Moments in Dirt and Ink

Angeles National Forest Locate the trailhead. Trail Canyon Trail is apparently named for the canyon named for itself. I guess I should put in directions for getting to places, but this one is over by Condor Peak, and the more active ones of us can make a twelve mile day hike of the peak and the canyon in a loop. Consult your local guidebook for the secret to the old entrance to the trail to Condor Peak, or you'll have an extra 1.5 miles. But more importantly, this trail starts at the end of a quarter mile dirt road that is... quite passable, so long as there's no one to pass going the other way. Plenty of parking and trees at the end, but don't block anyone's driveway. Pass the couple of cabins and you'll be on your way into the trackless wilderness. And if it's really trackless, you're going the wrong way. The trail is very easy to follow. Pick your season right and you'll have a floral display. May may be a little late, but we still got s...

San Gorgonio Wilderness Locate the trailhead. Starting off snowshoeing in the San Gorgonio Wilderness (well, not quite there yet, but we'll get there) on the South Fork Trail, we see a lot of mysterious white layering over all the land. We think this is what the people of the colder areas call snow. If so then that's good, for we are out to meet the snow! Starting off, we can still see a few pieces of dirt beneath the snow, but for the most part it's all white. Here a stream has been able to clear off the snow mostly so that all can see it.

Angeles National Forest Locate the trailhead. After the heavy rains, we (myself, Shachi, and M.A.) decided to take a hike down to the falls to see it in full flow. Of course, this was completely forgetting the fifteen river crossings and the one spot where both sides of the canyon are covered in the high water. Many log bridges improved the probability of getting across with our feet dry, but a few still required looking upon rocks even two inches under as a stepping stone. We weren't the only ones with this thought, as the trail was quite crowded. The trail is about two miles from the start at the top to the bottom of the lower falls. Most of the falls cannot be gotten to safely even in dry times as it is surrounded by steep canyon walls and the riverbed itself keeps dropping quite suddenly. This leaves one only viewing the larger falls from high above, but once back down to the water, a short few tenths of a mile and nearly half of the crossings bring one to the bott...

 Switzer Falls , Angeles National Forest: Jan 23  South Fork , San Gorgonio Wilderness: Mar 6  Trail Canyon Trail , Angeles National Forest: May 1