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VITALS:
Distance: 7 mi Round trip
Elevation Gain: 1,800 ft
Hike Time: 5hrs
Difficulty: Easy

DIRECTIONS:

Take the 210 Freeway to Santa Anita Avenue.  Exit and drive North for 6 miles until you reach Chantry Flats. Park.  The trail is at the mouth of the parking lot and starts out as a paved road.

THE HIKE:

Big Santa Anita Canyon is one of those trails that keep drawing you out again and again. I have hiked this particular trail about 3x and I’m about to go back for a fourth this weekend and I’m still not tired of it! There’s something about a 50ft waterfall at the end of a handful of miles that satisfies better than any Snickers could hope to do. It’s just so easy! This is definitely THE TRAIL to take someone on if they are new to hiking or being outdoors.

There’s really nothing tricky about this trail once you find it.  There’s a paved road you walk down which gives way to a wide dirt trail and you’ll see people’s houses all through this area as well as man-made dams and such.  Once beyond that area you can enjoy the cascades and the natural beauty of Santa Anita Creek.  You follow the creek upstream to Sturtevant Falls, crossing the stream twice.  Plan to get wet, but take care with where you step and you might avoid it.  I for one always pack spare socks to change into later. 

Some people call this trail Moderate, but it’s really Easy as you’ll see for yourself when you are sharing the road with 30+ other people (on weekends).  When I was here last, it was raining on a Sunday so no one was out but me and a small handful of other brave souls.  I got drenched to the bone, but had a great time and was able to enjoy the falls all to myself that day without worrying about how to negotiate a bunch of people jostling to get a picture in front of the falls for their Facebook account.  If you go on the weekend, do yourself a favor and show up EARLY.  How early you ask?  Well, whatever you were thinking, subtract another hour and you will still run into alot of people.  I recommend you plan to be on the trail at 7am.

NOTE: Show up late and you will not find parking at Chantry Flats and may have to park on the side of the road and hoof it even further!  Also, make sure you display your Adventure Pass.  I’ve heard that there are passes available at a store at Chantry Flats, but I have never visited the store and have always owned an Annual pass.

Rainwater clung to everything

All the extra rainwater made the streams run quickly

A tasteful bridge in the middle of the hike

A small dam along the trail

The rocky, private lagoon around Sturtevant Falls

Sturtevant Falls - Running wild just after a downpour

Mitch was here

via Reuters

Mt. Everest, the highest peak in the world has long been vilified in the press, and rightly so.  There’s really no upside to visiting this massive rock in the middle of nowhere.  Reviews of the peak have consistently shown that it lacks even the most basic handicapped access and if you don’t “summit” or reach the top, there are no refunds! 

While many expect those particular issues to persist, there has been a recent development which should turn around the mountain’s reputation a little.  A private firm called Ncell has decided to introduce 3G high-speed cellular service to the peak’s base camp.  It has already been installed and tested with the company reporting that the world’s highest video call was successfully completed on October 28, 2010.

The Solukhumbu district of Nepal receives tens of thousands of visitors each year and prior to the rollout of 3G services, climbers and hikers relied on expensive and unreliable satellite phones.

After the new update, visitors will now be able to update their Facebook page, send cameraphone pics of their blackened toes to mom and dad, and even tape a quick avalanche video for FailBlog if they so desire. 

“This achievement is as mighty as the altitude as 3G high speed internet will bring faster, more affordable telecommunication services to the people living in the Khumbu Valley, trekkers, and climbers alike,” said Lars Nyberg, chief of Nordic telecoms firm TeliaSonera, which owns 80 percent of the firm that built the 3G station.

Ncell is a joint venture between local investors and TeliaSonera.

Hike Socal has been lucky enough to obtain what we believe is the very first 3G camera phone pic snapped at the peak.  As you can see, the benefits of having your blackberry with you on the slopes of the world’s tallest mountain are beyond measure.

Original Hike Date: 01/30/2010

This was my first peak summiting with a group (Gut Check Fitness with Joe Decker) and the first overnight trip, as well. I have been wanting to do this hike for along time, since the epic scope of it seems unlike any other hike in San Diego. Although I summited two peaks on this trip, only Villager Peak counts, since Rabbit Peak is in Riverside County. Both peaks, however, are on the Hundred Peaks Section of the Angeles Sierra Club.

