Hike Log

New fave

Trailhead:

South Fork

Type of Hike:

Overnight

Trail Conditions:

Trail in good condition

ROAD:

Road suitable for all vehicles

Bugs:

Bugs were not too bad

Snow:

Snowfields to cross – could be difficult

here's my trail report from FB. South Fork – Dry Lake – San Gorgonio – Dollar Lake – my new favorite hike!!! So happy to have done this. Trail report with some stuff I wish I had known first:

A couple simple water crossings around 3.1mi in. Hiking poles make this easier, but not bad. At Dry Lake, there is a fork in the trail. The signage is totally broken – all you can see is “…camp.” So, both Lodgepole and Dry Lake camps are on the trail to the left. Lodgepole Springs is running with beautiful fresh water – very much worth the short detour to restock on water. As you head up Dry Lake Trail, multiple winter avalanches run over the trail – very easy to mis-step and get off trail. But as long as you know where you are going, easy to route find and get back on. Finally – there is still a decent sized section of snow/ice on the trail (pictures included). There is no leveling off, no hint of a trail, it is as steep as the side of the mountain over which it lays. People say they have been climbing up and around it – well, going up and then back down is pretty steep on some very loose rock. Would have turned back at this point as I am NOT a fan of off-trailing, but when necessary (we were meeting another group at the peak and all traversing down a third way so couldn't turn around) …. we ended up climbing up the side of the mountain in order to get to the peak (with out backpacking packs on). We were not the only ones to do this. I've read that some ran across this area or used micro spikes – I don't see that any of those would have helped. We watched one guy with an ice axe try to traverse across, but he gave up after a few steps and came up our way. It was a workout, but actually lots of fun – again I just feel bad but glad I wasn't the only one. Would have been nice if there was a sign explaining this more at the trailhead (I didn't have any paper otherwise would have left one).

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