S Fork Whitewater River -- Passable?

[Hikin_Jim]

Anyone (Pi?) familiar with the S Fork Whitewater River over in the San Gorgonio Wilderness? Do you know if it's passable upstream of where the trail up the Middle Branch of Millard Canyon comes in? This is trail 2E08 in the SE Quadrant of the San Gorgonio Wilderness. I want to head up river from where the trail drops in and (eventually) visit Silverwood Falls.

I've got this brilliant (ahem) idea for a six day loop in the SE quadrant of the SGW.

HJ

[halhiker]

Nice.

The last time I was up there, which was over twenty years ago, it seemed almost impossible to drop down to the creek from the "trail". The trail ended abruptly due to savage erosion. I was with a group that I was leading so didn't have much change to explore but it looked pretty tough. I wanted to try to push up to the tunnel on the map but it wasn't going, at least not without substantial risk and, again, not what I was willing to do with a group in tow.

I also hear the trail from Whitewater to Kitching Peak is really overgrown. I'll be very curious to see what you find. The shortcut you have shown down from Snow Peak should be OK if it's not too steep because the Hathaway Fire cleared it out up there last year.

[Hikin_Jim]

Nice.

The last time I was up there, which was over twenty years ago, it seemed almost impossible to drop down to the creek from the "trail". The trail ended abruptly due to savage erosion. I was with a group that I was leading so didn't have much change to explore but it looked pretty tough. I wanted to try to push up to the tunnel on the map but it wasn't going, at least not without substantial risk and, again, not what I was willing to do with a group in tow.

I also hear the trail from Whitewater to Kitching Peak is really overgrown. I'll be very curious to see what you find. The shortcut you have shown down from Snow Peak should be OK if it's not too steep because the Hathaway Fire cleared it out up there last year.

Hal,

Thanks for your feedback. I probably won't route through the S Fork of the Whitewater based on the feedback I've gotten here and on the San Gorgonio Message Board. I'll probably stick to that ridge, if indeed this comes to pass. I'll be out of work by the end of this month. I feel obliged to look for work, even though it's December. I may just do some shorter trips that allow me to be more available for job searching.

HJ