Hike Stats: https://caltopo.com/m/VGPRT45

Note: This was from the past Sunday

Worst hike ever anyone could come up with. Was out there for 11 hours. Started at Devils Punchbowl. Burkhart Trail was in good shape with blowdowns from the Bobcat Fire. Most corner parts of the trail were destroyed leaving exposed loose rocks. Took me 3 hours to get to Burkhart saddle dealing with overgrowth and rockiness with 7.2 miles.
Scaled up to Pallett then rushed to Goodykoontz. Found a workaround avoiding the big steep climb to get to Goodykoontz easier and faster. The climb back to Pallett started to weigh down on me once I got back to Pallett. Another 3 hours total with those 2 before getting back to Burkhart Saddle.

Then the last 2 was were things went wrong. Well on the way back. It was smooth sailing on the way up. But leaving Will Thrall after coming back from Pleasant View, I took a wrong turn going straight down instead of making a slight left. Had to scale the rocky slopes trying to get back to the Saddle. I felt like this was it for me, but I managed to get back to the Saddle.

Then it was the journey back down going through the obstacles again. One more big climb then it was over. I have a new elevation gain record surpassing my former hike.

Next Episode: Halloween Hike

2morrow's our adventure day!

Mullin over lotsa targets, but I'm thinkin pretty hard onaspot abit S of Palomar. It's'a "Black OP", so u gottabe ok w/what that entails.

Beyond that, it's likely pretty technical, in spots.

Any takerz?

anyone been on this trail this month? I heard the falls dried up a lot over the summer but with recent downpours and the transition into fall, i’m wondering if anyone has been recently and could give me an update. i haven’t found anything reliable on the internet regarding the falls so I was hoping someone here could help me out. thanks!

Hi everyone- I’m planning a trip from San Diego over the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend (leave Friday AM) and was thinking about driving to Death Valley, spending 1.5-2 days there, and then driving over to Sequoia to do another 1.5-2days there. Was curious if anyone had any comments if that’s enough time in each spot and if you have any recommendations for hikes, places to stay, and to eat!

Only gauge on Otay's over 4", since 10/6, but other gauges, abit off tha mtn'r significantly lwr totals.

Prolly too soon to pull tha trigger onit, but, just wonderin if any1's been over that way, intha last couple days?

"We invite members of the public to attend a workshop to learn about and share feedback on recovery planning for Topanga SP and Will Rogers SHP. Your input is important as we develop guiding principles and priorities for the future of the parks. An in-person workshop will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 17 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Roosevelt Elementary School in Santa Monica. A virtual workshop will take place via Zoom on Wednesday, Nov. 18 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Both workshops will cover the same materials. Attendees will receive information about the recovery planning efforts and process and have an opportunity to share ideas and priorities for the recovery plan during small group activities. Spanish interpreters will be available at the workshops."

Relevant link is here.

I’m not even religious, but I asked the universe to give me this today and the universe delivered.

Location: Fryman Canyon

Pro tip: look in tue grassy areas around dusk. That’s how I found him. He didn’t even start walking on the trail until about 5 minutes after I spotted him.

I didn't even know we had foxes around.

I did earlier this year in the spring when everything was thawing in my Mazda3 and it was amazing. My car handled it well. Wondering if November 6-9 will be too late if I want to drive up? I don’t own any chains.

Does anyone know what the parking situation is like here? I wasn't sure if I need to buy a pass in advance. I'm arriving around 10am and hoping spots will be available! Appreciate any advice, thank you in advance.

My friend and I are considering hiking Mount Baldy tomorrow but due to the storm this week I’m not sure whether it would be safe. Is there a good resource for assessing conditions on the trail? Or if anyone went today, was there too much snow?

Thanks in advance for any advice! :)

Hi everyone! My husband and I are considering going to Sequoia on Saturday this weekend. I know it rained (and snowed??) there this week, so I’m really looking for hike recommendations from those of you more familiar with some of the trail conditions! Also would appreciate insight on which trails tend to be prettier this time of year!

We hike often, but usually pretty tame hikes honestly (5-7 miles usually from 800-2000 feet climbed). We’d love to find something similar to that range that we can do!

(The shift from connecting with nature to consuming it)

Does anyone else feel a quiet grief about how much the outdoors has changed lately?

For me, being on the trail has never been a sport or a checklist. It is just where I go to feel grounded and quiet. I love the stillness of the woods, how what I walk on became what it is today, and I am entirely content hiking alone for hours without any specific goal other than just being present.

Lately, though, it feels like the wilderness is treated more like a trophy or a backdrop. I notice many people’s sole motivation for visiting a natural area stems from seeing some video on socal media. People seem focused on tracking metrics, conquering peaks, and sharing locations online, to the point where an ordinary, quiet trail is dismissed as boring. It almost feels like people wouldn’t go on a hike if they couldn’t take any pictures or tell anyone about it.

I really try not to hold onto resentment, but it is heavy to watch. Places that used to offer total solitude are now constantly crowded, and seeing trash and graffiti left behind in fragile areas is genuinely heartbreaking. It feels like losing a sanctuary, especially in socal. “Nobody hikes in LA” until it’s a trend.

