First hike with first wife

[backpackpack]

The subject is a bit of a joke, let me add "and only wife"

I am recently married and would like to introduce my wife to backpacking. She likes hiking and I think with the right experiences she could learn to love backpacking and camping. I don't want to make our first few trips torturous hell marches so that she hates it and will never go again.

Do you have any recommendations for some fairly easy overnights? I was thinking perhaps the PS tram to the peak, and then a short hike to a campsite up there. Is it too hot there right now?

Thank you for any wisdom or advice

[Wildhorse]

The hike you described is one of the easier trips for someone new to the experience, especially if you camp at Round Valley. I think your risk on that hike may be that it may be hard to sleep the first night at that altitude and it is possible to have other effects from the altitude.

Another possibility is to hike up the Devil's Slide, camp near Saddle Junction and hike to Tahquitz Peak. The camping would be at a lower elevation than at Round Valley, but it is still a risk. The evenings are nice up there.

If you could find a cool weekend, it could be good to hike in the San Gabriels from Chantry Flat above Arcadia. It is scenic and shady and there may even be water. The elevation would not be a problem there. Much poison oak.

[backpackpack]

The hike you described is one of the easier trips for someone new to the experience, especially if you camp at Round Valley. I think your risk on that hike may be that it may be hard to sleep the first night at that altitude and it is possible to have other effects from the altitude.

Another possibility is to hike up the Devil's Slide, camp near Saddle Junction and hike to Tahquitz Peak. The camping would be at a lower elevation than at Round Valley, but it is still a risk. The evenings are nice up there.

If you could find a cool weekend, it could be good to hike in the San Gabriels from Chantry Flat above Arcadia. It is scenic and shady and there may even be water. The elevation would not be a problem there. Much poison oak.

Thank you! I will look at the weather up there and think about a good plan.

I might have to avoid your second suggestion - I seem to be a magnate for poison oak. It seems like if I even SEE poison oak, I end up with it no matter how careful I am.

[Hikin_Jim]

The subject is a bit of a joke, let me add "and only wife"

I am recently married and would like to introduce my wife to backpacking. She likes hiking and I think with the right experiences she could learn to love backpacking and camping. I don't want to make our first few trips torturous hell marches so that she hates it and will never go again.

Do you have any recommendations for some fairly easy overnights? I was thinking perhaps the PS tram to the peak, and then a short hike to a campsite up there. Is it too hot there right now?

Thank you for any wisdom or advice

The only problem right now is water. There isn't any. Now, if you're willing to do the hauling for the two of you, then it's not an issue. But if she has to pack a lot of heavy water on her first time out, that's probably not going to go over well.

My favorite is Little Jimmy in the Angeles National Forest. It's free, there's good water nearby, and it's less than two miles if you know the short cut. The only problem with LJ is that Boy Scouts often frequent it. Nothing wrong with Boy Scouts, but if you're looking for a quiet, romantic spot, uh, no.

Fish Creek Camp in the San Gorgonio Wilderness is a pretty easy backpack from Aspen Grove, and it's a nice area. A permit is required, but that works to your advantage in that it won't be overly crowded.

HJ

[Hikin_Jim]

The hike you described is one of the easier trips for someone new to the experience, especially if you camp at Round Valley. I think your risk on that hike may be that it may be hard to sleep the first night at that altitude and it is possible to have other effects from the altitude.

Good point about the altitude. 8000' seems to be the line of demarcation where people unaccustomed to altitude have trouble sleeping.

Another possibility is to hike up the Devil's Slide, camp near Saddle Junction and hike to Tahquitz Peak. The camping would be at a lower elevation than at Round Valley, but it is still a risk. The evenings are nice up there.

Great spot. But no water there now. You'd have to haul all your water uphill.

If you could find a cool weekend, it could be good to hike in the San Gabriels from Chantry Flat above Arcadia. It is scenic and shady and there may even be water. The elevation would not be a problem there. Much poison oak.