Unless you camp in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, which we didn’t, you are bound to get a somewhat late start on the trail, since the trail head is nearly two hours from almost anywhere in San Diego. We strapped our packs on and immediately headed across the desert floor to the ridge that rose up in front of us, like a ramp into the mountains.

Starting up to the ridge ahead

It was pretty warm for a late January morning, so I begun to wonder if I was wearing too much, specifically my Ex Officio Borocade Pant, which seemed like they might be a little thick. However, after people started getting punctured by cacti and the temperature plummeted as we gained elevation, I realized that the pants were a good choice.

The first mile was pretty flat and it was pretty evident which ridge line led up into the sky. We were immediately welcomed by various cacti, including cholla, ocotillo, prickly pear and barrel cacti. The trail was hard to see and from time to time I found myself struggling to get back on it. Several members of the group stopped for an early lunch, but since the pack felt pretty heavy and I wasn’t quite hungry yet, I decided to press on.

This definitely felt different than my typical day hikes with a lumbar pack. I was carrying 6 liters of water which translates to over 13 pounds. My pack weighed about 40 pounds total, which is a far cry from my heavy pack (~70lbs) of the eighties that carried a week’s worth of food and steel pots and pans, but it was a shock to my muscles, which weren’t used to carrying the weight.

The trail keep climbing upward, gaining nearly 5,000′ of elevation, most of it in about 5 miles. Sometimes the trail was mere feet away from a several thousand foot cliff. The views to the valley floor and to the Santa Rosa Mountains before us were amazing. I could see Toro Peak in the distance, covered in snow.

My pace started to slow down and I took more frequent breaks when I finally stopped for lunch. About an hour after lunch, I could feel the effects of the food and I got my second wind, making my way up and over the many knobs on the way to Villager Peak.

The view north from Villager Peak

When I reached the campsite. I was pretty tired. The extra weight of the pack, the tremendous elevation gain, and the constant vigilance while looking for the trail had worn me out.

We had a great time socializing at the campsite and watched as an amazing orange moon rose over the Salton Sea, but when it was time for sleep, we all enthusiastically dove into our sleeping bags. When I woke up in the morning, my pack was completely covered in frost. It was hard to get out of my warm sleeping bag, but I was encouraged by the lure of Rabbit Peak. And Joe’s persistence.

The sunrise the next morning was beautiful as many of us strapped on our day packs and continued on the ridge line north to Rabbit Peak. Most reports indicate mileage is 3.5 miles to Rabbit Peak, but my GPS showed that it was 4.45 miles each way. And it felt like it. We followed the ridge line up and down until we got to the base of Rabbit Peak. From there, it is a one mile climb, gaining more than 1,000 feet. The top of Rabbit Peak was covered in snow and we had a snack, took some pictures and headed on down. We needed to make good time, since we still had over 11 miles to go before the sun went back down on the other side of us.

Sunrise over Salton Sea on the way to Rabbit Peak

Several hours later, a small group of us made it back to Villager Peak and quickly packed our camp up and headed back down the mountain. The good news is that our packs were lighter due to having drank a lot of our water. The bad news was that we drank a lot of our water. All three of us thought we had more water than we had. We decided to ration our water and a couple of us scooped up some snow into our empty water bottles as an emergency supply. One of us had a water cache many miles down the mountain, but the PD and I had to watch our intake.

The daunting view to Villager Peak from Rabbit Peak

I continued down the mountain, noticing that the trail was much easier to follow on the way down, and my trekking poles saved my knees a lot of fatigue. Much of the trail I did not recognize, since I took a slightly different path on the way up, having lost the trail many times. We found the water cache and were delighted that one of the group had left a gallon of water with the other cache. We rehydrated and had some reserve water, so our morale was boosted. It turns out that the one who left the water cache had missed finding it on the way down. He had a hard time of it.

I sped down the mountain, racing the sun as it dropped to our right. I reached the desert floor and could see the car at the trail head in the distance. After countless minutes of trudging in the sand, it seemed we would never arrive at the car.

We finally made it, and our comrades had left us some liquids at the car, which we quickly drank. We had some food in Julian and made our way home.

