Category Archives: Peaks

Griffith Peak

22 Sunday Jan 2017

Posted by in Distance hikes, Moderate Hikes, Outdoors, Peaks, Strenuous Hikes

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Griffith Peak is located in the Spring Mountains.  It is the 3rd highest peak in Southern Nevada ( 11,064 ft)

The trail passes through the old burn area of the Carpenter1 fire. You’ll the the scars along the way. Towering Ponderosa Pines dominate this first section of trail.

Junctions are well marked follow signs for Griffith Peak. 

As you climb up the canyon the trail gets a lot steeper but the magnificent views outweigh the pain. Just keep moving. You’re getting closer!

Once you climb out of canyon you hit a series of switchbacks through a ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. 

After the last switchback you are left with your first view of Griffith Peak. Proceed on over to the saddle and make a left. 

Push for the peak on this last stretch and you’ll be rewarded with amazing views !

Views from the peak on a cloudy cloudy day!

Summit register! Goat worth hike for sure! Make sure to sign in or it never happened! 🙂

  • Difficulty – Strenuous 
  • 3300 ft gain
  • 10 miles
  • Out and back
  • Amazing views
  • Season – Late Spring to Fall

LINK TO TRAILHEAD

LINK TO GPS TRACK

LINK TO PHOTO ALBUM

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SAN MATEO PEAK

29 Tuesday Mar 2016

Posted by in Moderate Hikes, Peaks, Strenuous Hikes

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San Mateo Peak is located in the San Mateo Canyon Wilderness of the Cleveland National Forest, in the Santa Ana Mountains. At 3,591 ft it is the highest point in the SMC Wilderness.

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Views from the peak to the east are amazing. Lake Elsinore is pictured here.
Also  visible are the San Gabriel, San Bernardino and San Jacinto Mountains.

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The trailhead for this peak is located off of the S. Main Divide Rd at the MORGAN TRAILHEAD

Take the trail down and make a left at the first junction, about a 1/4 mile in.  Follow this trail and keep right at the second junction until you reach a cairn and sign that reads San Mateo Peak. Make a right here.

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From here the trail climbs steeply for a good 1/2 miles. It eventually levels off again but still has some steep points.

It’s about 2.3 miles to the summit from the trailhead. Trail starts off easy for the first mile then steeply climbs of the east face of the mountain.

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Thank you to Maria and Angie for joining me on this trek.

▪Difficulty – Easy/Moderate/Strenuous
▪5 Miles round trip/  out and back
▪Bring a hat and sunscreen
▪Forest adventure pass for parking

MT. CHARLESTON PEAK – NEVADA

22 Tuesday Dec 2015

Posted by in Distance hikes, Outdoors, Peaks, Strenuous Hikes

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Mt. Charleston Peak  was a pretty awesome hike! At 11,918 ft it is the tallest mountain in Southern Nevada. The views from the top are some of the best! Vegas amd Death Valley are visible from the peak. It is said that on a clear day the Sierra Nevada are visible from the peak.

It had been on my list for a few years and on Labor Day I finally checked it of my list ✔

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Had the pleasure of bagging this peak with my good friend and fellow hiker Neal. He’s the one who got me into bagging peaks so it was only fitting hat he joined me on this trek.

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We started close to 8 am and took the Trail Canyon Trail up to the North Loop Trail to the peak.

  The hike itself is one of the most beautiful hikes I’ve done. The landscape is painted with Quaking Aspen and towering pines peirce the sky. In the upper reaches of the Limestone cliffs Bristlcone Pines dominate the mountain.

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● 17 miles out and back
● 8 -10 hours
● Difficulty – Very Strenuous
● Elevation Gain – 4,500 ft

Click for Google Maps link to trailhead

Link to full photo album

LOS PINOS PEAK VIA TRABUCO CANYON

19 Friday Dec 2014

Posted by in Distance hikes, Outdoors, Peaks, Strenuous Hikes

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This is a 13 mile hike that starts in beautiful Trabuco Canyon. The trailhead for this hike is located at the end of Trabuco Creek Rd. This is a bumpy ride on an  unmaintained dirt road. So a 4×4 or a high clearance vehicle is recommended.

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The first 2 miles on the West Horsethief Trail are mostly shaded and follow the creek.

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View of Trabuco Canyon

After the first 2 miles you start to climb up the walls of Trabuco Canyon and the views begin to open up. This steep section is the toughest part of the hike. After 2 miles you reach the Main Divide Rd.

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The Main Divide  Rd. offers some great views into Riverside County. Lake Elsinore is pictured above also visible from the road are San Jacinto and the San Bernardino Mountains. 

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Los Pinos Ridge Trail

After 3 miles on the Rd you reach the Los Pinos Trail. This ridge line is one of my favorites in the range. The views from the ridge are amazing!