Hoegees is a nice easy one. The poison oak isn't that bad around there. Idlehour on the other hand. That's poison oak city. The big issue is parking at Chantry Flat. Get there by 0630 or you'll not be parking in the lot, and it's a long, hot, unpleasant walk up the road if you can't get a spot in the lot. Ultra popular. During the week or Sunday night, parking isn't bad.

HJ

[Hikin_Jim]

I've taken my daughter on a lot of local backpacks. I bet that if they're easy enough for my five year old, they'd be easy enough for your wife.

Our most recent backpack was to Strawberry Junction Camp in the San Jacinto Wilderness. There was water at Joyce Spring and at Strawberry Cienega. Not sure how long the water will hold out.

Other Ideas:
Cooper Canyon Camp (I think that's the right name) in the Angeles National Forest is nice although I'm not sure if there's water there now.
Glenn Trail camp in the Angeles National Forest is easily accessible, but it has a paved road. The road is closed to the public but it's still a road. Glenn is a good one for bike camping.
Mt. Lowe Trail Camp in the Angeles National Forest is good one when there's water. Not sure what the current status is.
There are three good trail camps along the W Fork of the San Gabriel River in the Angeles National Forest along the Gabrieleno Trail: Valley Forge, West Fork, and Devore. Water is pretty reliable at Devore.
Switzer Trail Camp in the Angeles National Forest is a pretty easy one.
Henninger Flats is a nice place to camp. It's run by the LA Co. Fire Dept, but it doesn't have water right now.

Third Crossing and Stone House Crossing are nice in the San Bernardino National Forest on the Middle Fork of Lytle Creek. High clearance vehicle needed to get to the trailhead on the dirt road, but worth it.
As I mentioned, Fish Creek Camp in the San Gorgonio Wilderness is a nice one and Fish Creek does have water right now.
John's Meadow Camp is a great one but is unfortunately closed right now due to deadfall hazard.

I'm sure that there are other good ones, but that's all the ones I can think of just off the top of my head.

HJ

[jfr]

My favorite is Little Jimmy in the Angeles National Forest. It's free, there's good water nearby, and it's less than two miles if you know the short cut. The only problem with LJ is that Boy Scouts often frequent it. Nothing wrong with Boy Scouts, but if you're looking for a quiet, romantic spot, uh, no.

I'd like to second the nomination for Little Jimmy. But only because the Round Valley spring is dry. LJ has water, and after setting up camp you can always take a nice day hike up to the summit of Mount Islip from there, which will give your wife some great views. After all, views are one of the main reasons we climb mountains. Right?

To get to the campsite, you can hike the PCT from Islip Saddle or you can take the shortcut up Little Jimmy Road. The road is steep at first, but then it's super easy.

Caltopo Map for LIttle Jimmy: http://caltopo.com/m/1245



Also, here's a post I found on another forum long ago, which addresses some issues you might have when bringing a new backpacker into the fold: http://www.summitpost.org/phpBB3/post87 ... ml#p875161 Mostly it's about taking it easy, avoiding stress, great weather, a nice destination, etc. The first time backpacker needs to have fun. Later on, you can go out in thunderstorms, but not the first time.

[backpackpack]

Thanks a lot everyone, I am going to look into all these places and read the links more thoroughly tomorrow and tell you all what I decide to do. In the end, either she will enjoy the wilderness or not but I may be able to influence it a little with a few good trips to start with.

We can get to the torturous death marches once she is hooked

[Hikin_Jim]

I'll second the recommendation for Little Jimmy as a first backpack. That's where I took my daughter for her first backpack there when she was 18 mos. old. It's pretty much shaded the whole way if you use the service road instead of the trail. I've marked it as "route 2" on this map. Tip: The Boy Scouts typically are out in full force. If you walk up the side trail from Little Jimmy Camp as though you were going directly to Mt. Islip (i.e. not by way of Windy Gap), there is an area I call "Upper Flats". There aren't fire rings and picnic tables here, but it's good camping and usually quiet.

HJ

[Wildhorse]

Hiking Jim - just wanted to say that your ideas are helpful to many of us. Your suggestions about Little Jimmy are especially helpful. It seems like it is really a nice place to spend a relaxing night or two.