Page 1 of 2

Lonnie DeCloedt Archive

Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2018 11:34 am
by Sean
129180977_1399240284.jpg

Lonnie DeCloedt was an avid hiker who made many trips to the San Gabriel Mountains and beyond. He also enjoyed photography, Disneyland, and grave-finding. He especially loved his pet dog, Ashley. In 2014 he died from a heart attack at the age of 50. He is survived by his brother, Todd, who created a memorial page for Lonnie on Facebook.

Starting in 2004, Lonnie published pictures and reports at his website: www.ldphotography.net. The site no longer exists, but it has been partially archived at the Wayback Machine. Lonnie also used the online pseudonym "Thomas Canty" and posted extensively at the forum Photography On The Net.
Screenshot_20180714-083017~2.png

On September 30, 2007, Lonnie joined our forum, mere days after its creation. Though he only posted here once, his website served as an online resource for the local hiking community. In particular, Hikeup learned a lot from Lonnie's published material and has requested that we preserve his reports at EisPiraten.com.

I have therefore decided to reproduce Lonnie's old trip reports on this thread, thus storing them in a more accessible and viewable form than what's currently found at the Wayback Machine. Unfortunately, Lonnie's pictures were archived with very low resolution, and many only as small thumbnail images on a gallery page. Thus, for our purposes here, I will use only the full-size photos and relevant captions, which means that the following reproductions are incomplete. To see what is missing, you will need to peruse the available content at the Wayback Machine.

This project will take many months, perhaps years. Lonnie wrote dozens of reports and took hundreds of pictures over many years. I'll start with his adventures in the San Gabriels from 2001 and continue chronologically from there.

Re: Lonnie DeCloedt Archive

Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2018 12:17 pm
by Sean
Cooper Canyon Waterfall
June 6, 2001

By Lonnie DeCloedt

I had heard of this waterfall and went looking for it previously, but didn't realize it was downhill from the trail and couldn't find it that time. I came back on this date to try again, armed with a little more information on where, exactly, it was.
Cooper Canyon Topo.jpg

The hike started at the Burkhart Trailhead in the Buckhorn Flats Campground.
Cooper Canyon 01.jpg

A natural table made of rocks.
Cooper Canyon 02.jpg

Wild flowers.
Cooper Canyon 03.jpg

A tree across the trail.
Cooper Canyon 04.jpg

The trail makes a sharp turn here. If it weren't for this sign, a person could easily miss it and keep heading straight ahead.
Cooper Canyon 05.jpg

The creek.
Cooper Canyon 06.jpg

Nearing the waterfall.
Cooper Canyon 07.jpg

The waterfall.
Cooper Canyon 08.jpg

Another shot of the waterfall.
Cooper Canyon 09.jpg

And another.
Cooper Canyon 10.jpg

And another.
Cooper Canyon 11.jpg

Yet another. I kept backing up further away for more shots.
Cooper Canyon 12.jpg

These people showed up shortly after I arrived. They didn't stay very long.
Cooper Canyon 13.jpg

Another shot of the waterfall with the other hikers. These were the only people I saw all day.
Cooper Canyon 14.jpg

After climbing back up the hill to the trail, I turned around for one last shot of the waterfall.
Cooper Canyon 15.jpg

Out of the tree cover, on the upper section of the trail.
Cooper Canyon 17.jpg

That red thing is called a Snow Plant.
Cooper Canyon 18.jpg

A lizard, sunning himself on a rock.
Cooper Canyon 19.jpg

Another waterfall. This one was a little smaller.
Cooper Canyon 20.jpg

Screenshot_20180714-082611~3.png

Re: Lonnie DeCloedt Archive

Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2018 10:56 pm
by HikeUp
Sean, I can only imagine how much Lonnie would be pleased.

From my perspective, Lonnie's TR's are what inspired me to explore the San Gabriels. Sure, Robinson's Trails of the Angeles is what first got me started in hiking, but it was the likes of Lonnie and Dan Simpson (Dan, who, if I recall correctly, has himself actually refered to Lonnie's TR's - forgive me if my memory fails) who wrote TR's in such a way that it gave me the courage to actually get out there and do things that I was afraid I couldn't do. Mind you, these hikes aren't extreme for the most part, but with me being a not so fit guy from the lofty states of Louisiana and Texas, the elevation gains of the 100 hikes (as well as the Sierra Club's HPS peaks) were intimidating. These are real guys in not ridiculously uber-fantastic physical shape who did these hikes with 750-1000+ ft/mile gains and made it sound fun! In Louisiana, at these grades I'd reach the high point after walking about 100 yds.!

Lonnie did these hikes solo (except for his wonderful canine sidekick Ashley), which is exactly how I personally enjoy(ed) hiking. Also, his TR's were almost always (if not in fact always) completely accurate in all respects (parking, mileage, elevation profiles, etc.). Just try and get that kind of reliable info from the likes of Modern Hiker. This is not any special or unique info that can't be found from numerous other sources, but his TR's are special because of the personal experiences he wrote about so simply and eloquently (IMHO).

I had always hoped to run into and talk with Lonnie personally to thank him, but it never happened. My loss. It is because of this that I mentioned his website to Sean as I recognized Sean's passion for the San Gabriels and his agility with all things www.

Thanks.

Re: Lonnie DeCloedt Archive

Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2018 1:21 am
by David R
I remember him, we used to have a Yahoo hiking site and I think he posted there. I definitely saw his write ups, the dog stuck out. While we're at it shout outs to old timers who had great hiking sites or photo galleries such as Roy Randall, Tom Chester (site still up), Wingding, Snownymph, and the originator of the hunt for old aircrafts, Joe Idoni. Another great group was the South Bay hiking group lots of strong fun hikers who were very welcoming. I met most of them at one time or another and also met Chris Brennan who was about to do a rappel and asked me if I wanted to join and I politely demurred.

Re: Lonnie DeCloedt Archive

Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2018 4:39 pm
by Sean
Mount Islip
September 28, 2001

By Lonnie DeCloedt

Hike stats from GPSr:
Distance: 6.62 Miles
Starting elevation: 6,780'
Lowest elevation: 6,780'
Highest elevation: 7,960'

This was my third time to the summit of Mount Islip (8,250'). I consider this my favorite mountain, because it is the one that pushed me to get into shape. I started this hike at Angeles Crest Highway mile marker 65.5, where the Little Jimmy Trail Camp access road meets the highway.
Mount Islip 01.jpg

I followed the access road about a half mile uphill until I came across the Little Jimmy Trail on the left.

About halfway up the road.
Mount Islip 03.jpg

Still a little further to go before I get to the trail.
Mount Islip 04.jpg

The Little Jimmy Trail.
Mount Islip 06.jpg

I don't know if this was the first picture I took of this tree trunk, but I've since taken several. It's my favorite (I have a lot of "favorites" on this mountain). It's hollow. The only thing left of the tree is five or six feet of bark.
Mount Islip 07.jpg

Another shot of Little Jimmy Trail Camp.
Mount Islip 10.jpg

A sign post at Little Jimmy.
Mount Islip 11.jpg

I headed up the Mount Islip Trail at the west end of the campground. I hadn't yet discovered the Windy Gap Trail at this point.
Mount Islip 13.jpg

There are a couple more camping spots just a little further uphill from the main campgrounds.
Mount Islip 14.jpg

Another fallen tree cut from the trail. This one looked pretty recent.
Mount Islip 16.jpg

I adopted Ashley the previous summer and got her started hiking right away. She loves it!
Mount Islip 18.jpg

And there's the recreational area near the lake.
Mount Islip 20.jpg

The summit cabin ruins.
Mount Islip 24.jpg

I've since been to the summits of every mountain that can be seen from here, some several times, and can identify all of them. I didn't sign the summit register the first time I came here because I didn't know there was such a thing. I couldn't find it the second time. Third time's a charm! I also hadn't yet heard of the Hundred Peaks Section yet.
Lonnie DeCloedt - 2004 Bio.png

Re: Lonnie DeCloedt Archive

Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2018 5:32 pm
by Sean
Mount Mooney, Devil's Peak and Vetter Mountain
October 6, 2001

By Lonnie DeCloedt

Hike stats from GPSr:
Distance: 5.80 Miles
Lowest elevation: 5,080'
Highest elevation: 5,760'

A rather ambitious hike for me at the time, I decided to attempt three summits in one day. I started by parking along Angeles Crest Highway, near the entrance to Charlton Flats.
100601 01.jpg

I headed up this dirt road to a saddle between Mount Mooney and Devil's Peak.

