Sheephead Mountain

Sheephead Mountain ©

June 16, 2012, Joel Hawk

 (Click on pictures to enlarge)

This promises to be quite the adventure due to the lack of information out there.  With my hiking buddy, Jack “Motor” DeFranco, I know it will be a successful summit and fun day, but I found it disturbing how extremely difficult it was to find any kind of gouge pertaining to this hike.  All the research I did trying to map the trail indicated that we would crisscross between private and public lands and that always makes me uncomfortable.  I’ll be honest now that I’m back home and it’s been a few weeks/months since I did this hike that I knew I was on private land a couple of times, but it was just for a short time and only to get from forest land back to forest land.  The forest boundary is not marked very clearly and since we are respectful folks not leaving anything other than footprints and not taking anything away other than memories, we pressed on and hoped for the best.  We stayed on the trail all the way and then on the road and did not do any open country hiking on private property that we knew about.  Fortunately, we did not come across anyone during our hike so we did not have to have that conversation (I knew I was faster than Jack if we needed to run – but that’s just between us).  If you choose to do this hike, go at your own risk – and please, be respectful of private land.

I’m a little ahead of myself on this adventure, so let’s back up a little.  We drove a couple of miles along Kitchen Creek which is paved and found the gate which identified the trailhead. 

There are no signs indicating this was the way to Sheephead, but once again, GOOGLE Earth is your friend.  The few hike bloggers we did find information from indicated this is where they had parked.  We were surprised at the number of hikers and bikers we saw traveling along Kitchen Creek Road and have promised ourselves we would follow this road farther next time we had a chance.

It is a fairly well marked trail following a road and then a path up to the point where you take a turn and follow a wash up the mountain.  Some folks before us left us some pretty blatant signs we were on the trail…although helpful sometimes, this takes away from the natural beauty of our lands so I don't encourage these type of acts. 

I always try to see where our destination is soon after starting and could see in the distance what was before us.  Just looking at this challenge from this particular vantage point I could tell there was some bushwhacking ahead, but I knew it would all be worth it.

We know we crossed into private property for a short bit before we left the road at 1.3 miles and climbed up the wash following pink ribbons.  We weren’t sure exactly where to turn up, but the pink ribbons were a “clue” for us to follow.  I told Motor, “Yes, I think this is the way to go”…and then I saw him already climbing up the wash.  That Jack fella, you gotta keep up if you go hiking with him!

About 100 yards up following the pink tape we found a National Forest sign.  Sure feels better being off the road and safely on public land. Loved this sign once we found it again.

Just after a few minutes and a really steep incline, I turned around for a breather.  Going to be fun coming down.  It’s amazing how different one views reality when they are consumed with their own thoughts and then see pictures or has conversations with others.  I just knew I was climbing a zero degree vertical hillside yet when I look at a picture Motor took, I could tell it was just an average steep climb.  Just the same, it was good exercise and a great trip.

After making the summit, we weren’t sure why it was called Sheephead, but I did see this rock formation on the way up.  Could it be the likeness of a sheep’s head or is it just my imagination?  I’m cool with my imagination if that’s all it ends up being.

After a challenging climb, we made it to the top of Sheephead.  We couldn’t really see anything on the summit that looks like a Sheephead, so that’s why I think the rock formation on the way up justifies the namesake.  It was really windy on the top so we had to hold onto rocks and our hats to keep from blowing away.  Here is the register at the summit.

Having a snack, this is my Australian pose.

Being the benchmark hound I am, I had to find this survey marker and it was really easy – it was just sitting out there for all to see.  I couldn’t tell for sure, but the date looks like it’s dated 8/8/1955 which is 4 months and 10 days before I was born.  And the 8/8 part is Chris’s, my dear loved one’s birthday.  Yep, this was a good climb with some good karma.

It was a clear and windy day, so we could see for miles and miles.  It’s always interesting to see mountains and peaks we’ve climbed in the past from a different angle.  Here are a few shots of the beauty of our lands.

This is Cuyamaca and Middle Peak in the Cuyamaca Mountain Range.

This is an interesting Ranch just below us (most likely the property owner we crossed over to get here).  Sorry buddy if we offended in any way, but we were good stewards.

