[pct-l] pct-l Digest, Vol 40, Issue 39

[Tom Bache]

Mike -- thanks for the report -- good to enjoy a virtual hike while sitting
in the office!

Like to see more of this sort of thing on the list.

Tom Bache
San Diego


On 2/27/07 10:00 AM, "pct-l-request at backcountry.net"
<pct-l-request at backcountry.net> wrote:

> 
> Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2007 12:46:42 -0800
> From: "Mike Saenz" <msaenz at mve-architects.com>
> Subject: [pct-l] Trip Report - PCT from I-10 to (almost) Highway 38 -
> Section C Through the Millard/Sawtooth Fire Area
> To: <pct-l at mailman.backcountry.net>, <swilson at pcta.org>, "Don Line"
> <DON at roel.com>
> 
> My hiking partner and subsequent shuttle help both had to back out at
> the last minute. So I didn't end up making it all the way to highway 38.
> Close, but not all the way...
> 
> I ended up parking at the PCT/I-10 at the Heaugan-Leaman (probably
> misspelled) exit, which used to be called the Verbainia off ramp. I
> arrived around 7:30am, parked, placed a "PCT HIKER" sign on my dashboard
> and headed out solo to the bridge over the PCT that the I-10 crosses. I
> haven't been there since last May when I hiked down from Saddle
> Junction/Fuller Ridge/Snow Creek.
> 
> The morning was cold and windy. Very windy. The storm that blew through
> on Thursday was breaking up exactly overhead. West of San J & San G, the
> sky was heavy with dark clouds but as they passed through the Banning
> Pass between the two mountain ranges and into the desert, the clouds
> shredded and scattered into small puffy balls and wisps that disappeared
> into the high pressure warmth over the desert. After ducking into a
> house under construction to make some adjustments to my pack, pull out
> my jacket and gloves, I stepped onto The Trail and began walking up
> toward Gold Canyon. I watched the residents of the small community
> starting their day heading out to work as well as the shredding clouds
> flying fast just overhead. It's always a little odd (at least to me) to
> be hiking alongside a residential area, roads and other areas of
> "civilization", so I wanted to get into Gold Canyon as quickly as
> possible. There was even a car at the last road before Gold Canyon, the
> driver looked at me and I could just tell what his thoughts were: "what
> the heck is that guy doing?!" and with that, I was in the canyon and
> most all sights of "the world" were out of view.
> 
> The wind turbines were whirling like crazy! The rush-roar of the wind
> blowing through both the tower structure as well as the fans themselves
> sounded weird in the barren canyon. About 2/3 up Gold Canyon, there's
> some sort of facility (I assume it's a maintenance/collector station for
> the wind farm). A sign is posted on the trail indicating shade and water
> available and a friendly "Stop by and say Hi". I didn't need water and I
> needed to make a lot of miles, so I didn't stop. But Through Hikers may
> want to be aware of this. In fact, many hikers stop at the freeway- if
> you don't want to walk to Cabazon and expect to keep going, I recommend
> hiking a bit longer to this station. There's a small flat spot just
> before you head up the small pass between Gold and Teutang canyon where
> a few campsite can be had.
> 
> The first ridgeline to climb is this small pass. No big deal, but just
> below the top, the trail is really steep. Once at the top, you then drop
> very quickly into Teutang canyon, loosing elevation which you need to
> regain before you drop again into Whitewater Canyon. Once into
> Whitewater, you can either take a small trail south to the trout farm,
> or move toward the Whitewater ford. Don't try to cross Whitewater
> directly across from the gate out of Teutang- the wash is a maze of
> boulders and rocks, weeds with very sticky thorns (they grab at you like
> fish hooks), and tertiary washouts before you get to the main wash and
> flow of Whitewater. The trail parallels Whitewater northward for a few
> miles to a point called "Red Dome", where large cairns show the best way
> across the canyon and to the ford across the river. Though it was late
> February, the flow was very strong and without a few boulders and large
> branches that were there, it would have been a boots-off crossing. In
> late spring, this must be a dangerous ford. The maps show a road up to
> this point, but don't believe it! The road ends at the trout farm.
> 
> Once across Whitewater, the trail again climbs another ridge to get into
> the west fork of Mission Creek. Once up and over this ridge and you
> descend into west fork, the trail crosses a "road" that shows up on the
> maps. Calling it a "road" is a stretch... it's more of a fire break. I
> doubt ANY vehicle has been on this road since the fire. The trail
> crosses this road and again heads up another rise before dropping into
> East Mission Creek. This last ridgeline is really cool, as, from the
> top, you get some really nice views out to the cities of the Coachella
> Valley. I was on this ridge at sunset and the combination of the
> twilight and dramatic silhouette of the high mountain ridgeline and the
> sparkling lights of the desert below was stunning. If you're not trying
> to do 20 miles from the 10, I would recommend camping on this ridge.
> There are several flat spots along the two or three miles of this
> ridgeline. But if you want to get to the water at East Mission Creek,