The saddle. Mount Mooney is to the left, Devil's Peak is to the right, and straight ahead is a road that makes a long sweeping circle around Chilao and back to Charlton (I'll do that some other day).
100601 03.jpg

Oh yeah, Ashley was with me on this one, too.

I headed for Mount Mooney first. It's a short hike up this hillside.
100601 04.jpg

About halfway to the top.
100601 05.jpg

Almost there.
100601 06.jpg

I left Mooney and headed up the closed observatory road at the saddle, in the direction of Devil's Peak.
100601 09.jpg

Ashley on the road to the observatory.
100601 10.jpg

The Stony Ridge Observatory, on the way to Devil's Peak.
100601 11.jpg

A marker on the side of the observatory.
100601 12.jpg

Another look at the observatory's dome.
100601 13.jpg

A shot of Vetter Mountain, my next goal, from about halfway up Devil's Peak.
100601 14.jpg

And looking back at Mount Mooney.
100601 15.jpg

Ashley, working her way to the top of Devil's Peak.
100601 16.jpg

There's another shot of Mount Wilson. I got a lot of pictures of that one, because it was the one I could most readily identify, due to the antenna farm on top of it.
100601 17.jpg

I've long since forgotten why I took this picture.
100601 18.jpg

The Devil's Peak summit register. Devil's Peak, for reasons I don't understand, is not on the Hundred Peaks Section list.
100601 19.jpg

I left Devil's Peak, walked down the road and back to my car, then drove the mile or so down to the end of Charlton Flats, where I would pick up the Vetter Mountain Trail. I really should have walked that instead of driving it...
100601 21.jpg

A trail intersection.
100601 22.jpg

There is plenty of shade from the oak trees on this trail. I think oaks are probably my favorite kind of trees.
100601 24.jpg

The Vetter Mountain Trail crosses this road twice on the way to the top.
100601 25.jpg

Ashley, crossing the road.
100601 26.jpg

Near the summit, the trail looks more like a wash.
100601 27.jpg

I'm starting to add to the list of mountains I can recognize.
100601 29.jpg

The Vetter Mountain summit register. Three peaks in one day. Quite an achievement for me back then!
100601 30.jpg

If I remember correctly, this shot is looking north(ish) from the fire lookout tower on the summit of Vetter.
100601 33.jpg

Lonnie DeCloedt - 2004 Bio.png

Re: Lonnie DeCloedt Archive

Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2018 6:12 pm
by Sean
Winston Peak
October 17, 2001

By Lonnie DeCloedt

Hike stats from GPSr:
Distance: 1.32 Miles
Starting elevation: 6,720'
Lowest elevation: 6,720'
Highest elevation: 7,180'

20011017 Topo.jpg

This hike started here at Cloud Burst Summit, on Angeles Crest Highway.
20011017 01.jpg

I actually took this picture when I got back to the car after the hike. The people in the van were just getting ready to head out on the trail. I don't know if they were going up to Winston Peak, or down to Cooper Canyon.
20011017 02.jpg

The trailhead.
20011017 03.jpg

Another shot of the trailhead. I don't remember why I took two different pictures of it.
20011017 04.jpg

The trail is nice and wide at first, almost like an old road. It narrows down to a normal trail before long.
20011017 06.jpg

Mount Islip in the distance.
20011017 07.jpg

A couple old burned logs, remnants of some long ago fire.
20011017 08.jpg

Almost to the summit.
20011017 09.jpg

The summit is just around that bend.
20011017 10.jpg

The rocky summit block of Winston Peak.
20011017 11.jpg

I've never been able to find a summit register up here, even on subsequent trips.
20011017 12.jpg

A view north to the desert.
20011017 13.jpg

An old fallen tree just below the summit.
20011017 14.jpg

The same shot, zoomed out a little. I don't remember why I kept taking duplicate photos on this hike. I guess I must have been trying to fill out the image gallery since it's such a short hike.
20011017 15.jpg

The end of the hike. About halfway back down I passed a naked hiker on his way up the mountain. Why are the naked hikers always male?
20011017 16.jpg

Lonnie DeCloedt - 2004 Bio.png

Re: Lonnie DeCloedt Archive

Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2020 8:20 pm
by HikeUp
Found this pic I took in 2009 of his register entry on Sugarloaf.
IMG_4508.jpg

Re: Lonnie DeCloedt Archive

Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2021 11:26 pm
by Sean
Haggard Peak
May 28, 2002

By Lonnie DeCloedt

Haggard Peak (approx. 2,990')
Distance: 6.44 Miles
Verdugo Mountains

I'm not sure if this summit has an official name.* I refer to it as Haggard Peak because the first time I went there was with my best friend Steve Haggard, back in 1979 or 1980 when we were in high school.
20020528 Topo.jpg

The trail starts at the end of the road in Wildwood Canyon, in the foothills above Burbank.
20020528 01.jpg

At first, the route follows a dirt access road that goes to some water towers. My goal for the hike became visible as I rounded a bend in the road.

A little closer and a slightly better shot of my goal.
20020528 04.jpg

Grafitti covered water towers at a sort of saddle on the road. I left the road here and headed up a rather steep, short trail to the top.
20020528 05.jpg

Nearing the radio tower at the top.
20020528 10.jpg

The radio tower.
20020528 11.jpg

Mount Lukens to the north, with its own antenna farm on top. Lukens is the highest point within the city limits of Los Angeles.
20020528 13.jpg

Once I made it to the top of Haggard Peak, there was a dirt road I followed east toward Glendale, toward a couple other radio tower installations.
20020528 14.jpg

This road heads down into the Tujunga area to the north.
20020528 15.jpg

Haggard Peak is the first tower behind the trees on the left side of this photo. The second one, toward the center, is slightly higher in elevation.
20020528 16.jpg

The third tower along the road. This is as far as I went on this trip.
20020528 17.jpg

There are a few more tower installations along the ridge as it makes its way toward Glendale. The San Gabriel Mountains can be seen in the background.
20020528 18.jpg

A yucca in bloom.
20020528 19.jpg

Someone stuck this flag in the fence on Haggard Peak. I started seeing these fairly often after September 1, 2001.**
20020528 21.jpg

Me in front of the radio tower on Haggard Peak.
20020528 22.jpg

lonnie decloedt signature.png

----------
* I'm not aware of an official name for this summit. I believe some locals call it West Peak.

