Folly Peak via East Branch instead of Snow Creek climb?

[FIGHT ON]

Woody the caretaker told me that essentially the square "33" is the of-limits water department land.

So what does Woody do? Walk back and forth betweenA and B like an English soldier?

Do you know if a permit is required for the wilderness area to the south and up to the summit?

[asabat]

Do you know if a permit is required for the wilderness area to the south and up to the summit?

Yes, south of Black Mountain Road. Just up from the Fuller Ridge Trailhead a sign confirms this.

[Perry]

At first I thought you meant the east face of Folly...now that's hardcore! If you look at the contour lines near that gully around 7,600'...or look to your right as you're climbing snow creek, it's very impressive. I don't know much about that other side of the ridge, but I would guess there are some decent waterfalls in there which could be problematic staying in the canyon. I would try to stay up on the ridges until the snow begins. And of course do it in the spring, not winter because of avalanches. It amazes me how many people think that doing snow creek in the winter is a good idea. That sounds like a death wish, and it seems that any climber who has tried it ends up regretting it and sometimes bailing out to the left.

The ridge to the east of Snow Creek Village (One Horse Ridge) has an enormous round boulder. It's visible from 111.

As far as I know, Windy Ridge (to the west) is legal.

[halhiker]

Section 33 is the section that is Water District. Of course, going into the watershed anywhere above section 33 really defeats the purpose of the prohibition anyway, doesn't it?

The ridge would be very hardcore. Lots of vertical rock. There's one rock up there that's probably taller than Tahquitz although not quite as prominent and highly unaccessible.

[FIGHT ON]

Section 33 is the section that is Water District. Of course, going into the watershed anywhere above section 33 really defeats the purpose of the prohibition anyway, doesn't it?

swat I was thinking.

[halhiker]

Section 33 is the section that is Water District. Of course, going into the watershed anywhere above section 33 really defeats the purpose of the prohibition anyway, doesn't it?

swat I was thinking.

Doing a new and longer route in a difficult to access area would require one to pee in the watershed far more than doing Snow Creek.

[Perry]

There's one rock up there that's probably taller than Tahquitz although not quite as prominent and highly unaccessible.

It's very noticeable when you look up from Desert Hot Springs. A friend told me there's bolts in that rock. Somebody climbed it.

The west side of the ridge looks more doable, especially at the lower elevations before you would reach snow, and then you could drop into the canyon and climb snow the rest of the way. Below the snow, I'm sure the brush is very thick and you would have to navigate around waterfalls on wet rocks if you stay in that canyon. I read a trip report of some guys who climbed snow creek using the canyon on the lower section, and they really wished they had stayed on the ridge all the way to the isthmus.

[halhiker]

There's one rock up there that's probably taller than Tahquitz although not quite as prominent and highly unaccessible.

It's very noticeable when you look up from Desert Hot Springs. A friend told me there's bolts in that rock. Somebody climbed it.

Bolts? Up there? I heard about someone climbing some of the rocks on the North Face but I thought it was the rock between Falls Creek and Snow Creek. The story I heard was that they ran out of water and had to get rescued before topping out.

I guess the rock below Folly is more accessible because one could come down from the top. Still, that's a helluva a haul to get there.

It's funny where people have been before. I went with some friends climbing in a canyon south of Cabazon that I thought I "discovered" and we found bolts there.

[Perry]

Yeah, everything has already been done. But if it's new to the individual climber, that's what matters.

[Rumpled]

There are times when I hike up some thick brush to some obscure little bump somewhere and think that I'm the only person who has ever been there.
Then, I'll look down and see a 12 pack of broken Bud bottles there.
I'd think to myself how hard I had slogged and some slob made it up with a 12 pack of bottles. And, i't always Bud.

So, yeah; someone has already been everywhere.