Carrizo Badlands April 27

Caver friends were planning a late season trip back to the Carrizo Badlands to make the most of atypically cool temperatures. I had my grandpa's funeral to be at in San Diego Monday morning and a meeting in Los Angeles Tuesday, but I got myself organized and drove down pre-dawn to meet the others at the trailhead turnoff. We made good time hiking the usual route out of Andrade Canyon and then down the first alluvial fan remnant and a steep mud cliff to Sidewinder Cave. On the way we spotted a few nice beds with particularly nice fossil shells. Greg and I surveyed the bottom half of this neat cave (~300ft), mostly walking with lots of skylights, meeting Carol and Carl who surveyed the upper half. After checking out the rest of the cave, and then lunch, Greg and I checked out Fredrik and Vincent's cave nearby, only to find they were just shy of surveying up to the base of an unclimbable 10ft drop. So we continued on up the wash to survey another cave I had previously checked out. 

Sidewinder Cave (and below)

We had a second first look into this cave, Greg soon christening it Elephant Cave for the elephant-like skin the mud crusts made on some of the walls (and not unfortunately because an elephant could fit in it). We made it up the first dryfall climb, then found a way up the second one I stopped at last time. A short distance further we went along an oyster bed floor crawl and then an amazing hairpin turn in the cave that almost turned completely back on itself, we decided we might as well return to the entrance and start surveying. We worked well as a team, surveying the whole cave (419ft) before our 5pm meeting time. Though not particularly long, we both thought it a nice cave with interesting features, sporty climbs, and some nice verticality that made it different from a lot of other caves in the area.

Elephant Cave (and below)

The others soon joined us and we tackled a steep gut up a mud slope. Once on top it was easy travel over ridges and then the old fan surface back to the trailhead. It was by far the most productive day we have spent in the area, with two caves complete and two more partial surveys. The temperature was very forgiving and the skies were crisper than usual.

The day ended with a drive to Alpine, an overdue dinner, a brief catch-up with family, and a good night's sleep ahead of a remembrance for my Grandpa Jim. 

Owl Canyon April 20

What started as a suggestion to go hike Kelso Dunes evolved into a driving loop through the Mojave to go to both Kelso and Rainbow Basin/Owl Canyon near Barstow. I wasn't expecting much in the way of wildflowers this year, but hoped maybe we would see a desert tortoise or two. I sketched out a possible loop hike that would go up Owl Canyon, cross over and attempt to descend the main canyon draining into Rainbow Basin, then cross back over to the Owl Canyon trailhead. We got an early start that got us to the campground and trailhead around 8am when the air still had a little coolness in it still. We hiked up the wash, enjoying the many tilted layers of the sedimentary sequence and related changes. A brief detour had us checking out the hundred-foot long mud cave in the "rainbow sherbet" rocks, before continuing up the wash.

After the mudstone we entered the mint chocolate chip narrows of the alluvial Owl Canyon Formation which had some nice corridors and towering cliffs. 

Further, we traversed the granitic breccia unit of what I think is almost certainly a megaslide. The canyon here had dryfalls to climb, archways, and lots of alcoves that the canyon's namesake owls sometimes frequent (none seen this time). At one point we saw a single solitary pothole of water.

After the breccia the canyon opens up with some sandstone and monolithic breccia units before the fault contact with the spongey-looking ignimbrite of the Pickhandle Formation. This ancient explosive volcanic deposit has been hydrothermally altered into an artist's palette of pastel greens, purples, and reds. We continued up the wash further than I had been before to where the canyon opens up into network of drainages and then clambered up a steep loose scree slope to gain the ridge to the west of the canyon. 

Once on top we had expansive views, including of the snowy backside of the San Gabriels about 60 miles away. We dipped in and out of a few minor drainages, passing some solitary Joshua trees and working our way down a few minor cliff bands. Eventually we reached the abrupt horizonline of the dropoff into Rainbow Basin. Cautiously approaching, it was even more dramatic than I could have imagined, requiring at least one 30 foot rappel and another loose downclimb. This was more than we bargained for today but we did enjoy the Grand Canyon-esque views from this perch before traversing the drainages above the escarpment. It's too bad- the canyon looked interesting below. I'm sure one of them would make an interesting loop but probably best approached from below. 

Skirting across the slopes and then over to the old alluvial surface, we got great views of Rainbow Basin as we went. We found an easy enough way down the slope back into Owl Canyon and to the car.

