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Momyer Creek Trail - 1 member in 2 triplogs has rated this an average 3 ( 1 to 5 best )
2 triplogs
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Sep 16 2023
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 Guides 12
 Routes 192
 Photos 863
 Triplogs 356

42 male
 Joined Nov 30 2015
 Phoenix, AZ
San Gorgonio Loop, CA 
San Gorgonio Loop, CA
 
Run/Jog avatar Sep 16 2023
ShatteredArm • Triplogs 356
Run/Jog23.50 Miles 6,250 AEG
Run/Jog23.50 Miles   8 Hrs   19 Mns   3.00 mph
6,250 ft AEG      29 Mns Break
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
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Vivian Creek Trail
Momyer Creek Trail
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Quick trip to California, decided to give San Gorgonio another go. Was planning on starting later, but I woke up at 11:30pm after going to bed a couple hours earlier, and decided I may as well start driving - got to the TH by 6am. Impeccable timing.

Decided to go up Vivian Creek and down Falls Creek (got a permit for Momyer/Falls, not sure how loops are supposed to work permit-wise). Vivian Creek trail was enjoyable overall, hiked like 95% of it. Grade isn't too steep until you gain the ridge above High Creek Camp, but it climbs efficiently. It's about as mellow as a trail that climbs 5k feet in 9 miles can be! Scenery was nice the whole way up - one charred burned section - but looking down into the South Fork of the Whitewater, it's all burned to a crisp...

Summit view was nice, only spent a few minutes up there. The low-lying fog filling the valley on the Santa Ana side was cool to see; made the San Bernardino and San Gabriel mountains look like giant islands.

Didn't really want to, but headed down towards Falls Creek (mostly to keep it legally kinda above-board). The 3 mile stretch of the San Bernardino Divide trail down to Dollar Lake Saddle was really fun to run down, and probably one of my favorite stretches of trail in Southern California.

Falls Creek trail was way more overgrown than I remembered (maybe because I was heading uphill last time), and didn't see anybody until about a half mile before Alger campsite. Looks like there might be a trail down from a little west of the Dobbs Cabin turnoff that could've shaved off 2-3 miles, but it wasn't on my topo maps...

Started seeing a lot more hikers past Alger Creek, also started getting a little warm. Then just had to do a miserable 1.6 miles back up the road, which is really definitely not recommended for pedestrians - probably should've started with this stretch, but then I wouldn't have been able to stop in the store for a cold Coke...

Really cool mountain, would like to check out more of the trails on the NE side.
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  2 archives
Aug 06 2022
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 Guides 12
 Routes 192
 Photos 863
 Triplogs 356

42 male
 Joined Nov 30 2015
 Phoenix, AZ
Falls / Momyer Creek loop, CA 
Falls / Momyer Creek loop, CA
 
Run/Jog avatar Aug 06 2022
ShatteredArm • Triplogs 356
Run/Jog19.73 Miles 5,791 AEG
Run/Jog19.73 Miles   7 Hrs   23 Mns   2.79 mph
5,791 ft AEG      18 Mns Break
 
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Momyer Creek Trail
Partners none no partners
Original plan was to take Falls Creek Trail up to Dollar Lake Saddle, and then follow the divide trail the rest of the way up to San Gorgonio Mountain, before coming down Vivian Creek Trail. Unlike my last trip out here, I was able to take the afternoon off on Friday, so drove out to Palm Desert, allowing for a reasonable amount of sleep. But the main concern this weekend was how well my Achilles tendon would hold up after a bout of tendonitis last week.

Shortly after leaving, saw a sign indicating a permit is required to enter the wilderness, but I was able to figure out how to get one online in just a few minutes. Didn't see any notice about this at the Angelus Oaks TH, so I'm not sure how effective this program is...

First few miles (to the Momyer/Falls junction) were fairly steep, then had a nice flat-ish mile or two to the Falls Creek drainage. There were some nice big cedar trees in here, and the Alger Creek area was pretty. Once in the Falls Creek drainage, the trail resumes climbing, but nothing overly steep until the meadow. Eventually (a little more than 3 hours, I think) I got to Dollar Lake Saddle, and at this point I was feeling pretty tired. Not sure why, I don't think it was the 4,500 or so feet of climbing as much as the fact that it was 8 uphill miles. So I decided San Gorgonio would be a bit too much, and that I should've started up Vivian Creek trail instead.

Decided to head back via the San Bernardino divide to make a loop. Once on the descent, the trail started getting pretty chunky and overgrown in places. Add in some very steep sections and it was actually pretty slow going on the way down. Interestingly, despite this trail being in the worst condition of all the trails on this route, it was the only stretch where I really saw many people.

Started getting warm by the time I got back to the bottom, and I was ready to be done. Car said 90 degrees.
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average hiking speed 2.89 mph

WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.

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