Motor was happy for the break and then got me tickled about something (as usual).

Far too soon, we had to head back down before the owners came back to the ranch below, so off we set.  I knew this was a steep climb.  Jack took a shot of me coming down the mountain – ok, I was sliding a little (or a lot).  They don’t call me Mass-n-Motion for nothing….

If I were to offer any advice for this hike, don’t go it alone and it’s not one for the family.  More importantly, Lamb hikers don’t try to do Sheephead.

Be safe, enjoy living and appreciate our lands.   ~ Joel

Directions and the numbers:

Travel East on I-8 and exit on Sunrise Highway.  Travel to Kitchen Creek Road.  You will cross over a cattle guard and Kitchen Creek will be just a few yards up.  This is in the Cleveland National Forest, so displaying an adventure pass is required or you risk getting ticketed.  An annual pass is only $30 or so and a daily pass is only $5-$8.  For the joy we get in return, it’s a worthwhile investment.  Total round trip is appx 3.4 miles with a 1238 total ascent (straight up) with a max elevation of 5937 ft.   Overall this took us about 1 hour and 33 minutes travel time.  This is a difficult hike and not recommended for the family. 

32° 49' 17'' N; 116° 27' 50'' W
32.821262, -116.463925 (Dec Deg)
550179E 3631600N Zone 11 (UTM)

Copyright: All Rights Reserved

Mount Israel

Mount Israel ©

December 24, 2011, Joel Hawk

I recommend this hike for all of the family.  We saw little ones climbing up the hill with no problem and if you just wanted to do a short loop that option is there as well.  We parked at the Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve at 8833 Harmony Grove Road, Escondido, CA 92029 and my GPS took me right to the parking lot.  The Park closes at 5:00 sharp and they will tow, so if you plan to be hiking past that, you may want to park on the street.  You can download a trail map here. 

http://olivenhain.com/index.php/about-us/elfin-forest-recreational-reserve/maps-and-guides

(Double Click the pictures for an exploded view)

This was a fun hiking trail that allows dogs, bicycles and horses (although I’ve been twice and did not see any horses there were signs they had been there).  The first part of the hike is a pretty steep climb.  Stopping occasionally to see the scenery is encouraged.  The trails are well kept and well used as this is a popular hike in North County.  Everyone from seniors to small children were walking along the trail chatting and laughing about their adventure.  Walking sticks/poles are highly recommended as well as good soled shoes since there are areas where you will walk over rocks.  If it has recently rained, there will be some muddy spots.  The first part of the hike up or last part down, will be cooler since much of the climb is in the shadows.  When you’re working up a sweat though, this can be refreshing.

The first thing you will want to do is get a map at the trailhead.  Within just a few yards, you’ll cross a creek using the “Way up” trail.  You’ll want to save the Botanical Gardens Loop for your return (or if you just want a relatively short hike, you can just do the short loop as I mentioned earlier).  You’ll have to cross an unimproved creek crossing to complete the loop though.  It’s not too hard, but I felt it prudent to at least mention it; and it’s always fun.  My hiking partner, Chris, demonstrates the difficulty level below.

The climb will take you about 1.4 miles up using switchbacks for the most part.  Once close to the top, the trail starts to level out with a gentle incline.  You can take a couple of alternate hiking paths before you reach the maintenance road, but if you continue on up the trail, you’ll reach a nice little picnic area overlooking Olivenhain Dam and Reservoir.  Restrooms are available at this point and farther along at the dam overlook.  When you reach the maintenance road, it is decision time.  Do you want to go left or to the right?  If your goal is to climb Mt. Israel and see the ocean, Catalina Island, San Clemente, and the Coronado Islands, then go right (or West).  If your goal is to climb the ridge so you can see both Olivenhain Reservoir and Lake Hodges, and the mountain ranges to the East go left (you can see the mountain range from Mt. Israel as well).  Both views are incredible.