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View from Los Pinos Peak

Once on the peak, enjoy the marvelous views an retrace your steps.  Go back to the main divide/los pinos junction and make a left to take the Trabuco Canyon trail. 

This shady downhill trail is my favorite!  It’s a bit rocky but the views are so worth it!

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Trabuco Canyon Trail

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This Trai will take you back to West Horsethief trail. Then return the way you came. This lollipop loop is one of the best in So Cal!

Trail route:
West Horsethief to Main Divide, Main Divide to Los Pinos Trail, Los Pinos  back down to Main Divide/Trabuco Canyon/ Los Pinos trail Junction,  Take Trabuco Canyon trail back to West Horsethief and back to parking lot.

● 13 mile Lollipop Loop
● 4th highest peak in the range.
● Beautiful views
● Dog friendly trail
● approx 2,500 ft of gain
● High clearance vehicle recommended

CLICK BELOW FOR GOOGLE MAPS LINK TO PARKING AREA
West Horsethief/Trabuco Canyon Trailhead

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Mt. Baldy- Ski Hut-Devils Backbone Loop

22 Tuesday Oct 2013

Posted by in Distance hikes, Outdoors, Peaks, Strenuous Hikes

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Mt Baldy is the highest mountain in the Los Angeles area and  is a very popular hike amongst the hiking community. I’ve had the pleasure of summiting this mountain 6 times and the view is just as breathtaking as the first time.

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Ski Hut from the trail

The Ski Hut Trail begins about .6 miles up Falls Rd passing San Antonio Falls. There used to be a sign marking the obscure trail but that has since be removed. So keep by our eyes open as this trail is easy to miss. It is on the left hand side.

The Ski Hut marks the halfway point to the summit. This is a great place to stop have a snack and if you’re lucky you might even spot some wildlife.

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Deer grazing just below the Ski Hut

From here you will cross the Baldy Bowl, do a little boulder scrambling and then back into the pine forest to continue the ascend to the summit. 

Once at the summit if you look in a Southeastern direction you will the the Devils Backbone Trail. Views from this trail are amazing!

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Devils Backbone viewed fromnthe Summit

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Take this trail down to the Baldy Notch (Ski lifts) from there you can either take the ski lifts down (if they’re running) or take the road down which is directly behind the restaurant. The road will take you back down and pass up the waterfall and leave you back at your car.

Click here for directions to the parking lot

***BE SURE TO USE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN HIKING ON THE DEVILS BACKBONE TRAIL. I DO NOT RECOMMEND HIKING THIS TRAIL AFTER SNOW FALL. PEOPLE HAVE DIED ON THIS TRAIL BEFORE ***

• 11.3 MILE LOOP
• HIKING POLES RECOMMENDED
• AMAZING VIEWS
• 3‚900 FT OF GAIN
• 7-9 HRS TO COMPLETE
• ADVENTURE PASS IS REQUIRED

The Wally Waldron Tree

31 Friday May 2013

Posted by in Distance hikes, Outdoors, Peaks, Strenuous Hikes

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The Wally Waldron tree is  one of the oldest trees in the San Gabriel Mountains  estimated to be older than 1,500 years.
  It is named after Wally Waldron who was a member of the executive board of the LA area council of the Boy Scouts. 
  The tree is at the junction with the PCT and the trail that leads up to the summit of Mt. Baden Powell.

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The Wally Waldron Tree viewed from the PCT

MT WHITNEY DAY HIKE

06 Thursday Sep 2012

Posted by in Distance hikes, Outdoors, Peaks, Strenuous Hikes, The 10 Essentials, Waterfalls

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OC Trail Hikers on the summit of Mt. Whitney 14,508 ft!

Where do I begin… Lets see..

This was the biggest hike of my life and it was far from easy… It wasn’t physically tough but more mentally challenging. The hike to the summit is 11 miles with an elevation change of around 6,000 ft. The hike itself is relatively easy but the higher you get the harder it becomes to breath… and you get really high! In fact, at 14,508 ft., its the highest point in the lower 48!

The Fantastic 4

Our plan was to start hiking at midnight so that if we encountered any difficulties along the way we would still have plenty of time to recover. That idea I was fine, but the idea of getting to the portal and sleeping during the day before our hike totally backfired on us! We spent all day trying to sleep and couldn’t even squeeze in a minute of shut eye. Before we knew it it was already 11pm !

We geared up and hit the trail by 1130pm. Hiking in the dark is something I had only done a couple times before but only for 2 hours at the most… This was going to be a 7 hour hike in the dark until sunrise. It was nice to hike under the cover of darkness but the only downfall was that we missed all the nice scenery on the way up.

Sunrise at Trail Camp

We arrived at Trail Camp just in time to see the sunrise. After a quick break we refilled our water and continued on to the infamous 99 switchbacks. The switchbacks arent so bad on the way up.. The way down is a different story!

