I’ll stick to hiking in Southern California…..This guy is insane!
The Worlds Most Dangerous Hike
01 Thursday Mar 2012
BLACK STAR CANYON TO SILVERADO CANYON
01 Thursday Mar 2012
Posted in Distance hikes, Outdoors, Peaks, Strenuous Hikes, Waterfalls
Tags
beeks place, Black Star Canyon, canyon, cleveland national forest, distance, doppler, hike, Hiking, long, maple springs, peak, radar, santa ana mountains, Silverdo, trail
This 20 mile hike begins at the Black Star Canyon Trailhead and ends at the Maple Springs Trailhead. We used the car shuttle system to complete this hike, meeting at the Maple Springs Trailhead, leaving a car there and carpooling to the beginning of the hike.
This is a great hike with lots of points of interest: A coal mine, school bus, historic Indian site, Beeks place, doppler radar, Pleasants Peak and amazing views are things that you will experience along the way.
The hike begins at the parking lot just past the large steel gates.This is Black Star Canyon Rd. The first 2 miles are on a wide level fire road. Along the way you will see a closed off coal mine on the right and shortly after an old abandoned tractor and an old school bus in the creek are visible on the left.
New Bridge on Black Star Cyn Rd
School bus in the creek
A little past the the 2 mile mark you will see a house to your right, this is Black Star Bills house. If you see him say hi and keep on walking. When you reach the large concrete cylinders make a left and continue up the road. Making a right and dropping into the creek will take you to Black Star Waterfall
The next 3 miles are a gradual climb consisting of a few switchbacks and several hundred feet of elevation gain. (aprox 800ft) for the most part this section of the trail is exposed with very little shade and hardly and trees but around the 5 mile mark you will notice a bunch of Oak Trees on the right. This is the site of the Historic Indian village. This is a wonderful place for a break and an even better place to do some exploring. There’s a large amount of grinding rocks here which indicates that there was a large group of Indians that called this place home. There is a great lookout point located in the southwest section of the site.
Entering the Historic Indian Site
Grinding Rocks
Historic Indian Site
After a quick break and a small snack we continued on to the next of many points of interest on this hike. Next up, Beeks place, which is at the 8 mile mark. Beeks place sits on the Main Divide Rd and offers amazing views of Orange County, The San Gabriel Mountains and IE.
Entering the Cleveland National Forest
Beeks Place
We continued right, passing Beeks place and headed to our next destination, The Doppler Radar which is just over 1 mile from Beeks place.
Break time at the Doppler
On our way to Pleasants Peak we stopped at Little Pleasants Peak to check out the views
view from Little Pleasants Peak
Our next stop was Pleasants Peak (4,007 ft) This peak is much like the Santiago Peak but on a smaller scale of course. 360 views are not possible because of the many communication towers that call this place home but a quick scramble up the ridge provide awesome views!
My beautiful wife an I before leaving Pleasants Peak
Leaving Pleasants Peak
From here we still had 8 miles to go! We thought it would be all down hill from here but we were mistaken. The rest of this trek on the Main Divide consisted of rolling hills once we reached the 17 mile mark we reached the junction with Main Divide and Silverado Truck Trail. We took the Silverado Trail (straight ahead) for the remaining 3 miles to the car. Making a left will take you to Bedford Peak.
On our way down the Silverado Trail we had amazing views of Santiago Peak as the clouds rolled in.
Santiago Peak from Silverado Trail
Happy Trails,
Alex G
RECAP:
- ****STAY ON WIDE FIRE ROAD THE FIRST 17 MILES****
- First 8 miles are on Black Star Canyon Rd
- Make a right at Main Divide towards Beeks Place and continue for 9 miles
- At 17 mile mark go straight past the brown rails and take Silverado Trail for 3 miles to Maple Springs.
- Once on Silverado Canyon Rd make a right towards the Maple Springs parking lot
- 20 MILES
- 3,400 FT ELEV. GAIN
- HISTORIC INDIAN SITE
- DOPPLER RADAR
- PLEASANTS PEAK(4,007FT)
- 8 -10 HOURS TO COMPLETE
- >>>>NO SHADE<<<<<
- CAR SHUTTLE
AGUA CHINON TO THE SINKS
16 Thursday Feb 2012
Posted in Moderate Hikes, Outdoors, Strenuous Hikes
Tags
Agua Chinon, CONSERVANCY, Hiking, irvine, oc, ocparks, RANCH, THE SINKS, Trails
The “Sinks” is a beautiful sight to see and is located right in our own backyard! It is only accessible via private hikes through the Irvine Ranch Conservancy you can sign up for many other other activities on their website.
