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Kodiak 100 & 50 Mile Ultramarathons 2013

first published September 21, 2013 & last updated March 16, 2024 Gary Valle

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Runner near Cougar Crest in the Kodiak 50 mile ultramarathon.

50 Mile Runner on the PCT Near Cougar Crest Junction

If you’ve driven to Big Bear on Highway 18, you’ve driven the dramatic, twisting, turning, mountain road that seems to be perched on the rim of the world. Whenever I’ve driven that highway I’ve always peered into the chasm it traverses with more than a little awe, some trepidation, and a lot of curiosity.

A little earlier this afternoon, following a path of pink markers, I’d run across the Rim of the World Highway, clambered up to the edge of the world, and plunged into that chasm.

I was at about mile 31 of the Kodiak 50 mile ultramarathon. We’d started our run at 6:00 am at Holcomb Valley Campground — the halfway point of the 100 mile run. The 100 milers had started their counterclockwise circuit of Big Bear Lake at The Village at 6:00 pm the previous evening and run through a cold night.

As I descended the steep, rocky trail deep into the canyon cut by Bear Creek a disconnected sequence of thoughts flew through my mind

“Wow, it’s a long way down…”

“Can’t I run any faster?”

“Is there really going to be a water station at the bottom of this canyon?”

“Prime real estate for rattlesnakes…”

“Those BBQ ribs were pretty good…”

“Wow, we have to go up there???”

High on the ridge to my right I could see the lift towers of Snow Valley and to my left across the canyon was the 3000′ escarpment leading up to the rim of Big Bear. Somewhere up there was one of the largest lodgepole pines in the U.S. and near that the aid station at the top of the Siberia Creek climb.

Although no rain or snow was in the forecast for Big Bear, the weather was still a concern. The first significant weather system of the season was forecast to bring a few inches of snow to the Sierra and stir up cooler and windy weather in the Southern California mountains. The forecast for today (Saturday) had mentioned south to southwest winds gusting to 40 mph “near ridge tops” and “lows 33 to 43” tonight.

So far today the weather had been good; a little breezy in spots, but short-sleeve and shorts weather after the sun had risen and melted away the morning chill. Overnight temps at Big Bear Airport had been near freezing, and I wondered how cold it had been for the 100 milers on 9952′ Sugarloaf Mountain.

Where were the 100 milers? I had seen a couple of the rare beasts leaving the aid station as we parked at the campground for the start of the 50 mile, but that had been it. Aid station volunteers were saying only 4 or 5 100 milers had passed through ahead of us.

Running cohort Ann Ongena, taking advantage of all the miles of high altitude running she did at TransRockies, had picked Kodiak as her first 100. We had talked a lot about the course and the weather and I knew she was well-prepared. Because of the uncertainties of an inaugural event — particularly one of this length and complexity — we both had taken more of a self-supported adventure approach, not taking the mileages as gospel, studying the course, and putting more of what we needed in our packs and drop bags.

For the most part the running on the Pacific Crest Trail this morning had been good. I’d run the stretch of the PCT between Van Dusen Canyon Road and Delamar Mountain Road as part of the Holcomb Valley 33 Mile, but the 11 mile segment from Delamar Mountain Road to Crab Flats Road was new to me.

Much of this part of the PCT was burned in the 14,000 acre Butler 2 Fire in September 2007. Judging from the size of the trunks of the trees and shrubs, the Butler 2 fire was the first large fire in this area in many decades. Recovery is well underway, and it was great to see chest high pine saplings in some areas. Wildland fire seems to be a growing part of the outdoor experience in Southern California. It has become increasingly difficult to do a 20+ mile run and not pass through an area that has been burned in the past decade or so.

The route-finding on the 6.25 miles between Aid Stations #4 and #5 was supposed to be straightforward — stay on the single track PCT. Even with a long curved arrow on the road and pink markers at the start of the trail, the big, smooth, open, inviting dirt road was just too much of a magnet. I hadn’t run 100 yards on the PCT when we stopped to call two runners on the road back to the trail. In some cases runners followed the road all the way to aid station #5. At another point there was a nefarious truck track that diverted a number of runners off the PCT and up a hill.