** Lonnie probably meant September 11, 2001, referring to the terrorist attacks on America.

Re: Lonnie DeCloedt Archive

Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2021 12:36 am
by Sean
San Jacinto Peak
September 19, 2002

By Lonnie Decloedt

San Jacinto Peak (10,804')
Distance: 15.40 Miles
San Jacinto Mountains
(San Jacinto Wilderness)

20020919 Topo.jpg

After doing [San Jacinto] the week before, a coworker of mine named Danny decided he wanted to do it also. So, I took him and his girlfriend Jana up to Humber Park in Idyllwild to attack the Devil's Slide Trail again. A short way up the trail we found this little deer mouse. It was a bit loopy, running in circles in the middle of the trail.
20020919 01.jpg

Danny and Jana at Saddle Junction.
20020919 02.jpg

Danny near the federal/state wilderness boundary where we stopped for a short break.
20020919 03.jpg

The Salton Sea could be seen to the east. I didn't see that the previous week. The skies seemed a little clearer on this trip.
20020919 04.jpg

A slightly closer view of the Salton Sea.
20020919 05.jpg

Jana makes it to Wellman Divide.
20020919 06.jpg

And so does Danny.
20020919 07.jpg

We made it to the hut just below the summit. I added to my register entry from the previous week.
20020919 08.jpg

I thought this register entry was pretty humorous.
20020919 09.jpg

Danny was feeling a little dizzy and nauseous from the altitude and stayed at the hut while Jana and I continued up the rocks to the summit. We had a nice, clear view of Hemet Lake to the south from the summit.
20020919 10.jpg

Jana on the summit. This is one of my favorite pictures from all of my hikes.
20020919 11.jpg

San Gorgonio Mountain on the other side of the pass.
20020919 12.jpg

Another shot of Jana on the summit.
20020919 14.jpg

Just as I was arriving back home after the long drive back from the desert, I saw these missile trails in the sky to the west and got out to take a shot. The military was test firing a missile off the coast. The reflection at the bottom of the picture is from my car's roof, which I was using as an impromptu tripod for this picture.
20020919 15.jpg

lonnie decloedt signature.png

Re: Lonnie DeCloedt Archive

Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2021 8:15 am
by Sean
Bridge to Nowhere
January 23, 2003

By Lonnie DeCloedt

Bridge to Nowhere
Hike stats from GPSr:
Distance: 10.90 Miles
Starting elevation: 2,071'
Lowest elevation: 1,784'
Highest elevation: 2,806'
Total elevation gain: 1,194'

In a bit of a departure for me, I decided to head to The Bridge to Nowhere this week, instead of some mountain summit. Though this is one of the most popular hikes in the L.A. area, I didn't see anyone else at the bridge on this day.
20030123 Topo.jpg

I started this hike here at the East Fork Road, near the fire station.
20030123 01.jpg

This hike took me into the Sheep Mountain Wilderness. This is the only entry point in this wilderness area that requires a wilderness permit. They are available at a self-service station just below the fire station.

[T]he actual start of the trail [is] at the north end of Heaton Flat, a little more than a half mile past the East Fork Road closure.*

If you decide to go on this hike, wear a pair of old boots that you no longer care about (preferably waterproof), because you WILL be getting wet! The trail crosses the river about a dozen times.

There isn't actually any one trail that goes to the bridge. The trail branches off several times, and even seemed to disappear completely at times. As long as you keep heading in the right direction, keeping to a trail when you can, or what's left of the old road bed ... you'll eventually end up in the correct place.

At [a] river crossing, I found ... supports for another bridge which no longer exists. There are usually rocks or logs you can use to help cross the river, but many times they are a couple inches below the surface of the water ... [A] little foot bridge sure looked rickety, but it felt pretty sturdy when I crossed over it.

The old road bed and the Bridge to Nowhere cross through private property, but access is allowed as long as you stay on the trail.

The famous bridge, stranded about five miles north of the nearest currently existing road.
20030123 Panorama.jpg
(Three images combined with Smoky City Design's Panorama Factory)

It is located in the lower elevations of the Angeles High Country of the San Gabriel Mountains, near The Narrows. The Narrows, the deepest gorge in Southern California, rises about 5,500' in about 1.5 miles. Now, that is STEEP!

The bridge and road were built in the 1930's, in an attempt to connect the San Gabriel Valley with Wrightwood and the desert beyond. Large sections of the road were washed downstream in the devastating flood of 1938, and the entire project was abandoned when it was decided the hillsides were just too unstable to attempt to rebuild the road. Very little of the road is left. The only tangible evidence still in existence is this bridge, out here all by itself.

The bridge appears to have shifted about two inches across the center over the years, probably due to earthquake damage. It also seemed to me like it was leaning a bit to the south. Considering the fact that it has been here, completely neglected, for 65 years, it's in pretty good shape, but I have to wonder how much longer it will really last. Part of the railing was missing in a couple places.

I continued on the trail toward The Narrows for a short while, but when I saw it was heading back down to the river, I decided to call it a day. I didn't really feel like wading across the river any more, and I still had about a dozen crossings to go on the way back.

Going by one of the Curve Fire burn areas on my way back, I passed [some] charred plants. I'm not sure what they [were]. They look[ed] like a cross between a palm tree and a yucca.

I took a different path on the way back, following the river instead of the high road I took on the way in. I found [a] motorcycle in the river near the area where that rickety foot bridge I saw on the way in was. Judging from the condition of the bike, I'd say it was abandoned here a LONG time ago.

I don't usually see manzanita this large. Normally they look like small bushes, not trees, like this one.
20030123 22.jpg

lonnie decloedt signature.png

----------
* The Wayback Machine archived only a few full-sized images from Lonnie's gallery for this trip. I have included and slightly modified some captions from missing photos in order to preserve the essence of his report.

Re: Lonnie DeCloedt Archive

Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2021 10:14 am
by Sean
Turtlehead Peak
December 24, 2003

By Lonnie DeCloedt

Turtlehead Peak (6,323')
Hike stats from GPSr:
Distance: 5.41 Miles
Starting elevation: 4,300'
Lowest elevation: 4,258'
Highest elevation: 6,322'
Total elevation gain: 2,321'
La Madre Mountains
(Red Rock Canyon, Nevada)

Computer and car problems kept me offline and out of the mountains for a while, but the car is fixed, and I now have a new laptop, desktop and PDA, so it was time to get back to hiking! So, I headed to Nevada's Turtlehead Peak for another try.

My brother and I decided to spend Christmas in Las Vegas and stayed here at Luxor. The view outside my hotel room window.
20031224 02.jpg

That's Excalibur. You can also see one of the New York, New York towers behind it.

Looking down toward the casino floor from my room on the 13th floor. This is the world's largest atrium.
20031224 03.jpg

20031224 04.jpg

That's Turtlehead Peak, with the clouds starting to roll in, as seen from the parking lot at the Sandstone Quarry, where the trailhead is located. It looked like it was about to start raining any second, but actually the rain didn't come for another day.

Turtlehead Peak above the sandstone.
20031224 06.jpg

Soon after I passed this area, I lost the trail and decided to head straight up the ridge. This put me in some class three rocks.

Almost there.
20031224 07.jpg

After scrambling over the rocks for a while, I noticed a couple guys below me on the trail, so I cut back across and picked it up again near where they were.

The clouds opened up for just a few seconds, giving me a brief view of the canyon floor, 1700' below me.

The Turtlehead Peak register.
20031224 09.jpg

The peak was named for its obvious resemblance [to] a turtle, poking its head out from its shell.

Me on the summit of Turtlehead Peak. It was a little chilly up there, but still pretty muggy.
20031224 10.jpg

The view south from the summit.
20031224 11.jpg

If it had been a clear day, this shot would show the Sandstone Quarry in the canyon below. I'd imagine you could see the large hotels/casinos on The Strip from here on a clear day.

