museum to tram

[marmot]

yes, for the most part, it is indicative of the difficulty.

After you pass the picnic tables, the trail climbs the ridge briefly, traversing the right side of the ridge and goes into a corner between the ridge and the large western slope. The trail then switchbacks to the left up this shady area of oaks and gains the ridge again at approx 3000'. The trail continues to climb the ridge until a flatter region is reached, about 4400'. After 4400', there are two smalls bumps that need to be climbed before reaching 5000'. The second one is the bigger one. The trail reaches 5000', and yet two other bumps need to be climbed before reaching the flat rock. The second one being considerably larger than the rest, though is somewhat more shaded by oak. Note that from 4200' and on, the trail has junipers and large bush, though little shade is still provided. After surmounting four or so bumps along the ridge, you have reached a dried up water fall area, known as the flat rock. The flat rock is at 5900' approx. From the flat rock, the trail steepens considerably, switchbacking up next to this large canyon to the left, and reaches a small rock outcropping at about the 7500' level. This is a good break area. From the rock outcropping, the trail traverses around the right, traversing over several chutes until coffman's crags proper is reached, at about the 8000' level. From there, the trail switchbacks straight up through the forest a small ways (about 1/4 mile) until Long Valley is reach, 8400'. At this point, you would probably be exhausted.

Its about 2 miles from the flat rock to the notch. With 2600' feet gained in those two miles, your looking at an average grade of 4 miles to every 5000 feet, about twice as steep as san gorgonio via vivian creek.

[bikersage]

thanks very helpful advice.......

If you live close enough, you can do a couple trial runs up and back, leaving any water that you don't need hidden in a cache (best well off the trail but where you will be able to find it) as high up the trail as possible. That's what I did, and it worked out very well.

For example, you've been up to the picnic tables. If you went just a little farther and cached a couple extra bottles, the next trip you can either consume them without having to carry them up, or move them up another mile or so and cache them again. I had 3 separate caches laid before I did the whole trip. On all my subsequent trips, I have been able to carry only as much as I need because I know I have several backup supply places just in case.

I mention this because 2 gallons is 16 pounds! If you go ahead and carry that much (in 16 ounce bottles or some other small sealed container) on a couple of test runs, you can always leave most of it high up the trail where it'll be available for you later. Incidentally, hide it very well; caches get raided when other people find them. And if you don't mark it with something, like rocks or a stick or something that's very conspicuous but only to you, then the whole desert looks the same and you'll be unable to find them when you need them.

Anyway, just my two cents. Hope you have fun!

z

[bluerail]

correct...flatrock to notch is 2 miles

Thats a smart Marmot, must have a gps.


basically it's an uphill push to 3800'..get a break for a bit ( 10 minutes)....then you work again for the rest of the trip.

Thats the way I look at it.

It's a tough uphill trip..all the way.