The Josephine Express
Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2018 4:54 pm
I've never been to Josephine Peak before, and today was the day. The aerials suggested there was a use trail following a ridge from the South, so I went to Clear Creek to check it out.
From just short of Clear Creek the peak looks like this:
Turns out I climbed the ridge on the right, not the steep-looking faces visible from this angle. I picked up the ridge off Angeles Forest Highway, just past Clear Creek, the Josephine fire road junction, and the gully immediately past it. It's steep, but there's a clear use path. Long sleeves and pants recommended, but this is hardly a bushwhack. On top of the first climby section (~4100ft):
On top of the second climby section (~4700ft):
And the view back:
Soon the terrain becomes more interesting:
I did some class-3 stuff. Probably could have found an easier line, but why??? Then I got here:
The route climbs the bump on the right. Above that, everything interesting is past...
... and after a final push I was on top:
Made it up in 1:21. Looking back on the whole ridge:
The views from top are expansive, but it's a really weird angle, and I had a hard time identifying peaks. Figured it out eventually, but yall try! View to the West:
Right to left, some freebies: Strawberry, Baldy, Dawson, Pine. Then... something, something else a lot further out, and something else closer. First to get these right gets... a pat on the back.
From just short of Clear Creek the peak looks like this:
Turns out I climbed the ridge on the right, not the steep-looking faces visible from this angle. I picked up the ridge off Angeles Forest Highway, just past Clear Creek, the Josephine fire road junction, and the gully immediately past it. It's steep, but there's a clear use path. Long sleeves and pants recommended, but this is hardly a bushwhack. On top of the first climby section (~4100ft):
On top of the second climby section (~4700ft):
And the view back:
Soon the terrain becomes more interesting:
I did some class-3 stuff. Probably could have found an easier line, but why??? Then I got here:
The route climbs the bump on the right. Above that, everything interesting is past...
... and after a final push I was on top:
Made it up in 1:21. Looking back on the whole ridge:
The views from top are expansive, but it's a really weird angle, and I had a hard time identifying peaks. Figured it out eventually, but yall try! View to the West:
Right to left, some freebies: Strawberry, Baldy, Dawson, Pine. Then... something, something else a lot further out, and something else closer. First to get these right gets... a pat on the back.