The Agua Chinon Trail is only 2.8 miles long but is one of the best and shortest routes to the sinks. The first mile is along the Agua Chinon wash and then the trail leaves the wash behind and starts to climb up towards the Sinks. The trail climbs several hundred feet giving you great views of Irvine to the west and the Sinks and Santa Ana mountains to the east.
The Sinks
This is one of my favorite IRC hikes and is usually available once a week. At just under 6 miles this hike offers a great workout in a short amount of time.
Happy Trails,
Alex G.
Parking for this hike is located at the Portola Staging Area
• 2.8 miles to the sinks
• Only available through IRC
• Difficulty – moderate
Heart Rock Falls (Crestline, CA)
12 Sunday Feb 2012
Posted in Easy Hikes, Waterfalls
Tags
Big Bear, Creek, Crestline, Heart Falls, Heart Rock, Hiking, Pine Trees, River, San Bernardino, Seely Creek, waterfall
This hike is definitely a short one. The time it will take you to drive to the trailhead will far exceed the time it takes to make this roundtrip trek, but if you’re looking for a picturesque romantic spot to take that special someone look no further.
Heart Rock Waterfall
The Heart Rock Falls trail is only 1.75 miles roundtrip. This is a trail that anyone can do with only a 200 foot elevation gain.
The trail winds through the pine forest and is always within a stones throw of the creek.
Directions:
Take the 210 and exit at Waterman Avenue. Take Waterman north for about 11 miles to Highway 138. Take 138 for 2.5 miles. This road will take you through a small town and past several cabins. It’s easy to accidentally veer off of 138 so you want to keep checking street signs along the way. You will see a sign on the left for Camp Seely. Make a left into the camp and follow the road to the left and across the small creek. You can park in the small dirt lot directly across from the camp playground. The trailhead is to the left of the lot. You will need an Adventure Pass.
LIMESTONE CANYON LOOP
08 Wednesday Feb 2012
Posted in Distance hikes, Outdoors
The sinks are that way --->
Earlier this month a couple friends and I signed up for an open access day at Limestone Canyon. The Irvine Ranch Conservancy opens up the wilderness park a few times a year to the public. They offer a lot of other outdoor programs that can be found on their activities page.
The Sinks
Most people hike directly to the sinks and back, the 9 mile round-trip hike is great for families and for beginners. The Limestone Canyon trail is pretty flat and has no elevation gain making it ideal for a quick in and out hike. The park itself is made up of over 10 different trails and if done all together can easily add up to about 18 miles.
On this particular day my friends and I decided to take the long way to the Sinks. From the parking area we headed right on Hicks Haul Rd. and then a quick right on Blue Diamond Haul Rd (paved road) which leads to the Shoestring trail. The Shoestring Trail is 2.12 miles long, is very steep and offers great views of Irvine Lake. The first .58 miles parallels Santiago Canyon Rd.
Irvine Lake from Shoestring Trail
The trail continues to the left at the first junction and starts to leave the sounds of the road behind, leaving you in this beautiful open meadow. This a very beautiful part of the trail and since we started early we had this section all to ourselves. Soon the trail begins to climb, gaining several hundred feet in less than 2 miles.
Shoestring Trail heading towards West Loma Trail
The next junction is with the West Loma Trail from here make a left and continue on for another 1.34 miles the views from here are amazing. Irvine lake and the San Gabriels can be seen from here. Lucky for me, it was a clear day.
Irvine Lake and The San Gabriel Mountains from West Loma Trail
As you can see the views on this 3.5 mile detour offers splendid views and for me, was well worth the extra effort.
After looping back around and meeting up with the Hicks Haul Rd we continued south (right) and picked up the East Loma Trail which is about 3.10 miles long. This is another great trail that offers a great work out as well as great views. We took the Box Springs trail which is a single track trail that loops around and meets back up with the East Loma trail leaving you a few feet from Box Springs. I definitely recommend this detour.
