Elevation: 3,409 ft.

Date Hiked: 8-20-2011

Trip Report:
Bell Bluff is a mountain in eastern San Diego county near Alpine. There is a nice trail which will take you near the top but some off trail work is needed to get to the actual summit.

Bell Bluff

I met Mark near the trailhead around 1:00 on Saturday afternoon. There is not much parking around this trailhead. We both found a spot to park and left for the trail.

Bell Bluff From Near the Trailhead

We followed the trail until we were below the mountain itself.

Near the Turnoff Point

From here we headed off trail and began to bushwack to the summit. There are blue ribbons which mark the use trail but it is difficult to follow.

Viejas Mountain

Mark Bouldering Along the Route

Looking Back at the Trail

The use trail to the summit was overgrown and looked like it had not been used in awhile which makes sense because smart people dont hike this mountain in the summer.

The Trail

Looking South

El Cajon Mountain and Viejas Mountain

Cuyamaca Peak

Mark Heading Up the Mountain

Eventually we made it to the summit. The summit was flat and had a register which form what we could tell would went back to 2000. There were only 5 entries since the beginning of April, not to many people make it out this way when the weather is hot. We also noticed a rock formation which appeared to be the high point of the mountain.

The Summit

Mark Near the Summit

High Point?

We made out way to this rock and tried to find the easiest way to the top. Eventually we found a route to the top. The views were decent for this time of year.

Looking South

Otay Mountain

After spending 20 minutes on the summit we headed down the mountain. We used the same route down except for one section where we had to stumble through a large group of trees.

The Trees

After awhile we found the trail and made our way back to the car. This would be a great hike for the winter when it is not so hot.

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Date Hiked: 7-30 to 7-31-2011

Trip Report:
This was a trip with the peakbaggers meet up group. The plan was to start at the Momyer trailhead, hike to Saxton camp then hike to the summit. The total mileage was around 26 with an elevation gain around 6000.

San Gorgonio

Dave and I arrived at the Mill Creek ranger station around 8:15 and met the other guys in the group. The weather report said a chance of storms for the entire weekend. After driving to the trailhead we started hiking, the trip to Saxton camp was uneventful. It was humid, hot but the trail was nice. A few minutes before we arrived at camp the weather broke. We quickly set up camp as the rain began to fall. There was also quite a bit of thunder and lightning.

Yucaipa Ridge

Campsite

Plummer Meadows

Charlton Peak

After a few hours the storm let up and it began to slowly clear. Originally the plan was to wake up early Sunday and hike to the peak but after reading the weather forecast we decided out best chance at the summit would be this afternoon. We geared up and left camp around 3:15. The hike to Dollar Lake saddle was easy, the trail wondered through Plummer Meadows. The weather was much cooler thanks to the thunderstorm. There was still a chance for another storm so we all watched the sky and were prepared to turn around if needed.

Jepson Peak in the Clouds

The Ridge I Descended in March

The higher we hiked the cloudier it became.

In the Clouds

Michael Setting a Nice Pace

Chris Hiking Up the Trail

Eventually as we rounded Jepson Peak we could see the summit area of San Gorgonio.

San Gorgonio Summit Area

Jepson Peak

Around the time we reached the intersection with the Vivian Creek trail the clouds began to clear.

Jepson Peak

San Gorgonio Summit Area

Around 6:00 PM we arrived at the summit. It took a little less than 3 hours from camp to hike the 6 miles to the summit. The clouds were still clearing but the views were beginning to open up. As we were arriving at the summit Paul, Mark and Aaron were leaving they arrived awhile before us and were getting cold so decided to head back to camp. In our group was Michael, Chris, Gong, Dave and myself.

July 30th

March 12th

We stayed on the summit for about 15 minutes before heading back to camp. We did not want to stay to long because we were not sure what the weather was going to do. As we made our way down it began to rain steadily there was also some hail mixed in with the rain.