Overall, it was an exhausting but incredible trip. Some things that I learned:

- Most of my gear is pretty solid.
- Wearing my trail running shoes was sufficient. The last couple of times I wore hiking boots left my feet tore up.
- Trekking poles are a lifesaver. These weren’t really around when I was backpacking as a child.
- Never underestimate the amount of water you will need in the desert.
- You can never get up too early to complete this hike. The treacherous ridge, the elevation gain/loss and the sheer mileage takes a lot of time.
- I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Original Hike Date: 01/30/2010

Villager Peak:
Elevation: 5,756′
Miles: ~13.78

Rabbit Peak:
Elevation: 6,640′
Miles: ~8.9

Total Miles: 22.68

Rating: Extremely Difficult
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Posted by Derek from 100peaks.com

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My friend Talley was in town this weekend for a wedding and I found out he had decided to hike Mt. Baldy on Sunday. Well, I can’t pass that up, right? So my best friend Matt, Talley and I head out at into the early morning and arrive at the trail at 6:30am.  The parking lot is bustling with life as an REI Adventure club starts organizing outside the bathrooms.  We decide to hit the trail ASAP and so we head out ahead of them.

Most of the way up the trail we were alone except for the people we passed.  Then we reached an area where a couple people had put up tents.  There was about 12 of them.  Then there were stretches where what would have been peaceful appreciation of nature was split by the loud conversations of a couple frat boys.  Their presence was quickly forgotten when we got to the first patch of ice.  The trail was completely covered with snow in parts, forcing us to find alternate routes including some footsteps across hard packed snow/ice.  Luckily for me, my shoes have alot of good tread on them, so I was only slippy once or twice.

The ice aside, it was pretty good going up, but up at the saddle is where we had to turn back.  It was ice and snow all the way up…and we didn’t have crampons or snowshoes.  Add to that a bone-chilling wind and we weren’t minding heading back down at that point.  It was so cold, I couldn’t move my fingers well enough to operate my camera!

Anyway, we headed down fairly quickly as we wanted to get some early lunch since we had alot of free time on our hands after failing to make the peak.  On our way down, Talley decides that his ass is done storing a vile concoction that would put mustard gas to shame.  After loosing this abomination on Matt and I, we all manage to move along down the trail.  About 5 yards out, we pass a man and his son.  We start the countdown…5..4..3..2..1..then a faint exclamation through the trees, “BOY, YOU BETTER CHECK YOUR DIET!”  We all break into laughter and Talley has a self-satisfied look on his face.

After lunch at the Mt Baldy Lodge, that was the end of the fun, so we packed it up and headed back home.

Miles covered: 7.5 round trip
Elevation Gain: ~2,700
Rating: Intermediate
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This weekend I had the privilege to have access to a peak that has been closed since Labor Day 2004. From what I could ascertain, it was closed due to the behavior of some individuals who did not respect the tribal lands, including OHV drivers and campers.

It turns out that the highest peak would also be the easiest.

After driving through the foggy Lake Henshaw Valley and seeing Hot Springs Mountain from a distance, I arrived at the reservation a little early, as I was unsure of how long it would take to get there. I was to meet the SoCalPeakbagger (Robb) at 8AM.

There was no one at the gate at 7:30, so I drove into the reservation to find out where the road was that would either lead us to the peak, or lead us to the trailhead. Since the reservation has been closed for 5 years, information about trails and access is either outdated or sparse at best.

After basing my route on the County Highpoint report by Garrick Meeker, which was extremely helpful and seemed to be the most up-to-date trip report that I could find, I found the dirt road that would lead us up the mountain. I returned to the gate to find Robb there with his family. We waited a few minutes until a couple of Los Coyote guys rolled up in a well-used Bronco with duct tape on the back window. The truck was painted black with white doors and no badges. One guy got out and opened the gate house, mentioning that he was just back from deer hunting with no luck. A couple of unleashed friendly dogs wandered by to say hello. The truck sped away in a cloud of dust. We were in a new nation now.

We asked the friendly guy working at the gate why the reservation was closed for recreational use. He answered vaguely, “We were clearing some trees and doing tribal things.” I don’t blame him for not really answering. He doesn’t have to. After we paid and received maps and were heading back to our cars, he started pumping dumbbells outside the gate house.

It was a cool start for what was to be a pretty cool overall experience.