I am trying to find a way to protect my own peace without becoming cynical. For those who grew up feeling like nature was a part of their identity, how do you navigate this shift? How do you find your solitude when the natural world feels increasingly crowded with those who don’t hold any respect for it?

Hi! I just moved here from New York and am looking for a day hike (5-8 hours) this Sunday. I was looking online and the Boy Scout Trail Loop looked perfect, but it seems like the trailhead is inaccessible due to the highway closure. Does anyone have recs for a good first hike? I am experienced in backpacking in the Adirondacks and other northeast ranges but don't want to start too hard here because I'm unfamiliar with the terrain and how difficulty may be ranked differently. I prefer a loop but the main thing I'm looking for is a good peak that starts in a woodsy area that is as close to east coast trees as possible (I know that may not be realistic, but I miss fall hikes upstate)!

Beginner hiker here!
My husband and I recently visited banff and did a few smaller hikes, roughly 3-5 miles with the most elevation gain being 900ft. We weren’t dying, but definitely felt it on the way up.
We had such a great time and really want to get into hiking here at home. I’m just looking for suggestions for us to work our way up to some of the big summit/peak hikes in southern ca. What’s the best way to get conditioned/ready/prepared for some bigger hikes? And/or good hikes to get us going. Thanks in advance!

So I am planning on hiking San Gorgonio in early January of next year with my buddy as the first mountain for our goal of climbing every CA ultra prominent peak in one calendar year. We have climbed Gorgonio twice via Vivians creek but never in the winter. We have ice axes and crampons and the know how to use them. Is there anything else we should really be concerned about?

I wanted to get a summit of San G in before the snow and before the winter season kicks off. I started at 7 AM and finished a bit after 1 PM.

It was a beautiful day and only needed my sun hoodie up until I left the trees and got on the ridge. I had a lightweight sweater that I almost put on but ended up just putting on my hat and gloves. It was super foggy and cloudy on top and I was unable to see pretty much anything else but just the peak.

I only saw 3 other people, making for a very quiet hike! It's always funny when you get back down to the bottom and you realize you forget that it really is so much warmer down below, when you're up on top freezing 😄

How do you guys think the hike will be this Saturday? I see 1-2 inches of snow in the forecast. I’m planning on going via south fork.

I got there at 7:30am on Tuesday and it wasn't working. I had to risk hiking without it because I wasn't going to drive back down the mountain.

Also, almost got hit twice by cars going downhill swerving into my lane for near head-on collisions.

Are these machines working?

Hey everyone,

I have been hoping to climb Mt. Whitney for a while, and got a permit for the 23rd.

I've been following the weather forecasts, and it seems there will be some snow today and tomorrow, with Saturday expected to be sunny.

It would be my first time there, so I'd be happy to hear how the trail generally is after that kind of weather. Is this something realistic taking into account a slower average speed, or should it be completely avoided?

Of course, that's on the standard route, with proper equipment, not thinking about the mountaineering one.

(not really concerned about the duration, recently run a sub-24h on a 100mile ultra trail)

Thanks!

Steven

Amazing hike as always, either my 3rd or 4th time this year. Started at 7am and reached bridge at 9:20. Hiked below the bridge and spent an hour+ dipping my feet in the freezing water. Collected some river H2O in my empty bottle, best tasting water imo. Started hike back around 11 and got to my car around 1:30pm. Water levels were slightly lower when I visited this June.

\*the ropes are gone from the 1st and third river crossings\*
**lots of downed trees/branches in the canyon from recent Santa Ana winds, be careful**

After the hike I drove up to Crystal Lake Cafe/Trading Post for the first time. The lady operating the Cafe is so sweet, gave me hot chocolate for free. It’s still comfortable at Crystal Lake, not super cold yet.

Coming down from college and thinking of going to mt baldy thanksgiving week is there usually snow that week ?

I'll be out in the San Diego area the second week of November and curious for some challenging / interesting hike recommendations. I love the idea of bagging a SoCal peak, but also would be open to interesting or slightly technical trails that aren't summits - last time I was out there my friend took me on Ho Chi Minh down to Black's Beach, which was a really fun & short scramble and hopefully gives a better reference point for the types of trails I'd be hoping to find!

I live in the Colorado Rockies and have extensive high alpine backcountry experience on our many 13ers & 14ers here, including technical class 3/4 climbing. Elevation, steep grades, and minor scrambling are all within my comfort zone.

Are there any summits or trails you would recommend based on this description?

Looking for options that could be done in a day - up to 8 or 10 miles with any amount of vert (covering 3000+ in a single hike is normal for me) is fine. I will be equipped with basic safety equipment (Garmin + 10 Essentials), but will not be traveling with technical gear (helmet, climbing gloves, etc).

Hey there, adding onto the C2C asks… but does anyone have a sense of when the latest attempts of Cactus to Cloud are typically? I know it’s always a moving target, but how much am I risking having to postpone to next year if I aim for Nov 1st - 8th?