Gong Chris and Dave Headed Back Down

Rain Headed Our Way

Jepson Peak

Dave and Michael Headed Down the Trail

San Gorgonio Summit Area

Dragonshead

Jepson Bowl

Ridge Down to the South Fork

Little Charlton Peak

Jepson Peak

We made good time down the mountain reaching Dollar Lake saddle in just over an hour and a half. The weather had cleared up by this time and we finally got to see the sun again.

Little Charlton Peak

San Gorgonio

San Gorgonio Through the Trees

As we were headed down from Dollar Lake saddle we enjoyed a beautiful sunset.

Sunset

We arrived at camp around 8:30 for a five hour round trip. We talked for awhile then went to sleep. Around 4:30 the next morning we heard thunder and saw lightning. This lasted for an hour and a half. As we broke camp and made our way back to car it rained most of the way. We were glad we decided to go for the summit the night before because there was no way we were making it today. We finally made it back to the car around 9:30 as it began to rain harder, we got out just in time. Overall this was a fun trip up a different trail to San Gorgonio.

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Elevation: 11,048 & 9,994 ft.

Date Hiked: 7-16-2011

Trip Report:
I had wanted to hike Telescope peak for a long time and finally had the opportunity this weekend. Eric, Dave and I drove from San Diego to hike Telescope and see Death Valley.

Telescope Peak

After a 6 hour drive through traffic we made to to Mahogany Flat campground around 10PM on Friday. We set up camp under the full moon and quickly fell asleep. In the morning we woke up late got ready and began hiking around 8:45 AM. The late start was not an issue because the weather was nice all day.

Mahogany Flat

Beginning of the Trail

After hiking a short while we were finally able to see Telescope Peak.

Telescope Peak

Eric and Dave on the Trail

As we continued to follow the trail the views opened up to the east. We could see Badwater in the Death Valley and Charleston Peak in the distance.

Death Valley and Charleston Peak

The Ridge to Telescope Peak

The Trail

Eventually we reached the ridge where the trail winds around the west side of Bennett Peak. From here we has a great view of the southern Sierra Nevada.

The Sierra Nevada

Telescope Peak Still a Ways Off

We followed the trail around Bennett Peak and toward Telescope Peak.

Telescope Peak

Along the ridge there were many flowers in bloom.

Flowers

As the trail wound around the mountain there were many Bristle-cone Pines above 10,000 feet.

Bristle-cone Pine

The higher we hiked the better the views became.

Badwater

Eventually we reached the summit ridge and only had a short ways to hike.

The Summit

Eric and Dave Taking a Break

Eric and Dave Near the Summit

About 3 hours after starting we made it to the summit. The views were excellent in all directions. We could San Gorgonio and Mt. Baldy to the south, the Sierra Nevada including Mt. Langley, Mt. Whitney and Mt. Williamson to the west, White Mountain Peak to the north and Charleston Peak to the east. We could also see Trail Peak where I was last week.

The Sierra Nevada

San Gorgonio in the Distance

Charleston Peak

The Summit Register

Eric, Dave and Myself on the Summit

We stayed on the summit for an hour enjoying the views and eating lunch. Eventually we made our way back down the trail. On the way back we decided to hike up Rogers peak to explore the buildings.

Bennett and Rogers Peaks

A Look Back at Telescope Peak

Eventually we made it to Rogers Peak. It was interesting seeing all of the equipment on the summit.

Rogers Peak

Carine Along the Trail

Dave and Eric Hiking Up to Rogers Peak

Equipment on the Summit

We made it back down to Mahogany Flats for a 6 hour round trip time. This was a great hike and will be back in the winter when there is snow.

Charcoal Kins On the Drive Home

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Date Hiked: 7-9-2011

Trip Report:
Trail Peak is small peak near Horseshoe Meadows and can be reached with an easy day hike from the Cottonwood Pass trailhead.

Trail Peak

We left the trailhead around 8:45 under a sunny sky and warm weather. It did not take long to reach the meadow where we crossed the stream. From the meadow we had great views of both Cirque Peak and Mt. Langley.