We had less time remaining in the day than we hoped, didn't want to spend too much more of it driving (Cajon Pass traffic already starting), and overall were satisfied with our varied 4.5 mile loop hike. We decided against the 5+ hours driving to get to Kelso and home, and briefly toyed with driving to some petroglyphs nearby, before ultimately deciding to just head home to miss the worst of the traffic. It would have been great to see some more flowers and a tortoise or two but Owl Canyon was every bit as good as a hike as I remember it, easily rivaling just about any hike in Death Valley for its variety.

Mt San Jacinto April 3

A couple days after a touch of late season cold rain, the SoCal mountains were white with snow and skies crisply devoid of smog. I couldn't remember the last time I went to the snow and it was too alluring to pass up on. I have never summited San Jacinto in any condition and I thought mid-week in the snow could be a good experience. The forecast was still unsettled with some clouds and chance of rain or snow, but the current snow conditions sounded good (bring microspikes, probably not much postholing) and I was eager to give a solo adventure a try. On weekdays the Palm Springs tram does not start running until 10am so I would have to do my best to go fast and light. Fortunately I was only one person so I did well with a walk-up ticket and got on the second tram up the mountain. I've been on the tram multiple times but it has yet to get old. The shifting views of the low desert, granite spires, and powdered sugar coated pines dazzled as our rotating sardine can hung suspended over the void of Chino Canyon and effortlessly gained 6000ft in elevation.

Once I exited the tram car at the mountain station I wasted no time in leaving the station. On the back patio I could see the summit of San Jacinto, 2 miles straight but 5 miles on trail, partially obscured by dark clouds and white with snow. I strolled down the switchbacked paved path into Long Valley and stopped at the ranger station to fill out a permit and get a brief assessment of conditions. Almost immediately past the station I passed one other hiker and then the snow started, continuous the whole way. Initially the trail was easy to follow as it weaved through rocks and trees, then after crossing the half-frozen creek I followed intermittent old boot tracks and cuts through logs. In places the snow gave a little under foot in unpredictable ways but generally I could make good progress with just my snow boots and trekking poles for support, not needing microspikes the whole day. I quickly settled into a pace stiff enough that I could hike mostly comfortable in only a long-sleeve field shirt despite the near-freezing temperatures. The quiet, shifting weather, crisp air, and black and white landscape all delighted my senses. I had the entire trail to myself.

I made steady progress past Round Valley Meadow and on up the steeper slopes to Wellman Divide, where I got vast views over the snowy southern slopes of the massif. The trail became narrower as it traversed the slopes through sub-alpine scrub and patchy forest. I drifted in and out of clouds, from occasional near-whiteout to distant views of sunny desert. The conical spire of Cornell Peak nearly touching a ceiling of  dark clouds was a particularly dramatic sight.

Looking south from Wellman Divide

Cornell Peak

Approaching the trail's main switchback seemed to go on forever but eventually I found the end, doubled-back, and began the final ascent towards the summit, now on a very narrow footpath above the steepest slope yet. I could see the mountain station of the tram perched on the rim of the mountain miles away.

Once on the main ridge the snow was even thicker and the trees blasted with wind-streaked snow and ice. Just shy of the summit I stopped into the historic rock shelter to have my lunch. It was a neat old building, a little worse for wear. Happily my thermos of hot water still had most of its heat and I enjoyed a fancy freeze-dried meal as I chatted with two PCT hikers that detoured for the summit. After they took off, I continued the few hundred feet to the summit at 10804' after about 3 hours hiking. The peak was shrouded in clouds when I arrived but I stuck around for nearly a half hour enjoying shifting windows through the clouds.

Clouds shifted in and I took the dark skies and light snow as my cue to head back down the mountain. On the way back I went for the beeline option straight down the hill through the low scrub instead of the switchback. The snow gave way perfectly underfoot to cushion big steps down the slope. At one point there was a steady falling snow and low visibility that added to the isolation and quiet. I detoured through the open meadow for something different and got a little turned around after that. The rest of the hike was uneventful. I made it back to the ranger station before 5pm and the tram station a little after (2hrs from the summit). I waited for the next tram car and then it was down the mountain and back home. It's been a while since I've had a chance to get out on my own, to spend a day by myself away from people, and to be a little out of my element (snow!). Though it was a pretty active day, I found it to be one of the more rejuvenating I have had in a while.