Earlier in the race some runners turned down the Cougar Crest Trail. Some caught their error within a few steps, but I talked to one runner that added four miles to his run. The junction was reasonably marked, but it is surprisingly easy to make a route-finding mistake like this. If you are not expecting and looking for a junction it can be almost invisible.

The Kodiak 50 course was carefully marked were the route-finding was intricate (Little Green Valley, Green Valley, Snow Valley, Start of Siberia Creek), but infrequently marked were there were no route choices or the route-finding was believed to be straightforward. Like the RD said in the race meeting, there were long stretches with few or no markers. Crab Flats Road comes to mind.

In some races extra markers are added for moral support. Some say too many markers. It isn’t a question of old school or new, but rather race style. This RD made it clear in the race meeting what the style of this race was going to be. Instead of extra markers I started looking at runner’s tracks and noticed a particular Hoka track. It was a smaller size and always on top of the other tracks. If I wanted confirmation I was still on route I’d look for that track, and there it would be — every time!

Lake Arrowhead & Baldy Peaks

Steep Hiking

Little Green Valley

I did a lot of looking at tracks on the way up Crab Flats Road to Green Valley, and then on other roads and trails on the way to Little Green Valley and Rim Nordic. There were a couple of runners that were sometimes a little ahead or behind me, and though we didn’t run together it was good to have company on this stretch.

I’d reached Camp #4 (~29 miles) at Rim Nordic and the Rim of the World Highway a little behind what I expected, but couldn’t complain. I was feeling pretty good. I had no foot problems; hadn’t gone off-route; hadn’t had any cramping; and had scored some BBQ ribs at the aid station.

Now, as I continued down the Camp Creek Trail at mile 30-something, I scanned the steep slopes across the canyon trying to see the trace of the re-opened Siberia Creek Trail. I had little doubt that the 6.8 mile, 3000′ climb was going to be the crux of the course. Race organizers had spent untold man-days working on this trail and warned us of its difficulty. It would be a tough climb, but all I had to do was hike it. I didn’t have to clear it, mark it, or chop holds in all the trees that had fallen across the trail!

After a few more minutes of rocky downhill I finally reach Bear Creek and Water Station #3. There’s a log bridge and rope across the creek and this grinning guy is holding the rope steady for another runner to cross. It turns out the person holding the rope is Eric Bulrice, one of the race organizers. We talk for a while and he tells me he’s basically spent the summer in “Hades Canyon,” working on the Siberia Creek Trail.

While Eric is filling up my 70 oz. Camelbak to the brim, I’m surprised to see three runners pass the water station without stopping. The course has tended to be longer and more difficult than expected and I just know I’m going to need every drop. Long story short, they and several other people run out of water part way up the climb. I tell them I will tell the aid station to send someone down.

I think the best adjective I’ve heard describing the Siberia Creek Trail is that it was relentless. And it was. It just never ended. But using a term usually applied to rivers, it was also incredibly wild and scenic. I knew there was a rock formation called Gunsight not too far from the aid station, and kept looking for big boulders along the trail that fit its description. I hope to get back there soon and do the trail when I’m not in a “I have to get up this thing” mode.

For those of us doing the Siberia Creek climb in the midafternoon, we were very fortunate to have cool weather. The Converse RAWS, which is at about 5600′ and a few miles away, topped out at 75°F at noon and was at about 71°F at 3:00 pm. Just six days before the temp had been 90°F at 2:00 pm.

The downside to that cool afternoon weather was cold weather at night. I reached Aid Station #6 (Champion Lodgepole Pine) at about 6:00 pm and it was already beginning to get chilly. A runner ahead of me had alerted aid station personnel that runners needed water and I had been glad to see a volunteer headed down the trail with a jug of water.

For spending so much time thinking, thinking, thinking about not much else except reaching the aid station, I didn’t spend much time there. The temperature was dropping and the wind was picking up. I refilled my hydration pack, had a half-cup of warm noodles and some Coke, and headed on out.

Remember those Hoka tracks I’d been following? I caught up to them part way up Siberia Creek. Turns out they belonged to Debbie Botten. She lives just over the hill from me and we have some friends in common. Shortly after dark we and Gabriel Hernandez started running together. This made a huge difference in being able to deal with the last miles of the course. Gabriel would sometimes run ahead and at one point spotted a bobcat on a log, watching us run by!