Heading back down, I broke out of the clouds a couple hundred feet below the summit. Here's a view of the canyon.
20031224 15.jpg

That's the Sandstone Quarry down there. You can also see part of the 13 mile loop road that winds through Red Rock Canyon.

Looking back at Turtlehead Peak from the canyon floor.
20031224 16.jpg

Figures, now that I'm back down the clouds would clear away from the summit.

Getting closer to the old Sandstone Quarry.
20031224 17.jpg

The Calico Hills, just behind the Sandstone Quarry.
20031224 18.jpg

Even closer to the Calico Hills and Sandstone Quarry.
20031224 19.jpg

One more look back at Turtlehead Peak.
20031224 20.jpg

This hill looked like some sort of Star Wars creature to me.
20031224 21.jpg

I showed it to some friends, and one said it looked like a woman giving birth. Now I can't look at this picture without seeing that. Thanks a lot, Robert! :)

The Calico Hills near the Sandstone Quarry.
20031224 22.jpg

Those little tiny dots on the side of that hill are people climbing it. [Here is] the same view, zoomed in a little so you can see the people a little clearer.
20031224 23.jpg

One final look at Turtlehead Peak from the Sandstone Quarry.
20031224 24.jpg

You can see some of the quarried blocks in the foreground.
lonnie decloedt signature.png

Re: Lonnie DeCloedt Archive

Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2021 11:38 am
by Sean
So I've added a few more of Lonnie's trip reports for hikes he did in '02 and '03. The Wayback Machine did not archive many of his full-sized images, and my effort to locate copies elsewhere has failed, so for now I'm only reproducing his reports when I can find decent images to go with the preserved captions. I still have a few more years worth of Lonnie's hikes to go through. I'll take a break and get back to them hopefully sooner than later. Below are some bonus photos plus the captions from Lonnie's Facebook page.

FB_IMG_1609818501461.jpg

"The old cabin on the summit of Mount Islip in the San Gabriel Mountains. This was the first mountain summit I reached (in May 2000)."

FB_IMG_1609818468989.jpg

"Me and my favoritest, bestest little girl on the summit of Mount Baden-Powell in the San Gabriel Mountains. Wow! That was TEN years ago?!? Where did the time go?" Posted to Facebook in 2013, Lonnie took the photo in 2003.

FB_IMG_1609818555053.jpg

"Three Least Chipmunks at Buckhorn Campground in the San Gabriel Mountains. There were a dozen or so playing on this log but every time I tried to get close enough to take a picture they ran away. So, I put my telephoto lens on the old Olympus C-4040Z, sat down on a tree stump across the road and waited. After about 15 minutes, these three came back to see if the coast was clear." The photo is stamped with the year 2002, which corresponds with his "Switzer Falls and Buckhorn Campground" gallery from May 15, 2002.

Re: Lonnie DeCloedt Archive

Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2023 6:17 pm
by dima
Wait. Is this the "LD" that used to post here? His posts on this forum stopped in 2011.

Re: Lonnie DeCloedt Archive

Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2023 9:26 pm
by Sean
dima wrote: ↑Wed Dec 27, 2023 6:17 pm Wait. Is this the "LD" that used to post here? His posts on this forum stopped in 2011.
I doubt it. LD was more advanced.

Re: Lonnie DeCloedt Archive

Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2023 11:37 am
by dima
Oh yeah. Lonnie actually does have an account here. With a single post about how he doesn't post.

Re: Lonnie DeCloedt Archive

Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2024 1:46 pm
by Sean
Mount Baden-Powell
June 11, 2004

By Lonnie DeCloedt

Hike stats from GPSr:
Distance: 8.24 Miles
Starting elevation: 6,647'
Lowest elevation: 6,647'
Highest elevation: 9,347'
(Normally it's much more accurate than this!)
Total elevation gain: 2,556'
20040611 Topo.jpg
I noticed Angeles Crest Highway was open again, so I decided to head back into the Angeles High Country for a short hike [to Vincent's Cabin] before I had to go back to work Friday night.

A look at the collapsed chimney behind the cabin.
20040610 07.jpg
While checking out the cabin, I decided to hike Mount Baden-Powell, too. It was getting late, though, so I had to come back and do that the next day. This shot shows the trailhead at Vincent Gap.
20040611 01.jpg
The road that leads to the mine and the cabin is just to the left, where that gate blocks access to vehicles.

This vista at one of the switchbacks near the beginning of the hike has a bench for those who want to sit down and take in the view.
20040611 02.jpg
Ashley, on the trail.
20040611 03.jpg
Her feet were so sore last week after doing Mount Baldy that she couldn't walk for two or three days. I've had these boots for about a year or so, but just never put them on her. I decided it was about time to get her used to them. She wasn't too crazy about them at first, but didn't seem to mind after a short while.

This rock almost looks like it was cut clear of the trail.
20040611 04.jpg
That would take a heck of a powerful chainsaw.

A couple miles up, at this switchback, is an intersection.
20040611 05.jpg
Heading straight at this point for a quarter mile would take me to Lamel Spring. I've never followed that trail, but want to check it out some day.

Another shot of Ashley.
20040611 06.jpg
I got a lot of pictures of her on this hike. These boots did their job, keeping the pads of her feet from getting sore, but she had some difficulty walking in them. On our way back down, she kept catching the tips on the ground and tripping over herself, planting her face in the dirt. I saw that happen once, but it apparently happened frequently. It seemed like every time I turned back to look at her, her snout kept getting darker from all the dirt she was grinding into her face... Poor dog... :)

These signs are located at a few random switchbacks to let you know how you are progressing, giving the altitude, mileage and switchback number (there are 41 total).
20040611 07.jpg
Unfortunately, the signs are old and the lettering is wearing off most of them.

Snow.
20040611 08.jpg
There wasn't much up here, just two very small drifts; this one, and another slightly larger one about a tenth of a mile further up the trail.

Almost to the top.
20040611 10.jpg
The Wally Waldron Tree, a 1,500 year old Limber Pine believed to be the oldest living tree in the San Gabriel Mountains, is on the ridge on the left.

The summit.
20040611 11.jpg
The monument to Lord Baden-Powell can be seen up there.

I should have brought a new notebook with me. This was my seventh time on this summit, and I only remember there being a decent register book up here once. A couple times there was nothing at all. This time I only found three or four loose pieces of paper. Oddly enough, there was about a dozen pens in there -- plenty of those...

Ashley and me at the monument on the summit.
20040611 13.jpg
One more shot of the monument.
20040611 14.jpg
A triangulation marker on the summit.
20040611 15.jpg
I found one up here before, but this isn't it. The one I found last time gave the mountain's name as "North Baldy". I couldn't find that marker this time. Instead, I found this one with the correct peak name of "Mount Baden-Powell" on it.

I photographed Ashley as she followed me around the summit.

[Note: Lonnie captioned a few lost photos with peak identifications. I'm preserving the identifications he made.]

Peaks visible looking west: Throop Peak, Mount Burnham, Mount Lewis, Waterman Mountain, Winston Peak, Pallett Mountain, Will Thrall Peak, Pleasant View Ridge, Pacifico Mountain and Mount Gleason. Mount Emma and Old Mount Emma [might also be visible], but I'm not too sure about those ones. Also looking west, and slightly more south: Middle Hawkins, Mount Hawkins, Throop Peak, Mount Burnham, Waterman Mountain, Winston Peak, Pacifico Mountain, Mount Gleason and Mount Wilson with the rest of the peaklets on its ridge.

East: Wright Mountain, Pine Mountain, Dawson Peak, Mount San Antonio (Baldy), West Baldy, Iron Mountain and Ontario Peak.
20040611 19.jpg
San Gorgonio Mountain can be seen in the distance on the left, and San Jacinto Peak is barely visible between Dawson and Baldy.

