Three Fourteeners in Five Days: We Were Crazy!

Camp in the Palisades Basin

With no California fourteeners under my belt for this year I was feeling a little behind on my goal to climb them all. My spring attempt on Split Mountain as detailed in a recent blog post led to failure due to deteriorating weather conditions that would have been disastrous had we pushed onward. To attempt to redeem myself I hatched a plan to attempt three of the fourteeners in the Palisades region of the Sierras in a single 5 day trek. To pull it off would be a trifecta on some of the most remote of the big peaks.

The master plan was to summit Thunderbolt Peak (14,003 ft.), North Palisade (14,242 ft.) and Mt. Sill (14,153 ft.) on consecutive days. The approach would be from the western side of the range by starting at South Lake in the Sierra's above Bishop, CA. The route would take us over Bishop Pass and then Thunderbolt Pass before dropping into the Palisades Basin to make base camp. From there we would complete Thunderbolt and North Pal before as well as a 6 mile out and back day excursion to Mt. Sill after crossing over Potluck Pass. A grand plan for sure.....why wouldn't it work?

As Thunderbolt and North Pal include class 3,4 and possibly a little class 5 climbing, I would need a few people with rock climbing skills far better than mine on the team. I put the word out to round up some friends that meet these requirements. Unfortunately, one by one I kept getting responses from them that they already had plans for the Labor Day weekend I had obtained a permit for. One of the best prospects I had, I lady named Heidi whom I had met a year ago while climbing Mt. Tyndall, reported that she would love to join us but had broken her foot a month prior and was awaiting the doctors OK to proceed with her major rock climbing agenda. Unfortunately the OK did not come and her grand plans of climbing big rock walls were on hold for a little longer. My good adventure pal Jason was onboard early on and he has been doing quite a bit of climbing lately. Between the two of us we figured we could handle the tough stuff but would be happier with a more experienced climber on the team. We had a couple other regular hiking friends decide to join us, Aleshia and Alex who had no plans on climbing the 2 hardest but thought by the sound of it that Mt. Sill would be possible for them. We had a solid group of four of us ready to go and the trip was on!

Alex was so excited to get out on a backpack trip that he had his food purchased and his bag packed three days in advance. The day we were to depart I got a call from him, and he sounded concerned. Apparently while working out at the gym on the day of our departure he developed a major hernia. The pain was manageable but a quick visit to the doctor told him what he already knew, he was not going to be able to join us. Once again I was faced with plenty of group leader anxiety and issues and we had not even left home yet!

I shared the news with the group and everybody was sad to hear the news but also affirmed their commitment to the trek. We were still on and heading out in a matter of hours.

Starting off at the Bishop Pass Trailhead.

We arrived at the Bishop Pass trailhead near South Lake around 12:30AM. We quickly got to sleep, one in the cab of my truck and the other two of us in the bed. We planned it this way so we could at least acclimatize at 10,000 ft. at the trailhead before heading out in the morning. The day would have us climbing as high as 12,400 ft. over Thunderbolt Pass so we could use all the time at high altitude before we started as possible.

Hanging out with Kurt Wedberg. Aleshia and Kurt look very happy!

By 9AM the next morning we were ready to go. We headed out on the Bishop Pass trail which is one of the most beautiful areas I have hiked. The trail follows along a series of lakes in a wooded valley with grand views of snow laden ridges and peaks all around.  After four rather easy miles we reached the switchbacks heading up Bishop Pass. Just about this time while we had stopped to take a break we came across a couple other guys on the trail. Jason looked at them and said, "Kurt, is that you?" It turns out it was Kurt Wedberg who runs Sierra Mountaineering International, an accomplished mountain guide, instructor and two time Mt. Everest summiter. Both Jason and I have taken courses with Kurt and his operation including Snow Travel, Crevasse Rescue and Snow Anchors as well as the Avalanche Awareness Level 1 course. He was leading a client to climb North Palisade on this day. We shared that it was one of our destinations and discovered that we were planning to camp in the same area as them. They were on their way and we told them we would see them that night most likely.

At the top of Bishop Pass.

The climb up Bishop Pass to nearly 12,000 ft was difficult. It would not have been so bad except Jason and I each had all of our climbing gear. This consisted of about 20 additional pounds of stuff each including a rope, helmets, ice axes, numerous slings and carabiners plus all the climbing protection devices including cams, tricams and stoppers. We reached the top of the pass and took a well deserved break. Aleshia was doing extremely well, especially considering that this was only her second major backpacking trip and her first time at such a high altitude. We ate a quick snack and began to proceed onward to Thunderbolt Pass.

Thunderbolt Pass way off in the distance, the low spot on the ridge.

This next section of the trek was much more difficult than I had imagined. The route to Thunderbolt Pass is entirely off trail, class 2 as it is known. We could see the pass far off in the distance as a low spot on a ridge adjacent to the Palisades. The difficulty is that we had to traverse 3 or more miles along rocky cliff bands and boulder fields. It was very slow going and involved a little backtracking from time to time. The final boulder field and snow traverse were difficult as was late in the day, the going was slow and meticulous, and the snow crossing had to be done carefully. Not only was this traverse physically difficult but it was also mentally taxing. We finally reached the top of the pass and could look down to where we would camp. We carefully picked our way down about 400ft. through more boulders and rock ledges before arriving at what looked like a good spot to camp with several nearby creeks and tarns and a few flat spots for tents and dining. We had arrived at last. The sun had already set so we quickly set up our tents to get some much needed rest after our arduous day.

One thing you look forward to on a backpacking trip is food. We had worked out a plan that each of us was responsible to come up with something really special for dinner to feed all three of us. This would cover our first three dinners and we then planned a personal dinner for the last day. Jason wasn't thinking this was a great idea until I told him it was his loss as Aleshia would be testing a new recipe that included filet mignon, blue cheese crumbles and loaded mashed potatoes. He laughed at first but after I convinced him I was not pulling his leg he was in full support of this plan!

