Rouse Hill via South Fork Trail

[rockboy]

Long time lurker - first post in a couple of years.

Yesterday I hiked the South Fork Trail to Rouse Hill. What a perfect day for that hike - views of the SJ's were amazing, and I didn't see anyone all day (until I was a mile from returning). A few thoughts and observations:

The campground at the South Fork SJ River is in good shape. There are 4-5 fire rings, and a rope swing hangs from a large pine. Nice campground.

The trail that leaves from the campground to go up the hill (1200 feet in 1.2 miles or so) can be found to the left of the rope swing. Took me a while to find it.

That stretch of the trail is VERY overgrown (I wish I had my camera yesterday - only had GoPro, and that was limited). There are 16 switchbacks in that stretch, and I really had to concentrate both going up and down to make sure I didn't miss them. The trail was pretty much grass for about a half mile, and I also had to concentrate to see where it was heading. If you hike this trail in the spring, be aware of the grassy overgrowth. I'm sure the fall is different. There were also a couple of tricky blowdowns - on this narrow trail, which was a little wet, those were a little tricky - be careful.

My GPS had the following: 2.75 from trailhead to campground, 1.25 from campground to saddle (where the '4WD' appears on the topo), and 2.2 from that saddle to the summit of Rouse Hill. Lots of poppies along the road from Milky Spring to the summit. These mileages differ from other accounts I've read online (summitpost).

Sorry that I don't have pictures - i only had my GoPro, and it decided to take a dump after I left the campground. It was a picture perfect day to hike, though. Getting to the saddle and seeing the view to Cahuilla Mtn. and beyond was incredible. New snow on SJ and the Desert Divide was really beautiful, too. Great hike, great day.

Rockboy (my wife calls me Mike)

[Sally]

Hi rockboy, Nice TR! I was confused at first as the only South Fork trail I knew of was in the San Gorgonio Wilderness ("Where the heck is Rouse hill?", I wondered.) After the references to Cahuilla Mtn., SJ and Desert Divide I pulled out my ol' Tom Harrison SJ Wilderness map and there it was, in the lower left corner!

Any wildflowers, or wildflowers yet to come, besides the poppies? It must have been really purty!

[rockboy]

Hi Sally - I'm a geologist, not much of a flower-ologist, so I don't know what they are called, but there were a lot of purple wildflowers that hang down (penstamon?). They weren't lupine, I know those, and these weren't them. Camera! Aarrgghh! Yeah, it was a very pretty day - I picked the right day to do that hike.