Mt. Israel is not mentioned on any of the literature or hiking paths offered by the Olivenhain Water District, so if you’re interested in learning more about that peak, visit www.peakbaggers.com and scroll down to Mt. Israel and press the link.  This mountain is ranked 95 out of 100 with 100 being the easiest mountain to climb (Bernardo Mountain is ranked 100 and is just to the East of this hike).  Using the Olivenhain Water District trail guide, Mt. Israel is item number 22 on the guide and is called the Elfin Forest Overlook.  This excellent little hike has a total 1,346 ft elevation.

We walked along at a casual pace picking different hiking trails as we reached the top. There are two benches and trash cans available at the top for comfort and needs.  No restrooms – officially.  But views from here to eternity and some stunning ones at that.  Naturally, I have to find the tallest rock at the summit to stand on and strike the pose.

         

At the top, we had a bite to eat, looked at the scenery and using our compass and best guesses, we pointed out different peaks off in the distance.  Standing at the summit and using your map and compass, you can have some additional fun figuring out which peak is which.  Here are some to find while you’re there.  I can’t remember where I found this information, but I read about the author being a Marine and avid hiker.  As far as I can tell, the numbers are pretty much spot on.  No idea on the distance though.

NORTH:
· Palomar Mountain MN 26 degrees, 25 miles.

EAST:
· Volcan Mt in Julian MN 65-70, 30 miles;
· North Peak MN 86 degrees, 32 miles;
· Middle Peak MN 90 degrees, 32 miles;
· Cuyamaca Peak MN 93 degrees, 32 miles;
· Woodsen Mountain (Poway) MN 105 degrees, 11 miles;
· Iron Mt MN 113 degrees, 13 miles.

SOUTHEAST:
· Lyons Peak MN 127 degrees, 34 miles;
· Tecate Mt (on Mexico border) MN 129, 43 miles;
· San Miguel Mt MN 143 degrees, 29 miles

Mount Whitney (our local Mt Whitney – not “the” Mt Whitney) is the peak with the radio building on it at 313 degrees MN, just across the valley. Paint Mountain (with a house and palm trees on top) is west at 236 MN.  On a clear day, the San Bernardino range is visible to the north at 2 degrees MN.  This view is looking South to Southeast.

We started our descent off the mountain toward another rest area close to the dam so we could see the expanse of the reservoir and read the historical board how/when the dam was constructed and then we started our trip back.  This is such a beautiful site.  Until I started planning for this hike, I didn't even know this dam was there.  I just love learning more about our wonderful little county.

Taking yet another side trail, we found ourselves walking through the chaparral and along a narrow, winding trail.  Birds were flying through the shrubs and we could see coots, ducks and other water fowl in the reservoir.  Along the trail we saw deer, raccoon, bird and dog tracks. 

We continued taking alternate hiking trails until we reached the way down and started our decent.  About a mile down, we took the botanical trail and came back to the trailhead from that direction.  This is another well maintained trail and looked like it has been used a lot.  It’s a nice, cool walk through the trees and along the creek. 

The unimproved creek crossing is a must for a little adventure as you wrap up a very nice 5 mile hike (taking the route we did).  Dipping your hot feet into the cool water is a good thing as well.

Let me know what you think.

Be safe, enjoy living and appreciate our lands.   ~ Joel

Lat/Long

33° 4' 31'' N; 117° 8' 35'' W
33.075401, -117.143068 (Dec Deg)
486647E 3659655N Zone 11 (UTM)

Butler Peak in Big Bear

Butler Peak in Big Bear ©

July 5, 2012, Joel Hawk

(click on pictures to enlarge)

Our new adventure today is going to be shared with Jack “Motor” DeFranco, Dorie “Redneck” DeFranco and Chris “Warrior” Hogue.  We were off to a really rocky start on our bike/hike adventure.  Immediately following breakfast in Fawnskin, we received a call that our cats had gotten out of the cabin.  Being in the mountains and the kitties being indoor kitties, we knew that wasn’t safe.  So we went back to rescue our cute little pets.  Once all were safe in the cabin, we started off on our adventure again with a late start about 10:00.  We knew we were in for a hot one.

The trailhead is easy to find and is at the intersection of 2N13 and Rim of the World.  The road is closed to public vehicular traffic although is open to hikers, bikers and horses.  We decided we would combine our trip as a bike/hike.  After about ¼ to ½ mile, we took a right turn up a dirt road.  Pedaling uphill has never been one of my favorite things to do, but the ladies were having fun, so we pressed on. 

