Desert Divide Hike Possibility?

[Zé]

Is it possible to do a car shuttle peakbagging route up this ridge from the 74 up Pine, Pyramid, Apache, etc...to Red Tahquitz, then over to Tahquitz Peak, Lily Rock, and then get back down to the 74 (or another road)? Anyone done something similar?

Drop a car off in Humber Park, drive back down to 74 to Morris Ranch Rd and head up to Cone Peak....however looking at HPS trail they say from morris ranch to cone peak is 5.5 miles one way, wow!

Sorry I have no familiarity with the area.

[KathyW]

You could go from Hwy 74 to Humber Park or to the trailhead for the Soutfork Trail in Idyllwild. The road to the Southfork trail was closed for logging - I'm not sure if they have opened it up.

You can also access the Divide using the Fobes Trail or the Spitler Trail. Some people also get permission from the Zen Center and use the trail that goes up to near Antsell Rock (I have never been up this route).

Antsell Rock and Pine are the peaks that will slow you down. Antsell Rock takes some time unless you hit the route just right - it's a bushwack along the old Sam Fink Trail and the other route up the chute is not always easy to figure out from the PCT (it's obvious once you get up near the summit though) and Pine can be a bushwack from hell.

Also, there is snow on the trail between Apache and Antsell fairly late in the season.

You might want to check out Bob Burd's report:

http://www.snwburd.com/bob/trip_reports/lily_rock_1.html

[kd]

Ze,

Here is a link to a site that outlines some trails in the area. If you look in the San Jacinto Moutains section.

http://letstrailrun.org/sanjacmtns/sanjac1/sanjac1.html

http://letstrailrun.org/

I am interested in that area as well.
If you are looking to shuttle let me know, I would be interested in working that out.

I have a rare day off this Friday, and usually hike on Saturdays.

I am prepping for a hike up Skyline to Humber Park within a couple weekends.

Thanks
Kevin

[Zé]

so much for Anstell peak!

thanks for the info.

Kevin, not sure when I am going to do this, but will let you know. Perhaps not for a while. But I am interested in doing a shuttle.

I'm a Saturday hiker normally. Skyline to Humber park sounds interesting. But a PITA car shuttle?

[KathyW]

Antsell doesn't have to be terrible, but it can be. If you go to the saddle at 7200' and then follow what used to be the Sam Fink Trail (now overgrown) up near the ridge it's a pain but not as hard as figuring out which chute to go up from just under the peak along the PCT. Once you get to Antsell Peak you can drop back down to the PCT really fast from the Class 3 crack via the chute as you're right there at the top of the correct chute then.

Antsell took me a few tries. The first time we went up the wrong chute and gave up as it was getting late. The second time we had the correct chute but it was full of snow and we were punching through to nothing at times and I was hesitant to continue; so we turned back not too far from the top. The third time I went to the saddle at 7200' and backtracked along the old Sam Fink Trail - very overgrown but not difficult other than the bushwacking. The crack you go up when you get near the summit is obvious from this direction. You go up the crack and then around the corner to a small gully that you climb up. From there it's easy terrain to the very top.

Some pics of the time I made it with a map of my route:

http://kathywing.smugmug.com/gallery/1434385_Qk47s#68211080_tndnC

and one of the times I didn't make it:

http://kathywing.smugmug.com/gallery/3981844_eXsw4#P-1-20

Edit to change Sam Fink Peak to Antsell Peak - sorry, I had Sam Fink on my mind. That's another nice hike - the hike out to Sam Fink Peak.

[Zé]

very cool. makes this look doable. what's a good time of year to do this, fall?

[halhiker]

It is doable but would be VERY long. I did the PCT from 74 to the Tram with no peaks and that was long. I started a little later than I wanted to but finished after 10PM. It would have to be a pre-dawn to after dark marathon.

I would recommended doing two days and hitting the peaks by Morris Ranch Road on one and the going up Apple Canyon or the Spitler Peak Trail and going that way on day two. Camp at Hurkey.

Sounds like fun and would be OK on any day the desert temps are not over 100.

[WOLFDOG]

That must of been a feat Halhiker. Last week, I only hiked up Fobes up to the saddle then over to Palm View Peak, and that alone seemed like hiking four miles from Fobes saddle to Palm View Peak. What I want to do is try Spitler Peak trail to the Tram. That too, I know would take a while as well but not arriving before the Tram closes. What is so time consuming about the PCT is that near Hwy 74 the PCT zizags back and forth following along contours and not heading northwest bound. That was drag just for a hike up near the Gold Shot Mine.

[halhiker]

That must of been a feat Halhiker. Last week, I only hiked up Fobes up to the saddle then over to Palm View Peak, and that alone seemed like hiking four miles from Fobes saddle to Palm View Peak. What I want to do is try Spitler Peak trail to the Tram. That too, I know would take a while as well but not arriving before the Tram closes. What is so time consuming about the PCT is that near Hwy 74 the PCT zizags back and forth following along contours and not heading northwest bound. That was drag just for a hike up near the Gold Shot Mine.

You know, it wasn't that bad. It was just long. The only real tough part was climbing from Fobe's to the Spitler Saddle because by then it was kinda hot and there's no shade. Beyond Apache it got much cooler and then it got dark once we got past Tahquitz Creek. Luckily we got to the Tram before the crew went home. I'd do it again but just start earlier. We started after 8 in the morning. 5 A.M would be better.

If you're thinking of going up Spitler, I recommend doing Apple Canyon instead. It's much shorter and you'll get to see the prettiest area without the slog of the Spitler Trail.

[bluerail]

I agree with Hal, Zen center trail is like one mile from your car to the PCT,it comes on to the PCT just on the southside of Antsell rock, and... Spitler is a slog.