Trail Peak Close Up

Stream Crossing

Cirque Peak From the Meadow

Mt. Langley From the Meadow

From the meadow the trail gradually winds to Trail Pass. Once we arrived at Trail Pass we could see Olancha Peak to the south and we also met a few PCT hikers. After leaving Trail Pass we followed a trail around the north side of Trail Peak.

Trail Pass Sign

Cirque Peak

After following the trail for awhile we were about 1,000 feet below the summit. We left the trail and climbed straight to the summit.

Reaching Tree Line

Cirque Peak and Mt. Langley

Horseshoe Meadows

Snow Near the Summit

Telescope Peak

Before long we found ourselves on the summit. It was windy and cool on the summit but the views were great. Although the weather had been stormy in the Sierra the past few weeks today the start of clear cooler weather.

Great Western Divide

Cirque Peak and Mt. Langley From the Summit

Olancha Peak

Telescope Peak

Summit Ridge

Benchmark

Interesting Rocks On the Summit

We stayed on the summit around 20 minutes then headed back down to the trail. We took a slightly different route back down to the trail.

Mt. Langley

Trail Peak

Flower Near the Trailhead

This was a great hike with great views. This also my altitude record so far in 2011.

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Elevation: 13,517 & 14,088 ft.

Date Hiked: 9-12-2010

Trip Report:
This was my third 14er trip this year and I was hoping my second successful one. Mark and I planned to hike Mt. Russell and Mt. Carillon via Mt. Russell’s East Ridge. This trip involves over 6100 feet of gain from the portal, not an easy day considering it is only 12 miles round trip. We camped at Horseshoe Meadows on Friday night and then at the portal on Saturday night. We left the portal at 2:30 AM on Sunday morning under clear cool skies.

Mt. Russell West Summit

The beginning of the trail up to the north fork follows the main Mt. Whitney trail. We followed this a short while before breaking off on the north fork. It was a dark night with no moon so navigation was more difficult. Mark did an excellent job leading up to the ledges.

Ebersbacher Ledges

Past the ledges we made good time to Lower Boy Scout Lake. It was still dark outside and on the way down we noticed we had missed the path a few times up to the lake. Past Lower Boy Scout Lake we hiked to Upper Boy Scout Lake to fill up on water and take a break. It was just beginning to get light on the eastern horizon. We had to GPS coordinates to the scree chute so we followed them. At this point I was feeling good and moving quickly. The hike up the scree slope was difficult. Every step required concentration because everything was loose. Halfway up the chute we watched the sunrise on Mt. Whitney.

Mt. Whitney

Looking Down the Scree Slope

Where we are Headed

Mt. Whitney

We continued to make progress up the slope and finally knew we were close. The rocks became larger near the top and required easy scrambling.

Mark and the Top of the Scree Slope

Looking Down from Near the Top

Finally we crested the slope and were on the plateau between Mt. Carillon and Russell.

Mt. Whitney from the Plateau

Mt. Russell from the Plateau

Mt. Whitney Mountaineers Route

We headed for the saddle between Mt. Carillon and Mt. Russell. As we made our way over we stayed as high as possible on Mt. Carillon to avoid having to gain extra elevation. We picked our way through the boulders on Mt. Carillon and eventually made it to the summit. The view from the summit was amazing. It was slightly windy and cool but not to bad.

Mt. Carillon Summit

Mt. Russell from Mt. Carillon

We made our way down to the saddle and slowly began to climb the ridge to Mt. Russell. The first section of the ridge was easy to follow. We stayed along the right side and followed a good use trail. The exposure on the north side was intense, this is my favorite type of terrain.

The East Ridge

Higher on the East Ridge

Mark Thinking About our Next Move

Looking Back Toward the Saddle and Mt. Carillon

Mt. Whitney North Face

Eventually we made it to the east summit. From this point it is only a quartor mile to the higher west summit. Halfy way along the ridge we found a few cairnes marking the 3rd class path down the south face. This was the way we were planning on descending.

