San Gorgonio (Day 1: To High Creek Campsite)

This hike was awesome in the literal sense of the word: it inspired a sense of both reverence and fear.  The way to the peak was, once again, spectacular.  The forest path lined by centuries-old cedars and mottled with sunlight; the trail above tree line over slopes of rust, tan, and blue-gray; the gnarled junipers defying the elements.  And the wind -- the wind that reached roughly 80 miles per hour on the exposed ridgeline to the summit.  Hurricane force.  Forceful enough to knock every single one of us off our feet.  Strong enough to freeze the water in our water bottles even though it was 40 degrees.  Of all the 10,000 foot peaks I've climbed with Webb students, this was the most difficult.

It was a fitting way for six students to earn -- and I mean earn -- their 10,000 Foot Club medals. The students who made the peak on this hike -- who camped out in freezing temperatures, who climbed 5,500 feet over eight miles -- pushed themselves to their limits.  And they were suitably rewarded, not just with the scenery, but more importantly with the feeling of accomplishment and confidence that accompanies a grueling hike like this.  

As we were watching the sunset on San Gorgonio Saturday night, a phrase came to mind that seemed to capture the many trips we've taken there over the years: reliably magnificent. Just down the trail from the High Creek campsites, there's a spot overlooking the valley that seems to yield spectacular views no matter the weather.  See, for example, the footer at the bottom of this blog.  On this particular night, we watched as the clouds that covered the valley all the way back to Claremont made their way up through a rift in the mountains, obscuring and revealing the distant ridges as they explored the topography of the surrounding area. The students, too, lifted themselves above their surroundings, exploring their environment with an indomitable spirit.

Entering the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area

Flowers for Mother's Day

Ray always brings an appetite for fun, this time in the form of a frisbee.  Last time he went to San Gorgonio, he brought a stripped down skateboard to use as a snowboard.

Lauren, Chris and Dolly.  As the trail ascends, it passes through an old growth forest, accompanied by the burble of Vivian Creek.

Clearing the treeline now on the way to High Creek campsite

Once we set up our tents and ate a hearty dinner (Why does food always taste better outside?), we were treated to the sunset clouds rolling up the valley.

It's not too often that we get to sit with silence.  A group of us sat for about 45 minutes Saturday night watching the clouds.

Dolly found a nice perch to watch the show.

 

Sunset Saturday night.  For the hike to the summit, see the next post.

San Gorgonio (Day 2: To the Peak and Back)

After a somewhat restful and somewhat restive night listening to the wind, we awoke early and commenced our climb to the peak.  To join the 10,000 Foot Club, students must hike all three area peaks over 10,000 Feet: Baldy, Jacinto, and Gorgonio.  On this particular trip, six students joined the club! 

David, Devin and Susan moving toward the ridge.

A nice spot for a rest, with a view back over our route.

 

Lauren is particularly excited to reach the ridgeline.  She did an excellent job leading the group for most of the hike -- the perfect pacesetter.  Shortly after passing this sign, we crossed through a narrow saddle and onto the exposed part of the ridge.  This is where winds hit 80 mph, and all of us struggled to make it to the very top.  Because we were battling the wind, a section that typically takes about three minutes to walk took us about fifteen. 

But we made it! San Gorgonio -- 11,503'

Members of the 10,000 Foot Club.  Front row: David, Dolly, me, Lauren, Mr. Owers. Back row: Susan, Bulat, Devin, Johnathan.  David actually joined the 20,000 Foot Club on this hike, having done every peak twice! Right after taking the picture above, the wind knocked the top row over (below).

 We may have been away on Mother's Day, but we didn't forget.  Thanks to Dolly for creating and carrying this sign!

Backpacking San Gorgonio

Finally!  After two years of attempted climbs of San Gorgonio, we made it to the peak!  Two years ago, we made it to around 10,000 feet before we were stymied by several inches of hard-packed ice.  Last year, we we thwarted by a fresh snow storm and closed trail head.  But this year, all the fates aligned and a determined group of Webb hikers made it to the highest peak for hundreds of miles.  San Gorgonio is the most difficult of the three peaks in the 10,000 Foot Club, and not just because it's the highest.  It's also the longest, steepest hike and involves an overnight stay at 9,200 feet. But all went smoothly for us this year, and we were treated to fantastic visibility from the peak, as we were able to see the adjacent San Jacinto and even Mt. Baldy, about 50 miles away.