It wasn’t long before we hit really loose sand so we had to “push” our bikes through vs. ride them.  I have lasting scars and softball size bruises where my front wheel planted in the sand and I went over the top.  When that pedal hits you, it hurts and those of you who bike aggressively know what I mean.

At mile 2.7 we reached the base of Hannah Rocks and ditched the bikes.  Staying along the road, we walked upwards along a slight incline but it was steep enough to prevent us from riding.  This, coupled with really rough road made our decision easy preventing us from riding much farther up.

The devastation of the Oct 2007 fires could still be seen with the burned trees and barren landscape all around us.  Yet, there were signs of nature trying to return with beautiful wild flowers and some new seedlings. 

Unfortunately, the wild, thorny weed/shrub that has been introduced to our lands is taking over preventing the new seedlings from ever succeeding.  This shrub grows fast and chokes out anything trying to grow.  With the thickness of the plant and the thorns, and after only a few years the area becomes impenetrable and the beauty of our forests and open country hiking comes to a disappointing end.

The trail is along the fire road so it’s well marked.  Even though it’s on a road, it’s a very interesting hike.  And I always like to climb upon rocks and strike the pose! 

This is a ham; um, hummer that just sat there long enough for me to take his/her picture.

One of my personal goals is to hike the Seven Summits of Big Bear.  For more information about those hikes, you can visit the website at http://sevensummitsofbigbear.org/.  These are some seriously fun and challenging hikes in the San Bernardino Mountains with Sugarloaf and San Gorgonio being the most challenging and not to be taken lightly.  The punch for the Seven Summits of Big Bear at Butler Peak is located on the small pine tree at the bottom of the steps going up to the Lookout Tower.

On the way up Butler Peak, Chris had her first real sighting of our destination.  She didn’t say anything out loud, but my being almost deaf and a fairly good lip reader, I saw what she said.  She wasn’t happy about the challenge ahead of her and to us, it looked almost straight up. 

I felt she was on the verge of calling it quits and she was so close to her destination, but I know this lady and she’s in better shape than she thinks.  Using a mental approach called Kiazen I walked along side of her and supported her through the last ½ mile.  Briefly, Kiazen teaches us to break things down into smaller bytes and accomplishments like, take 25 steps and rest for a minute; then take another 25 steps and rest for a minute.  Setting these smaller goals and rewards when linked together over time will help you accomplish your overall goal.  You can apply this technique to almost anything in your life.  The hike really is for the advanced hiker, so if you’re a casual hiker, you may want to prepare yourself before taking this gem on.

The last 400 – 500 yards are pretty steep.  You’ll come upon the trail up to the Outlook Tower at the end of the Fire Road (2N13C).  It’s a very enjoyable trek up through the rocks and flowers.  Not much of a view until you get to the top, but once you do, WOW!

It was a nice day and surprisingly not too warm.  A gentle breeze along most of the way really helped.  We reached the peak at 5.2 miles with a 1437 ft total ascent and standing at 8530 max elevation.  This stage of the hike/bike adventure took us 2.0 hours from the trailhead. The views are killer looking out over the mountain ranges and down over highway 330 as it comes up to Big Bear Lake. 

Once we reached the top, we could walk around the tower and check things out.  Very cool, very cool.

I’m a Benchmark hound and I could tell on my topo map there was one at the peak so I set off to find it.  You’ll be amazed where it was and more shocked that I actually went there to look for it.  I’ll tell you where it was, but it will be our little secret ok?  It’s under the outlook tower and yes, you need to be careful if you decide to go there.  This is one of the older survey markers I’ve discovered being stamped in 1928.