The dinner, as advertised, was nothing less than awesome. After such a grueling day a wonderful meal was well deserved. Aleshia had precooked the filet and all that was needed was hot water to warm it up. It was a single freezer bag meal so the prep was simple and it was fantastic. We ate by headlamp as it was now dark, not quite a candlelight dinner but very close!

While enjoying our romantic dinner for three we discussed our plan for the next day. We initially planned on doing Mt. Sill together but the thought of doing a long 6 mile off trail hike that would take something like 10 to 12 hours to complete sounded like a bit much following the long trek in. Jason and I thought we would do Thunderbolt Peak which was just above our camp. It was projected to take about 6 hours and we daydreamed of visiting the lake below camp upon our return for a swim.

The morning came and we were in no hurry to get up. Aleshia had worn everything she had to bed to stay warm. She had on about 4 layers top to bottom and still was cold despite a 30 degree rated down bag. She asked Jason and I how we did, she was shocked to find out we both were sweating and had opened up our bags to stay a little cooler! I was in a tent and Jason was outside in his bivy sack! While my bag was rated for 10 degrees F and Jason's was rated down to -20F we wore minimal clothing to bed. More on this topic later.

Jason and I ready head up the chute above us.

Jason and were ready to go at just before 9AM. Aleshia saw us off and she was going to head down to the lake below to enjoy a rest day. Jason and I told her we would back around 3-6PM most likely but not to worry until after 7PM. We also advised her that if we did not return that she should wait out the night and not to leave until the morning for help if we did not return. I think she was a little overwhelmed with how casually we spoke of such an event but a plan must be in place no matter how unlikely it might be.

Jason and I, adorned with climbing harnesses, helmets and other climbing gear, headed off towards the Thunderbolt Southwest Chute #1. The approach is rather steep on large rock that slowly narrows and becomes small VERY loose rock. We followed the climbing guides we had read so many times and etched into our brains from Secor as well as Burns and Richins. A short way up the chute, Jason about 20 ft. ahead, dislodged a soccer ball sized stone. He appropriately yelled "ROCK!!!" to alert me to the issue. I watched it pickup speed as it neared me. It was tumbling down about 5 ft. left of me provided it stayed on the same trajectory. I was on high alert watching for any deviation that would send it my way. Fortunately as it neared I took a solid step away from it to gain distance and it harmlessly sped by. We took this as a sign to stay close together so that any rocks we might break loose would not have a chance to gain sufficient inertia to cause mass bodily harm like the last one.

Jason leads the way on the ledges.

We reached a point in the chute where it was advised that we climb some class 3 rock on the right side of the chute to get around a chockstone that blocked the route ahead. We found one of the series of ledges that can be climbed and started up it. While it was rather exposed, the handholds and footholds were plentiful and made for easy climbing. We continued moving upwards and the bypass led back into the chute a little later. By 11:30AM we had reached the top of the chute and all that stood between us and the summit was a few hundred feet of nearly vertical rock. A little class 4 climbing and we would be on the summit provided we could find the easiest route. To our surprise, we saw a few climbers who had gotten a much earlier start than us descending this wall of rock via a rappel. When the first climber reached our location we realized it was Kurt's client and Kurt soon followed. They has informed us that they attempted North Pal but diverted to Thunderbolt as there was too much snow and ice in the chutes. We knew from a prior discussion that they planned on using the same route we did (the LeConte variation) and if a two time Everest summiter thought it was too risky for his client that we would benefit from his vast knowledge and scratch that from our plans as well.

Kurt descends the vertical wall to the summit.

It was now noon. We broke out the rope and all our slings and other climbing gear from our packs. We looked straight up and could see what we thought was the summit but were not sure. All the climbing guides mention finding a crack and ledge system to follow around to the other side where there is easier climbing. We made fairly quick work of about the first 100 ft. and Jason set up an anchor and then top rope belayed me to his position. We both looked around and it seemed the best way was straight up. Jason proceeded to explore up above us while I belayed him. After attempting several different routes Jason had figured that this was not the correct way. All this time I was sandwiched in a narrow crevasse, anchored to the rock, watching him as I belayed. He finally down climbed back to my location and set off on a different direction to explore and hopefully find the way. While freezing in my shaded crevasse, I kept hoping to hear him shout out that he was on the summit and I would then be close behind. Unfortunately the time kept rolling on, him searching, me freezing with no way to get warm as both my hands had the most important climbing job between partners, maintaining a belay so that if he slipped I would arrest his fall.

The sun finally hits my foot as I belay.

While sitting there for what seemed like hours, my clock/altimeter was in my pocket and I could not reach it, visions of the movie 127 Hours went through my head. While I was not physically trapped with no escape, I was in a location that was cold and shaded with no real way to move until my job as the belayer was over. The sun had moved such that I could occasionally put my foot or elbow out enough to get a little of the sunshine which was a great feeling. I expressed my situation to Jason who was out of sight that I would really appreciate it if he could set an anchor and belay me over to somewhere sunny. While I was wearing long pants, a shirt plus a down jacket, the long exposure to the shade plus the fact that I had not had food for what seemed like hours was taking it's toll on me. Jason had to be near exhaustion as well from all the climbing and route finding so it was time to regroup.

Jason and I meet up again on a rather exposed ledge.

Jason belayed me up to a very exposed perch he had anchored at. The views were incredible and the summit appeared to be just above. We were both convinced that we were now on the correct route as mentioned in our readings. He asked what time it was and I was almost afraid to tell him. I had watched the progress of the sun and I knew many hours had passed. He thought it was about 1PM and I shook my head. The time was 4PM! It had taken 4 hours to make what really amounted to about 100 vertical feet of headway towards our goal. We both realized that to continue onward was foolish and might very likely mean spending the night on the mountain which neither of us wanted to do. It was very hard to come so far and have the summit in sight just 100 ft. above and have to turn back but no mountain is worth your life, especially for a couple of family guys. We did agree that we needed to eat something before beginning our retreat back down and we enjoyed the view while we ate a small snack, our first since breakfast that morning.

Jason raps down to the chute.