It was cold! Except for a pair of compression shorts I probably should have put on, I had on everything I’d taken — two short sleeve shirts, heavy sleeves, an ultralight shell with a hood, and gloves. It was windy up on the ridge near Grand View and I was very happy when we didn’t follow the 100 mile course along the ridgeline and began our descent.

The final stretch of dirt road paralleled Big Bear Valley, and running down it was like a slow motion nighttime approach to LAX. Ever so slowly the glowing lights of the city came up to meet us. From time to time we could hear distant cheers as runners crossed the finish line, and each time the cheers were a little louder and boosted our spirits a little more. Soon we too were running down the asphalt of Pine Knot Ave and to surprisingly enthusiastic cheers and shouts, given the hour, crossing the finish line!

Getting Ready	Kodiak Basecamp	Race Meeting
RD Paul Romero	Kodiak 100 Start	Womens 100M Winner

Many thanks to Paul Romero, Eric Bulrice, Matt Smith, Dede Hermon, Scott & Tammy Carnohan, Sarah Sherry, Peter Brennan and Cyril Jay Rayon for the huge amount work necessary to put an event like Kodiak together. “Hey, let’s do a 100 mile course around Big Bear Lake and while we’re at it, open up a historic trail that hasn’t been maintained for decades!” Also a big THANK YOU to the volunteers. I was always greeted with a smile and all the help I needed.

Out of the 67 100 milers that started, only 19 finished and most of the favorites dropped. In a race where the top time was expected to be under 20 hours, New Hampshire’s Garry Harrington’s was the only runner to break 24 hours, coming in at 23:58:55. The top woman in the 100 miler was Jeri Ginsburg from San Diego, with a time of 29:15:10.

Runners in the 50 mile fared better. Out of 71 runners that started, only 17 dropped. Italy’s Michele Graglia put down a phenomenal 9:32:28 for the win. The top woman in the 50 mile was Kristina Tudor of Azusa, who cranked out a 12:03:20. Fifteen year old Steven Evers (remember when you were 15?) flew through the course in 11:53:31.

My friend Ann, with no regrets, called it a day at Camp #4, which we now know is at about mile 79. She had no issues and plans to do Kodiak again next year. She did have something unusual happen during the race. After running miles and miles alone up Crab Flats Road she began to wonder if she was still on course. Rounding a corner she saw a couple rummaging around in a van with bikes on it. She asked if it was a water station and was told, “Yes, but it is for a motorcycle event!’ For the moment it took to realize she was being had, she thought she was miles off course. They had a good laugh about it later. When she reached Camp #4 she texted this to her TransRockies running partner:

“I’m totally happy with 75 glorious miles, the course is just way hard so takes long. I had my night run, stars and full moon and the PCT! Happy me! Volunteering now :)”

Here is an interactive Google Earth view of the 100 mile (red) and 50 mile (yellow) courses. The view can be zoomed, panned and tilted. Placemark locations and distances are approximate. The distances are those calculated by SportTracks from the GPS tracks. If your device/browser doesn’t support the Google Earth plugin, here are a some Google Earth snapshots of several sections of the Kodiak 100/50 Mile courses:

Start to Camp #2	Camp #1 to Camp #3	Camp #3 to Aid #4
Aid #4 to Camp #4	Camp #4 to Aid #6	Aid #6 to Finish

In SportTracks the 100 mile track (from Garmin Connect) worked out to 104 miles with a conservative gain/loss of +15,801 / -15,831. My 50 mile track worked out to 53 miles with a gain/loss of +8,310 / -8,861. SportTracks elevations were corrected using pkan’s Elevation Correction Plugin and NED 1/3 arc second DEMs. SportTracks elevation data smoothing was set to conservative value of 55.

For more info, full results, and photos see the Kodiak 100 web site and Facebook page.

home » weather|southern california » Page 21

Cottonwood Pass – New Army Pass Loop 2013

first published September 7, 2013 & last updated April 19, 2024 Gary Valle

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View east past High Lake from the switchbacks below New Army Pass

The Cottonwood Pass – New Army Pass loop is one of the best 20+ mile mountain trail runs that can be done as a day trip from L.A. You don’t have to get up any earlier than for a local race, and even if you want to get back to the city by 8:00 pm or so there’s still time to enjoy the sights and serenity of the high mountains.