We drove down the road and took a left and drove up the dirt road up the mountain. I have an all wheel drive Tiguan, but kept my eyes on my rear-view-mirror, worried that my companions might get left behind on some of the steeper, gravel-covered hills. We made it to a part of the road where it seemed that it started losing elevation, so we turned around to a clearing that looked like there was a trail leading off. Robb’s GPS told us that Hot Springs Mountain was nearby, so we headed up the mountain. When we got to the top, we could see the Hot Springs Mountain Fire Lookout Tower on a nearby peak, so we knew we were on the wrong mountain. Looking at my Topo maps when I got home, I could see that Hot Springs Mountain is clearly written across the whole mountain, not on the peak, so it was easy to see how we were led astray. There were great views and it wasn’t a long detour, so we took some breaths and pictures and headed back down and onto the road.

The road got sketchier, including a section with a large rock that had fallen off to one side, but the Tiguan handled it all great and we ended up getting all the way to the summit parking lot, which was only .2 miles from the summit and was placed directly in-between the Tower and the summit.

I would have preferred to do more hiking, but I wanted to scout out the way to the top of the road. I recommend a high-clearance car, and at least AWD if you have it, since some sections are a little sandy.

Before we went to the summit, we climbed to the Fire Lookout Tower.

We then went down to the summit lot and then did some minor bushwhacking and rock-climbing and ended up on the cement platform atop Hot Springs Mountain, the highest point in San Diego County. We could see deep into the Anza-Borrego Desert to the Santa Rosa Mountains. We could also see Combs Peak, which we summited last month. We signed the summit register and enjoyed the perfect weather and silence before we headed back down the way we came.

The hike can be long or short, depending on your starting point and what your vehicle can handle.

Original Hike Date: 11/08/2009

Elevation: 6,533′
Miles covered: .4 round trip
Elevation Gain: ~100′
Rating: Easy
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Posted by Derek from 100peaks.com

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First of all, the drive out to Silverado is always a treat.  You get to see the most diverse architecture imaginable.  There are hillbilly shacks and Mc Mansions, ranches and propane tanks everywhere.  Despite the clash of old and new builds, you’ll feel like you’re in the country, and it’s only 15min away from “civilization”.  Since I grew up in this area I’ve heard alot of local lore about these canyons, like the haunted farm, and the satanic church that is supposed to exist somewhere among the rolling hills of Silverado and Modjeska Canyons.  Who knows how true any of that is, all I know is I wouldn’t stay in the canyons alone after dark.

Anyway, once you reach the end of Silverado Canyon road, one thing you’ll want to do is make sure you scope out the parking beyond the Maple Springs parking area.  Maple Springs was full when we arrived, but there was parking in the next clearing (right near the trailhead to the left of the road). 

We started off this hike at 10:30am and it was about 58 degrees out.  We both packed big coats expecting it to be cold or windy but it wasn’t for most of the hike and we both shucked our coats after the first 10min.  One thing to lookout when doing this hike at this time of the year is the position of the sun.  The hike up was totally exposed (we both got light tans on our faces), but the hike down was shady at 1pm and light was failing fast, so keep that in mind when you plan your time out there.

We were glad for our jackets at the top of this hill as it was windy and exposed.  The map we were following said that Bedford Peak was at the top, but we couldn’t locate a proper peak.  We saw a tattered windsock which probably marks the “peak”, but that was it.  A stone’s throw away, Silverado Trail intersects the Main Divide and that’s where we turned around after eating some lunch.  I’d say that the hike up wasn’t strenuous, but I’ve been accused of being part mountain goat.  It’s Intermediate really, unless you were to hike it in the Summer in which case I’d say you’ll have a tough time of it. 

The map estimates that it’s 2000 feet of elevation gain in 3mi.  We made it up in about 1.5 hours taking our time.  Coming back down, you have to pick your way in spots, and definitely watch your ass for Mountain Bikers.  We counted 20 bikers and 16 other hikers, so if you want a more solitary route, this isn’t the trail for you.  It has really great views though and I would do it again as a quick getaway hike.

Miles covered: 6-7 round trip
Elevation Gain: ~2,000
Rating: Intermediate
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From I-15, north or southbound, exit Winchester Road (Hwy 79N) in Temecula, CA and head north to Hwy 74E and continue on through Hemet and up the slope to Mountain Center. Once you reach Mountain Center at the intersection of Hwy 243 to Idyllwild and Hwy 74 to Palm Springs, stay to your right and on the 74. In approx 8.5 miles, you will reach Morris Ranch Road on your left (there is a fire station on the corner). Turn left here.