Our attention now turned to our first major obstacle, we needed to rappel back down to the chute where we could put the rope away and travel on the easier (note I did not say easy) ground we had traveled up in the chute. It took awhile to find a suitable anchor to sling for our rappel. We finally found one and I volunteered to go first. I love to rappel even though it is the most dangerous roped climbing activity because all your trust is in the anchor and the rope. When climbing these are just there in case you slip, on a rap it is all you've got! I made it down without incident and Jason soon followed.

Once in the relative safety of the chute I looked down it. I could not believe what I saw. The route up the chute which seemed steep but secure looked absolutely frightening from this angle! I was awestruck that we actually came up this like it was no big deal. We headed back down and enjoyed the warmth and relative safety of the chute. Not out of the woods yet by any means but we were much happier than the exposure we were facing just a short while ago. The next big hurdle was still below us as the chute would reach the chockstone and go vertical. We diverted as before and had a difficult time finding a good route down. The way down always looks harder than the way up and this proved to be no exception. It was getting late, near 7PM, and we both worried about getting down before dark plus we were concerned for our friend Aleshia who was waiting for us down below and we certainly would not be back by even our late return estimate of 7PM. We spent a lot of time trying to find either a good route to downclimb around the chockstone or a good anchor point to put a sling on and rappel back into the chute. We were not having much luck finding either. Finally Jason spotted what looked like a route down and we proceeded to downclimb it all the way back to the chute. Upon reaching the base of the downclimb we both breathed a sigh of relief. The last major obstacle had been surmounted and now we just needed to not dislodge a rock in the steep chute and we should be home free! We got within view of camp and called out for Aleshia and waved our arms so that she could see two people descending to help relieve her of any anxiety she must have been feeling at that time.

Completely exhausted both physically and mentally we rolled into camp and met up with Aleshia. She congratulated us and asked us how we did. I told her to give me a minute and stumbled closer to her, literally dropped my pack and asked for a hug. I then apologized for being late back to camp and causing her to worry about us. We told our stories of our climb while she shared her adventure to the wonderful lake a short hike below camp.

It was Jason's turn for dinner and he made chicken stuffing with a twist. He had cooked up some chicken at home and kept it cold on a snow bank near camp until now. Our chicken stuffing had fresh chicken, some additional spices and was topped off by some fresh celery he had brought. It was a simple meal but boy was it good. We were both extremely hungry after our day out and we ate every last bit.

Over tea that evening we discussed our future plans. Jason and I had already given up on North Pal due to the reports from Kurt on our route. Neither of us were that excited to do a 6 mile off trail trek to Mt. Sill over loose rock quite probably facing the same type of conditions we had just encountered in the chute. Aleshia was not keen on that either so we decided that the next day would be a lazy day exploring the lake below camp. Before bed we suggested that Aleshia who was freezing the night before might want to use her space blanket under her sleeping bag to help insulate her a little better. I did offer her a spot in my tent if she was too cold as Jason and I have discovered on our winter trips that our tent stays quite nice inside with the two of us in it. We all went to bed and once again Jason and I sweated while she froze, I never heard a knock on my tent door either.

Upper Barrett Lake below me.

We lazily got up for day three and were in no hurry to do anything. We set off to explore the upper of the Barrett Lakes in the Palisade Basin a little below camp. Once we arrived at the lake we found a beautiful meadow where we could wade in the water, swim and have a fine lunch while soaking our feet. Jason was the first daring one to jump in the lake. It was cold but he said it felt good. I broke out a mozzarella, prosciutto and basil roll and sliced it up and served it on crackers with a little Grey Poupon, but of course. What a contrast to the day before!

Aleshia and Jason show off lunch.

Upon finishing lunch we explored the lake. Fish were supposed to have been eradicated from this lake as they were not native here. The Forest Service was trying to bring back the yellow legged toad which originally lived in these lakes but had been eliminated with the introduction of trout. Jason was extremely upset to find out that there were a few trout in this lake. He was upset not because of the fish but rather that he had left his fishing pole at home! Before we left the lake we all decided to take a Sierra shower, a cold dip in the lake, and dry out before returning to our camp.

Back at camp it was my night for dinner. We were all happy to be able to enjoy an earlier dinner than the last few nights that would not involve headlamps. Aleshia was the first to notice that the clouds we had observed earlier to the west were now dumping rain. It looked like those on the John Muir Trail far below and to the west were getting soaked but the clouds did not appear to be moving our way so for now we were safe. My recently developed trail tacos recipe was on that nights menu. We had all been looking forward to it as we had sampled it on the Bridge to Nowhere hike where I have detailed the recipe. We enjoyed our dinner and I was proud to be awarded the best group dinner. All of them were good but this one not only tastes great but also is very visually appealing with fresh avocado, cheese and salsa completing the color palette.

My award winning Trail Tacos.

Since Aleshia was cold the last two nights, we asked a few more probing questions as by our estimations, she was doing everything right and it did not make sense. I asked her if her air mattress was insulated.......no was the reply. Eureka! I think we just discovered the issue. As I had been roasting the last few nights I gladly offered to swap her my insulated air mattress for hers. I had to assure her that I would be fine to get her to take it as she did not want me to be cold. That night was great, I finally zipped up my bag so my temps were just right and she wound up stripping off several layers of clothing as she was finally too warm. A good lesson to be learned there for sure.

Looking back towards Bishop Pass from our final camp.

We had decided the night before that rather than trying to hike out in a single day that we would enjoy ourselves and hike back in two days. We packed up in the morning and and began the long off trail hike back over to Bishop Pass. It took us until a little after 1PM to get to the top of of the pass despite using a much better high route on our return. We had spotted some beautiful lakes from the top of the pass and settled on making camp somewhere near Bishop Lake just below us at the bottom of the switchbacks. We set up camp and goofed off all afternoon. Now the fact that Jason had not brought a fishing pole was really eating at him as the fish were taunting him, leaping out of the water just in front of him. We all took another Sierra shower and explored. I opted to sleep out on this final night as we were lower and the bugs were not too bad. Without a group dinner officially planned we all ate what we had left in our bear canisters and consumed the remaining beverages we had. I had a great time taking pictures both before and after dark. It would have been nice to have a tripod but I made do with rocks to get some low light and night shots before heading to bed. I traded air mattresses with Aleshia again so she would be warm and I would be comfortable as well.

