7/14/21 Another trip up one of my favorite SoCal trails. 17 miles and 7,000' of gain is always a great test hike when training for something big.
1 Top of the Acorn trail and the first view of the epic ridgeline up to Pine Mountain. Quite possibly the best section of trail in SoCal.
2 The backside bowl.
3 Looking down at Fish Creek meadow below.
4 Steep, narrow, and dicey. What fun!
5 Awesome, rugged, gnarly, trail.
6 About halfway up Pine, I came across this sign sitting in a bush. I'm guessing someone in town made it but then couldn't haul it all the way up to the top. I made it my mission to get it there.
7 I just have to take this photo every time I'm here.
8 The sign now safely atop Pine Mountain!
9 The view from Pine Mountain is definitely one of the best in SoCal.
10 Iron Mtn from the top of Pine.
11 The Fish Fork Creek trail looks like it has all but disappeared. I need to try it again sometime.
12 Approaching Dawson. This never fails to be one of the best, and most disheartening, views in all of SoCal. Just when you think you're almost there, you have to drop 800' and then gain 1,200' more.
13 Made it. I only stayed on top long enough to listen to a hilarious "bro fest". There must have been 20 "bros" in a 2 minute conversation between two guys that had just made it to the top and were eating lunch. "Bro, that was a tough one". "Ya bro, that was brutal". "How much water did you use bro?". "Like 6 liters bro". "How much do you think it would take to do Gorgonio bro?". "Like probably 10 bro".
14 An American flag on top, presumably from the recent 4th of July weekend.
15 San Gorgonio and San Jacinto.
16 Towards the ocean.
17 West Baldy and Iron Mtn.
18 The mileage on this sign is 100% off by a full mile.
19 Looking at Dawson and Pine as I head back down.
20 Back to the saddle below Dawson where I take my lunch break. Much more peaceful than on the summit.
21 I always love the gnarled old trees up here.
22 Back to Pine Mountain for a nice panorama.
23 The trail seems to get a little more washed out and a little dicier each time I'm up here.
24 On the way back I decided to follow a little use trail along the rim of the backside bowl. I made it about halfway up to the flag pole before the path got too overgrown with the spikey shrubs (white thorn?) that tear up your legs. End do another tough but great day on the backside of Baldy.
