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| San Gorgonio via South Fork, CA | |
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| | San Gorgonio via South Fork, CA | | | |
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San Gorgonio via South Fork, CA
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| Hiking | 21.18 Miles |
4,871 AEG |
| | Hiking | 21.18 Miles | 8 Hrs 46 Mns | | 2.74 mph |
| 4,871 ft AEG | 1 Hour 3 Mns Break | | | |
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| partners | | We threw this one together on Thursday and headed out Friday morning. I secured the last permit for Vivian (sorry Patrick  ), but ended up heading around to the Barton Flats area since there were cooler temperatures and more opportunities for camping. Road access to the Fish Creek trailhead (plus Aspen Grove) is restricted due to extensive flooding caused by Tropical Storm Hillary in September 2023. This made South Fork the most logical choice for our summit plan.
We decided at the end of the day that this was probably the best day hike either of us had done all year. Despite the impacts of fire on this terrain, the trails were in excellent condition, the views outstanding, and diversity of flora and geology about as good as it gets.
The 55-degree starting temperature was pleasant, but much of the first couple of miles was east facing and we got some bright and warm orb light hitting us. In the 10 years since the Lake Fire decimated the northern slopes of Gorgonio, there is plenty of regrowth, but as is the case with many similar habitats in Arizona, consists mostly of scrub brush and limited conifer restoration; as such, shade was minimal before reaching South Fork Meadows.
We opted to make a counterclockwise loop by ascending the Dollar Lake trail and the ~2000 feet from South Fork Meadows to the Dollar Lake Saddle were the steepest climb of the day. Now above 10kft, the San Bernardino Peak Divide Trail featured a more moderate grade and we were able to settle into a comfortable pace.
As we rounded the south side of Charlton Peak views across the drainage to the northwest slopes of Jepson Peak showed a sparsely vegetated sand slope that ended up being one of the highlights of the day. The contrasts and uniqueness of the geology were a very unexpected treat which I was really enjoying. Elevation had offset the warming day and temps only reached 66 as we continued upward.
The divide trail at first provided great views to the south before opening up to the west at around the 11kft contour. The top of San Gorgonio Mountain is mostly without trees and a really enjoyable environment. It was a magnificent summit. About a dozen others shared the vast summit area on this perfect August day. Air quality was hazy so visibility was limited. Whitney was not in view today, sadly. In fact, besides Jacinto across the way, the San Gabriels were about the only notable range in view.
To save a mile or so , we made an offtrail descent from the summit down to the Sky High trail with the spectacular looking Tarn below us. Sky High dropped down the east slope through a series of amazingly constructed switchbacks. This north and east facing aspect above 10kft has some gnarly old pines, sparsley distributed along steep talus slopes with evidence of both rock slides and avalanches having previously affected the landscape.
At the bottom of the switchbacks, the trail crosses through the substantial wreckage of a C-47 which crashed in a snowstorm in 1953, and a plaque commemorates the 13 servicemen killed.
We passed by Mine Shaft Saddle where the Fish Creek trail heads off to the east before continuing down toward Dry Lake. There are nice views back up to the summit along this stretch and we took a break near Trail Flat, an area marked for camping but which appeared to not see much of that kind of use.
As we approached Dry Lake, 9L spotted a bear grazing in the meadow. It hadn't moved and I just assumed it was a stump or something, but as we got closer he noticed us just long enough to emphatically declare that he couldn't care less that we were there and continued grazing with barely another look at us. He was 100 yards away, but still nice to see.
Two more miles brought us back to South Fork Meadows where we had started the loop earlier in the day. After a break at the river there we retraced our first 3.5 miles down to the trailhead with a quick detour to the marvelously named Poopout Hill. Back below 8kft and in the afternoon heat, temps soared into the mid-70s. It could have been hot, but clouds that formed over the mountain shaded us for most of the descent, providing much-appreciated relief from the fireball.
Upon completion we headed over to Angelus Oaks for a glamping dinner at the only dining establishment within an hour of here before heading back to camp.
What a great day. It was my first visit to this range, and I would definitely come back to it. At barely 5 hours driving, it's not as far away as it seems on paper.
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The permit system in this wilderness should be a model for some of the more popular areas in Arizona. Despite the inconvenience of not necessarily being able to hike any trail on any day you want, it is effective at preventing the place from being overrun like some days can be on Humphreys, Flatiron, or Devils Bridge which have become laughingstocks of the NWPS.
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Bonus fun: While sleeping Friday night before the hike, I was awakened by some rustling outside the tent. I shined my headlamp out the mesh to see a very unhappy bear about 10 feet away looking directly at me presumably wondering why I was shining that bright light in his eyes! After briefly yelling at him, he scurried off and I got out of the tent and put the trash bag he was investigating into my truck. There was nothing in it except some wrappers from dinner, but I'm sure they smelled nice.
Thankfully, I hadn't followed any questionable youtube suggestions to wrap my dinner in my jacket or sleeping clothes to keep it warm, so I was able to crawl back into my sleeping bag unconcerned. I was pretty sure he'd come back to investigate any other scents around camp, so I put in ear plugs and went back to sleep.
Always an adventure!  |
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Dollar Lake |
Dry |
Dry |
| | | Lake is dry. There is a spring adjacent to the lake that another hiker reported as producing about 1 liter/minute. |
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Dry Lake |
Dry |
Dry |
| | | A little muddy, but otherwise just a grassy basin. | | _____________________
| I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies. |
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