Peak 12689 eclipsing the moon above camp.

The morning came and it was time to make a quick packup and head back to the truck. We wanted to have lunch in Bishop and only had 4 miles to hike out so this was to be by far the easiest day yet. We got on the trail at 9AM and planned on being back at the truck at 11AM. The hike out was lovely and gave me time to reflect on the trip. Doing three fourteeners was perhaps overly aggressive. The long hike in was much more than I had expected especially with the difficult off trail portion. I was disappointed to have not summited even one of the fourteeners. At the time I was descending Thunderbolt I know I was ready to throw in the towel on the whole idea of climbing the California fourteeners. It is painful to think about going back to just complete the last 100ft. but with the knowledge I now have I think it would be much easier, especially if we have a little more rock climbing experience under our belt.

Within the last two miles of the trek we came across a group of people hiking up the trail. It appeared to be some teenage kids hiking out front, the parents in the middle and their grandfather pulling up the rear. It reminded me of how fortunate I am to have been hiking with both my boys, my sister and my parents as recently as a week prior up in Mammoth. I thought to myself that I only hope I am so lucky as to be brought along on the trail by my boys with their families in another 35 years to share in their experiences on the trail. The thought of this brought a tear to my eye much as it does even as I write this. Perhaps they will be taking me to complete that fourteener that evaded my grasp so many years ago.

For the full slide show of this trip please click here.

Alpenglow on the Palisades. Thunderbolt Peak left of center and North Palisade right of center.

Backpacking the Bridge To Nowhere

The Bridge To Nowhere

With the record year of rain and snowfall, the local mountains have been full of water in the creeks and rivers late into the summer. The East Fork of the San Gabriel River is a popular spot for many hikers, gold panners and day adventurers as they are drawn to the cool and refreshing waters of this river that are so easily accessed in the mountains above Azusa, CA. The most popular hiking destination in this area these days is the Bridge to Nowhere, a bridge built in 1936 deep back in the canyon of the East Fork. The history on this bridge is quite interesting but in summary it was built to complete a road that got washed out and was later abandoned in 1938 leaving a bridge, in the middle of nowhere, that dead ends into the side of a mountain. A very strange sight to come across in the middle of the wilderness indeed!

A group of eight of us headed back to overnight somewhere near the bridge. It has changed a lot since I did this when I was around 19 and mountain biked/hiked my way back there with a few friends. Back then we wore backpacks and rode our bikes mostly on trail but a little on portions of the old road. Back then we slept on the bridge itself. Today there are only vague traces of the fact there was a road there at all as most has been washed away. Amazing what 20 years of erosion has done this area since I was last there. The bridge is also now overrun by bungee jumpers and us hikers are allowed to cross but not loiter on the bridge. Back when I went there on a mountain bike the three of us on the trip were the only people that made it to the bridge that day, now nearly 100 people are gathered on it on the weekend.

Jason's piece of driftwood points the way.

The trip back to the bridge is not necessarily difficult but does require a little determination. The trail in areas can be hard to follow and multiple use trails and river crossings make this task more difficult. It can get rather warm during the summer but the cool water is very refreshing, in fact we looked forward to the water crossings as an opportunity to cool off.

Upriver exploration

Jason and I practice our rock climbing technique and anchors

Mike enjoys our swimming hole adjacent to camp

The great news about this rather popular and heavily traveled area is that once you pass the bridge and continue hiking up the river into the narrows, the crowds nearly disappear! Our plan was to pass the bridge and find a suitable camping location to make camp at and then do whatever each of us felt like doing. Between a half mile to a mile past the bridge we came across numerous camp sites, some occupied, others available but to small, and finally one that met our requirements. It was big enough for all the tents, and nice rocks to sit on and a great swimming hole and cascade in the river next to camp. We quickly set up camp and immediately afterward proceeded to go swimming. After a few hour swim and sunning session we broke up and went different ways. Several headed up river to explore, Mike stayed around camp to test his luck gold panning, while Jason and I practiced our rope and anchor systems for an upcoming trip to the Sierras where we will likely need to place anchors and use a rope for protection on some class 4 routes up a few fourteeners. The afternoon was hot and the rock we were climbing was scalding our hands at times but we all accomplished what we wanted and rolled back into camp around 6:30.

Clark's chicken quesadillas, always a great appetizer

Our evening was just a giant food fest! Clark kicked it off with making some chicken quesadillas complete with fresh avocado. Others had some store bought freeze dried meals, tried and true freezer bag meals and Jason cooked up some peppers, onions and sausage. I had worked up a new freezer bag meal to test for making burritos and tacos on the trail as we had commented on a recent trip how much we would like something like that. The taco meat portion of the meal was perfect but I had brought some fresh grated cheddar that did not hold up to well in the heat of the day. Thankfully Clark had some extra store bought grated cheese that has proven to hold up on our Catalina trip so I used that to finish of the soft tacos along with a little left over avocado and our group favorite, jalapeno salsa from Chick-Filet. I had plenty of taco fixings to share and everyone who tried it agreed that this is a must do meal on our future trips. What is the recipe you ask? See the end of this entry for the details.

We all ate so much at dinner that the only dessert that was shared was some astronaut ice cream. The fresh popped pop corn and cheesecake would have to wait for another trip. We opted instead to drink more fluids to replenish ourselves, hot tea, electrolytes, San Peligrino and lime, and even a little wine. Just before going to bed a few even decided to go for a swim by headlamp. Apparently the headlamps really are waterproof! Under a full moon, we all headed to bed around 11PM.

Heading out through the Narrows in the morning.

