Angeles National Forest
Locate the trail head.
Warm Springs Mountain once had a fairly short trail up to the top. It was once a well maintained trail, according to my Afoot and Afield, and although the mountain was burned, it would surely be repaired soon and continue to be a simple hike to the top. Unfortunately, there seems to be a general policy of neglect for the area which once contained a condor sanctuary and some of the last wild condors, at least that is what my reading would seem to indicate. I once
tried for this peak in the past, but didn't know about the neglect, only the enthusiastic expectations. I didn't get far through the then 23 years of free growing brush then, but I returned now with a different plan. The old lookout was serviced by fire roads which provide a second route to the top, albeit more than twice as far as the hiking trail. These roads are easily visible in satellite photos but the only report of them is
a nearly three year old track taking the first part and a mountain bike trail for a loop and gives very little indication of the state of things, but does seem to maintain a reasonable speed.
I print out the most useful bit of the Warm Springs Mountain quad from USGS, which contains all the trails and roads, and arrive there with a plan. I will start at the gate across the road and head up to the lookout. If I spot the mountain bike trail forking off, I will take it. I hope that the trail will be slightly shorter than the road and hopefully more interesting. Taking a left at the top of the trail or a fire road intersection, and then a left at a fork, I should find myself at the top of a peak that may or may not have any indication that it once had a lookout at the top. From there, I might try to take the trail down or I might take the road. I expect to want to try the trail.
I drive a little way past the spots made familiar by my failed attempt at this mountain to find the expected fire road just as a touch of civilization pops up, noticing on the way that the gate on Ruby Clearwater Road is open. I turn into Warm Springs Road (Warm Springs Fish Canyon on the map) to see a road that looks good enough to drive, but has a solid gate closed across it. I find a place to park to the side of Lake Hughes Road and make my way up the fire road. A bit of water flows in the creek bed to the left and a few buildings are high on a flat to the right. Footprints in the dirt show I am not the only one to pass this way. The canyon is cool and shady. I pass the remains of a structure on the far side of the creek and soon leave behind both water and buildings as the creek dries out.
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The start of the road based route up to the top of Warm Springs Mountain. |