Yesterday, I was able to join up with my friend Lubna and six other hikers from the Sierra Club (Kay, Bill, Amanda, Bindu, Jeff, and Chang) as the eight of us attempted to complete four lesser-known peaks, mostly off trail, in the San Jacinto Wilderness Area.
We met up early at the Palm Springs Tram Station to make the first tram up to Long Valley at about 8,500 feet. As our lead navigator for the day, Kay, checked in with the rangers to get our permit, the ranger decided to throw a wrench in her plans and convince her to take an alternate route than what she had planned. Keep in mind that Kay was navigating us to each peak using just a map and compass. No GPS!
We stepped off right around 0830 and on a quick pace headed off along the trail. After about .9 miles we veered off along the Sid Davis Trail. A little-known use trail that travels East to West bypassing Tamarack Valley Camp which is also just north to the north of Round Valley Camp and passing right under Cornell Peak (a bucket list hike of mine). At about the 3-mile mark we came out of a draw and crossed the Peak Trail, just below Jean Peak. We adjusted our direction and continued in a west-southwest direction straight up the side of Jean Peak at 10670 feet. This was just about a half mile off trail rock scramble that gained about 630 feet in elevation.
After a quick celebration on Jean Peak, we then headed down the southwest slope of Jean giving up about 350 feet in elevation before making a quick climb up to Shirley Peak, at about 10,330 feet elevation, before continuing down a few hundred feet and then back up to Marion Mountain at 10362 feet. Three down one to go!
After a short break at Marion Mountain, we headed about 1.5 miles due north cross country to a saddle just below Newton Drury Peak. We had lunch and then made the quick trek west to Newton Drury Peak at 10,160 feet.
Mission Accomplished! But wait!! As we back tracked back down to the saddle, we decided since we were so close, we should go ahead and summit San Jacinto Peak for our fifth peak of the day. So, we headed straight up again in a northeast direction coming out right where the Peak Trail meets the Deer Springs/Marion Mountain Trail, about .3 miles below San Jacinto, gaining another 600 feet in elevation in about a half mile. We quickly made our way up the peak trail gaining another 200 plus feet to the summit of San Jacinto at 10,834 feet.
For me personally, this was my third summit of San Jacinto this year and my 26th summit overall. We spent some time at the summit celebrating our 5th peak of the day. Then we decided to take another off-trail route heading in a northeast direction down the side of San Jacinto Peak before meeting up with the Peak Trail at the long switchback near Miller Peak. After a short discussion, it didn’t take long for all of us to head up to the summit of Miller Peak. Our Sixth and Final Peak of the day. All six above 10,000 feet.
Once down from the summit of Miller Peak we continued down the Peak Trail to the point where we came out of the draw on the and the Sid Davis Trail. We finished off as we started, off trail the remainder (well most) of the way back to the tram.
What an awesome day for all of us. Six Peaks, 12 miles, and just under 4,000 feet of elevation gain. Most of which was off trail route finding. 😊
Responses