The following morning was a simple get up, packup, eat a quick breakfast and head out. It seemed much hotter than the day before. We rolled out of camp around 10AM. I wanted to look for the tunnel that was being blasted into the rock that was to meet up with the bridge. I went into the tunnel 20 years ago but just a little. I figured this time we had way better headlamps and more of them. Unfortunately erosion and time have had there way and I could locate where the tunnel entrance once was but it is now covered in dirt and rock and is buried.

A bungee jumper takes a leap of faith!

Our group photo on the bridge.

Plenty of people were once again at the bridge for bungee jumping. The guys running this operation have figured out how to make more money out of this canyon than the miners ever did! There were plenty of people lined up to jump and during our hike back we came across a line of nearly 50 of them hiking up to the bridge. As was expected, there were plenty of people once again as we returned back to our cars.

All in all it was great, relaxing trip with lots of fun. I liked it better in the old days with far fewer people but at least they are getting to enjoys it as well. This is definitely a great hike for intermediate hikers looking to have fun in the water and enjoy playing in their surroundings.

Trail Tacos:
Serves 3

1/2 cup freeze dried ground beef
1/2 cup taco TVP
1/4 cup freeze dried corn
1/4 cup instant black beans
1 T taco seasoning
1 T dried onion
2 C boiling water

Flour tortillas (about 7) or hard taco shells or Fritos (you figure out how you want it!)
Store bought grated mexican cheese blend , 8 oz. (holds up well on the trail)
Favorite salsa or hot sauce packets (Chick-Fil-A Jalapeno Salsa is our favorite)
Avocado and or fresh tomato if desired

Place all above dry ingredients in a 1 quart Ziplock freezer bag. Add the hot water, seal the bag and place in an insulated cozy for 20 minutes. Remove and stir and spoon into tortillas, place over Fritos, or for low carb just eat it out of the bag. Use cheese, salsa, avocado and tomato if desired. I get the meat, TVP, corn and beans from Shelf Reliance.

Trans Catalina Trail, Hiking the Island

Well summer has arrived and what better way to celebrate than spending 4 days in the Channel Islands off the coast of California. Our destination was Catalina island to hike the fairly new Trans Catalina Trail (TCT) that was officially opened back in 2008. My friends wife Michelle has been wanting to do this ever since she had heard about it so this was her trip to coordinate. What she discovered is that since this trail has really only existed for a few years, there is not much information floating around out there about it. Our goal was to not only do the hike but also document it well enough that this blog posting will serve as a great reference document for future hikers of the TCT. Our backpacking group consisted of Michelle, co-workers Mike D., Clark and I as well as a good friend of Clark and Michelle, Mike Y.

Officially the TCT is just over 37 miles and stretches from just south of Avalon to the northwestern point of Starlight Beach. Since you cannot easily get dropped off or picked up at either end of the trail, a little extra hiking and backtracking is involved which made our hike a total of 52 miles with about 9,000 ft. of elevation gain and we planned on covering it in 4 days. Three of those days would be used to complete the TCT and the last day was to get ourselves back to a port we could catch a ferry home from. More on that later. How can a hike on an island with a high point of 2,010 ft. have 9,000 ft. of elevation gain you ask? Simple, there is NO flat trail on this island!

The island of Catalina sits about 26 miles off the coast of California. It is mostly managed by the Catalina Island Conservancy. The Conservancy was responsible for completing the trail and appear to be the promoters of this route. What we found when researching the trip is that apparently few people have actually hiked the whole thing and even fewer have it done it in a contiguous manner. Most who had done it before complained of difficult navigation and it being a very strenuous route.

The planning stage was rather difficult for the above mentioned issues. We decided we could get away fror 4 days to complete the route. We were able to view some of the camping locations and to do the route in 4 days we planned on day 1 from Avalon to Blackjack, 15 1/2 miles, day two Blackjack to Two Harbors, 13 miles, day three Two Harbors to Starlight Beach and back to Parsons Landing, 16 miles, and day 4 Parsons Landing back to Two Harbors via the coastal road, 7 miles. Michelle booked campsites online for Blackjack, Two Harbors and Parsons Landing with the Catalina Conservancy.

Michelle informed me that I was in charge of maps and navigation. Well I have not gotten any of us lost yet so I accepted the job. Finding maps proved difficult. Since the TCT was only officially completed in 2008 you will need a fairly recent map. I checked for maps at the usual places and had no luck. Some have said that you can get a map of the trail at the Catalina Island Conservancy located in Avalon but I really wanted this information long before I got there. I finally found what I was looking for after poking around the Catalina Island Conservancy website where they have a great collection of maps as pdf files available for free download. With the maps in hand and some additional information on the trail segments from the Conservancy I was ready to do my research and get a feel for the route. One of the best maps they provided had the full trail shown along with the elevation profile. I realized quickly that this was not going to be a flat hike! They even have a smartphone app to help but since I NEVER rely on electronic devices on the trail I ruled that out.

I had been to Two Harbors to camp in the past and Clark, Michelle and Mike Y. had been to Parsons Landing to camp. We all knew what to expect at those locations. Two Harbors has everything, food, water, bathrooms, showers, store, the works. Parsons is primitive. They have pit toilets and your campsite includes a bundle of wood and 2 1/2 gallon jug of water in a locker. You can purchase additional water/wood if needed ahead of time and get a key for additional lockers. Blackjack was to have water and pit toilets and again a locker with a bundle of wood came with the site.

Michelle had made our ferry reservations. We utilized Catalina Express out of San Pedro as they had the earliest arrival times in Avalon and also serviced Two Harbors. We boarded the early boat which got us to Avalon a little after 9AM. Once we arrived we had to find the location to check-in and get our hiking permit and locker key. This location is known to change so it is best to get that info directly from the Conservancy when you place your reservation.

The street to begin our hike in Avalon.

We were finally ready to begin the hike.I had to look over some instructions provided by the Conservancy about the actual start point as the TCT does not begin in town. It officially begins about a mile and half south of Avalon at the intersection of Wrigley Rd. and Renton Mine Rd. which you can easily view on Google to figure out how to get there. The road to get there starts off with a good climb out of Avalon. I was happy to have lightweight gear on this trip. My pack was only 26 1/2 lbs with 4 days of food, fuel and 3 liters of water. Less food and water it would have been 15 lbs!



