Couldn't Find The Trail To Villager Peak

[MACgyver]

Well, I'm feeling a little stupid today. Today was the day I was going to scout out the Villager Peak trail, so I could return soon and do the whole hike.
I went with a lot of preparation I thought. I have the Afoot and Afield in the Inland Empire book that gives details of the hike, and I read everything else I could find on the hike via the internet, watched You Tube videos etc. I have the GPS waypoints for the trailhead and the Peak itself. Well, I hiked out as everyone described...just to the right edge of the Lute Escarpment, and then followed the cairns through the various washes until I reached the beginning of the steep ridge. I followed cairns everywhere right and left, but never could find the actual beginning of the trail that begins the steep climb. Do any of you members happen to have the GPS coordinates of where you actually step out of the wash and start the climb? I went way astray and hiked up Rattlesnake Canyon, but then came back and walked along the foot of the mountain and managed to see a cairn 75 yards up a steep rock pile. I scrambled up that only to find nothing...no trail and no other cairns above me in sight. To quote my AFOOT AND AFIELD INLAND EMPIRE BOOK: "In 1.2 miles (from the trailhead) gain the toe of the ridge. Look for switchbacks and a good use trail climbing unrelentingly." Well, I found no such thing. Only thing I could see was steep rock piles to climb. I'd really like to get an exact waypoint, and or some advice. This is a link to my hilarious hiking track, and a stock photo of where the trail leaves the wash. http://gallery.me.com/imacgyver#100594
Thanks for your help in advance.

[Zé]

http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=119283

[Andy]

MACgyver,
Don't feel bad about losing the trail on that section. The only time I hiked that was in the dark and I didn't notice any real trail until we were quite a ways up the ridge. Not to say it wasn't there...I just didn't see it. However we knew by our heading that we were headed up the correct route and eventually got on the more evident path.

On the subject of cairns(of which I am a member of the Anti-Cairn crowd) ; there are some advancements that need to be made. I'm talking about the times you run across a ciarn, steinman, duck... and you cant see any others (due to snow, flood or me having knocked it down). You know that you're on "a path" but which direction to go from there can be a real crap shoot. For instance, rather than just a one-dimensional point, a rudimentary direction/arrow thingy would be very helpful. Maybe you just toss a few extra rocks on one side kind of like the tail of an arrow...This would alleviate at least 358 degrees of guess work. Huh? Whose with me on this?

[bluerail]

Go through the desert section over to the base of the ridge and look for a large palo verde tree....switches start to the left of tree...left of tree or maybe to the right..but right there, it's to the left of where you were when you hit the base of the spine... You went into the wash on northeast side of spine, I did that on my first trip, climbed up ridge and traversed across until i hit the trail..then went right....just get up on that ridge and stay on it..the trail is a ridge route and it's not a route you can really loose your way on.
you wanna be on the southwesterly side of the spine.

I think rocks in a straightline are good, if theyre right.

[GoPlayer]

Just went up there for the first time 3 weeks ago. The cairns and a recognizable use trail led right to the spot where it goes up out of the wash, but the trail up the the loose slope was not obvious. We were there just before sunrise, still using head lamps, and spent a minute or two looking. Didn't really see the trail until I started to just go up. Once you are up 10ft the trail becomes obvious.
The rest of the hike to Villager & Rabbit was straight forward.

[MACgyver]

Thanks to all of you who have offered your suggestions so far. I posted an additional gallery with two pics of the beginning of the ridge. Please make a comment as to where you think the start of the trail up the ridge would be relative to the fan-shaped rock slide area. Thanks again!

http://gallery.mac.com/imacgyver#100598

[Zé]

i think on the left edge of the picture in the 2nd shot.

[GoPlayer]

Looks like there might even be a bit of trail visible on your first shot towards the left. Going up to the right at that bush at the very left of the picture and then turning left.
Also note that the link Zé posted above contains GPS info and GoogleMaps shots.

[bluerail]

left side of first shot. but like I said...just start going up there if you cant find it. most of the trail on that lower mile or so isnt alot better than the rest of the ridge...keep going up the ridge and it all falls into place pretty easily

[MACgyver]

Thanks again to all. Thanks to the links in Zé's post, I added some pertinent waypoints to my MotionX GPS App on my iPhone. I posted that screen shot on my gallery a few minutes ago. http://gallery.mac.com/imacgyver#100598
It is evident that I had been exploring too far to the right which is the way all the cairns seemed to lead me. On the third photo the trail can actually be seen between Wypt 1 and 2 and beyond 3. That should be all the help I will need.
I had already decided to do what all were suggesting anyway...that is, just climb up the ridge until I discover the trail...either on the way up the first ridge or after getting to the flatter area on top. I didn't try that yesterday because I was too far to the right, and the large rock slide area wasn't too inviting after the first 50 yds or so that I went up. Also, yesterday was sort of a social hike with my wife, and I knew she was going to be happier just hiking up the Rattlesnake Canyon Wash. Next trip I'm climbing up the ridge no matter what. All of your help was invaluable.