Tamarack Trail -- NOT!!!

[Hikin_Jim]

If you really look hard, there's an old trail that goes from the Mt SJ - Miller Peak saddle that will take you up a "back way" to Mt SJ summit, although it was really tough to find last time I used it (2001) and may now be non existant. The "Tamarack Trail" is in a lot better shape than the "back way" trail from the Miller Peak area. (Miller "Peak" is kind of a joke; hike up there and you'll see what I mean. The distance from the Mt SJ - Miller Peak saddle to Miller Peak is trivial, hardly worth calling Miller a peak although it does look more impressive from the Longs Valley area.)

[Perry]

Just so you all know, the old Tamarack Trail was closed for ecological reasons. I doubt Ellen's photo is going to make people want to try it. Even with minimal abrasions and lacerations, it's not a very exciting trail, so I doubt that masses of people are going to start doing it. However, it would not be good to go organizing group hikes on a trail that was officially removed because of the ecological impact.

Edit: I just got bleeped by my own word filter.

[Hikin_Jim]

Perry:

[edited by Perry] Wouldn't that just be seasonal?

Jim

[Perry]

I would ask the rangers instead of discussing it here.

[Hikin_Jim]

Oh. Um, OK.

[Perry]

To be honest, I don't completely understand why the trail was removed. If anybody could email me some more info....

[guest]

It's not used cause there's no one to do blood transfusions or skin grafts!

[Hikin_Jim]

They've actually developed a solution.

See commentary: http://www.palm-springs-photography.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=380&start=1

[KathyW]

Today I found the Tamarack Trail as I headed over to Cornell Peak. I had never been to Cornell or Tamarack Valley in the summer before - always in the winter when there was snow on the ground. As I was headed to Cornell I spotted the trail and promptly lost interest in Cornell and followed the trail up the hill

The trail is not in bad shape - just a bit overgrown in places. It switchbacks through the manzanita and then drops you into the trail that goes from Wellman's Divide to Miller Saddle/San Jacinto at about 10,000 feet above sea level. Once I got to San Jacinto I decided to go check out Folly Peak too. The weather was beautiful today - not too hot.

[magikwalt]

Hi Kathy,

Chuck and I also went exploring. We went directly at Cornell following the drainage up and then picked a decent line that put us onto the Tamarack trail. If you came down the same way then we passed in the manzanita bushes. You were right about the trail thinning out above the clearing. We noticed that several of the paths lead into deadends within the bushes. Finally we just selected a clear line upward and reached the trail.

Walt