My son wanted to get away for the weekend, so I suggested that we head up toward Los Padres and camp at McGill Campground. After a small mix-up with the campground reservation, we got an even better site. After setting up, we relaxed a bit before cooking dinner, then continued relaxing by the campfire. The next morning, I made the short drive to Nordic Base to hike out to Sawmill Mountain.

I had considered Antimony Peak, but I was still nursing some calf tightness, and thought I should stick to a trail I knew well. I kept my pace a bit more on the mellow side; there was no need to set a PR. Before too long, the communication tower atop Mt. Pinos came into view. I swung by Ventura County’s high point, snapped a few photos, and motored on.

Quite a few Snow Plants dotted the sides of the trail. Usually, I might see one or two, but this time there were a lot more. A nice breeze kept the hike refreshing as I made my way down the saddle, then up toward Sawmill. Just as I was approaching the massive cairn, I met two hikers. We chatted a bit; they were off to hike Grouse Mountain for the 3-2-1 challenge. At the summit, I snapped a few photos and grabbed a snack. Leaving the summit, I met a trail runner who was hoping to make it all the way to Cerro Norteste. I wished him well on his run and continued back to the trailhead. I met a few other hikers along the way. When I got back to my car, I discovered that something went wrong with my recording. Drat! I was curious to see how long I had been moving, and I only had my total time (I stopped a few times for longer conversations with some of those hikers).

Once back at the campground, we packed up the car and headed off for the next adventure. We grabbed some tri-tip sandwiches from the market, then drove to the top of Frazier Mountain. The road was manageable. There were some rocky sections, but nothing too bothersome with good off-road tires. At the summit, we broke out the chairs and enjoyed both the view and the sandwiches. Afterward, we explored the abandoned fire lookout tower before heading back down the mountain and finally home.

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When I was backpacking along the Desert Divide section of the PCT, I was able to “side quest” and climb a few of the HPS peaks that lay near the trail. However, there were a couple that I skipped for various reasons. So, today I decided to head back and cross one of them off the list. I settled on Spitler Peak as the day’s goal. I turned off Highway 74 and on Fobes Ranch Road. The road had recently been graded, but I still had to be a bit mindful, and avoid a few rocks from time to time. I came to a locked gate after about 3.5 miles of driving. Just before the gate was a wide spot to park. According to the map, this is where the road used to go, but it is now blocked by large rocks.

I gathered my gear, remembered to put up my sunshade, and set off along the abandoned road. After about 1/2 mile, the road ended, and the actual trail took over. My route would now climb toward Fobes Saddle, where I would rejoin the PCT. The trail was in pretty good condition. There were a couple of turns that were slightly confusing, so I built some cairns to help guide others.

Once at the saddle, I turned northward to continue the climb toward Spitler Peak. As I made my way along the trail, it was certainly easier without my full backpack, having already hiked about 16 miles. The peak came into view, and I began looking for cairns that might indicate a route up its steep slope. I didn’t remember seeing any when I passed by it last time, and that still held true this time. So, I looked for a clear, straightforward path to get started on the ascent. When I say steep, I mean like 30-50% slope! I kept pushing on, knowing the summit wasn’t actually that far off the trail. I checked my position and adjusted my ascent route slightly to reach the proper summit. Once at the summit, I slipped off my pack and took in the views. During the ascent, my left calf began to ache, so I mixed up some electrolytes to see if that might help. After a snack, some more photos, I signed the register and headed back down.

Back on the PCT, I retraced my route back to Fobes Saddle. Along the way, I enjoyed the wildflowers that still dotted the sides of the trail. At the saddle, there was a box marked “trail magic”; it was actually filled with trash from thru-hikers. I gathered some up and stuffed them into my pack to haul out.  My calf continued to ache, but I managed to keep hiking down the trail. When I was back on the abandoned road, I spotted a gopher snake in the shade, but upon looking closer, I saw that a smaller rattlesnake had attacked it and was latched onto it. As I gave it a wide berth, I wondered how that tiny rattler was going to handle much larger prey?