The Final Section

Looking Down the South Face

Mt. Russell Summit

Myself on the Summit Ridge

Marks Photo

The next obstical was a large block which two a few careful moves to surmount. From here it was only few minutes to the summit. On the summit we enjoyed the view and took some photos. It was a very clear day and Mark said he could see the San Gabriels.

Myself on the Summit

The Kaweahs to the West

Mt. Williamson and White Mountain Peak

Mt. Russell East Summit

Mt. Whitney North Face

The Summit Register

We stayed on top a few minutes and then began to descend. I had a headache and wanted to get lower. We followed a series a ledges down to the scree on the south face. I would rate this as difficult class three if I were climbing up.

The 3rd Class Chute to the Summit Ridge

The scree slope down the south face was similar to the one above Upper Boy Scout Lake. As I was descending I wished I had gators to keep all of the sand out of my shoes. Eventually we made it to the bottom and began the assent to the saddle above Iceberg Lake.

Climbing Down the 3rd Class Section

Marks Photo

Marks Photo

The 3rd Class Chute

The Scree Slope

The Fishhook Arete

Mt. Russell from the Saddle

Iceberg Lake from the Saddle

We made our way down to Iceberg Lake and saw a few people finishing their climb up the Mountaineers route. There were a few others camped near the Lake. We took a short break and continued down the mountain

The Mountaineers Route

Last Look at Mt. Russell

Our Last Look at Mt. Whitney

We made it back to the portal a few hours later for a round trip time of 12 and a half hours. This was an awesome trip and I hope to visit Mt. Russell again sometime.

Mt. Carillon Panorama

Mt. Russell Panorama

Mt. Whitney-Russell Panorama

Mt. Russell West Summit

Mt. Russell Summit Panorama

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Marks Photo’s

Elevation: 10,649 ft.

Date Hiked: 8-29-2010

Trip Report:
San Bernardino Peak is on the western edge of a high ridge in the San Bernardino Mountains. It is 5 miles from San Gorgonio, the highest mountain in southern California. It is also one of the 22 mountains in southern California over 10,000 feet. I hiked this peak from the Angelus Oaks trailhead with my friend Mark who I had hiked Mt. Whitney with last month.

Mt. Baldy Above the Clouds

I left San Diego at 3:30 AM and made my way to the Angelus Oaks trailhead. It took exactly 2 hours to get there. When I arrived I found Mark waiting me. We quickly got ready and began the hike. The starting temperature was in the high 40s with no wind. I knew the forecast called for windy conditions up high so I was prepaired for a cold windy day. We ahd to use our headlamps for the first 45 minutes before it became light enough. As the sun was begining to rise we could see the Inland Empire covered in a blanket of clouds.

Above the Clouds

The Trail

As the sun was rising it began to get windy. Not very strong wind but a constant wind. I wondered if it was stronger higher on the mountain. We stopped occaisonally to eat and hydrate. The higher we hiked the better the view to the north became.

Ridge to the North

Mt. Baldy

Mark Taking a Picture of an Interesting Rock

As we hiked higher and the sun rose the clouds over the Inland Empire began to burn off. There was still a strong inversion below 5,000 feet which killed visibility.

My Shadow, The Inland Empire and Mt. Baldy

Mt. Baldy Close Up

Pines and Mt. Baldy

The wind picked up the higher we got. The temperature was perfect, hovering around the low 50s high 40s. The trail was easy to follow and marked well. Eventually after about 3 hours we made it to the monument.

Monument

From this point we left the trail and made our way up a use trail to the summit of San Bernardino Peak. It took about 3 hours and 45 minutes to summit. Along the way we had met two other hikers who were doing the entire 9 peak traverse. They had asked if we wanted to follow them. Mark said yes and although I wanted to I did not feel up to the task. he left with them and I stayed on top for a while longer.

