First-time at San Jacinto...advice for bouldering, hiking???

[critzilla]

Hi everyone!

This is my first post of what I hope to be many!

My boyfriend and I are camping this weekend at Idyllwild Park in Riverside County. There are so many hikes to chose from! What are people's recommendations? We are looking for challenging hikes, since we are both athletic. (If anyone can recommend any hikes that incorporate rock scrambling, that would be fantastic!)

Also, I am looking for places to boulder. He has not bouldered before, and he does not have shoes or a harness.

Many thanks in advance!

[dhstein313]

From Idylwild I recommend taking a nice long loop. Go up Humber Park to Saddle Junction. Then get on PCT and Summit San Jack via Welmans Divide. Descend via Deer Springs Trail via Little Round Valley. Get back on the PCT and swing back around to Saddle Junction. The summit is filled with boulders and their are numerous side trips with humongous rock hopping boulder options all along the trail.
D

[KathyW]

Marion Mountain and Cornell Peak both have class 3 summit blocks that you scramble up if you're interested in just a short bit of scrambling and mostly hiking.

[halhiker]

For hiking maps go to the Idyllwild Ranger Station. The Deer Springs Trail just off of Hwy 243 is a good one and gives you options of going many places and distances up to 20 miles.

A good hike involving scrambling is the walk off Tahquitz Rock. It starts at Humber Park. You do a lot of rock scrambling to the base of Tahquitzand then go up the gully to the left of Tahquitz. It's pretty fun but not very long.

For bouldering, check with Nomad Ventures in Idyllwild, the local climbing shop. I think they rent shoes. There is also a LOT of bouldering right at the Idyllwild County Park. Most of the bouldering is not that high so you won't need to top rope it so you won't need a harness. If you're going climbing, get a guide because teaching your SO anything can be detrimental to your relationship.

Hal

[magikwalt]

As usual Hal's advise is spot on. Especially the part about teaching a significant other. Sure wish someone had warned me long ago.