Agua Tibia Wilderness 12/30

[Sally]

Now that Christmas is over (and I hope everyone had a good one) I started to get back into my hiking routine yesterday with a trip up Agua Tibia Mountain. The trail starts at the Dripping Springs campground on Hwy 79 South, just 10 minutes from the outskirts of Temecula.

I set out at 7:45 AM on the nicely graded trail under mostly cloudy skies. Once I got up a bit, views of civilization disappeared, Vail Lake came into view, as did my destination, the cloud-shrouded ridgeline of Agua Tibia Mountain. The landscape is all chaparal, with manzanita, ribbonwood, sage, and yucca. It is amazingly green. This area was burned in a fire in 1989, and there are remnants of large manzanitas seen along the trail.

As I neared the top, I entered a cloud and it began to drizzle. Sadly, when I reached the top there was no view because of the fog. On a clear day you would be able to see Mt. Baldy, San Gorgonio, and San Jacinto. There are a few pines and oaks on the ridge, which is about 4,300 feet elevation.

So I headed back down, and when I got out of the cloud I took lots of pictures of the fog weaving through the mountaintop and patches of sunlight shining on the hills. Hopefully hubby will be able to show me how to post the pics.

According to my GPS the round trip was 15.6 miles with an elevation gain of about 3,000 feet.

What a great way to say goodbye to 2009. Happy New Year to all!

[Good News]

The Agua Tibia is a real nice area..I was out there earlier in the year and did an out and back to Eagle Crag..I think that hike ended up being somewhere around 18 miles

[Sally]

Here are the pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/sallymorley ... directlink

[Sally]

Hi Good News! Where is Eagle Crag? Is there a trail? If so, where is the trailhead? I'm going to be spending a lot of time exploring the area, as it is so close to my home.

Sally

[Good News]

Hello Sally
These are the directions with coordinates that I took when I went out there..you can also start this hike from the dripping springs campground

You will begin from the 15 freeway and then taking the 79 South for 18.2 miles, you will be turning into the Thousand Trails Campground/Rancho California RV resort (right) and proceeding south and going onto the graded dirt High Point Road (8S05) for 5 miles to the signed trail head, Cutca Trail, at 33.23.784N 116.51.282W. This road is probably best left for higher clearance vehicles, does not have to be a 4x4 but at times you may have to get out of your vehicle and move fallen boulders or larger rocks to the side of the road to get through.

At the trailhead you will descend quickly down to Cottonwood Creek 33.23.694N 116.51.616W..coming out of the canyon you will make a short climb up to a saddle at 1.2 miles 33.23.652N 116.52.328W, then descend to the Aguanga Trail Junction at 2.1 miles.

Continue over rolling terrain, through chapparal, mazanitas and oaks, crossing Long Canyon and two of its tributaries at 33.23.281N 116.53.833W.. Nearing Cutca Valley you will hit the Cutca Road at 5.0 miles 33.23.290N 116.54.680W, then walk about 0.4 miles on Cutca Road, cross a stream and then continue on the Cutca Trail for 1.0 mile, where there is a sign "trail" on the left 33.23.753N 116.55.200W.

Follow this trail up a canyon with many switchbacks, past a saddle at 4200', and to a junction with Palomar Divide Truck Trail at 4720', go to 33.23.337N 116.57.131W and here is the place where you make your steep bid for Eagle Crag 5077' cross country style, up a gulley. At the top you will have amazing views of San Gorgornio, San Jacinto, Mt Baldy and the Pacific Ocean.
18 miles R/T
Elevation gain- 4200' total, 2700' out plus 1500' on return

[Sally]

Thank you for the nice directions, Good News. You're right, I can get to Eagle Crag by way of both the Dripping Springs and the Wild Horse trails. I'll save your route from Thousand Trails for when I can go with someone with a high profile vehicle (I have gotten stuck on roads on the way to trailheads on 2 occasions already!)

Sally

[Rumpled]

I'm a 1000 Trails member and I'm pretty sure that reference is really old.
That would now be the Vail Lake Campground - so, don't go looking for a 1000 Trails sign.