The view from the summit was decent, it reminded me of Jean Peak from earlier in the year. Trees blocked the view in most directions. I could make out most of the mountains to the south but not many to the north. I was able to see part of Big Bear Lake. It took a panorama of pictures and started to descend.

Palomar Mountain and Cuyamaca Peak in the Distance

Me on the Summit

The Summit Rocks and Register

Palomar Mountain Framed

San Bernardino East Peak and Anderson Peak

San Gorgonio in the Distance

San Gorgonio Close Up

Santiago and Modjeska Peaks

Mt. Baldy

On the way down I passed many people on their way up. It got much warmer the lower I went and the wind died down.

The Flat Part of the Trail

Well Maintained Trail

Eventually I made my way down to the wildnernedd boundary and I knew it was only a short distance to the car.

San Gorgonio Wilderness

The total round trip time was 6 and a half hours not to bad for a 16 mile hike. This was a great area one I would like to explore in the winter.

San Bernardino Peak Summit Panorama

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Lyons Peak Looking East

Monument Peak Looking West

Mesa Grande Looking North

North Peak Looking East

Toro Peak Looking West

Elevation: 14,505 ft.

Date Hiked: 7-3-2010

Trip Report:
Mt. Whitney is the highest peak in the lower 48 and a very popular hike. There were many people out hiking enjoying the great weather. On this trip we climbed the Mountaineers route and descended the main trail, one long loop. Our group consisted of Chad, Jason, Mark and myself. It took 14 hours and we figured based on the GPS data we covered 12.25 miles and gained over 6,400 feet of elevation.

The Moon and Mt. Whitney

I met Mark at Cottonwood Pass campground on Thursday night July 1st. We camped here for the first night. The stars were out and there was not a cloud in the sky. It got down to the low 30s the first night because we were camped around 9900 feet.

The Milky Way

Telescope Peak

The second day we drove to Whitney portal and got a campsite there. Once we set up camp we rested and waited for Chad and Jason to join us. I feel asleep early because we were waking up at 1:30 AM to start hiking. At 1 AM I was awake and ready to go. I was nervous about getting altitude sickness because I usually do above 12,000 feet. I hoped the two nights camping helped the acclimation process. We ate and got the last few things ready and by 2:45 we were on the trail. The first portion of the trail was easy and after not to long we got to the intersection where the Mountaineers Route breaks off from the main trail. We followed the use trail until we got to the Ebersbacher Ledges. I had read about the exposure on this section but in the dark could not see much. We quickly passed the ledges and made our way to Lower Boyscout Lake. Once we arrived at Lower Boyscout Lake the sun was beginning to rise.

Sunrise

Lower Boyscout Lake

Crest Below Iceberg Lake

Thor Peak

Sunrise II

Sunrise III

After watching the sunrise we made our way up to Upper Boyscout Lake. I took the high route above Lower Boyscout Lake and had to bushwhack over to the correct route. Eventually we arrived near Upper Boyscout Lake and took a break. We discussed the route to Iceberg Lake and continued on. The views of the crest were amazing in all directions.

Mt. Whitney Crest

Mt. Whitney Close-Up

Thor Peak and The Owens Valley

The Route to Iceberg Lake

Halfway to Iceberg Lake we had to put crampons on. The snow was still firm and continuous until near the notch. We rested at Iceberg Lake and checked out the route up the “chute”. There was a guided group of 8 getting ready for the climb as well.

Mt. Russell from Iceberg Lake

Mt. Whitney and the Chute

Close Up

The guided group started climbing before us and we watched as they made there way up. I began climbing before the rest of our group and followed behind the guided group. There was a nice boot track to follow most of the way up. We could also see climbers on the East Buttress route. In the picture below there are in the exact center.

East Buttress

Eventually I passed the guided group and followed a boot track from a different group. It was not around 10 AM and the snow was beginning to get soft. About 200 feet before the notch the snow stopped. I would say 90% of the chute is still snow covered. I rested here and waited for the rest of the group. Eventually I saw Mark, he said both Jason and Chad turned around below. We made our way up to the notch which only took a few minutes.