Official start point of the TCT.

 The views as you climb up along Wrigley Rd. are great. You can really get some nice photos of Avalon as you make your way to the official starting point of the TCT. As Wrigley Rd. begins to descend you will quickly reach the start point on your right clearly marked with a sign showing the Trans Catalina Trail and pointing up Renton Mine Rd. From here you are heading up a dirt road that is only accessed by hikers and bicycles. They did do a good job at keeping the TCT free of vehicles. While a little over half of the entire route is road, you will not see cars as they are not allowed on these sections.



The TCT leaves the road and transitions to trail.

Our first day was long and rather warm. We were relieved to discover that shortly after the TCT left the road and transitioned to trail that you reached Haypress Reservoir where you can fill up with water from the tap as they have a small picnic area there. The trail continues next to the playground and I missed it. Fortunately the others in the group spotted the TCT trail sign and we were back on the trail. The trail gets fairly faint intermittently for the next couple miles or so and you really need to keep an eye out for the little brown markers that say TCT next to the trail. We had no problem following the trail but then again we had five sets of eyes to spot the markers in the difficult sections. It is also nice that every mile on the TCT they have a short wooden marker showing your mileage.

Some of the buffalo herd brought to the island by the Wrigley's

The first nights destination was Blackjack campground and after looking at the map we realized it was adjacent to the highest point on Catalina which is 2,010 ft. with the campground maybe 200 ft. below that. The transmitter on the summit had been our marker all day as it had been in sight off and on throughout our hike. It was finally getting closer but not without yet another descent then climb back up to our final destination. We reached Blackjack around 6:30PM and all were exhausted. We are used to climbing mountains but the constant up and down is not what we typically do. We gained about 4,000 ft. of elevation on the first day and had clocked 15 1/2 miles. We were happy to see that there were outdoor cold showers at Blackjack. We had a nice campfire, ate dinner and retreated to our tents early as it had been a long day as we had been up since around 5AM to get to the port that morning.

See the little people on the ridge?

The happy crew at the airport.

Waterfront camping at Two Harbors.

Our second day was to be easy. Only about 2,000 ft. of elevation gain and a short 12 1/2 miles. We finally headed out of camp around 8:30AM after tending to blisters on Michelle and Mike Y. Our first destination was the airport. We arrived there in about an hour and enjoyed the shade, store, flush toilets, warm water and hospitality. There is a cafe there but we were too early. Snacks and beverages were available. We then headed down and easy road that descended all the way to the coast at Little Harbor. This was a campground as well and had a very nice beach. Some people were surfing in the the adjacent Shark Harbor and it made a great picture spot. We had lunch at a picnic table right on the beach and made use of the bathrooms and fresh water that was also available here. If we planned the hike again we all thought this would be a great place to add an extra day and finish day 2 here. That was not in our master plan so after lunch we were off to Two Harbors. Remember the 2,000 ft. of gain I mentioned? Well here it comes and most of it in the first two miles. The climb up out of Little Harbor was tough but the views off the ridgeline we were on were stunning. The trail finally dropped down into Two Harbors 5 miles later where we had all the amenities of a small town. Everyone frowned when they learned that camp was just over a small hill 1/4 mile away. Once at camp we set up our tents and cleaned up. A few spent the big bucks and walked back to town for a hot shower, 90 seconds of water for 50 cents, while the rest of us took semi-cold showers at the campground. We all met up back in town for buffalo burgers and a few fermented beverages were consumed.

Michelle's foot patched up for day 3.

Michelle and I near Silver Peak with clouds rolling in.

The view from Fenceline Rd. down to Parson's

Day three involved some tough decisions. It was to be our hardest day yet, 16 miles and 4,500 ft. of elevation gain. Two in our party had decided they were not up to uphill/downhill and opted for the shoreline road out to Parson's Landing. Three of us, including Michelle with her blistered and swollen feet were off to tackle the big hill between us and Parson's where hopefully we would all meet up for lunch and then figure out who was going on to Starlight Beach. This is a section of trail that is easy to follow on the map but not very well signed. You have to head back to the trail you came into Two Harbors on and continue to the right. I never saw a sign pointing you left toward the north side Catalina Harbor. We turned where I knew we needed to based on the map and followed the dirt road along the north side of Cat Harbor where we finally came across the mile 27 marker indicating we were headed the right way. Miles 28 and 29 will leave you cursing! They are steep and hot. Soon after you reach Fenceline Rd. which descends STEEPLY down towards Parson's Landing. This is the official TCT. In our opinion, it would have been better to route the trail onward to Silver Peak and down to Starlight Beach which would save several miles overall and in looking at the topo maps would save you from some very steep sections. Since we planned on doing the full TCT start to finish we followed the trail along Fenceline Rd. which was noted by others as being very steep. At first I wondered what all the fuss was about, it was steep but not that bad. After a awhile the trail really showed it's ugly self and I would rate it a 10 out of 10 on the black toenail scale. If you don't know what I am talking about, you really don't hike long, steep downhills do you?

The final trail to Parson's Landing just ahead.

Clark at the terminus of the TCT, Starlight Beach.

The view of Parson's below me as we return from Starlight.