Three students in particular deserve congratulations, as they became the charter members of Webb's 10,000 Foot Club.  Terence, David and Alan have now hiked all three peaks over 10,000 feet: Mt. Baldy (10,064'), San Jacinto (10,834'), and San Gorgonio (11,503'). Congratulations to them for their persistent efforts.  We arrived home on Sunday sore but happy.

 On the first day, we hiked steeply out of the valley, gaining 2,000 feet in the first 2.5 miles. Shaun, Vicente, Mr. Dahlstrom, Terence, Alan, and David take a short break at this overlook.

 Terence and Vicente at the entrance to the Wilderness Area

 David in a tree that's much older than any of us, and probably older than Webb itself.

 Sunset from High Creek was spectacular.

 As was sunrise at about 10,000 feet.

 We left our packs at camp and hiked the last few miles with just our bodies to carry.

 This outlook down to the valley below is about a half mile from the peak.

 San Gorgonio -- 11,503'

 And the first Webb students ever to join the 10,000 Foot Club.  Congratulations to David, Alan, and Terence, who received commemorative medals at the peak.

 Crossing the barren landscape on the way down.  Tree line is around 10,000 feet, so we had only low lying shrubs for company at the top.

 By the end of the day, we'd be back in the distant valley below.

Everyone pauses one more time to enjoy the scenery on the way down.

Backpacking San Gorgonio

This was not going to be easy from the start. San Gorgonio is the most difficult of the 10,000 foot peaks to begin with. Add several inches of snow, and then a layer of ice on top of that, and we had some tough trekking this weekend. We would have needed crampons to reach the summit, but we did reach a spectacular ridge with 360 degree views. Along the way, we enjoyed s'mores, toasted our socks around a campfire, and even made snow angels (sort of -- see below). The trip started at 6,000 feet, and we hiked five miles on the first day to an altitude of 9,200 feet. We stopped at High Creek campground, set up tents, and ate the best dinner we could remember (why does food always taste better after a long hike?). Ryan, Shaun, Sidney and Jordan then helped collect some dead wood for the fire, while Ray carved marshmallow roasting sticks for the s'mores. The crackling heat roused the weary from the warmth of their sleeping bags, and we all stood around for awhile telling ghost stories and drying socks over the fire. An early rise allowed many of us to hike up to 10,500 feet, where we were stopped by thick ice. But we celebrated the view, and then headed back down to camp to pack up and head out. In-n-Out burgers on the way home tasted almost as good as dinner the night before.

Jordan, Will, Ryan, Terence, Shaun, Vinson, Sidney, Tina, Rita, Mr. Dahlstrom, and Ray at the start.

Tina and Rita lead us through the early stages of the hike, across a riverbed and toward the mountain path.

Jordan found this tree at Vivian Creek campsite, about a mile into the trip.

Ray made the most out of his wheel-less skateboard, breaking it out at every rest stop to make new snowboard runs.

Tina and Sidney take a break.

Right behind our campsite was a scenic view up the valley.

Sunset on the first night revealed layers of mountains under layers of clouds.

Rita, Shaun, Mr. Dahlstrom, Sidney, Ray, Ryan and Jordan reap the rewards of a fire on a cold night. A couple hours later, it had melted a four-foot wide hole in the snow and kept us all warm well into the night.

A marshmallow roasted to perfection makes for mighty good s'mores.

The next day, we set out to get as far as we could. When Will told us he would be making a snow angel in his speedo at the top, we thought he was joking. We didn't know he had a speedo, and we weren't quite at the top. But then he made a snow angel in his speedo. We wish he had been joking.

At which point the other boys were inspired to be ridiculous. For the record, it's about 32 degrees at an altitude of 10,500 feet.

Since it was so icy, it was much faster to slide down. We dug our heels in to steer and break. Here, Ryan hits a patch of soft snow that brings him to a halt. Photo courtesy of Rita Lo.

Taking a break to enjoy the sun on the way down.

Looking back to Mt. Baldy (peeking above a thin wisp of cloud) from San Gorgonio.