Iceberg Lake

Mt. Carillon

Looking Up the Chute

Halfway Up the Chute

Close Up of the Chute

Looking Down Toward Iceberg Lake

Looking Up Toward the Notch

The Most Difficult Move in Order to Get to the Notch

Mt. Russell

Mark and I rested at the notch and evaluated the best route to the summit. At this point I was feeling the altitude. I had a headache and felt nauseous but continued to climb. There was ice along the far east side of the final 400 so we took a route along the west side of the first chute.

The Final 400 Feet

Our Route went to up to where the two guys are in the picture then traversed to the right. Most of the climbing was easy but there were a few times I had to double check my hand and footholds. In the picture below our route went to the left of the dark icy area. We avoided all of the snow by traversing along the right side of the route.

Looking Down Our Climbing Route

Looking Down from Near the Summit

The Summit

The Kaweahs

Mt. Langley and Olancha Peak

The Plaque on the Summit

The Summit Benchmark

Iceberg Lake from the Summit

Me on the Summit

We decided to descend the main trail because I was feeling sick. The trail was longer but easier. It took 4.5 hours to descend from the summit to the portal. We decided to glissade down from Trail Camp to Trail Camp along the chute. There was still plenty of snow for this but most people decided to take the switchbacks. I began to feel better the lower I went and finally felt fine below Lone Pine Lake.

If anyone has any questions about conditions on either route contact me

The Inyo Mountains

The Sierra Nevada

Near Iceberg Lake

The Final 400

Mt. Whitney from the Owens Valley

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Date Hiked: 6-13-2010

Trip Report:
This was my third time hiking Mt. Baldy and my first time up West Baldy. This was also my first time hiking Mt. Baldy without snow. The last time I hiked Baldy was in early April and I wanted to get a faster time than my last hike. I got a late start from San Diego and began hiking at 10:10 AM.

Mt. Baldy from West Baldy

I made good time up to the ski hut taking just over an hour and ten minutes. I got a few good pictures of the Baldy Bowl, the first time I had seen it without snow.

The Baldy Bowl Early April

The Baldy Bowl Mid June

I stopped to refuel and eat a bit at the hut and enjoyed the views. It was warm the entire way to the hut and at the hut. The temperature at 10 AM at Manker was around 78. It was near that at the hut. I left the hut and had good views of the bowl void of snow.

The Baldy Bowl

The Baldy Bowl II

After I crossed the bowl I made my way up the trail on the far western edge. This is the steepest part of the route. It took a little while to make to the top of the bowl. I had great views to the south and west of all of southern California.

The City

The Trail

West Baldy

West Baldy and the Trail

Eventually I made it to the saddle between West Baldy and Mt. Baldy. I could either go up either peak. Since I had never been up West Baldy I decided this trip would be a good time to tag this summit. It only took 5 minutes to reach the summit. I took a few photos and made my way to Mt. Baldy. One thing I noticed was how steep the north face of West Baldy and Mt. Baldy was. On my previous two trips I had never realized this.

Mt. Baldy

The Northeast Face

Eventually I made it to Mt. Baldy and joined the rest of the crowd. It was warm on top so I decided to sit and enjoy the views. I also took photos of the area. Everything looked so different without snow.

Mt. Baden-Powell

Looking South

Pine Mountain and Dawson Peak

My Summit Shot

The Summit Plaque

San Gorgonio and San Jacinto

Santiago and Modjeska Peaks

After a short stay on the summit I headed back down the trail. I stopped at the top of the couloir I had climbed twice this past snow season.

The Couloir

The Couloir with Snow

Above the Couloir

On the way down the sheriff helicopter flew by the bowl and hovered over West Baldy. I shot a short video of it and assume they were just training. If someone knows anything different please let me know

West Baldy Panorama

West Baldy Panorama II

Glider Over the Summit

Sheriff Helicopter

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