Looking toward Cottonwood Pass (center) from the margin of Horseshoe Meadow (thumbnail) — Cottonwood Pass (center) from the margin of Horseshoe Meadow. Click for larger image!

The monsoon has been active this Summer and more than once I postponed this run because of a threat of thunderstorms. As late as midday yesterday (Friday) the forecast had been for increasing clouds and a chance of thunderstorms, as the moisture from Tropical Storm Lorena was drawn into the area.

View southeast from the Cottonwood Pass Trail past Horseshoe Meadow. (thumbnail) — Horseshoe Meadow from the Cottonwood Pass Trail. Click for larger image!

It may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s worth waiting for good weather to do this run. The views aren’t that great from inside a cloud, and there’s enough going on that you might as well try to eliminate the complications poor weather can create. I always try to carry enough to get by if things go sideways. You can’t avoid all risk, but you can be smart about the risks you take. Decades of climbing, kayaking and skiing adventures have shown me both sides of that adage.

Chicken Spring Lake (11,420') from the PCT. (thumbnail) — Chicken Spring Lake (11,420′). Click for larger image!

This time I hoped the weather would cooperate. With a race on the schedule for September 21, and allowing for taper and recovery, it looked like today might be my last chance to do the Cottonwood loop this year. The main influx of moisture wasn’t expected until Sunday, so it looked like any thunderstorm development would probably be later in the day and isolated.

As it worked out the weather did cooperate. The flow of moisture into the area was delayed, and except for some clouds off to the east and southeast, it was another blue skies, sunshine and short-sleeves Sierra day.

Why do I like this run so much?

Siberian Outpost from the PCT. Click for larger image!

– It’s incredibly scenic. You run along high mountain lakes and meadows, in glaciated canyons, and over high passes.

– It has long runnable stretches. The longest is from New Army Pass back to the car, but there is also good running on the Pacific Crest Trail west of the crest, and as you leave Horseshoe Meadows at the beginning of the run.

– It is cool on a hot summer’s day. As long as you have extra layers in your pack, and pick a good day, the run can often be done in shorts and short-sleeves.

View down the Rock Creek trail on the western approach to New Army Pass. (thumbnail) — Rock Creek Trail. Click for larger image!

– It crosses the Sierra crest twice, at Cottonwood Pass (11,160′) and New Army Pass (12,300′). New Army Pass is the third highest Sierra pass crossed by a major trail, and is a spectacular vantage point.

– It is the closest 20+ mile run to Los Angeles that is almost entirely above 10,000′ and climbs to over 12,000′. All 21 miles of the run are higher than Mt. Baden-Powell (9399′). About 19 miles are higher than Mt. Baldy (10,064′); about 17 miles are higher than Mt. San Jacinto (10,834′); and about 3 miles are higher than Mt. San Gorgonio (11,499′).

Mt. Langley (14,026') from New Army Pass (12,300'). (thumbnail) — Mt. Langley (14,026′) from New Army Pass (12,300′). Click for larger image!

– There is a moderate amount of elevation gain — approximately 3500′.

– Except for one key turn off the PCT that connects to the Rock Creek Trail, the route-finding is relatively straightforward. If you miss that turn you’re going to be doing a much longer run. Take a map!

– Runs through forests of gnarled southern foxtail pines – a close relative of the bristlecone pine. Some of the trees may be a 1000 years old. Some of the dead trunks at higher elevation are several thousand years old and have been studied to see how the tree line has changed in the Sierra.

View east from the top of New Army Pass (12,300'). (thumbnail) — View east from the top of New Army Pass (12,300′). Click for larger image!

– The route is a loop. I’ve done it both directions and prefer doing it clockwise — going over Cottonwood Pass first, and then New Army Pass.

– Snow often persists near New Army Pass well into Summer and small, shaded patches may last through Fall. While it’s fun to see a huge cornice of snow in July, it can also be a problem. If you don’t have mountaineering experience be sure the trail over New Army Pass is clear before doing this loop. Don’t force the issue. The pass is at about mile 12.5. If you turn around at the pass and reverse the route you’ll be doing a 25 mile run instead of 21.

Sierra gentian along an inlet stream to High Lake. (thumbnail) — Sierra gentian along an inlet stream to High Lake. Click for larger image!

