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Ten Thousand Foot Ridge and Lake Peak from Fish Creek Road

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 2:12 pm
by tekewin
My original plan was to attempt a loop from Fish Creek by going up to Hell For Sure Peak, then traversing the ridge and returning on Fish Creek Trail. My plan blew up as soon as I turned onto Fish Creek Road. Before I got far, I was blocked by a locked gate. I decided to park at the gate and hike the extra miles to at least come away with Ten Thousand Foot Ridge.

I started around 6:30 AM and hiked a little more than a mile up Fish Creek Road to the Aspen Grove Trail. I started down Aspen Grove knowing it intersected the Fish Creek Trail. The trail dropped down to a nicely flowing Fish Creek, then started heading gently up the canyon. Every single aspen tree in the area was black, burned by the Lake Fire in June, 2015. The trail was in good shape but parts were overgrown with soft plants, especially near the creek. When I reached the Fish Creek Trail junction, I was about half a mile past where I needed to leave the trail to catch the Hell For Sure ridge. Instead, I turned right and continued up the Fish Creek Trail. The lower part of the trail was more overgrown than Aspen Grove and was hard to follow. I also found quite a bit of stinging nettle. Once I got away from the creek, the trail cleared up and it started to look like the San Gorgonio Wilderness I remembered. The Fish Creek Trail has long switchbacks, mostly up the side of Grinell Mountain. I could see 10K Ridge across the creek, but with switchbacks, I was walking away from it as much as toward it.

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Overgrown trail, much worse in some places

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Ten Thousand Foot Ridge from the side of Grinell, that gully looks like an intriguing shortcut, but might not be safe

From Fish Creek Saddle, I started straight up open country toward Lake Peak. The Lake Peak summit was a large pile of boulders, class 1+. There was an ammo box but it only had a couple of small scraps of paper. It needed a new register, but I didn't have one on me. There was a great view of Dry Lake which still wasn't dry. It looks the same as when JFR visited last month. The trek from Lake to Ten Thousand Foot Ridge was longer than I thought, more than a mile. Lake has a very long summit with some small boulder bumps and a lot of downed trees from the fire. I went by but didn't stop at Fish Creek Peak along the way. Heading down to the saddle below 10K, I was surprised to find a party of 8 hikers, organized with an official leader. I chatted with them as I walked past and found out they had camped at Dollar Lake and were on their way to 10K. The group was moving slowly, so I said goodbye and continued up. The slope to 10K was the only steep terrain of the day. I picked up a strong aroma of field mint on the ascent. On top, there was a notebook register in a tall ammo box. I had the summit to myself for about 10 minutes before they caught up. That gave me time for photos and to decorate the ammo box with an Eispireten sticker. The first page in the register discussed how the Tribe of Tahquitz adopted this mountain in 1925 and refers to it as TOT mountain, frequently bringing youth up as a rite of passage. On the way down, I lost the trail in the vegetation around Fish Creek and ended up on the wrong side of the creek in waist high grass. Had to find a log to cross over. The rest was uneventful. Because of the road closure, it ended up being 18 miles round trip. It will be much easier when the road is opened to Fish Creek Trailhead.

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Party of 8 on the way to 10K

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It looks nicer now

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Lake Peak on the way back, Grinell on the right

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Closer look at the possible shortcut gully

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Re: Ten Thousand Foot Ridge and Lake Peak from Fish Creek Road

Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2019 4:43 pm
by Ellen
Howdy Tekewin ?
Thanks so much for your TR. Due to fire and subsequent trail closure, I haven't been up Fish Creek since late June 2011. That was also my first and only summit of Lake peak ? We were able to drive to the TH then, thus an easy day compared to your hike. That shortcut gully looks tempting...?

Miles of smiles,
Ellen

Re: Ten Thousand Foot Ridge and Lake Peak from Fish Creek Road

Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2019 5:29 pm
by headsizeburrito
Nice report and photos, looks like a good day.

Re: Ten Thousand Foot Ridge and Lake Peak from Fish Creek Road

Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2019 8:54 am
by David R
I had the exact hike planned for the Sunday prior but checked and saw the road was closed so didn't go. I really want to knock out the entire 10K ridge which sounds like fun.

Re: Ten Thousand Foot Ridge and Lake Peak from Fish Creek Road

Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2019 9:06 am
by tekewin
Ellen wrote: Howdy Tekewin ?
Thanks so much for your TR. Due to fire and subsequent trail closure, I haven't been up Fish Creek since late June 2011. That was also my first and only summit of Lake peak ? We were able to drive to the TH then, thus an easy day compared to your hike. That shortcut gully looks tempting...?

Miles of smiles,
Ellen
I heard a rumor the road was open the week before, but it wasn't true. The road was not in bad shape other than a few boulders that could be driven around. I hope they open it soon.

The gully doesn't look so bad from afar, but Matt Kelliher posted a warning in peakbagger after descending the left side above the gully:

WARNING!! The exit route I took for this hike is not recommended!! It's very, very steep and loose. A fall coming down this way could be difficult to arrest, and injury (or worse!) could result. Veering off this course into the drainage routes could cause you to cliff out.

Re: Ten Thousand Foot Ridge and Lake Peak from Fish Creek Road

Posted: Sun Aug 18, 2019 10:14 pm
by Jaya
Nice photography

Re: Ten Thousand Foot Ridge and Lake Peak from Fish Creek Road

Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2019 8:47 am
by JeffH
Last time I was at Fish Creek was just after Ellen, in July of 2011. That was also the last time I visited San G...
The pictures look like wide open spaces, definitely around the fire areas with less traffic these days it would seem overgrown. Nice day to get away from the masses!

Re: Ten Thousand Foot Ridge and Lake Peak from Fish Creek Road

Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2019 8:12 am
by Girl Hiker
Nice Pics and TR. I love Grinnell Peak. It was my first peak I hiked in the San B's. We hiked through the Aspen Grove just before the fire and there was snow on the peak. I haven't had a chance since then to hike any of the peaks in San Bernardino.