> keep going and descend from this ridgeline down to the creek. I walked
> on through the darkening evening to get down to the creek where I
> pitched my tent on the first flat spot on the "road" that is East
> Mission Creek Road (again, more of a trail than a road, but it was more
> hard-packed and defined than West Fork Mission Creek Road).
> 
>> From the top of the ridge at sunset, I could see East Mission Creek
> flowing in the canyon below. I didn't need water (I had lunch and
> filtered out of Whitewater), so I didn't attempt trying to step through
> the rush and boulders in the dark. But I could hear the water flowing
> from about 100 yards away. Since climbing out of Gold Canyon, the sky
> was clear and blue. Friday night was COLD. I didn't go UL, opting for my
> "comfort kit", so I was fine as long as I was inside my bag and tent,
> but I didn't sleep well (which is strange). I attribute that to the
> cold. Throughout the night, I kept having to keep my head wrap on. My
> head and hands kept getting cold.
> 
> The next morning, my goal was to make my way as far up the trail as I
> could before I had to turn around. I left my tent up and packed a day
> pack and started up the trail. Just north of where I camped, the "road"
> ended and the trail continued. This is at a location closer to the
> creek, so I had first visual indication as to how well it was flowing:
> and it was flowing very well. I had heard that the trail crosses and
> re-crosses the creek as it goes up the canyon. This is true, but I found
> most the crossings occur between 4 and 5 thousand feet. These were where
> the canyon necks in on itself and there were dense thickets of trees and
> brush in these locations. All the crossings were boulder hops across,
> but in the spring, I could see these as being just as dangerous as a
> full flowing Whitewater! To make things worse, at just about all these
> crossings, the creek washed out the trail and cairns are needed to see
> the most direct way to where the trail picks up again. On my way up, I
> lost the trail just about each time- bushwhacking until I got out of the
> thickets to where I could see the trail again. Only once did I end up on
> the wrong side of the canyon and had to re-cross the creek and scramble
> up a loose rocky slope to get onto the trail again.
> 
> Here's really the only thing of value to report: Though there aren't
> many large blow-downs, there are TONS of small brush and dropped limbs
> across the trail. But once out of these necked-in canyon thickets, the
> trail is well defined and well signed. I uprighted a few fallen PCT
> posts and placed a few needed cairns, but generally, the trail is in
> very good condition. I expected erosion damage, but I found none. I
> suspect the trail looks very much like it did when the Thrus went
> through last spring. The fire did ravage the canyons. All the trees and
> bushes are burned out. Very little plant life survived the fire. I think
> the animals are slowly rehabitating the canyons, but I didn't see much.
> I found a severed mule deer leg, gnawed bare on one side and just thin
> fur and a hoof on the other. This wasn't burned or decomposed much, so
> guess it was fairly fresh. So there must be deer and predators (most
> likely coyotes) about. I saw a mature male big horn sheep Sunday around
> noon as I was hiking back to my car! It was in Whitewater and fairly
> close to me. Just as I pulled my camera, it dashed off and was up one of
> the canyon sides in a flash!
> 
> I made it as far as the "creekside camp" at 6k and mile 235 in the data
> book before I had to turn around and head back to camp. I was pushing my
> time and decided getting as far as possible was worth hiking in the dark
> on the return trip- and that's exactly what happened. I was at the first
> thicket crossing north of East Mission Creek Road when all twilight
> faded and it was a moonless dark. I couldn't see the cairns to guide me
> across the wash, but I knew the general location of the trail, so I just
> bulled my way through the wash boulders and up the slope until I found
> the trail. Again, I was walking in the dark to camp.
> 
> I'm satisfied with my progress. At least I don't have to re-hike the
> trail from the I-10. I can get to where I stopped from above. So the
> next hike will be from the 38, back to Mission Creek Camp, down 2k to
> "the creekside camp" and backtrack. This would be a more enjoyable hike
> from what I just did- I had made it ALMOST to the boundary of the burn.
> I could see the trees up at 8k just a few miles ahead of me.
> 
> HARD BETA:
> Water is available 2/3 up Gold Canyon at the wind farm facility
> Whitewater is flowing well
> Mission Creek is flowing
> The trail is in good condition
> Light brush needs to be cleared from the trail (there is a lot of it-
> sometimes obscuring the trail)
> No fire or erosion damage was seen from the freeway to 6k. I suspect the
> same good trail condition up past the burn boundary
> I'm not sure if the trail is "officially" open. I did not contact the
> USFS about me being on the trail.
> 
> I have photos available at:
> http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/557878436CdHcDO
> 
> Unfortunately, I do not have time to label each photo. I also have video
> and many other photos which I didn't upload. If you have a specific
> location you want info or photos of, I'll be happy to try and provide
> it.
> 
> ________________________________________
> Michael Saenz 
>