Since the Santa Ana Winds had blown by 2 days prior to this event the skies were crystal clear. Santiago Peak and Catalina seemed close enough to reach out and touch.
Catalina Island from the East Loma Trail
Santiago Peak from East Loma Trail
After a quick visit to Box Springs we retraced our steps and headed north (right) at the junction and back onto East Loma Trail, there is a junction a few feet away, I believe it’s also called East Loma, We made a right and in about half a mile we had an awesome view of one Orange County’s Natural landmarks.
View from the Loma Trail
After a quick visit and a small break we continued on to Limestone Canyon Trail for the long haul back to the parking lot. This is truly one of my favorite places to hike, I look forward to the next open access day. Thank you IRC and OC PARKS.
Happy Trails,
Alex G
- 11.81 mile loop
- great views
- only accessible on open access days
- difficulty – moderate/strenuous
- elevation gain – 922ft
MT. LOWE
03 Friday Feb 2012
Posted in Distance hikes, Peaks, Strenuous Hikes
Tags
Angeles national forest, echo mountain, Hiking, inspiration point, mt. lowe, San Gabriel Mountains, white city
Summit of Mt. Lowe
After conquering Santiago Peak and enjoying the wonderful views of the San Gabriels we decided that our next hike would be somewhere in the San Gabriel Mountains. Initially we had planned on doing Baldy but a winter storm caused us to change our plans. So reaching Mt. Lowe(5,603ft) became our new objective.
Parking is located on residential streets anywhere near the Cobb Estate. Parking is free and it does get crowded so arrive early. We started at 7am and had no problem with parking.
From the entrance of the Cobb Estate you will continue on the paved road for 100 yards or so until the road turns to the left, from here go straight and continue on a dirt trail until you reach two trail markers. You are looking for the Sam Merrill Trail which is the trail on the right. This trail drops down to the wash and soon begins You will be on this trail for 2.7 miles until you reach the junction. Make a right and continue to the end of the trail to the ruins of White City on Echo Mountain. The views from here are worth the 2.7 miles but if solitude+views is what you are after then the hike up to Mt. Lowe is definitely worth the extra effort.
View from Echo Mountain
Return onto the Trail and look for the Castle Canyon Trail it will be on the right. This is a 2 mile trail that takes you deep into the the canyon and provides some much needed shade on those sunny days.
Castle Canyon Trail
After 2 miles on the the Castle Rock Trail you will come to the end of the trail and be at Inspiration Point. This is a great spot for a quick snack and makes an excellent spot for take some pictures. There are a lot of viewfinders here that point to many So Cal locations.
Inspiration Point
View Finders at Inspiration Point
View from Inspiration Point
By now you have traveled at least 4.7 miles and would definitely be an awesome hike all in it’s own, but if you came all this way what is 2 more miles.. Facing away from Inspiration Point make a left(north) and continue on the fire road for a short distance. The sign, on your right hand side, is kind of hard to see but it reads “East Trail to Mt Lowe” Take this trail and Continue up to Mt Lowe for Amazing views of The Pacific , Catalina, Los Angeles, Santiago Peak as well as close up views of Mt. Wilson, San Gabriel Peak, and even a glimpse of Mt Baldy
Catalina in the distance
Mt. Wilson to the left and Santiago Peak in the distance
My Wife and I on the summit of Mt. Lowe
- 5,603 ft summit
- elevation gain 3,800 ft
- 13.5-15 miles round-trip
- difficulty – strenuous
- free parking
- great views
- dog friendly
SANTIAGO PEAK
01 Wednesday Feb 2012
Posted in Distance hikes, Peaks, Strenuous Hikes
Anyone who hikes in Orange County knows of or has heard of Santiago Peak. It is the hikes of all hikes in OC. 16 miles! The prize for OC hikers.
Since the Santa Ana Winds had ruined my first attempt. I had to reschedule and find a new hiking partner to reach the 5,689 ft peak.
Trying to convince friends to climb OC’s biggest mountain proved to be harder than the hike itself.
After my cousin agreed to make the trip with me ( Thanks Gary). I planned our route and we met up the next morning to conquer the Santa Ana’s highest point.