Once on Morris Ranch Road, drive approx 3.5 miles, passing the Joe Scherman Girl Scouts of America Camp. On the right, you will come to a gate with a sign for “Cedar Springs Trail.” Park where you can and post your National Adventure Pass.

Dress for the season, and always make sure to check the weather before you leave the house. The weather was cold today.  On the peak it was downright bone-chilling because of all the wind whipping about.   For the first 3/4 mile the trail alternates between trail and road and switchbacks up to the Pacific Crest Trail.  Watch your step because alot of horses use this trail…

You will pass through 3 gates (not including the trailhead gate).  The first gate was marked “Keep closed” and the next two were maked “Keep Open”.

Once you reach the junction with the PCT, turn right and continue on for about another mile until you see two cairns on your right.  You’ll see Pyramid Peak above you and slightly to the right.  The trail up to the peak can be a scramble in spots, but it isn’t terribly steep.  There were a couple old markers on some trees, but you really don’t need them to find your way.  We found two survey markers at the top, but the pen in the summit log didn’t work and for once we weren’t packing one.  We’ve resolved to sign it next time we come up this way.

Look out for Mountain Lions.  We were growled at twice on the way back.

Miles covered: ~7 round trip
Elevation Gain: ~1,700
Rating: Easy
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I was surprised to discover that 90% of the park burned in the Santiago Fire of 2007.  Despite that tragedy, the land is well into the recovery process.  The roads are very well maintained and clearly marked with signage.  If you haven’t been here in a few years you’ll see that the Rangers made some trail changes which are well documented in a handout they had at the Concourse Park trailhead (see link above).  There are about 4,300 acres of wilderness in this area, with many trails to explore.

Area Features: Riparian and oak woodland canyons, rolling grassland hills and steep slopes of coastal sage scrub and chaparral. Scenic rock formations, including the beautiful Red Rock Canyon. Three intermittent streams: Borrego, Serrano and Aliso Creek. Remnants of the former cattle ranching days can be seen throughout the park.

We began our day intent on exploring Billy Goat Trail.  We were following a review on LocalHikes which described a hike called Billy Goat Loop, but there were no maps online to print out.  Comments on the review tipped us off that the terrain had changed significantly since the trail was reviewed in 2005, so we found that the hike wasn’t strenuous at all as the review indicated, even weighed down by a DSLR in my hands.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s steep in some areas but far from “treacherous”.  It was a beautiful hike with views of rolling hills, limestone rock faces and unique features like burned out trees and cactus.  Very little wildlife has moved back into the area, but we did see a lot of baby lizards, some birds, beetles and ants.  If you’re hiking in the Summer, you might appreciate the water fountain located in the middle of the hike at Four Corners, just before Billy Goat Trail.  Parking at the trailhead is open to the public, but the park closes at sundown.

Miles covered: ~4 round trip
Elevation Gain: ~1,025
Rating: Easy
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It’s definitely a stretch to call this park a canyon. But if you’re taking a break in between handing out maps to the stars homes or shooting a commercial then it would make sense to throw on your Ed Hardy wicking t-shirt and $600 Michelle Obama tennies and do a lap around Runyon.
I kid…kinda.
This 160-acre parcel of land is a nice little haven in the middle of all that life that is LA. These aren’t our stomping grounds, but we were visiting an old friend, and he lives a couple blocks from there, so it was way convenient. I wouldn’t go back, but that’s just me. It’s a hefty drive to get there and not much to see (one of the goals of our hikes). But I live in Orange County. If I lived nearby this park I’d go running there, but that’s it.

Miles covered: Not sure. 90min or less for the whole thing (Western Ridge)
Elevation Gain: not much
Rating: Easy
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You start the hike next to the Ortega Oaks store and quickly climb into the mountains, leaving the road (and sounds of rice rockets and civics behind you). Your first destination is 4-corners, an intersection of hiking trails that we will be exploring again soon. The hike to 4 corners was easy so we decided to continue on to Sitton Peak. The trail to the peak was very steep, the dirt was loose and we knew it would be a pain going back down. Someone on trails.com pegs this last quarter mile at 413ft elevation gain; that’s fairly steep. It was totally worth it though for the views afforded and the sense of satisfaction you get from scrambling up there.  This trip was among the best san mateo wilderness hiking that I’ve found so far.

Miles covered: ~10 round trip
Elevation Gain: ~1,266
Rating: Moderate
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