Blue Ridge.
20040611 20.jpg
When you watch the news and see the weatherman show a view "from the Blue Ridge cam", it's down there somewhere. Wright Mountain is on the right side of the shot, and San Gorgonio Mountain is in the distance.

The white area down there is the Devil's Punchbowl, in the desert.
20040611 21.jpg
[Note: Below are more preserved identifications for lost photos.]

[To the] west, South Mount Hawkins. Copter Ridge is the lower peak in front of it. Mount Wilson, et al, is in the background to the left of South Hawkins.

[T]he Baldy Traverse [goes] from Iron Mountain to West Baldy and Mount San Antonio (Baldy). Ontario Peak, in the Cucamonga Wilderness, is in the background.

Pinyon Ridge [is] to the north, with the Mojave Desert beyond.

I went back to Vincent Gap and ended the hike. My car was the only one in the parking lot when I arrived there before the hike.
Lonnie DeCloedt - 2004 Bio.png

Re: Lonnie DeCloedt Archive

Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2024 2:23 pm
by Sean
Cirque Peak Attempt
August 11, 2004

by Lonnie DeCloedt

Hike stats from GPSr:
Distance: 10.0 Miles
Starting elevation: 9,963'
Lowest elevation: 9.910'
Highest elevation: 12,023'
Total elevation gain: 2,186'

Sierra Nevada Mountains
(Golden Trout Wilderness)
20040811 Topo.jpg
It had been a while since I'd been in the Eastern Sierras, so I took Ashley up there to try to pick up Cirque Peak via the Cottonwood Pass. From the top of the pass, I mistakenly tried going around an intervening peak instead of over it. This put me in quite a bit of class 2 and class 3 rocks that I wasn't expecting, and I ended up looking at a cliff I couldn't get up. The rocks were wearing us out, so instead of backtracking and trying the correct way, I decided to call it a day and come back some other time for this mountain.

The trailhead at Horseshoe Meadows.
20040811 01.jpg
This trail soon branches off into the Trail Pass and Cottonwood Pass trails. After entering the Golden Trout Wilderness, this is where the trail branches.
20040811 03.jpg
The Trail Pass Trail is to the left of this tree. I was headed straight ahead, to Cottonwood Pass.

The first couple miles of this hike were on fairly level terrain.
20040811 04.jpg
This creek runs through the meadow.
20040811 05.jpg
I had to cross it twice as I entered the trees.

A cabin hidden in the trees near the first creek crossing.
20040811 06.jpg
I wonder how many people pass by here without realizing it's there.

Heading up to Cottonwood Pass, I finally started to encounter some elevation gain as I headed up the switchbacks.
20040811 07.jpg
Near the top of the pass I turned around to get this shot of Horseshoe Meadow down there in the distance, about three miles away.
20040811 08.jpg
After I got to the top of the pass, I headed cross-country, up this steep and rocky mountainside.
20040811 09.jpg
I headed around the peak in a counter-clockwise direction, scrambling through the rocks as I climbed uphill. I later discovered this was a bad choice of direction.

The view north.
20040811 10.jpg
I think that's Mount Langley on the far left, but I'm not completely positive about that.

As I made my way around the peak I was scrambling up, I came upon a sheer cliff that I had no way of getting up. I should have headed straight up this peak from the top of Cottonwood Pass instead of trying to go around it. The class 2 and class 3 rocks that I hadn't anticipated were wearing Ashley and me out, so I decided to call it quits here.
20040811 11.jpg
I stopped for lunch before heading back down.

The view east from where we stopped.
20040811 12.jpg
The dry Owens Lake bed can be seen in the distance.

One last look north before we head back down to Horseshoe Meadows.
20040811 13.jpg
A cool rock formation near the top of Cottonwood Pass.
20040811 14.jpg
Ashley taking a break at the top of Cottonwood Pass.
20040811 15.jpg
As we headed back down to camp, some dark and ominous looking clouds started rolling in. I never did see any rain, but after we got back to Horseshoe Meadow, I heard a very loud, close thunderclap while I was getting my dinner ready.
20040811 16.jpg
I decided to stop at the cabin near the creek on the way back. I stumbled across this cabin about a year ago when I was up here wandering around to kill some time the day before my Mount Whitney climb.
20040811 17.jpg
Inside the cabin.
20040811 21.jpg
Barbed wire and the remains of an old bed outside the cabin.
20040811 22.jpg
Me and Ashley in front of the cabin.
20040811 23.jpg
Whoever built this thing must have been very short. I'm not all that tall, but I had to duck to get through the door. The crossbeams inside were just as low.

Making our way back through the meadow.
20040811 24.jpg
The Trail Pass Trail can be seen heading across to the other side.
Lonnie DeCloedt - 2004 Bio.png

Re: Lonnie DeCloedt Archive

Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2024 3:07 pm
by Sean
Mount Langley Attempt
August 24-25, 2004

by Lonnie DeCloedt

Hike stats from GPSr:

Leg 1 (Trailhead to Cottonwood Lake Four)
Distance: 5.95 Miles
Starting elevation: 10,030'
Lowest elevation: 10,030'
Highest elevation: 11,110'
Total elevation gain: 1,240'

Leg 2 (Cottonwood Lake Four to Mount Langley and back):
Distance: 7.49 Miles
Starting elevation: 11,164'
Lowest elevation: 11,078'
Highest elevation: 13,473'
Total elevation gain: 2,821'

Leg 3 (Cottonwood Lake Four to Trailhead):
Distance: 5.85 Miles
Starting elevation: 11,164'
Lowest elevation: 10,040'
Highest elevation: 11,185'
Total elevation gain: 271'
Total elevation loss: 1,115'

Sierra Nevada Mountains
(Golden Trout and John Muir Wildernesses)

I've been wanting to give Langley a try for a while now, but the reservable permits were already gone, so I decided to head up there, camp at Horseshoe Meadow, and dayhike to the Cottonwood Lakes to check the area out. As I arrived in Lone Pine, I decided to stop at the ranger station and see if there were any walk up permits available. There were, so I was able to give Langley a try after all. Ashley and I hiked to lake four and set up camp, then the next day climbed Old Army Pass and headed up Langley. We didn't make it to the top, though. I was following a use trail that put me in the wrong place, and wound up in some rocks we just couldn't navigate through. We'll be back to try again soon!

I've gone looking for [an] arch in the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine several times with no luck. This time, with a little help and a map from Snow Nymph, I was finally able to track it down. Mount Whitney, Mount Muir, the needles and Lone Pine Peak can be seen inside the arch.

After visiting the arch, we drove to the Cottonwood Lakes trailhead near Horseshoe Meadows, loaded up and started on our way. [We entered] the Golden Trout Wilderness. A sign [was] stapled to the side of a tree next to the trail just inside the wilderness. There were a number of stream crossings to negotiate on the way to the lakes. Two of the streams had log bridges over them. [We passed the] Golden Trout Educational Camp, [then left] the Golden Trout Wilderness and [entered] the John Muir Wilderness.
20040824 10.jpg
Ashley, heading to the log bridge on another stream crossing.
20040824 11.jpg
These dark clouds were blowing in as I made my way to the lakes.
20040824 12.jpg
Just like two weeks earlier, I never saw any rain, but I did hear some thunder later in the night. It must have been raining somewhere nearby.

The trail split. The trail to the left [headed] to New Army Pass. I kept going straight ahead, toward the Cottonwood Lakes.

