by zippetydude » Sat Jun 18, 2016 4:50 pm
My 2 cents:
San Gabriels - Closer to LA so they're more crowded and more developed. I have limited experience in the San Gabriels, having done Baldy only twice and those experiences were limited to the "Run to the Top" race in September. What are the good sides to the San Gabriels?
San Gorgonio Wilderness - Coolest, tallest and with the most water. Also, once you have attained the ridge that runs from San Bernardino Peak to Dollar Lake Saddle the trail climbs and falls very little, so you have a beautiful, easy path for several miles at 10,000 feet of elevation. When South Fork reopens, that is a beautiful route, probably my favorite of any trails in the three areas.
San Jacinto Wilderness - Greatest escarpment on the north side, great for steep challenging hikes like C2C. The south side features magnificent exposed granite features (like Suicide Rock) that are reminiscent of that in the Sierras, and huge boulders that are pleasing to the eye and fun to climb on.
z