As we neared Parson's Landing we met up with the others in the group. We all arrived at Parson's for lunch which was yet another stunning beach to enjoy. We ate and Michelle was thinking hard if she would continue. Her feet were in bad shape and we knew we had 9 miles and 2,500 ft. of gain left in the day. The Catalina Conservancy information is very deceiving at times and it lists the elevation change at 666 ft. for this section. They only list the total difference from the highest to lowest point, one way and leave out the fact that you will gain it several times....each way! Three of us left Parson's together but Michelle turned around about a 1/2 mile out of camp. She wanted to make the end so bad but realized she also had to get back, not just to camp, but back to Two Harbors the following day. It was a very difficult decision to make and in hindsight it was the best one. Clark and I continued on to the end at Starlight Beach and the so called trail had some exceptionally steep ups and downs that would have torn her feet up even worse. Clark and I finally made it to Starlight and took our pictures and put our feet in the ocean for the first time on the trip. We both wanted to swim as we were rather hot from the strenuous hike out here but didn't have a towel and feared the hike in wet clothes would be rather destructive on our already worn out bodies. It was great to make it to the end of the TCT but sad we could not all finish it together. We left Starlight and kept a brisk pace and returned to Parson's with our one way time at and hour and a half. It was now 5:30PM and the breeze was blowing and I was cold once I stopped hiking. Clark still went in the ocean, I needed to but did not want to freeze so I put on some dry clothes I had washed the evening prior. I nearly fell asleep in my tent as laying down felt so good after the exhausting day that included the completion of the TCT.

Great sunset at Parson's Landing.

Mike Y. serenades us with his didgeridoo.

Clark & Michelle's tent and the Big Dipper.

That night we used up most of the food we had left, had a raging campfire and Mike Y. who had carried his didgeridoo on the whole trip played a little for us fireside. The sunset view at Parson's is unbelievable and we all took a few photos of the event. I headed to bed a little ahead of everyone else who played a marathon game of UNO that lasted over an hour for a single hand. I did wake up as they were going to bed and grabbed some nice shots of the stars before I was done for the night.

In the morning we all wished we had an extra day. Michelle felt she could have gone to Starlight that morning after having a good rest. We had a boat to catch back in Two Harbors at 4:15PM and only 7 miles of flat trail/road separating us from our destination. We lazily packed up camp and headed out. The final hike back to Two Harbors was very scenic, following the coastline the whole way. We walked past a couple of the Boy Scout camps on the island, Emerald Bay and Cherry Valley as well as several other camps. The sight of Two Harbors brought joy to all of us. Our feet were tired and we were hungry. We did not plan a lunch for the last day as we would enjoy what the town had to offer. More buffalo burgers and fermented beverages were consumed. We limped around town with all the other folks there. We even met some guys with a ukelele that were playing some lovely island music who took interest in the didgeridoo. I said they need to work up a duet for the two instruments, jokingly I thought. These guys used the WiFi access and looked up one and had a little jam session there at the bar. A strange combo of instruments indeed but plenty fun none the less.

Cherry Valley BSA camp.

The boat ride home was calming and drew to an end yet another incredible adventure. We discussed what we would do differently if we did it again. Adding two days would be great. One extra day to stay at Little Harbor and another at Parson's Landing would be ideal. It would let you alternate hard days with easy days and provide more time at the end of every day (except the first) to play in the ocean while it is still warm and the afternoon winds and clouds have not developed. We also would have preferred to not taken Fenceline Rd. and instead head from Two Harbors directly out to Starlight Beach and then back to Parson's. We still are not sure why this is not the official route of the TCT. We also all agreed that the published information from the Catalina Conservancy is a little misleading. While they post elevation gain for each segment of the trip, they do it by only comparing your starting elevation to finish elevation for that segment. This leaves out all of the ups and downs along the way of which there are many. The most grossly understated elevation change is the final trek from Parson's to Starlight as I had mentioned earlier. This was a strenuous hike and this is coming from us who have hiked numerous peaks and logged hundreds of miles climbing the highest points in California. For an island with a high point of 2,010 ft., the TCT's elevation gain will kick your butt!

Our final view of Two Harbors as we approach it for the last time.

This adventure was a major change from my recent snowbound journeys in the Sierra's. I will admit, I prefer the mountains over the beaches but that is my personal preference. Perhaps growing up and working in Huntington Beach for all of my 41 years has filled my enthusiasm for beaches. With that said, if there ever was a beach journey to take, the TCT should be at the top of your list.

The full collection of pictures can be viewed by clicking here.

Exploring the San Mateo Wilderness and Doing it Ultralight!

Clark and I enter the San Mateo Wilderness.

It is now the end of April. I was supposed to be headed to Mt. Whitney for a multi-day climb of the Mountaineers Route this weekend. After my Split Mountain adventure I headed up to Mammoth and again was faced with heavy winds, blasting snow and cold days. Upon my return from that trip I laid a good coat of summer wax on the skis and informed my winter friends I was done for the season. My mind had moved on to warm weather excursions, ATV riding and summer backpacking at Catalina.

As a prep for our upcoming Trans-Catalina Trail (TCT) we needed to get out in some warm weather at low elevation with short but steep inclines. While we are always doing local day hikes we figured an overnighter is what we needed to shake down some new gear and try some new concepts on the trail. We decided upon a 2 day backpack trip within the San Mateo Wilderness in the Cleveland National Forest straddling the Orange/Riverside County line just south of the Ortega Hwy. Our route would start at the infamous Candy Store (Bear Canyon Trailhead) and take us south to Tenaja Falls and Fishermans Camp where we would overnight and return via a different trail following a ridge the next day. The total loop was to be 22 miles and evenly split between the two days.

I have been doing a really good job at lightening my pack on my recent winter trips. I have removed a lot of stuff that I have not touched all season and have done a much better job at not bringing too much food. So many trips ended with a bag full of uneaten food amounting to several extra pounds. With this trip heading out on a weekend with daytime temps in the 80's and nights at 50 it seemed like going light, or ultralight, seemed like a good idea.

Clark's pack on the left, mine on the right at 14.8 lbs!