I [watched] Ashley at another stream crossing. She's not too good at using the rocks to keep out of the water. Sometimes she tries, but eventually ends up plodding right through the water.

Cirque Peak is ahead on the left.
20040824 15.jpg
Mount Langley in the distance.
20040824 16.jpg
I saw a lot of marmots up here. Most of them were pretty skinny, too. Not the fat, chubby ones like I'd seen last year on White Mountain Peak.
20040824 17.jpg
Cottonwood Lake One [was] mostly dried up.

On the door of a cabin next to lake three, someone scratched "Cook Wanted." Mount Langley [was] in the background at lake three.

As near as I can determine, I [saw] a Gunnison Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus minimus). There were two of them wandering around my camp site. They weren't very skittish, either. I [was able to get very] close for [a] picture.

I [had a] view of Cottonwood Lake Four from my camp site kitchen.

My camp.
20040824 23.jpg
I just bought this new tent last week. I really like it for its small pack size and light weight, but it has a serious condensation problem.

Sunset at Mount Langley.
20040824 24.jpg
[Note: Unfortunately I could not locate archived files for the rest of Lonnie's trip. Only portions of the first leg appear to have been saved.]
Lonnie DeCloedt - 2004 Bio.png

Re: Lonnie DeCloedt Archive

Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2024 3:54 pm
by Sean
San Bernardino Peaks
October 6, 2004

By Lonnie DeCloedt

I hadn't been in the San Gorgonio Wilderness for a little while, so I headed up there to take the Forsee Creek trail to San Bernardino Peak East (10,691'), San Bernardino Peak (10,649'), and if I had time (I didn't) Anderson (10,840') and Shields (10,680') Peaks. The weather was great, I had the wilderness all to myself (well, almost) and I had a good time.

[Note: While several of Lonnie's photos from this trip were preserved, the full captions were not. I've included his partial captions for some photos. Other captions could not be retrieved, not even in partial form.]
My entry in the San Bernar...
My entry in the San Bernar...
San Bernardino Peak to the...
San Bernardino Peak to the...
Looking east, left to righ...
Looking east, left to righ...
Looking down the steep mou...
Looking down the steep mou...
Me on the summit of San Be...
Me on the summit of San Be...
The Perris Reservoir could...
The Perris Reservoir could...
I didn't stay long on San ...
I didn't stay long on San ...
The view east, San Bernard...
The view east, San Bernard...
20041006_25.jpg
20041006_26.jpg
20041006_27.jpg
20041006_28.jpg
Lonnie DeCloedt - 2004 Bio.png

Re: Lonnie DeCloedt Archive

Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2024 4:07 pm
by Sean
I added four of Lonnie's TRs from 2004. The WayBack Machine saved partial content for a few other hikes that year, but not enough to create a satisfying reproduction of Lonnie's gallery-based reports. After I'm done with years 2005-08, I will reconsider the miscellaneous material and possibly publish it piecemeal.

Re: Lonnie DeCloedt Archive

Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2024 2:56 pm
by Sean
Manzanita Mountain
February 1, 2005

By Lonnie DeCloedt

I know it may seem like we haven't been hiking much lately, but Ashley and I have been keeping ourselves busy with our usual after work hikes in Griffith Park, the Verdugo Mountains and Runyon Canyon. I just don't document those since we do them so often. This morning I decided to head to Placerita Canyon instead. We'd been there a few times before, and had even explored part of the trail we would take today before. This time I wanted to find out where it goes to the end, so I brought the camera along to make a record of it.

[Note: Lonnie's full captions could not be retrieved.]
The trailhead behind the r...
The trailhead behind the r...
A fire burned through this...
A fire burned through this...
At the summit. I couldn't ...
At the summit. I couldn't ...
The view southeast-ish. Th...
The view southeast-ish. Th...
20050201_34.jpg
20050201_35.jpg
Lonnie DeCloedt - 2004 Bio.png

Re: Lonnie DeCloedt Archive

Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2024 3:01 pm
by Sean
Echo Mountain and Mount Lowe
February 3, 2005

By Lonnie DeCloedt

This hike took us through some of the Los Angeles area's history as we climbed Mount Lowe, passing through Echo Mountain, the Mount Lowe Trail Camp and Inspiration Point. All of these sites were made famous by Professor Thaddeus Lowe, who built a railroad to carry visitors from the San Gabriel Valley to the resorts he built in the mountains. I had been there twice before, each time via a different route. This was Ashley's first time.

[Note: None of Lonnie's captions could be retrieved.]
20050203_42.jpg
20050203_43.jpg
20050203_46.jpg
20050203_47.jpg
20050203_63.jpg
20050203_64.jpg
20050203_68.jpg
20050203_69.jpg
20050203_70.jpg
20050203_71.jpg
Lonnie DeCloedt - 2004 Bio.png

Re: Lonnie DeCloedt Archive

Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2024 3:08 pm
by Sean
Rabbit Peak #1, Granite Mountain #1, Round Top and Iron Mountain #3
April 6, 2005

By Lonnie DeCloedt

I've created a monster! Well, that's what my track looks like when plotted on the map, anyway... I had originally planned to hike Mount Emma and Old Mount Emma again, adding a couple more peaks to Ashley's HPS list. But after almost 20 miles this week in Griffith Park and the Verdugo Mountains, her paw was bugging her too much to hike. So, I decided to solo on a hike she'd already done before. This is one of my favorite hikes, but it's definitely one you don't want to do in the full heat of summer. There is almost no shade at all, except for a brief respite on the summit of Granite. The temperatures during this hike averaged about 80 degrees, but it felt about ten degrees warmer at times.

[Note: Lonnie's full captions could not be retrieved.]
Yet another stream crossin...
Yet another stream crossin...
The road branching off to ...
The road branching off to ...
Me on the summit of Rabbit...
Me on the summit of Rabbit...
Heading up the steep slope...
Heading up the steep slope...
Sometimes I think dead tre...
Sometimes I think dead tre...
20050406_25.jpg
20050406_34.jpg
20050406_35.jpg
Lonnie DeCloedt - 2004 Bio.png

Re: Lonnie DeCloedt Archive

Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2024 3:15 pm
by Sean
Mount Wilson
April 14, 2005

By Lonnie DeCloedt

I was sick most of the past week so Ashley and I didn't get any local conditioning hikes in until the day before. She was still a bit slow on that four-mile trek through Griffith Park, so I decided to do another main hike without her, and I headed to Sierra Madre to pick up a second route to the summit of Mount Wilson. It turned out to be a bit more strenuous than I was anticipating, but nothing I couldn't handle. I need that intense workout anyway. Hopefully I'll be able to get Ashley back up to speed enough to accompany me on a decent hike next week.
20050414_Topo.jpg
[Note: Lonnie's full captions could not be retrieved.]
This was my second time hi...
This was my second time hi...
I suppose you could say th...
I suppose you could say th...
The sun lighting up the sk...
The sun lighting up the sk...
The trail, near the start ...
The trail, near the start ...
A trail intersection. When...
A trail intersection. When...
One of two places where th...
One of two places where th...
Orchard Camp.
Orchard Camp.
The antennas on Mount Harv...
The antennas on Mount Harv...
The second creek crossing....
The second creek crossing....
Looking back down at Mount...
Looking back down at Mount...
The large parking lot area...
The large parking lot area...
20050414_30.jpg
20050414_31.jpg
20050414_39.jpg
20050414_40.jpg
Lonnie DeCloedt - 2004 Bio.png

Re: Lonnie DeCloedt Archive

Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2024 3:28 pm
by Sean
Old Mount Emma and (new) Mount Emma
April 20, 2005

By Lonnie DeCloedt

Ashley was finally ready to tackle a decent hike, so we headed to the Emmas, a couple desert peaks near Palmdale. I had done these two before, but they were new to Ashley. To make things a little different for me, I took a different route, this time heading mostly cross-country up the steep northeastern slope of Old Mount Emma before heading across the ridge to Mount Emma.

