Great day in Good Canyon 2/16/14

[Sally]

Feeling the need to get out of a rut and to tackle a new challenge, Ellen and I chose Good Canyon as a route to Mt Baldy. We met at Manker Flats at 6:00. Aided by a set of directions generously supplied by lilbitmo, we started down the road in search of a viable entrance to San Antonio Canyon. We are not quite sure if we took the prescribed route, but we did eventually get into San Antonio Canyon where we crossed over the stream several times and dealt with very minor brush. With the help of my GPS we entered Good Canyon.

The canyon started out as a rocky dry streambed, similar to Falling Rock Canyon. At times we would skirt up the side and slip'n'slide up scree to avoid obstacles in the bottom of the canyon. We did at one point reach a small predicament reminiscent of our trip on "Falling Girl Canyon." We had to hoist ourselves up through a narrow gap with loose dirt and crumbly rocks for hand holds. Ellen and I hoped that there wasn't going to be much more of this, and it turned out to be the only such spot. Once out of the predicament we climbed a slope to a nice tree that provided shade and a place to gather our wits back together.

Eventually we came to the "split" that lilbitmo had pointed out in his instructions. We took the canyon to the right as directed. Not long after that we were scrambling up a steep pine needle covered slope following a use trail that appeared and disappeared frequently.

We made our way out of the Canyon and got our first view of Baldy and followed the "path of least resistance." Occasionally we would spot hikers on the ridge above us, giving us a sense that we were nearing the main trail up Baldy. But, having spent all my energy in the canyon, and no longer operating on adrenaline, that last push up to the trail was hard. Once on the trail, Ellen went into her "I just want to be done" mode, and I went into my "no big rush, I'm almost there" mode.

After seven hours of work we reached Mt Baldy summit. It was truly a cause for celebration!

Thank you Ellen, for another fabulous adventure! Thanks also to lilbitmo for the navigational help.

Ellen, please fill in any of the details or quips I may have left out.

pics:

https://picasaweb.google.com/1009477359 ... directlink

[lilbitmo]

From the pictures and the report sounds like you gals nailed it, nice work ladies that's a very fun canyon.

Glad it all worked out as planned

[Ellen]

Howdy All

I'm looking forward to hiking Good Canyon again -- I think we can cut some time off the hike by finding Lilbitmo's route to drop into San Antonio canyon and walk downstream to Good. We lost a lot of time walking down the road to try to find a reasonable entrance, then had to walk upstream to Good.

That being said, this was our first time in San Antonio canyon -- it's pretty:



The entrance to Good Canyon:



Waling up Good canyon and enjoying the shade before the sun hits us.



A lovely walk, but where's that breeze that the NWS predicted?



Sitting in the shade of a pine and enjoying our first rest/fuel stop.



Looking down Good canyon after resuming our hike.



Sally experiencing illumination:



Looking up canyon:



Sister Sally:



Here we came upon the significant spot or "crux" where Good canyon splits. Lilbitmo had given us a "heads up" and recommended that we take the right hand fork -- excellent advice -- as we discovered later.



We took the route more traveled by and stayed right. We could either ascend up a steep, loose slope or ascend via a rocky gully. We choose the gully.



Near the top of the rocky gully, I lost my balance and almost fell backwards. I dropped my poles to free up my right hand. Sally retrieved my poles and passed them up. Once out of the rocks, we scrambled up a steep slope made slippery by pine needles. I planted myself firmly behind a tree and took Sally's picture as she climbed up.



Have you noticed how pictures don't ever seem to capture the steepness of a route? We took a fuel break behind this lovely Jeffrey pine to allow my heart rate to drop from hummingbird back to human.



Looking back at from whence we came:



We were now on a use trail heading up through the conifers. Looking back from a bit higher up on the slope:



The slope finally became less steep -- looking above us to the north:



The view to our left, looking in the general direction of west Baldy.



Now we're getting into familiar looking territory. The Bowl trail can't be too far from here, right?



Still climbing in a northerly direction.



Looking south. See the gully with the snow? That's where we would have wound up if we'd taken the route less traveled by at the crux



Starting to pass airplane wreckage. That's the saddle between Baldy and West Baldy.



At last we're on the Bowl trail. Looking down at our usual lunch spot when it's too windy/cold on Baldy



Baldy -- at last



Looking north:



The view of Santiago from our lunch spot. Total time to reach the summit -- 7 hours -- a new record for my slowest Baldy ascent



I ate laying down with my head on my daypack -- like a cowgirl using her saddle for a pillow. Actually felt more like the horse -- rode hard and put away wet. A very nice couple joined us. I explained why we looked so knackered. In honor of the day, I played "Ride of the Valkyrie" on my cell phone and all four of us laughed.

Just as we were starting down, Tracey and Frank summited. Via Facebook, they knew we headed up Good canyon and timed their hike to meet up with us on Baldy. Tracey took our picture.



On our descent, we met Giga Mike

We arrived at PF Changs in Rancho Cucamonga at peak business and they took fabulous care of us as always.

I'm already thinking about going up Good Canyon again. Nailing the approach will save time and energy. Will also look for a more efficient route up the canyon itself. By and large, we stayed in the middle -- requiring a lot of stepping up and down on rocks. Occasionally we saw use trails on either side of the canyon.

Who's on?

Miles of smiles,
Ellen

[zippetydude]

Nice job both of you! I liked the pics, but I ended up wondering why the canyon on the right was better than the one on the left. Snow might have been easier to walk on that sliding on loose rock and pine needles. Still, I know what you mean about needing variety. I have a new adventure for you if you're interested! See my latest post about Onion Rock...

z

[arocknoid]

Sounds like you two had a great time, despite a little bit more meandering to find the pathway.

and geez,

Near the top of the rocky gully, I lost my balance and almost fell backwards.

that would have been most ungood.

great photo, Illuminati:



kind regards,
arocknoid

[Sally]

I agree that the snow part may have been fun, Z, but the snow peters out at the top, and then I think it probably really gets steep and scary lookin' with all kinds of scree and stuff!

[Sally]

No problem, arocknoid, had Ellen fallen backwards I was right behind her and would have caught her! (That's what friends are for.)

[Cy Kaicener]

David Stewart posted some great pictures of the Grand Canyon in facebook. The link below takes you right there without going thru facebook
http://4u2byte.com/grandcanyon/grandcanyonphotos.html