XC route from SF Wilderness boundary to High Meadow Springs

[zippetydude]

I posted this (sans pics) on the San G board also. I usually take several tries to figure out an xc route. Not this one. Simple, fun, never overly steep, quiet beautiful terrain since it's 100% off trail xc. Great views of Glacier Valley from above on the north side and looking down from the top of the ridge. While pleasant, the route is still very efficient: From Wilderness boundary to HMS it's almost a straight line. HJ made a map of the route:

http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=34.13504,-11 ... %2Cunnamed

Here are a couple of pics looking down at Glacier Valley from the ridge I went up. This one is from the north side.



And this one is from the top, looking back down.



There may have been someone camping down there. I could clearly see a white, sort of rectangular shape. Here's the best I could do with my little camera at extreme digital zoom. Look for the object in the middle of the pic. Is that a tent?



Anyway, I popped out about 400 yards west of High Meadow Springs on the ridge. Incidentally, I don't know for sure, but this looks like it might be the top of the avalanche chute that crosses the South Fork Trail.

Good route, but you better warn your quads before you come back down. Mine were angry.

z

[Hikin_Jim]

VERY cool route, particularly since you could do it on your first go. There are some routes in the SGW that are a royal pain. The downed logs and brush just make the route unpleasant. Nice to see this one is relatively open.

This route has such a spare and elegant line. I love it. Next time I head to any of those peaks over there (Alto Diablo, Shields, or Anderson), I'm definitely going to take this route.

HJ

P.S. I don't think that's a tent in your photo. Just too weird of a spot to camp, although I suppose you could. I suspect it's just some Gorgonio granite.

[lilbitmo]

Zip,

Been thinking about going up that hill for years, also thought about the ridge just east of East Fork Barton Creek that comes off the first turn of the road by the service gate for Jenks Lake Road and it comes out ontop of that same spot as "F & G" on your map.

But it will have to wait, been trying to knock out those little fellas in the Sierra's, like Polemonium, Thunderbolt, North Pal, Starlight and Muir so I can be done with the 14ers and get back to day hiking

Might make the get together in Long Valley we will see

[KathyW]

That is a nice route - both in the winter and summer. I dropped down into Glacier Valley via one of the chutes the first time I went up there (that wasn't a real good idea).

A nice loop hike is going up that way and down Forsee. You could also loop over to San Gorgonio and go down via Dry Lake - I've only gone as far as Charlton that way and down via Dollar Lake, but sometime I'll get all the way over to San Gorgonio.

[zippetydude]

That is a nice route - both in the winter and summer. I dropped down into Glacier Valley via one of the chutes the first time I went up there (that wasn't a real good idea).

A nice loop hike is going up that way and down Forsee. You could also loop over to San Gorgonio and go down via Dry Lake - I've only gone as far as Charlton that way and down via Dollar Lake, but sometime I'll get all the way over to San Gorgonio.

Kathy, good to hear from you. It comes as no surprise to me that you've already done it...you're one of the most accomplished adventurers I know, and I know quite a few! Did you drop down the chute in the winter or summer? Winter = dangerously steep but could be fun in soft snow. Summer = an awful lot of bushwhackin'.

I agree that making a loop out of it is a good idea. I'm thinking about the Dry Lake version you mentioned. Coming back down the ridge didn't take very long but oh my, my! I didn't run any of it, it's mostly soft loamy stuff so I just kept moving, but my legs burned towards the end.

Patrick: Hope you make it, been a long time and with all those 14's under your belt, you must have some stories to tell by now!

z

[KathyW]

I think you gain about 2400' in 1.25 miles between the Poopout Junction and Peaklet 10230' on that ridge - it's just a good workout going up, but probably tough on the legs going down.

On my first trip, I dropped down the second chute/gully into Glacier Valley. There was good snow on the ridge, but as I got lower in the chute the snow was too thin and I was in falling through into the gaps in the rocks and getting mired down in the bushes. If there was enough snow coverage, it might be nice down there in Glacier Valley but that area is avalanche prone; so you'd have to be really careful timing.

If we get enough snow this winter, I'd like to go check out the area marked ice caves on the map next spring. I guess ice caves of some sort actually do form some years.

Early predictions indicate we a going to have a nice snowy winter in Southern California; so I'm looking forward to it.

[hvydrt]

the area marked ice caves on the map

Are you talking about that "defenders" map? I really need to get one of those, sounds like there is interesting stuff on there to check out.

[Hikin_Jim]

I think you gain about 2400' in 1.25 miles.

Dang! That's pretty freakin' steep.

If we get enough snow this winter, I'd like to go check out the area marked ice caves on the map next spring.

I think you're talking about the W Fork of Barton Creek. I assume what's happening there is that snow fills in the drainage, and then the water hollows out a tunnel under the snow. Sort of like an extended snow bridge.

Are you talking about that "defenders" map?

Yep, that's the one. Like this:


HJ

[KathyW]

I heard that someone has marked the route with pink tape. I don't know why anyone would need to mark such an easy route to follow with tape - it's a real shame.

Anyway, if anyone heads up that way please remove as much of the tape as you are able to. It might be a while before I head up there again, but when I do I'll remove any tape I'm able to.

[Hikin_Jim]

Thank you for doing that, Kathy. There are very few instances where survey tape is really needed -- mostly it's an eyesore. My biggest pet peeve is when people use it to mark a completely random track XC through the wilderness (in other words not even a logical route like the one we're discussing).

HJ