– Includes a 5 mile segment of the Pacific Crest Trail. It’s always fun to do another segment of the PCT!

– The drive up the switchbacks on Horseshoe Meadows Road is nearly as exciting and scenic as the run.

– Can check the weather on a web cam. This view is from Lone Pine.

– Can check the temperature and snowpack at 10150′ using the Cottonwood Lakes snow sensor.

Additional details, an interactive Google Earth view, and more photos can be found in the post Cottonwood Pass – New Army Pass Loop 2011 and related posts.

home » weather|southern california » Page 21

But it is a Dry Heat

first published September 2, 2013 & last updated June 22, 2023 Gary Valle

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Mugu Peak in Pt. Mugu State Park

It was humid — Atlanta in the Summer without air conditioning humid. I was sopping wet from head to toe and had just wrung out my high tech shirt like it was a cotton wash rag. Sweat just wasn’t evaporating.

The humidity is often low when it’s hot in Southern California, but not today. I was at the Danielson Multiuse area on my way back to Wendy Drive after doing Mugu Peak in Pt. Mugu State Park. Because of its moderate elevation gain the 21 mile run (round trip) to Mugu Peak is a good one to do back-to-back with another run when training for a longer event. Today’s run was a follow-up to a 20 mile run in the San Gabriel Mountains yesterday.

When I got back home I checked some Remote Automated Weather Stations (RAWS) to see just how humid it was. At the Circle X RAWS at 10:10 am the temperature was 86°F, the dew point 70°F, and the relative humidity 59%. Further inland at the Cheeseboro RAWS at 10:38 am the temperature was 91°F, the “in the sun” temperature was 97°F, and the dew point was 65°F. Those are conditions you might find in Hawaii or the Southeastern U.S. in the summertime.

The NWS uses the Heat Index as a guide for issuing alerts related to heat. In practice runners will find that the Heat Index doesn’t do a very good job because it makes assumptions that don’t necessarily apply to runners — for example that you are in the shade and walking. According to the NWS “exposure to full sunshine can increase heat index values by up to 15°F.”

I’ve found the dew point to be an easy to apply indicator of humidity on hot days. If the air temperature on a run is in the neighborhood of 90°F I start to notice the humidity at a dew point of around 55°F. At a dew point of 60°F the humidity is definitely noticeable, and at a dew point of 65°F and above the humidity is increasingly oppressive.

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San Gorgonio Mountain: Dollar Lake – Dry Lake Trail Run

published August 24, 2013 Gary Valle

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Craig running on the Sky High Trail on San Gorgonio Mountain

As we rounded the shoulder of Jepson Peak the pyramidal form of San Jacinto Peak came into view. A strong southerly flow was pushing a layer of cumulus clouds up the Coachella Valley, into Banning Pass, and toward San Gorgonio Mountain. Above, a higher layer of clouds was beginning to coalesce.

Moisture from the remnants of Tropical Storm Ivo was being drawn into the monsoonal flow, and if the weather models had it right the increasingly strong flow would result in an increasing chance of thunderstorms over the next few days. Even today the NWS Zone Forecast indicated a slight chance of a showers and thunderstorms:

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
330 AM PDT SAT AUG 24 2013
…FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH MONDAY
EVENING…
.TODAY…MOSTLY SUNNY IN THE MORNING…THEN PARTLY CLOUDY WITH A
SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON.
WARMER. HIGHS 76 TO 86 ABOVE 6000 FEET TO 88 TO 98 BELOW
6000 FEET. SNOW LEVEL ABOVE 8000 FEET. AREAS OF WINDS SOUTH
15 MPH. GUSTS TO 25 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON. CHANCE OF MEASURABLE
PRECIPITATION 20 PERCENT.

We had left South Fork trailhead a few minutes late, but were making good time. Including stops for photos and a wilderness permit check it had taken us about 2 1/4 hours to reach Dollar Lake Saddle. A quick calculation put us on the summit of Gorgonio around 11:00-11:15. Based on what I was seeing over and around the mountain I thought that we would probably get to summit before weather became an issue. The key word was “probably.” Experience has taught that computer weather models don’t always get it right, and mountain weather often seems to have a mind of its own.

