows me heading back from attempting to summit the Peak.
We then followed the same path on the return that we had initially scrambled up, descending down but soon went off trail again in a different direction and followed a use path up another ridge towards Towsley Pk.
Towsley Peak summit and register.
Finally we descended down into Towsley Canyon.
A cool rock face as we hike through the canyon.
Then followed the stream back to another road exiting Rivendale Park.
This was a really fun ridge to hike, my plan is to return again to bag Sand Rock Pk