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| | | San Jacinto via Fuller Ridge, CA | | | |
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San Jacinto via Fuller Ridge, CA
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| Hiking | 16.76 Miles |
4,505 AEG |
| | Hiking | 16.76 Miles | 7 Hrs 4 Mns | | 2.65 mph |
| 4,505 ft AEG | 44 Mns Break | | | |
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| partners | | It's been 10 years since I stood atop Sanjay and while I was a completely broken man that first time, I figured a more moderate route from the Idyllwild side would be a nice change of pace.
Car camping on a holiday weekend and fairly warm temperatures at the lower elevations made the decision of which of the four west side route options an easy one for us. Fuller Ridge it would be! While the starting elevation for this one is a little bit higher, the ridge trail features a number of ups and downs, so you end up climbing most of the elevation you would have gotten starting from the trailheads down closer to town.
We set out around 7 with a temp of 59. It wouldn't get over 65 until we were well on our way back down, making it a near-perfect day to be doing this one. The first mile or two heads east, so the morning sun occasionally broke through the trees right in our eyes. Luckily the canopy was dense enough to limit those occurrences.
Early breaks in the trees provided excellent views north to San Gorgonio, and eastward scenes down into the Coachella Valley. We passed the wilderness sign about 1.5 miles in, though strangely it was nowhere near where the wilderness boundary is shown on maps. The trail began a steeper climb — and finally welcome switchbacks — as we approached Castle Rocks and the top of the ridge.
From here, views that had been only north and east, revealed the terrain on the south and west side of the ridge. We descended a bit to traverse below the rugged ridge above before climbing to the crest once again. After a short stretch up high, the trail again descended on the west side into a magnificently wooded old forest. The trail construction here was as good as you'll find anywhere.
About a quarter mile before reaching the Deer Springs junction, the trail crossed the North Fork San Jacinto River, where we took a break and enjoyed the sound of flowing water. From the Deer Springs junction, we headed uphill toward Little Round Valley, where there was barely a trickle of water. This is a popular camping area and I noticed a tent in the distance, but saw no other signs of activity here.
Above LRV, the trail follows some very moderate switchbacks and despite the grinding elevation gain, it was easy to set a comfortable pace and stick to it. Three hours and over seven miles into a Labor Day hike, we encountered our first other people, a group of backpackers who had camped at LRV and were making their way over the pass en route to their tram ride home.
At the summit junction I took a short breather and met up with a trio that had started at Marion in the predawn hours. A few minutes later, we were on the summit, along with a handful of others, most of whom had come up from the tram.
We took the requisite photos and had a snack break before returning the way we came. We passed by two groups on their way up, but otherwise that was it for people today. The last 5 miles was pure solitude; PCT, cool weather, holiday weekend; no matter!
There's about a half mile stretch south of Castle Rocks where the trail traverses the west-facing slope of Fuller Ridge, and it's a bit exposed. The afternoon sun made its presence known, though a couple of clouds tried to help. After that, the last 2 miles are completely shaded so the 72 degree temperature was still very tolerable.
We were down the mountain and on I-10 in under an hour, and back home in under 6 total, including stops for fuel and dinner. This was a great way to round out a Gorgonio-Jacinto twofer weekend and a perfect way to kick off September!
I really enjoyed the Fuller Ridge trail as it made it more of a regular hike and not just a straight up and then straight down peak bag. Highly recommend! |
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