The parking lot and trail head for this hike is the same as the one to Holy Jim Waterfall. A forest adventure pass is required. After parking and checking our gear we headed left onto the post trail that leads to the Holy Jim Trail.
From the parking lot you will head about a mile and a half into the canyon until you reach the junction.
Make a left here and proceed onto the Holy Jim Trail towards the Main Divide Rd. Making a right will take you to the waterfall.
Once on the trail you gradually begin to ascend the mountain for the next 4 miles until reaching the Main Divide Rd. The trail itself is a single track trail that is well shaded and in pretty good condition.
As you gain some elevation the views to the south are amazing. Getting a glimpse of the ocean and the canyon below where you started the hike.
Once you read the Main Divide Rd you can either go left or right, they both lead you to the peak. Upper Holy Jim Trail is to the right, which is steeper, but offers great views of Baldy and Gorgonio. After making a right the trail will be on your left after about an 1/8 of a mile (look for the sign). This is the route I took and the views were worth it.
After a mile or so on the Upper Holy Jim Trail you connect back up with the Main Divide Rd. Once here you will make a right and continue up towards the peak for the remainder 2 miles.
Once at the hates to the peak you can go left for views of San Jacinto and Palomar Peak our you can go right on continue to the western must part of the summit for views of all of OC, the Pacific, Catalina and Baldy
Happy Trails,
Alex G
- Elevation Gain 4,000 ft
- Distance – 16 miles
- 5,689 ft above sea level
- Highest point in OC
- Creek crossings
- Adventure pass required
The Coastal Redwoods of Orange County
31 Tuesday Jan 2012
Posted in Easy Hikes, Outdoors
Bicyclist dies after rescue from Peters Canyon
31 Tuesday Jan 2012
Posted in News
I came across this sad story in the Orange County Register. I can’t really imagine that this had anything to do with the conditions of the trails as Peters Canyon has always been very well maintained.
http://www.ocregister.com/news/victim-338016-firefighters-rescued.html
WEST HORSETHIEF – TRABUCO CANYON LOOP
09 Monday Jan 2012
Posted in Cave, Distance hikes, Strenuous Hikes
Trabuco trailhead
- This is a wonderful 10.5 mile loop that begins at the Trabuco trailhead. To reach the trailhead you you have to travel about 5.5 miles up Trabuco Creek Rd. This parking lot is a mile or so past the Holy Jim parking lot and is a lot smaller. It only fits about 6 vehicles so arrive early.
From the trailhead you will hike through a well shaded single track trail with a couple creek crossings, an old abandoned car and a sealed up mine. You will be on this trail for 1.7 miles until you reach the junction with the west horsethief trail.
abandoned car from the mining era
Sealed up mine
- Once here you can go either straight or hang a right and the continue on the Trabuco Canyon trail. They both lead you up to the Main Divide Rd. The west horsethief trail is slightly harder since it is nothing but switchbacks and is fully exposed. The Trabuco trail partially exposed for the first mile or so then changes to a well shaded trail.
We took the easier route and took the Trabuco canyon trail. This trail offers great views of Santiago peak.
Santiago Peak from Trabuco Canyon Trail
- The first part of this trail it fully exposed and can be a bit difficult but gets relatively easy once in the shade. About a mile before reaching the Main Divide Rd we came across a Christmas Tree that was decorated with ornaments apparently its a tradition amongst mountain bikers to decorate a tree during the holidays. This made for a great picture spot and a quick rest break.
Christmas Tree in the CNF
Pacific Ocean in the distance
- Once you reach the main divide rd you will have a great view of Lake Elsinore.
Lake Elsinore
From here take the first left you will be on this trail for 2.5. On a clear day you will have great views of the 3 biggest peaks in So.Cal
Mt. Baldy, Mt. San Gorgonio, Mt. San Jacinto
- After being on this trail for 2.5 miles you reach the West Horsethief Trail.
Trail is directly behind this post
- This is a 2 mile trail that consists of nothing but switchbacks. It offers great views of Trabuco Canyon. From here it’s a total of 3.7 miles back to the parking lot.
Happy trails, Alex G. * HIGH CLEARANCE VEHICLE RECOMMENDED * • 10.5 mile loop • Creek crossing • sealed mine • Adventure pass required • 2,300 ft elevation change
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