The day had warmed up, and the breeze usually kept it pleasant, but as the car came back into view, I was glad to be done. My calf was certainly going to need some attention once I got home, but first, I had to hit Paradise Valley Café for a well-earned lunch. The final stats for the hike were 7.5 miles in 4:22 with 2,294 feet of gain.

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After spending the night at my wife’s uncle’s house in Encino, I awoke early and drove to the Mishe Mokwa Trailhead in the Santa Monica Mountains. The goal today was to complete a 7+ mile loop that included 6 summits on the Lower Peak Committee list. I pulled into an empty parking lot and gathered my gear. Crossing the road, I set off along the trail, hoping that not bringing a jacket wasn’t a mistake, as the clouds were all around me. I came to the first signed junction and headed off toward Sandstone Peak. The trail was in great shape, and I was making good time. A couple of hikers passed me, returning from what I assume might have been an attempt to watch sunrise from the summit. I found the turn off to the peak and worked my way up. A plaque honoring Mr. W. Herbert Allen, who donated many acres of land to the Boy Scouts, was mounted on a nearby rock. There was an attempt to rename this peak in his honor in the 1960s, but the petition was denied because of a Department of the Interior policy against naming geographic landmarks after people who were still alive. The clouds prevented any sort of views, and I knew that was going to be the case for the rest of the day. 

I made my way back down to the Backbone trail and continued my clockwise route. The track I was using as a guide featured a short side-hike to the summit of Pico Raquelita. While not on the list, I figured, why not bag another peak? After a little bushwhack, I reached the summit and quickly returned to the main trail. I found the use trail leading to the top of Boney Peak not long after rejoining it. I was surprised by the lack of cairns to guide hikers, especially given that this area is fairly popular. I found the primary summit block and called it “bagged”. There was no need to climb it for the view, as there was none. I opted for a more direct route back to the main trail, guessing my way down.

Next up was Inspiration Point, just a short walk to the memorial for William Plants, an Eagle Scout who died on the trail in Kings Canyon National Park at the age of 16. Two hikers were just leaving as I arrived. Atop the memorial is a sighting disc to help pinpoint the various landmarks that could have been seen, but not today.

The trail came to a junction, and I turned to the south to hike to Exchange Peak. I passed some old water tanks, then onto a use trail toward the summit. While the route was mostly findable, I again wondered about the lack of cairns and how they might be useful.

After a snack, I headed northward toward Tri-Peaks. My route would become less defined as I left the Backbone Trail for a while. There was signage to help guide me, so I never felt lost. I reached the summit and understood the reasoning behind the name. I milled around the base of the Tri-Peaks before continuing northward toward the final peak of this loop, Big Dome. 

My route turned eastward, and just after Pop Top Peak, which I technically skipped, the trail veered off toward the summit. I missed the first trail up, and had to back-track to it from the east side. Again, just more views of the gray clouds.

I rejoined the Mishe Mowka Trail and continued eastward. I passed by Split Rock, stopping at the picnic table to adjust my shoes before continuing on. I opted not to take the unmaintained trail to view Balance Rock because visibility was so poor. I slipped in my headphones and enjoyed a podcast as I motored home.

A couple of signposts asked visitors to position their camera, take a photo, and email it to the researchers. This citizen scientist’s effort to catalog the recovery from the 2018 Woolsey Fire is really impressive. I snapped my photos to send later. Before too long, I reached the junction near the start of the trail. There, a gentleman was plucking up the red flags I had spotted from time to time along the trail. I initially assumed they were there for a trail race on Saturday. They actually were guides for hikers from a nearby retreat. We chatted a bit as we made our way back to the trailhead. He went over to his clients, and I to my car. I changed for the long drive home and set off. This was a great day of peak bagging, knocking 6 more off the LPC list. I might need to return on a clear winter’s day to enjoy the views, but it was still a good day on the trails. The final stats were 7.5 miles in 4:25 with 1,443 feet of gain