Craig and I were doing the reverse a route I’d done three weeks before. This time at South Fork Meadows we’d turned right at the fork and gone up the Dollar Lake Trail to Dollar Lake Saddle. I was curious to see if the counter-clockwise version of the loop was a better trail run than the clockwise loop.

On the way up to Dollar Lake Saddle we’d stopped to take a closer look at a tall pine I’d noticed on my last run here. It had been struck by lightning. Judging from the width of the scar and its ragged, pitch-covered margins, the stroke had been a strong one and had occurred within the last couple of years. Based on the tree’s elevation (about 8400′), the size of the cones, and the shape of the prickles on the cones, the tree was a Jeffrey pine.

Now we were on the San Bernardino Divide Trail, about 1 1/2 miles beyond Dollar Lake Saddle and about 2 miles from the summit. After doing the peak we would descend via the Sky High and Dry Lake Trails to South Fork Meadows, where we’d refill our hydration packs and continue down the South Fork Trail to the trailhead. We’d be descending directly to Dry Lake, rather than taking the route via Fish Creek Saddle and Lodgepole Spring.

It was chilly! For the first time in several weeks of mountain running I pulled on my sleeves. There was a different feeling about the mountain today. A fitful wind streamed through the branches of the lodgepole and limber pines, its flow noisy and turbulent, and its speed and direction unsettled.

As we worked toward the summit, it was evident the top of the cumulus cloud layer was rising and the clouds in all layers were starting to show more development. On top, I was surprised to see how far the cumulus had pushed up Whitewater Canyon. Everyone on the summit was in good spirits — some more so than others. Now that we were on top we could talk about how spectacular the weather was, rather than how threatening.

The run down from the peak on the Sky High Trail was absolutely superb — and far less rocky than running down to Dollar Lake Saddle on the Divide Trail. At about 10,600′, and a couple of switchbacks above the C-47 crash memorial, we were suddenly surrounded by clouds. This was a treat for us — we were headed down — but for the people headed up the peak it posed a quandry that has faced mountaineers for millennia: Continue up, or go down?

This time, as this Aqua/MODIS satellite image from 2:15 pm shows, San Gorgonio Mountain was on the margin of the monsoon flow. Although there was a lot of cumulus around and over the mountain, most of the major thunderstorm development was to the east and southeast of the peak. The closest automated weather station I could find with measurable rainfall was the Burns Canyon RAWS, 13 miles to the northeast. It recorded 0.17 inch between 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm. The Yucca Valley RAWS, 22 miles away, recorded 0.18 inch between 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm. In the big storms to the southeast, Fish Creek Mountain recorded nearly one inch in one hour.

So which direction of the loop was the better trail run? I’d have to give the edge to the counterclockwise loop — up the Dollar Lake and Divide Trails and down the Sky High and Dry Lake Trails. There is still a lot of very rocky, technical trail — particularly on the Dry Lake Trail, but the outstanding running on the Sky High Trail between 11,400′ and 10,000′ more than makes up for it!

Some related posts: San Gorgonio Mountain: Dry Lake – Fish Creek Saddle – Dollar Lake Loop, San Gorgonio Mountain: Falls Creek Loop August 2013

home » weather|southern california » Page 21

San Gorgonio Mountain: Falls Creek Loop August 2013

published August 10, 2013 Gary Valle

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Plummer Meadows on the Falls Creek Trail

Sitting on the summit of Gorgonio I shook hands with Cole and said “Hi” to his friends. They had run up Gorgonio from the Fish Creek trailhead and we were comparing notes. He’d asked how far I’d run from Momyer. I told him “about 13” and commented that I was surprised by the amount of water in the creeks. He commented, “There’s no water on the way up from Fish Creek.” I looked down, and in his pack was a gallon jug of water. One gallon of water weighs 8.3 pounds, but put it in your pack and it feels like a hundred!

Other than a Southern Pacific rattlesnake encounter and a finicky UV pen the ascent from Momyer had gone well. Alger Creek had enough water I had to pick my way across the creek, and the small streams below Saxton Camp and at Plummer Meadows had more than adequate water for filtering. The creeks were lined with with ferns and flowers and there was little hint of the past year’s meager snowpack and rainfall.

One reason might be that the on-again, off-again summer monsoon had been on much of the latter part of July. This resulted in 0.04 inch of rainfall in Downtown Los Angeles July 26 — enough for a record — and rainfall totals of over two inches in some mountain areas. The Fawnskin RAWS, at Big Bear Lake recorded 1.3 inches of rain over the period July 20-26.