There is some sort of puzzle we can’t figure out (if you know, please leave a comment so we can stop thinking about it).  There are a lot of the manzanita bushes that look like they have been randomly sprayed with something, but it doesn’t make sense because it doesn’t appear that someone drove up there and sprayed water or anything on the bushes.  A lot of honey bees are buzzing around the bushes in this area and the ground is wet under them like they had been watered, but it’s not water.  After about 50 yards or so, this stops.  Strange, very strange…

Our trip back down went a lot faster (they always do and it is always interesting how you see things you didn’t see coming up).  It’s almost like two different hikes.  Chris commented she didn’t like the bikes going up, but sure loved the ride back down.  She hardly had to pedal very much and the sand didn’t seem to bother her so much coming in this direction.  The coasting part of this bike ride was her favorite.  I was very proud of her pushing through and Dorie “Redneck” promptly dubbed Chris with her new trail name, “Warrior.”

There is always a rewarding feeling at the end of a good hike.  In this case, it was the companionship of friends and a cold one in our hands.

This is a shot from Hiway 330 at the Lakeview turnout.  We’ve driven this road for years and have never seen the Butler Lookout Tower, yet there it is prominently jutting out into the sky.  It’s a very cool thing to say to someone, “I’ve hiked up there before.”  I’m really zoomed in with this picture.

{As a bonus, I found this article somewhere, but I forget who the author is or where the source came from.  Apologies to the original author for including this, but I thought the information was very interesting to know.}

“RIM OF THE WORLD HIGHWAY” HISTORY.

When the rock dam at Big Bear was built in 1885, it created a new lake at the east end of the San Bernardino Mountains, that began attracting tourists like a magnet.  Unfortunately the only way to get to this new lake was by making a two or three day journey on some ancient dirt roads or trails left over from the mining days.

In 1888, three years after the rock dam was built, two local Big Bear ranchers Gus Knight and John Metcalf, decided to build a resort hotel for those brave tourists that were determined enough to make all the way to the new lake at Big Bear.  The resort they built was called the Bear Valley Hotel, and despite all the problems in getting to Big Bear, it hotel was an immediate success.

A few years later in 1891, Knight and Metcalf incorporated the Bear Valley Wagon Road Company, and built a toll road from Fawnskin through Holcomb Valley to  Green Valley Lake where it connected with existing toll roads which had been built years earlier by the lumber companies.

The Bear Valley Toll Road was built by Big Bear ranchers Gus Knight and John Metcalf.  It later became part of the Rim Of The World Highway. The new Bear Valley Wagon Road allowed travelers to travel all the way to Big Bear in the comfort of a wagon, and it reduced the travel time from San Bernardino to just 1 1/2 days.

In 1915, San Bernardino County took over all of the old toll roads and combined them into a single dirt, but well maintained highway through the San Bernardino mountains. It was known as the Rim Of The World highway.   As a result, Fawnskin started growing quickly and was on its way to becoming the main population center, because this is where the new highway entered Big Bear valley.  But this all changed in 1924, when the section of highway from Green Valley to Fawnskin was abandoned by San Bernardino County, and replaced by today’s Highway 18 from Running Springs to the dam, which then ran along the south shore to the Big Bear Village.  As a result, growth in Fawnskin slowed to a crawl, and Big Bear Village began to evolve as the community center of Big Bear valley.

Keep in mind that when you drive the route to Butler Peak as described on this page, you are stepping back in time and traveling the old Bear Valley Wagon Road to Big Bear and later the Rim Of The World highway as it existed back in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.

The Rim Of The World Highway entered Big Bear Valley at Fawnskin which in the early 1920's was rapidly growing into a major population center. - Rick Keppler collection.

Be safe, enjoy living and appreciate our lands.   ~ Joel

Directions and the numbers:

Travel through Fawnskin, California on the Northwestern Shore of Big Bear Lake.  Go North on Rim of the World Drive by the fire station for about a mile or so until you come upon 2N13.  It gets a little confusing, so be sure to have a road map with you.  You will need the Adventure Pass for all roadside parking in Big Bear, so save yourself some hassle.  For the joy we get in return, it’s a worthwhile investment.  Total round trip is appx 10.4  miles, 1650 feet total ascent with a max elevation of 8530 ft.   Overall this took us about 3 hours and 35 minutes. 

For more information and different approaches to Butler Peak, you can press this link.  http://sevensummitsofbigbear.org/butler-peak/

Lat/Lon: 34.25670°N / 117.0077°W

If you wanted to contact the local Forest Service for this area, you can call 909-382-2600.