Hiking from Baldy to San G

[stobbart]

Im trying to look into specifics of a trip like this but searching online I am unable to find any info on a hike from Mt. Baldy to San Gorgonio. Does anyone have any information about mileage or trails to use. Or if they know of a site that has this info. Has anyone done something like this? Would anyone want to? I am envisioning a very long 3 day trip. If anyone has any information on this please let me know. Thanks

[Dave G]

The legendary Norman Clyde once traversed the San Gabriel's and continued all the way to the summit of San Jacinto. This was back in the 1930s and I think he spent about a month doing it.

Baldy to San G sounds like a fun project--good luck!

[HikeUp]

First thing that comes to mind is the Pacific Crest Trail. Go north from Baldy to catch the PCT and then follow it "south" all the way to near San Jacinto. Take a side trip up to Gorgonio to complete the triple crown.

[lilbitmo]

Depending on where you want to start you can take Manker Flats Trailhead up past the Sierra Ski Hut on the main trial, summit Baldy then go north and catch (the other Devil’s Backbone towards Wrightwood over Pine Mountain to the Pacific Crest Trail (Approximately 8 total miles from Manker Flats). From there you can head south on the PCT downhill to the 15 freeway (20.2 miles) go under the freeway and continue on the PCT going due east past Lake Silverwood (Campgrounds here) 13.5 miles. Then you can continue on the PCT east past Lake Arrowhead to an area just north of the Lake called “Deep Creek Hot Springs” (21.7 Miles). Then continue on eastward to Big Bear Lake area Delmar Mountain Road (26.6 miles) (just north of Big Bear Lake) then head east to the end of Baldwin Lake which will turn south towards Mission Creek Trail Camp (41.1 miles) which is just below the 10,000 foot ridgeline leading up to Mount San Gorgonio.

Or you could take the Ski Lift up to Baldy Notch and start with a little mechanical assistance from Manker Flats area - it's just another mile up the road to the lift's. That would put you at higher elevation to start your hike.

It’s here at Mission Creek that you leave the PCT and take Fish Creek Trial 9.5 miles to the summit of San Gorgonio – and from there it’s a toss up which way you want to go – you can take the San Bernardino Peak Divide Trail due West for 18 miles and come out in the town of Angeles Oaks, or catch the Vivian Creek trail about 1.5 miles off the summit of San Gorgonio and take it down to Forest Falls (8 miles).

Just doing the shortest way possible suggested here is approximately 149 miles, that’s more than most could do in a three day jaunt. You might consider doing Mount Baldy, West Baldy, Harwood, Dawson, Pine and Wright Mountains in a fun one day trip then get a ride over to Forest Falls and go up Vivian Creek to summit San Gorgonio and do some of the other summits close by there – Jepson, Charlton, Lt Charlton, Dobbs, Shields, Anderson, San Bernardino and many others.

If you need to refine your plans, keep posting your thoughts or changes and you will get lots of help on this board. If you need to look at some of the maps I used for reference you can go to http://www.hikertrash.net/ and look at the PCT maps located here and look for sections C3 all the way down to D4.

Others on this board may have a way to go from the 15 Freeway under the two lakes Arrowhead and Big Bear and avoid some of the extra miles but I'm not familiar with those trails.

Good luck - lilbitmo

[stobbart]

wow thanks for the reply. I was hoping it would be more about 60 miles or so. Looks like a 3 day trip is out of the question on that one. Hm, I guess I need to do some more research and may be change the name of this post haha. I was looking for something around 60 miles, may be I can start closer to San G then Baldy. Keep any ideas that you may have coming, its is all very useful. Thanks

[lilbitmo]

A great three day trip would be to get dropped off at either Hart Bar area or Fish Creek Area of the San Bernardino's and make your way from there over Mt. San Gorgonio, then tag all the peaks along the San Bernardino Peak Traverse that's about 35 miles depending on side trips you take. Each day you could cover 10 plus miles with full pack, camp at designated sites, go bag a couple of peaks. You can post a message on that board at http://members.boardhost.com/sgva/ and get some feed back from the folks that post there.

Guys like Hiking Jim have a "Plethora" of information about watering holes, closed trails, conditions, etc....

Have fun.

[zippetydude]

I like lilbitmo's idea. Extra miles don't always equal extra fun, so 35 miles or so might be just about right.

If you're really wanting to cover 60 or so miles, you might consider making your starting point San Gorgonio (possibly from either the San Bernardino or South Fork trailhead) and then go across the San G wilderness, down the PCT to the east, and then across the I-10 and up San Jacinto.

I have done all but about 10 miles of this (on separate trips), and it's wonderfully varied terrain.

If you figure about 20 miles from SF over San G and down to Mission Creek, then 27 down to Cottonwood trailhead, then about 3 or 4 up to Snow Creek trailhead, then 31 up the PCT from Snow Creek over San J Peak and down to the tram, you would definitely have earned a cold one at the bar! Total there would be right at 80, but you could potentially cut out 10 or so if you got a shuttle between Whitewater and Snow Creek.

Still a little long, but with this swarm of earthquakes recently, perhaps the peaks are about to move closer together!

z

[Norris]

Now you've got me thinking about an Idyllwild to Big Bear trip along the PCT, with peak bagging at both ends. I would like to see what the trail is like as it descends the north side of Jacinto and climbs the east side of San Gorgonio. Does the PCT intersect with the Sky High trail?

[AlanK]

with this swarm of earthquakes recently, perhaps the peaks are about to move closer together!

I thought that the Big One was supposed to have everything west of the San Andreas slide into the Pacific. Actually, I have always claimed that the entire continent east of the San Andreas would slide into the Atlantic, but that is not a popular view. Either way, though, San Jacinto and San Gorgonio (and Baldy and San Gorgonio) should move further apart, not closer together.

[asabat]

Does the PCT intersect with the Sky High trail?

No, but it comes close to the Fish Creek Trail at Mission Springs Trail Camp.