The encounter with the rattlesnake had been dicey. After an hour of steep climbing on the Momyer Trail I’d turned east onto the Alger Creek Trail and was running at about 7200′ on a more or less level stretch of trail in an area of gray rocks. Earlier the possibility of a rattlesnake had flitted through my mind, but I’d become lost in a reverie of early morning sun, tall pines, cool temperatures and easy terrain.

The dark gray Southern Pacific rattlesnake might as well have been invisible. As I began an elongated stride over a large gray rock, something moved just beyond the rock. My brain registered “SNAKE!” and then a microsecond later “RATTLESNAKE!!” Adrenalin turned my already elongated stride into an awkward leap that carried me just over the moving reptile.

The snake had been sunning itself on the trail and was as startled as I was. In a panicked movement it wriggled onto a flat rock on the side of the trail and stopped. My momentum had carried me a few feet past the snake and I turned as quickly as I could to try and get a photo. Rattlesnake for sure — heavier body, triangular head with BIG venom glands. When I took a couple of steps toward the snake to get a shot, it said “no way” and slithered into an opening in the talus.

The title photo was taken at Plummer Meadows. The spot is a favorite, and the water source has never failed me. It looked no different today than in any other year. Although the stream is small, the flow was good. The area along the stream was lush and green and decorated with yellow sneezeweed, white ranger’s buttons and magenta fireweed. Tracing the path of the stream up the drainage, it lead to High Meadow Springs; about 1000′ higher and just below the divide.

The pine in the foreground of the photo is interesting. The upper part of its trunk was snapped off some years ago, probably by an avalanche in a very big snowpack year. Given the age of the tree, the big winter of 1968-69 (44 years ago) seems like the most likely candidate.

According to the California DWR report “California High Water 1968-69” during the period January 18-27, 1969, Lake Arrowhead recorded 25.66 inches of precipitation. Given the south-facing aspect and the 9000′-10,500′ altitude of the Plummer Meadows drainage, 30-40+ inches precipitation — much of it in the form of snow — is a possibility. The DWR report indicates that Mt. Baldy (village) recorded 41.6 inches of precipitation during the period January 24-27, 1969! Additional heavy precipitation was recorded in February. This could have translated to 25 feet or more of snow.

From Plummer Meadows the trail climbs about 1000′ over 1.5 miles to Dollar Lake Saddle. Much of the climb is on a well-shaded, northwest-facing slope that can be quite cool. There is a stand of limber pines along this section of trail.

The stretch from Dollar Lake Saddle to the summit is outstanding with far ranging views along and to either side of the divide. I had expected to see a pall of smoke from the Silver Fire and while the visibility wasn’t perfect, it could have been much worse. Including stops for photos and a wilderness permit check it took about an hour and a half to get to the summit from Dollar Lake Saddle. This is about normal for me and I was glad to still have some legs after doing the peak from South Fork the previous week.

How do the three trail runs I’ve done on San Gorgonio compare? Outside of the Sierra, I don’t think there is a better mountain run in Southern California that can be done as day trip than the Falls Creek Loop. The South Fork Dry Lake – Dollar Lake loop is also excellent, but the downhill running on the Dollar Lake Trail isn’t quite as good as on the Vivian Creek Trail. The Highline/Divide loop is the most adventurous and includes the most running above 10,000′, but sections of the trail below the divide are usually overgrown and you have to go off the Divide Trail to get water.

home » weather|southern california » Page 21

San Gorgonio Mountain: Dry Lake – Fish Creek Saddle – Dollar Lake Loop

first published August 3, 2013 & last updated December 4, 2019 Gary Valle

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Sky High Trail on San Gorgonio Mountain

Sky High Trail a Mile from the Top of San Gorgonio Mountain

Time flies when you’re having fun, and except for kayaking the upper Santa Ana River and a ski ascent or two, the last time I’d been on the north side of San Gorgonio was before Poopout Hill closed in 1988. Curious to refresh my memory of the area and compare a South Fork trail run to those on the Forest Falls side of the mountain, I started thinking about what would be an interesting route to do.