[Note: Lonnie's full captions could not be retrieved.]
The B P and L Road (accord...
The B P and L Road (accord...
Following the very faint f...
Following the very faint f...
The tracks were a little b...
The tracks were a little b...
The summit of Old Mount Emma.
The summit of Old Mount Emma.
Our entry in the summit re...
Our entry in the summit re...
Looking south to Pacifico ...
Looking south to Pacifico ...
Ashley and me at the summi...
Ashley and me at the summi...
Leaving Old Mount Emma, we...
Leaving Old Mount Emma, we...
20050420_29.jpg
20050420_30.jpg
Lonnie DeCloedt - 2004 Bio.png

Re: Lonnie DeCloedt Archive

Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2024 4:02 pm
by Sean
Turtlehead Peak
May 4, 2005

By Lonnie DeCloedt

Hike Stats from GPSr:
Distance: 4.67 Miles
Starting elevation: 4,352'
Lowest elevation: 4,206'
Highest elevation: 6,299'
Total elevation gain: 1,849'
Total elevation loss: 1,958'
(Those numbers don't add up! The difference between the lowest and highest elevations is 2,093', but I covered that in only 1,849'???)

On Christmas Eve 2003, I climbed Turtlehead Peak in Red Rock Canyon, about 15 miles northwest of the Las Vegas Strip. The weather that day was heavily overcast and threatening to rain (it did rain later in the evening), and the summit was socked in by clouds, ruining any view I might have had from the top. I figured the view of the city was probably pretty good from up there in better conditions, and wanted to come back for another look. I was afraid it wouldn't work this time either. Rain and clouds had been forecast for this day, but it turned out the weather couldn't have been better. The rain failed to show up this time, and the clouds were too high to interfere.

La Madre Mountains
(Red Rock Canyon, Nevada)
20050504 Topo.jpg
This hike starts at the Sandstone Quarry parking lot.
20050504 01.jpg
I arrived here shortly after the park opened and had the area all to myself. I knew that wouldn't last long, though. You can see Turtlehead Peak in the background on the far right.

A rabbit hiding in the brush near the trailhead.
20050504 02.jpg
He was actually pretty brave and didn't mind me being near at all. After taking a few pictures, I turned the camera off and the whirring sound as the lens retracted spooked him. That's when he ran off.

In the early days of Las Vegas, blocks of sandstone were carved out of the hillsides here [at the Sandstone Quarry] and carted into town where they were used to build the hotels and casinos.
20050504 05.jpg
That looks like some kind of yucca, though the ones I'm familiar with grow right out of the ground, not on a small trunk like that.

There were several flowers here and there along the trail, but the ground was not carpeted like I saw in Death Valley a few weeks ago. I wonder if this area was like that back then too.
20050504 06.jpg
These purple flowers were growing on top of some small barrel cacti.
20050504 07.jpg
The flower was about the same size as the cactus.

More wild flowers.
20050504 08.jpg
I think this is lupine. My Olympus camera has a hard time focusing in macro mode, so I had it in manual focus for the flower pictures here. I didn't quite get the focus right on this one, though.

[There was a] pile of rocks [that] almost look[ed] like someone tried to build a small cabin [on a] hill.

When I was here last time I thought this hill looked like some sort of Star Wars creature.
20050504 10.jpg
I showed a picture of it to some friends and one of them said it looked to him like a woman giving birth. So, now I call it Birthing Rock.

More wild flowers.
20050504 11.jpg
This looks like a Desert Gold, but I'm not sure if this area has the same varieties of flowers as in Death Valley.

Another look up at Turtlehead Peak, looming a couple thousand feet above the sandstone Calico Hills.
20050504 12.jpg


A scraggly tree growing in the sandstone.
20050504 14.jpg
The trail winding up to the peak.
20050504 15.jpg
More wild flowers.
20050504 17.jpg
Another of those trunked yuccas.
20050504 18.jpg
Last time I was up here I lost the trail a short distance beyond this point and tried going up the ridge ahead. That put me in some rough class three rocks that were difficult to get through. When I saw a few other people below, I cut back down into the wash where I picked up the trail again. I kept losing the trail this time also, since it is very faint in places, but at least I knew which way I was supposed to go now.

Turtlehead Peak, backlit by the rising sun.
20050504 19.jpg
It gets a little steep here.
20050504 20.jpg
Nearing the saddle, I turned around to look back at what I had just climbed.

This looks like some sort of miniature agave.
20050504 22.jpg
Another shot of the backlit peak.
20050504 23 slide.jpg
These short, gnarled trees have a lot of tiny white blossoms on them.
20050504 24.jpg
[After] arriving at the saddle, the hike gets much easier from this point onward.

A lizard [was] basking in the morning sun next to the trail. [There were] picturesque dead trees near the summit.

I made it [to the summit]. Again. [To the] south, that's the Sandstone Quarry, where I started the hike. The valley and mountains [are] to the south. You can see the thirteen mile scenic loop road that circles through the canyon. Looking northeast toward the Strip, I was able to identify several of the big casinos/hotels. This is the view I [went] back to see. This peak was enveloped in clouds last time I was [there] and I couldn't see anything. The Stratosphere and Wynn are easily identified by their unique shape. The bright red dome of Circus Circus' Adventuredome was reflecting the sun. Using those three as landmarks, I could pinpoint the others near them. I was also able to point out most of the resorts further to the right, like the distinct shapes of Mandalay Bay, Excalibur, New York New York and Rio.

My entry in the summit register.
20050504_34.jpg
I was hoping to find my entry from the last time, but this mountain is just too popular. There were three very thick notebooks in the register can and all of them were half full and from this year only. The one I signed in 2003 is long gone by now.

Me on the summit of Turtlehead Peak.
20050504_35.jpg
Looking down the steep south face of the mountain.
20050504_36.jpg
More wild flowers.
20050504_43.jpg
The tiny blossoms on this ...
The tiny blossoms on this ...
Time to head back to the Strip and relax.
Lonnie DeCloedt - 2004 Bio.png

Re: Lonnie DeCloedt Archive

Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2024 4:14 pm
by Sean
San Jacinto Peak
June 8, 2005

By Lonnie DeCloedt

After reading Wingding's report on the San Gorgonio Backcountry Bulletin Board about her hike to San Jacinto Peak the previous weekend, I decided to go up there myself. There was a little more snow there than I was expecting, but that just made the trek an even better workout.

[Note: Lonnie's full captions could not be retrieved.]
Tahquitz Peak to the south.
Tahquitz Peak to the south.
Zoomed in on Tahquitz. I c...
Zoomed in on Tahquitz. I c...
The first patch of snow I ...
The first patch of snow I ...
More snow.
More snow.
The boundary between the f...
The boundary between the f...
Coming up on Wellman's Cie...
Coming up on Wellman's Cie...
Wellman Divide. If you sta...
Wellman Divide. If you sta...
Back into the snow above W...
Back into the snow above W...
The summit.
The summit.
San Gorgonio to the north,...
San Gorgonio to the north,...
20050608_31.jpg
20050608_32.jpg
Lonnie DeCloedt - 2004 Bio.png

Re: Lonnie DeCloedt Archive

Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2024 4:32 pm
by Sean
Tahquitz Peak (8,846')
July 14, 2005

By Lonnie DeCloedt

Hike Stats from GPSr:
Distance: 8.77 Miles
Starting elevation: 6,593'
Lowest elevation: 6,466'
Highest elevation: 8,818'
Total elevation gain: 2,038'
Total elevation loss: 2,248'

I really wanted to head into the San Gorgonio Wilderness to finish off this week, but the reports I'd been hearing said there was still too much snow there (which I have since found to be incorrect), so I settled on a short, easy hike instead: Tahquitz Peak in the San Jacinto Wilderness. This was my fourth time to the summit of this mountain, but to spice it up a bit, I took a different route than usual. My other three trips were all via the South Ridge Trail. This time I took the Devil's Slide Trail to Saddle Junction, then the Pacific Crest Trail across to the peak.

