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| Hiking | 19.00 Miles |
5,600 AEG |
| | Hiking | 19.00 Miles | 10 Hrs | | 2.08 mph |
| 5,600 ft AEG | 53 Mns Break | 16 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | I created the HAZ page for Vivian Creek Trail about 12 years ago. Coupled with the fact that I grew up in the nearby town of Yucaipa, this hike has been on my radar for a very, very long time. Spent most of September training, and well, today (yesterday) was the day.
I left Phoenix at 12am Monday. Drove straight through to Uncle Ray's Donuts on 3rd St and County Line for a pick-me-up. Reached Forest Falls and started hiking at 5:38am. It was 37 degrees at the start and considering the amount of elevation gain on this one, I don't think it warmed up until after the peak.
The views of San Jacinto and Coachella Vallely around mile 7 are incredible. The remaining 2.3 miles to the peak are a doozy. I required numerous breaks and sustenance to make it through. I thought my knees were in trouble once I topped out - thankfully they just needed rest. Views from the top were great, albeit limited because of the air quality. Didn't stay for too long as I still had to get down and drive home.
The increasing clouds along the descent were fantastic. They initially built up along Yucaipa Ridge, then spilled over to the rest of the range. High Creek Camp was pretty crowded on the way down - can't imagine what it looks like on a weekend.
The descent was uneventful yet beautiful. I moved as fast as my knees would let me and made up a bunch of time, reaching the car in exactly 10 hours. I changed into some clean clothes and drove to the closest Baker's Drive-Thru (highly recommended) for calories. The drive home was not radical. Pretty sure someone else took the wheel for the last two hours because it's all a blur.  Wouldn't recommend this as a day trip but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. |
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Vivian Creek |
Heavy flow |
Heavy flow |
| | | Lots of water, plenty of spots to filter from | | _____________________
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