My major items would be a sleeping bag (Mountain Hardware Phantom 45, 1lb), sleeping pad (Thermorest NeoAir, 1lb),  alcohol stove system with fuel (10 oz.), my new ultralight tent (AppyTrails Mark III, just under 2lbs with Tyvek groundcloth and stakes), 3L Camelback bladder and my REI 18L Flashback to stuff it all in. Yes I had my first aid kit and ten essentials as well but it was a lightweight version. My personal clothing consisted of an extra pair of underwear, socks, long sleeve shirt and a backpacking towel. No jacket on this trip, I would just double up my shirts. I did splurge on a 2.3 oz. backpacking pillow as I had no jacket to wad up for that purpose. I also left the camera at home as hauling a 2.2 lb. digital SLR camera kind of goes against ultralight packing. I would rely on Michelle to take pictures on this trip. Without food or water I was at 8 1/2 lbs.! With food loaded up and 2 liters of water I had 14.8 lbs total to put on my back. This was a new record for me! I even wore a lightweight pair of trail shoes rather than the leather boots I have always worn in the past.  My friends traveling with me had differing tactics. Michelle went lightweight while Clark made up for all of us and traveled heavy. He claims it was the lightest his pack had ever weighed at 40 lbs. which was true, at least this time he did not carry a TABLE strapped to the back of his pack! Even their dog Ranger was required to carry his own load.

Strolling through the woods on our way to the falls.

The trip from the trailhead down to Tenaja Falls was very scenic as the whole area was very green from the abundant rain we had this year. While we did not have grand views of mountains and lakes we did have very nice scenery and enjoyed walking through fields of wildflowers and oak covered trails with small creeks still flowing everywhere. We reached the falls, 8 1/2 miles into the hike, around noon. They were crowded as they can be reached via a much shorter route (less than a mile). We enjoyed lunch at the falls and put our feet in the water. Clark decided he would submerge himself in the rather cold water which wasn't a bad idea as it was warm day.

Michelle, Ranger and I at the top of the falls.

More hanging out at the falls.

We left the falls and headed towards our evening destination, Fishermans Camp. When we arrived there we discovered a Boy Scout Troop of about 20 people had descended upon it before us. Not only were all the descent camp spots taken, we were there to enjoy nature and get away from it all, not camp on top of somebody else. We decided to head down the trail another mile to our next scheduled trail junction and look for a better spot along the way. This proved to be a great choice because once we reached the junction of the San Mateo Creek Trail and North Tenaja Trail we discovered a beautiful camp location complete with a sandy beach along the creek, a babbling brook, shade trees and numerous flat tent areas. We were happy to have found such a secluded location with all the amenities. This location was far superior to Fishermans Camp so the crowd really did us a favor.

My new ultralight tent, big enough for 2 adults.

Now it was time to test out my new tent. Up to now, my ultralight travel had gone very well. The small pack performed perfectly although I did need to lash the tent to the outside of the pack. I had practiced the setup of the tent a few times at home in the backyard to make sure I had it down and had already rigged it with the appropriate cord. I used my trekking poles as the tent poles and had the tent set up rather quickly.  Because it must be staked out I did have to hunt for a less sandy location so that my tent stakes could really hold. With the tent set up I moved in my stuff and was very impressed with how much room this lightweight tent had in it. To save weight, the tent does not have a floor. I had ordered and cut a sheet of Tyvek to make a footprint for the tent and used that. The tent was good enough to keep flying bugs out but not good enough to stop the crawling type. No big deal to me if it means shedding 3 or more pounds out of my pack!

The new tent was very roomy given the low weight.

Clark broke out the radio and the camp chairs, water filter, the cooking pot and heavy liquid fuel stove. I grabbed my iodine tablets and meager alcohol stove and we commenced on dinner. I noticed that a strange thing occurs when multiple people are travelling with different concepts or ideas. Even though Clark had a water filter, I wanted to prove I did not need it and purified my own water. Clark refused to leave his heavy stove behind and just bring a few ounces of alcohol for mine. He wanted to check his new large pack with a heavy load. Michelle's new pack was really cutting into her shoulder even with her light load. I offered to swap packs with her but she decided she got herself into this and was going to get herself out of it. I am not sure if this is a common phenomena or if we are all just the most stubborn people on earth!

Clark, Michelle and Ranger at our lovely camp.

After dinner we sat around and enjoyed the radio along with a few games of Uno, our favorite trailside pasttime. Clark whipped up a batch of popcorn that I was more than happy to eat even though there is no way I would carry a pot or enough fuel to cook it! We finished up our game of Uno and headed to our tents. The frogs were really going off that night. These were not your typical croaking frogs, these were frogs that made very long groaning sounds. With about 3 of them near my tent I was serenaded ALL night long!

Having travelled ultralight I had skimped on a jacket. In the middle of the night that was looking like a bad idea. I was cold and shivering. I pulled my thin backpacking towel out of my pack and wrapped my head with it. It may not sound like much but that was all I needed to be comfortable for the rest of the night.

I was pleased to find that when morning rolled around that I had no moisture buildup in the tent. It was a dry weather pattern we were in but with a single wall tent that was zipped up all night you never know what will happen. We made our breakfast and packed up and rolled out of camp later than we would have liked at 9:30.

Our final picture overlooking San Mateo Creek.

Our first 1 1/2 miles were tough as we climbed 1,300 ft. to gain the top of the ridge behind our camp. The remainder of our hike was very beutiful as we were hiking along the ridgeline for most of the way back. We had views of San Jacinto, San Gorgonio, Baldy as well as the ocean. With temps in the upper 80's and only 2 liters of water in my pack I was hoping to finish before I went dry. We did as we finished a little after noon. We bypassed our optional Sitton Peak side excursion as it was just too hot and we were all ready for a good lunch.

Over a great lunch back in San Juan Capistrano we discussed our experiences. Michelle will return her new pack and go back to a smaller one she has used many times before. Clark the pack mule really liked his new even bigger pack even though he carried the lightest load ever, about 35-40 lbs. I was very pleased with my results on going ultralight with a new pack and tent. The pack was very small and I really had to plan ahead to keep the things I would need at lunch either at the very top of the pack or in my pockets. I just cannot fit anything else in the little pack and will have to use something bigger for Catalina as I will need to carry a little more food, fuel and clothing. If I can keep the Catalina weight to around the low 20 lb. range I will be extremely happy. I think I gave ultralight backpacking a really good try and did well. I am intrigued to see what other tricks are out there to not necesarily reduce weight but rather bulk so that I can get everything in my little 18L pack and even have a jacket next time! The learning never ends.