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The start of my Los Angeles Lower Peak adventure was to finally climb Cahuenga Peak and see the backside of the Hollywood sign. I left early to try to avoid as much of the traffic as possible. Parking on Lake Hollywood Boulevard, I gathered my gear and set off. I turned onto Wonderview Drive, passing some lovely homes. I slipped around the gate (which I later learned only looks locked), but I retrieved a lost water bottle from the hillside, so I figured I had done a good deed to go off-trail slightly. Once past the water tank, I spied the actual trail to my first destination, the Wisdom Tree atop Burbank Peak. A plaque gave some history about this portion of Griffith Park. The trail climbed quickly to the summit. The Wisdom Tree was the sole surviving tree from the Burnham Fire and has garnered celebrity status. I took in the views, under the May Grey, and continued along the ridge trail toward Cahuenga Peak, my actual goal, as it is the one on the Lower Peaks Committee list. The trail had some ups and downs; I am sure a bit more challenging for non-hikers, but I kept hiking along.

Atop Cahuenga Peak, I enjoyed the view of Lake Hollywood below me and Mt. Lee to the east. 

The trail connected to the Mt. Lee service road and, in a short distance, the backside of the Hollywood sign. I walked up the small hill to see the entire sign. After snapping a few photos, I headed back. While the overcast skies kept the day cool, I certainly wasn’t going to have an iconic photo of the LA skyline today.

I retraced my route and was soon back at the car. Next up was Temescal Peak, out near Encino. My stats for this hike were x.x miles, in x:xx with xx feet of gain.

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Since I could not easily link up with Sara to hike more of the PCT with her, I decided to go peak bagging instead. I decided to try to knock out some summits on the Hundred Peak Section list just north of Paradise Valley Café.  I parked the car at the side of the road, slipped on my fleece as it was a bit cold, grabbed my gear, and headed off. The route took me past a few lovely homes before heading into the wilderness. The trail was easy to follow as it worked its way eastward. The peak of the day was to be Gold Hill. While not on the list, I decided to climb it anyway. At the junction, there was a very detailed sign telling “a brief history of mining ‘round these parts”. As I made my way up, I found some of the old foundations of various buildings. Once at the summit, I soaked in the view, especially of Thomas Mountain to my west. I returned to the junction and continued following an old 4×4 road up the mountain toward Butterfly Peak.

Along the way, I passed a gated mine shaft and another informational sign, this time about bats! My route now began climbing in earnest, but the views were lovely. Soon, I came to another mine shaft. This one was a vertical shaft that had been filled with mining items. After surveying it a bit, I continued up toward the saddle. Once there, I turned northward toward Butterfly Peak. I actually turned too soon, but did find another mine shaft, and this one was completely exposed. I pushed on up, picking my route through the brush and rocks. The peak came into view, and the final effort to the summit. Once there, I slipped off my pack and soaked in the views. I found the register and signed in under two of my friends who were here last year. I turned my gaze to the east and Ken Point, my next possible summit. First, I had to bushwhack my way down to the old road. Once there, I started toward it, but the cross-country adventure to the summit and the descent left me less than motivated to push on, so I turned back.

I crossed back over the saddle and down the trail. When I reached the information sign for Gold Hill, I headed southward toward Rock Point. I spied the cairn for the trail to its summit. In addition to the cairns, colored ribbons also help mark the route. Once at this summit, I found some shade and enjoyed my lunch. Off to the north, I could see San Jacinto, and from my vantage point, it was completely devoid of snow. I am sure Sara will appreciate this when she hikes over it.

Once back on the main trail, I began following those ribbons, as they matched the route I had been using. Unfortunately, I found myself at a gate reading “private property”. Oops! I had followed a trail leading me to the edge of Paradise Ranch. A counselor was nearby, and I asked if I might pass through and she kindly let me. Turns out those ribbons were theirs and not from a trail race. This facility is a wilderness camp for kids in Riverside County. This is why I am not including the actual track, as I don’t want anyone to accidentally make the same error. Once back at the car, I changed into a dry shirt and made the short drive to Paradise Valley Café for a second lunch.  My adventure covered 9.26 miles in 6:56, with a total gain of 2,465 feet.

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