San Jacinto Mountains
(San Jacinto Wilderness)
20050714_Topo.jpg
The trailhead in Idyllwild's Humber Park.
20050714 01 slides.jpg
Lily Rock.
20050714 02.jpg
Entering the wilderness area, getting the hike started.
20050714 03.jpg
Suicide Rock to the west.
20050714 04.jpg
One of these days I need to go there (and Lily Rock).

A little chipmunk next to the trail.
20050714 05.jpg
The bush that had the little flowers on it.
20050714 07.jpg
Another look at Suicide Rock.
20050714 08.jpg
Diamond Valley Lake can be seen in the distance on the left.

The view through a natural window.
20050714 09.jpg
Saddle Junction.
20050714 10 slides.jpg
Someone was camping here despite the signs that say camping is not allowed at Saddle Junction.
20050714 11.jpg
The Pacific Crest Trail heading north.
20050714 12.jpg
This is the trail I would take if I were going to San Jacinto Peak.

Tahquitz Meadow is down the trail on the left and Tahquitz Peak (where I was headed) is up the trail on the right.
20050714 13.jpg
Red Tahquitz to the east.
20050714 14.jpg
A helicopter was circling the area for a while, like they were searching for someone.
20050714 15.jpg
I left the Pacific Crest Trail here as it veered left toward Tahquitz Meadow.
20050714 16 slides.jpg
I headed up the trail to the right, toward the summit.

This little guy was sure making a lot of noise.
20050714 19 slides.jpg
The small saddle below the summit.
20050714 20.jpg
The South Ridge Trail heads downhill from here, and the summit is on the left.

The fire lookout tower on the summit of Tahquitz Peak.
20050714 21.jpg
The remains of the outhouse on the east side of the summit.
20050714 22.jpg
It was still standing (barely) the first time I came here, but it had fallen over by my second time to the summit.
Lonnie DeCloedt - 2004 Bio.png

Re: Lonnie DeCloedt Archive

Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2024 4:55 pm
by Sean
Mount San Antonio (aka Mount Baldy -- 10,064') and West Baldy (9,988')
July 28, 2005

By Lonnie DeCloedt

Hike Stats from GPSr:
Distance: 13.20 Miles
Starting elevation: 4,499'
Lowest elevation: 4,499'
Highest elevation: 10,046'
Total elevation gain: 5,108'
Total elevation loss: 5,061'

I had planned to hike the Vivian Creek Trail to San Gorgonio Mountain last week, but Hurricane Emily brought some thunderstorms into our mountains and deserts, so I decided to play it safe and avoid the mountains. Instead, I went to Disneyland. I intended to reschedule that trip for this week, but then the monsoonal flow returned, bringing the storms back. I wasn't about to stay out of the mountains two weeks in a row, so I just changed my plans. Instead, I headed to Mount Baldy, hoping the storms wouldn't make it that far west, or that I could at least get an early start and stay ahead of them. Also, I wanted a bit of a challenge, so I took the Bear Canyon Trail from Baldy Village. I had a nice little surprise in the saddle between Baldy and West Baldy, too.

San Gabriel Mountains
20050728 Topo.jpg
Last time I did this hike, I parked in the church parking lot, about a quarter mile down the road from here because the small parking lot at the trailhead was full. This time I arrived early and was able to park here, next to the trailhead register.
20050728 01.jpg
I wanted to arrive early so I could start as soon as possible, hoping to avoid the afternoon thunderstorms I expected to form at the summit. I began hiking as soon as it got light enough for me to see the trail.

The trailhead register.
20050728 02.jpg
This stream runs along the road and trail for the first 1.5 miles of the hike.
20050728 03.jpg
As near as I can determine from the topo map, it's called the West Fork Bear Canyon Creek.

The wooden footbridge where the road ends and the trail begins.
20050728 04.jpg
Last time I was here I mentioned how the boards in the bridge were rotting away. Since then they've apparently broken away and someone has placed sheets of plywood across the missing sections.

Looking back down toward Baldy Village, from about a half mile into the hike.
20050728 05.jpg
Since Baldy Village sits in this canyon with tall mountains immediately to the east, the morning light arrives here later than Claremont, in the valley just south.
20050728 06.jpg
The upper end of the creek, as I arrive at Bear Flat.
20050728 07.jpg
Bear Flat.
20050728 08.jpg
The trail here is very overgrown with ferns, but only for a short distance. On the other side of Bear Flat, the trail becomes much steeper.

[The sun rose] over Ontario Peak to the east. Sugarloaf Peak is in front of it on the left.

In the more alpine-like conditions, the tree cover is pretty light, and there is very little shade on this trail. That's another reason why I wanted to get as early a start as possible. The lower half of the trail can be very hot once the sun comes out in force. It was also extremely humid on this day. The weather wasn't really bearable until I got up to about the 9,000' level.

I thought I recently bought a book to help me ID the lizards I see on the trails, but apparently I didn't. I have one for insects and spiders, one for mammals and another for birds, but nothing with reptiles. I guess I need to go back to the book store...

[There was a lizard that had] recently lost his tail and [was] in the process of growing a new one.

[At sunrise I noticed] some new construction at the mouth of Icehouse Canyon. There is far too much construction going on around here.

Remember this view from my last hike on this trail?
20050728 14.jpg
That's Mount Wilson in the middle of the two rock spires.

The view west without the rock formations in the foreground.
20050728 15.jpg
Looking down into Cattle Canyon.
20050728 16.jpg
Last time I did this hike I noticed some kind of big yellow box down there in Cattle Canyon. It's still there. I wonder what it is.

A few wispy clouds were starting to blow in.
20050728 18.jpg
I would keep a very close eye on them as the hike progressed.

The clouds get bigger, but they still aren't dark.
20050728 19.jpg
This one actually blew apart shortly after I took this picture, but it soon reformed again and hung there for the rest of the day, growing in size and darkness.

As I neared Baldy, this helicopter was buzzing all over the area.
20050728 21.jpg
From my vantage point it looked like he landed on the summit for a few minutes, too.

The summit of Mount San Antonio (aka Mount Baldy).
20050728 22.jpg
The summit sign is in the middle of the picture.

Mount Baden-Powell [was seen] to the west and the Blue Ridge in the northwest. When I hiked Baden-Powell a couple weeks ago I noticed that smog line in the sky after I had gotten back home and looked at my pictures on the computer. This time I definitely noticed it while on the peak. It kind of look[ed] like the building storm clouds were having trouble penetrating down below it, too.

Only three days away from August and there [was] still snow in the San Gabriel Mountains. That's unreal!

[Note: Only partial captions could be found for the remaining photos.]
A little more to the south...
A little more to the south...
I was getting ready to hea...
I was getting ready to hea...
Zoomed in on the Gray Squi...
Zoomed in on the Gray Squi...
A look at Bear Flat, as I ...
A look at Bear Flat, as I ...
Lonnie DeCloedt - 2004 Bio.png