Switch-backing it up to Trail Crest

As you can tell by the look on my face the lack of sleep was starting to take its toll…

When you reach Trail Crest you are overcome with this feeling of accomplishment and joy and you almost feel untouchable!

Finally reached Trail Crest!

That feeling lasts about 2 minutes!… as you make your way down, yes down, Trail Crest you begin to realize that getting to the summit is going to require a little more work than a measly 99 switchbacks! If you made it this far, there is no reason to stop here although you might be slightly discouraged, just keep on trekking!

Along the Trail Crest/JMT you will have amazing views into Sequoia National Park. The views are like no other that I’ve experienced on any of my hikes Just plain amazing!

A look into Sequoia National Park

My lovely wife and myself on the Trail Crest / JMT Trail. Sequoia National Park in the background

On Trail Crest/JMT

The final push to the summit is an amazing feeling… Knowing that all your hard work, training and sacrifices are about to pay off, makes that moment one that you will never forget!

Me making the final push to the top!

This was a wonderful journey I was fortunate enough to share this experience with my beautiful wife Martina and my hiking buddies Neal and Scott.

Our total hike time was 19 hours including breaks and stops to regroup. The altitude played a big roll in our long trek. Dealing with elevation sickness and the extreme headaches was something that required us to slow down and take lots of breaks,very frequently. It took us 11 hours to summit and 7 to return back down.

A permit is required to hike to the summit of Mt Whitney. Click here for info on entering the lottery.

Permits can be picked up at the MT Whitney Ranger Station/Visitor Center

Click here for directions to the trailhead

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  • Elevation 14,508 ft
  • hike time 10-20 hours
  • 22 miles
  • 6,000 ft elev. gain
  • Whitney Zone permit required
  • start early and take your time. THE MOUNTAIN ISN’T GOING ANYWHERE!

SAN JACINTO PEAK (via Deer Springs Trail)

28 Thursday Jun 2012

Posted by in Distance hikes, Outdoors, Peaks

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Me on San Jacinto Peak

This was probably up there on the list of tough hikes. I don’t know if it was the late 9:30 am start or the warm summer day or a combination of the two… But I had a hard time on this particular hike.

Anyways, Deer Springs Trail is located off of highway 243 and is actually on a turnout off the main highway. A forest adventure pass is required. You will also need a wilderness permit to day hike in the San Jacinto wilderness. You can pick one up at the ranger station a few miles down the road past the Trailhead. (Follow the signs on the roadside)

This a wonderful trail and I cant wait to bring my wife back to experience it. We have reached the summit before via the Palm Springs Tram which was a wonderful hike but this trail is my new favorite way up to the peak. The 9.3 mile trail makes its way up the west side of the mountain so an early start is recommended or else the sun will be beaming down on you as it was on me.

The trail is well marked and almost impossible to lose. The First marker is always such a drag… nothing but a reminder of how long you have left!

2.3 miles down…. 7 more to go!

The scenery on this trail is absolutely some of the best! Tall pines, lovely creeks and amazing rock formations

Large Boulder on the trail

Usually climbing out of the tree covered forest is not one of my favorite things… sometimes i wish i could stay there wondering around all day.. but on this hot summer day i knew that getting higher meant cooler weather. So we kept pushing on  passing trail junction after trail junction. Finally! blue skies in the distance! This is when you finally get a real feel for how much elevation you have gained..

Little windows like this were breathtaking!

view of The Santa Ana Mountains to the West

View of The Santa Ana and The San Gabriel Mountains

The views were amazing!!

We passed a lot of streams along the way making note of them and their distance just in case we needed to refill on the way back.. (which we did)> The last water source before the peak was at The Little Round Valley Campground. From here it is about 1.3 miles to the top. On our way back we refilled our 3L waterpacks here before heading down.

The climb out of little round valley was tough about 1,100 ft in in 1.6 miles. Not to worry The views from here were great! I got s sneak peak of my soon to be next hike San Gorgonio! (which was easier than expected)

View of San G

The Final Push! This was the longest 1.6 miles EVER! But being that close to the peak is nothing but motivation to keep on going.. So thats exactly what I did.. Reaching the last trail junction is always such a good feeling especially when it reads……

.3 MILES TO GO!!!

This is the Longest, Hardest .3 miles around! At least from my experiences.. The trail leads to the emergency shelter and from there its a rock scramble to the peak. Take your time and be careful  the high altitude can get you even at this point. I saw a guy sick as a dog throwing up just before the peak. I made sure to take some advil every 3 hours or so to prevent the killer headaches associated with high elevations hike.

Happy Trails!
AlexG

  • 18.6 MILES ROUNDTRIP
  • 5,000 FT ELEVATION GAIN
  • ALL DAY HIKE (10.5 HRS)
  • SUNBLOCK
  • HIKING POLES
  • WATER FILTER/PURIFIER
  • ADVENTURE PASS

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