EISPIRATEN

Two weeks back (14-JAN-2024), I did another "Lived here all my life, and never been to..." adventure. I'm hoping the trend picks up steam. Here's a short report with some pics. This was a bike journey, roads only, excepting that the route is 'going feral' and turning to singletrack in places.

The route to Cienega, from the end of Templin Highway, has interested me. Itch scratched. The narrows were much more interesting than I'd imagined, and the area in general was very much like the San Gabriels but depopulated. It's an easy grade to Cienega CG, which turned out to be a lovely oak savanna flat, then steeper climbing to the Fish-Warm Springs Saddle, where I turned south to Warm Springs Mountain. Here, the San Gabriel analogue picked up a notch, with some nice switchbacks up to the summit ridge and great views north toward Liebre and Sawmill and stuff. And it's peaceful!!!

There's a radio shack, a science-experiment-y weather station, and a decrepit lookout tower on the summit. Interesting botanical site on the summit ridge - I passed a zone where the 3 main conifers are present in an odd combo: jeffrey pine, douglas fir, and that scrubby desert juniper.

There's a Necktie Basin, and a Necktie-Warm Springs Trail that I may try next. Here are some pics, last shot has the 3 trees zone in view:

Nice! I've been in that area years ago to summit Redrock mountain benchmark (with tekewin, Sean and Hiker Girl). Do you know what happens if you keep going East past the saddle instead of heading South like you did? It's passable to Lake Hughes rd? By the way, the Orogenesis trail will pass through there somewhere.

RE: continue to Lk Hughes Rd, yes. It's a shorter segment, and probably boring, haven't been that way yet. More FS road continues east from Lk Hughes Rd also, connecting to San Francisquito Cyn near Jupiter Mtn. The trailhead on that side is at the Warm Springs Rehab Camp.

What I'm trying to research, and if anyone knows please give a clue, is looping south-then-north on the Necktie Tr, which terminates at Naylor Place, same trailhead at Templin Hwy. Is it legal to be on the north shore of Castaic where all the old day-use areas are?

Thanks much for the link! That looks very interesting, and I think I've done several segments already.

That sounds like a neat summit. How many miles is it? Thanks for the report.

Tom Kenney wrote: ↑Fri Jan 26, 2024 9:01 pm RE: continue to Lk Hughes Rd, yes. It's a shorter segment, and probably boring, haven't been that way yet. More FS road continues east from Lk Hughes Rd also, connecting to San Francisquito Cyn near Jupiter Mtn. The trailhead on that side is at the Warm Springs Rehab Camp.

What I'm trying to research, and if anyone knows please give a clue, is looping south-then-north on the Necktie Tr, which terminates at Naylor Place, same trailhead at Templin Hwy. Is it legal to be on the north shore of Castaic where all the old day-use areas are?

Thanks much for the link! That looks very interesting, and I think I've done several segments already.

Yes you can go along the north side of Castaic. I have hiked that route and up the old fire road to Warm Springs and then looped back the way you went.

From Lake Hughes Road there used to be a trail that paralleled the fire road and made that a more interesting route. When I did it probably 10 years ago it was already overgrown, not sure if it is taken care of but that was the shortest and most interesting way to hike the peak.

@Sean re: distance, about 10mi/17km each way via my route: https://www.trailforks.com/ridelog/view/63442522/. To Cienega CG is mellow grade, then moderately steep.

@David R re: Castaic info, thanks! Will complete the loop soon and post a report. I did see traces of an old trail cut when I got closer to the summit, just before the first switchback. Satellite shows nothing obvious in the area.

I've hiked this peak twice from the same boring road. I'm interested in doing the loop David hiked.

Warm Springs 2019

Warm Springs 2020

Thanks much for the extra info! I'm sure I read those way back when, but re-read them because...because reading.

"I'm interested in doing the loop David hiked." I think about half the route is very interesting, and the other half just road. As a backpack, it'd be very nice but it's a lopsided route. The good camp, Cienega, is only partway around the loop. There are OK campsites roadside, near the summit. The narrows on the Templin Hwy side is the big attraction, and it's pretty neat! The geology is weird, and cliffs are huge above, impressive place.

I'm getting ahead of myself, sorry. I plan to try the whole loop clockwise in a few days, will post more info and pics then.