Desert Divide Hike Possibility?

[KathyW]

Fobes is better than Spitler, but I'll bet the Zen Center trail is the best. I have not been up from the Zen Center, but I have heard they don't mind people passing through as long as it's not a large group and you don't talk while going by their place.

[halhiker]

Fobes is better than Spitler, but I'll bet the Zen Center trail is the best. I have not been up from the Zen Center, but I have heard they don't mind people passing through as long as it's not a large group and you don't talk while going by their place.

The Zen Center is far superior to both Spitler and Fobes. I have never had a problem passing through although I always hike alone and observe silence out of respect for the landowners.

And yes, I do talk to myself when I hike.

[magikwalt]

Jean and I are were thinking of punching in from either Hwy 74 or the Cedar Springs trail and doing it in 2 days. They only reason was to save our ride provider a longer trip.

Also someone told me not to short cut the route by heading straight into Tahquitz Valley but to stay on the trail and going the longer way into Saddle Jct.

Any thoughts??

[Hikin_Jim]

so much for Anstell peak!

thanks for the info.

Kevin, not sure when I am going to do this, but will let you know. Perhaps not for a while. But I am interested in doing a shuttle.

I'm a Saturday hiker normally. Skyline to Humber park sounds interesting. But a PITA car shuttle?

Antsell Rock isn't bad, Joe. I've approached it from the North along the Sam Fink "trail." It's pretty easy class three -- at least it was for me. I'm 6'0". I then went down the chute Kathy indicates and exited via the Zen Center (we had permission).

We started at the South Ridge trailhead and did Red Tahquitz as well as South Peak in addition to Antsell Rock. Nice area.

[WOLFDOG]

Thanks Halhiker,

I'll probly try Spitler Trail from Apple Cyn. Was thinking if, I do this hike, I might cross country it northward where the PCT begins to bend around Red Tahquitz Ridge and connect up with the Laws Caramba Trail then head over to Laws and up to Hidden Lake Divide. That's only if it gets late in the day and I have to hustle to the tram.

[halhiker]

That shortcut you are looking at seems interesting. I may go out and scope it out if I get a full day soon to go hiking. It's been a couple of years and I don't remember the look of the terrain but I do remember it did seem like it took a long time to get down to Tahquitz Meadow. I guess that's because it was getting dark and we were tired at that point.

I think you'll have plenty of time regardless of whether you do Spitler or the Zen Center. So if you do the "shortcut" it'd mostly be for fun.

[Hikin_Jim]

Also someone told me not to short cut the route by heading straight into Tahquitz Valley but to stay on the trail and going the longer way into Saddle Jct.

Any thoughts??

Walt, when I did Red Tahquitz last October, I descended via an XC route. We crossed the PCT in the vicinity of "A" and joined the trail that goes down to Laws and Caramba in the vicinity of "B." I didn't find it too bad in terms of steepness, although you do need to pick your route out with some care so as to avoid some terrain. Precise navigation is a little tricky since there aren't any distinctive terrain features to follow and you can't see landmarks due to the trees, BUT it's not that big of a deal. You don't have to be too precise. Just go NW, and you will hit the Saddle Junction - Laws trail. I found it a much faster option than taking the PCT. Even if I didn't take the XC route, I'd probably still cut down using the trail through Tahquitz Meadow rather than climbing partway to Tahquitz Peak as the PCT does.

[Zé]

We started at the South Ridge trailhead and did Red Tahquitz as well as South Peak in addition to Antsell Rock. Nice area.

That's what I was thinking of doing, perhaps in the reverse. Would like to get as many peaks as feasible, but looks like 7 is reasonable.

[asabat]

Just don't start down near C
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=33.76616,-116.65154&z=15&t=T&marker0=33.76374%2C-116.65609%2Cunnamed&marker1=33.76898%2C-116.66073%2Cunnamed&marker2=33.76277%2C-116.65129%2C2.0%20km%20NE%20of%20San%20Jacinto%20Mountains%20CA.
I suspect this has been the cause of several lost hikers who drop down and then get turned around and follow the creek east rather than west.

[magikwalt]

Hi HJ,

Thanks for the map. I was intending to take the cut off. Another guy told me that I would be missing a significant spot in the PCT. Something about having to dynamite a chunk of the trail in that area and it being a special place on the PCT. I have a book on order trying to sort out what he was talking about.

MW