Running in shorts and short sleeves, I’d left the South Fork trailhead about 7:30 and was now about a half-hour into the run. Up ahead was the turn-off to Poopout Hill and not far beyond that the wilderness boundary. I’d been doing a mix of fast hiking and running and enjoying the morning. A black-capped chickadee had stopped on a branch to say hi, and a Steller’s jay was complaining loudly from the top of a pine. Earlier I’d passed Horse Meadows, an iconic scene with sunlight filtering through the trees, green meadows and rustic brown cowboy cabins.

About a quarter mile past Poopout Hill my jaw dropped as I rounded a corner and was suddenly in a sizable avalanche path. A tumult of interleaved firs and pines lay in a hundred yard wide swath that extended thousands of vertical feet up the mountain.

This avalanche likely occurred within a few days of January 23, 2010, following (or during) a multi-day rain and snow event in Southern California. Over the seven day period from January 17 to January 23, the rain gauge at Mill Creek recorded 7.82 inches of precipitation. According to a NWS report, Mt. Baldy recorded 7′ of snow at the 8600′ level. The source area of the avalanche appears to have been in a cirque near peak 10,230.

Working up the hill toward South Fork Meadows I stopped to chat with a Ranger, who checked my wilderness permit and mentioned a group of day hikers had left South Fork very early and were ahead of me.

At the Dry Lake/Dollar Lake fork at South Fork Meadows I turned left onto the Dry Lake Trail. I already heard water, so one question was answered — there was plenty of water at South Fork Meadows. Comments on the Water Info Collector had said Lodgepole Spring was low, but “flowing OK,” so the plan was to top off my water there.

Dry Lake was indeed dry, but the meadow in its place and backdrop of sculptured mountains was still impressive. The next stop was Lodgepole Spring; I just had to find the use trail leading to it. This was one of those situations where it’s important to note the details of the topography. There are two areas that people camp at Dry Lake (noted on a sign) and the use trail is in the drainage above the second, more southerly camp.

After talking to some campers I followed the trail around the east side of Dry Lake and into the primary camping area. After working up the drainage a couple tenths of a mile I found a small spring flowing out of some willows. Rather than taking the time to use a UV pen, I used a makeshift cup to fill a one liter collapsible water bottle with a built-in filter. Hopefully that, and what was left in my pack, would get me up to the peak and back down to South Fork Meadows.

The “use” trail from Lodgepole Spring was not too difficult to follow and it took about 30 minutes to get up to Fish Creek Saddle. The trail between Fish Creek Saddle and Mineshaft Saddle more or less follows the 9880′ contour line and was reasonably runnable. It passes through an area of lodgepole pines killed by the mountain pine beetle.

In a few minutes I rejoined the regular Dry Lake route at Mine Shaft Saddle and started up the increasingly scenic Sky High Trail. About a mile up the trail from Mine Shaft Saddle is wreckage and a memorial to the personnel of a Douglas C-47 that crashed in a snowstorm on December 1, 1952. The C-47B “Gooney Bird” was a military version of the venerable DC-3 airliner.

The Sky High Trail earned its name as it switchbacked up to 11,000′, and wrapped around the south side of Gorgonio’s summit. From the airy trail there are stunning views past The Tarn to Banning Pass and Mt. San Jacinto. The Sky High Trail joined the Divide Trail a little east of the Vivian Creek Trail junction and in a couple of minutes I was jogging east across the summit plateau to the blocky summit of San Gorgonio Mountain.

According to the Trail Mileage Handout (PDF) from the San Gorgonio Wilderness Association the descent from the summit by way of Dollar Lake Saddle and the Dollar Lake Trail is about 10.7 miles — which is a little shorter than the 11.4 miles listed using the regular Dry Lake route. (Mileage doesn’t include the side trip to Lodgepole Spring.) Even so, I think the Dry Lake route is the preferred route from South Fork Meadows. It’s more scenic and aesthetic.

The running was technical, but good down to Dollar Lake Saddle. Below Dollar Lake Saddle the trail was often very rocky. This lightning-scarred pine was on one of the last switchbacks before South Fork Meadows. I was happy to get down to South Fork Meadows, get some water, and get onto a better trail! By about 3:30 pm I was back at the car and enjoying an ice cold bottle of water.

Some related posts: Falls Creek Loop 2012, San Gorgonio High Line 2009

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