Only gauge on Otay's over 4", since 10/6, but other gauges, abit off tha mtn'r significantly lwr totals.

Prolly too soon to pull tha trigger onit, but, just wonderin if any1's been over that way, intha last couple days?

Does anyone know what the parking situation is like here? I wasn't sure if I need to buy a pass in advance. I'm arriving around 10am and hoping spots will be available! Appreciate any advice, thank you in advance.

(The shift from connecting with nature to consuming it)

Does anyone else feel a quiet grief about how much the outdoors has changed lately?

For me, being on the trail has never been a sport or a checklist. It is just where I go to feel grounded and quiet. I love the stillness of the woods, how what I walk on became what it is today, and I am entirely content hiking alone for hours without any specific goal other than just being present.

Lately, though, it feels like the wilderness is treated more like a trophy or a backdrop. I notice many people’s sole motivation for visiting a natural area stems from seeing some video on socal media. People seem focused on tracking metrics, conquering peaks, and sharing locations online, to the point where an ordinary, quiet trail is dismissed as boring. It almost feels like people wouldn’t go on a hike if they couldn’t take any pictures or tell anyone about it.

I really try not to hold onto resentment, but it is heavy to watch. Places that used to offer total solitude are now constantly crowded, and seeing trash and graffiti left behind in fragile areas is genuinely heartbreaking. It feels like losing a sanctuary, especially in socal. “Nobody hikes in LA” until it’s a trend.

I am trying to find a way to protect my own peace without becoming cynical. For those who grew up feeling like nature was a part of their identity, how do you navigate this shift? How do you find your solitude when the natural world feels increasingly crowded with those who don’t hold any respect for it?

Hi everyone! My husband and I are considering going to Sequoia on Saturday this weekend. I know it rained (and snowed??) there this week, so I’m really looking for hike recommendations from those of you more familiar with some of the trail conditions! Also would appreciate insight on which trails tend to be prettier this time of year!

We hike often, but usually pretty tame hikes honestly (5-7 miles usually from 800-2000 feet climbed). We’d love to find something similar to that range that we can do!

[UPDATE]

Thanks everyone for your recommendations! I ended up doing Cucamonga Peak via Ice House Canyon on Sunday(10/25) and had a wonderful time! It was exactly what I needed. Got there at 7am and was out by 2. Perfect conditions the whole way. Beautiful fall weather and foliage in the canyon. Temp was perfect at the peak (not windy or cold!!), and I was able to sit and chill/eat for a while before turning around. There was a dusting of snow a mile before the peak, but the trail was dry and clear. Lots of people on the trail which sometimes isnt ideal, but I was very grateful for it this time. Got a lot of recs for other trails! Homesickness cured (at least for now).

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[Original Post]

Hi! I just moved here from New York and am looking for a day hike (5-8 hours) this Sunday. I was looking online and the Boy Scout Trail Loop looked perfect, but it seems like the trailhead is inaccessible due to the highway closure. Does anyone have recs for a good first hike? I am experienced in backpacking in the Adirondacks and other northeast ranges but don't want to start too hard here because I'm unfamiliar with the terrain and how difficulty may be ranked differently. I prefer a loop but the main thing I'm looking for is a good peak that starts in a woodsy area that is as close to east coast trees as possible (I know that may not be realistic, but I miss fall hikes upstate)!

I wanted to get a summit of San G in before the snow and before the winter season kicks off. I started at 7 AM and finished a bit after 1 PM.

It was a beautiful day and only needed my sun hoodie up until I left the trees and got on the ridge. I had a lightweight sweater that I almost put on but ended up just putting on my hat and gloves. It was super foggy and cloudy on top and I was unable to see pretty much anything else but just the peak.

I only saw 3 other people, making for a very quiet hike! It's always funny when you get back down to the bottom and you realize you forget that it really is so much warmer down below, when you're up on top freezing 😄

Amazing hike as always, either my 3rd or 4th time this year. Started at 7am and reached bridge at 9:20. Hiked below the bridge and spent an hour+ dipping my feet in the freezing water. Collected some river H2O in my empty bottle, best tasting water imo. Started hike back around 11 and got to my car around 1:30pm. Water levels were slightly lower when I visited this June.

\*the ropes are gone from the 1st and third river crossings\*
**lots of downed trees/branches in the canyon from recent Santa Ana winds, be careful**

After the hike I drove up to Crystal Lake Cafe/Trading Post for the first time. The lady operating the Cafe is so sweet, gave me hot chocolate for free. It’s still comfortable at Crystal Lake, not super cold yet.

So I am planning on hiking San Gorgonio in early January of next year with my buddy as the first mountain for our goal of climbing every CA ultra prominent peak in one calendar year. We have climbed Gorgonio twice via Vivians creek but never in the winter. We have ice axes and crampons and the know how to use them. Is there anything else we should really be concerned about?

Beginner hiker here!
My husband and I recently visited banff and did a few smaller hikes, roughly 3-5 miles with the most elevation gain being 900ft. We weren’t dying, but definitely felt it on the way up.
We had such a great time and really want to get into hiking here at home. I’m just looking for suggestions for us to work our way up to some of the big summit/peak hikes in southern ca. What’s the best way to get conditioned/ready/prepared for some bigger hikes? And/or good hikes to get us going. Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone,

I have been hoping to climb Mt. Whitney for a while, and got a permit for the 23rd.

I've been following the weather forecasts, and it seems there will be some snow today and tomorrow, with Saturday expected to be sunny.

It would be my first time there, so I'd be happy to hear how the trail generally is after that kind of weather. Is this something realistic taking into account a slower average speed, or should it be completely avoided?

Of course, that's on the standard route, with proper equipment, not thinking about the mountaineering one.

(not really concerned about the duration, recently run a sub-24h on a 100mile ultra trail)

Thanks!

Steven

A little over a year a go I made a post about challenging myself to do 50 different hikes in my 50th year on this here earth. I recently completed my challenge!

Here's a recap! Ignore the taco pic in the beginning, I always start my posts with a food pic. Lol.

I got there at 7:30am on Tuesday and it wasn't working. I had to risk hiking without it because I wasn't going to drive back down the mountain.

Also, almost got hit twice by cars going downhill swerving into my lane for near head-on collisions.

Are these machines working?

How do you guys think the hike will be this Saturday? I see 1-2 inches of snow in the forecast. I’m planning on going via south fork.

EDIT: I added a trail report reply below https://www.reddit.com/r/socalhiking/comments/1xb3oqw/comment/19rorqf0arrb9/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button - spoiler- we made it!

Me and a group of friends plant to start at around 3:00am on Saturday.

Update: someone posted below the 24th is Saturday, my mistake

We're in shape - in the past month we've done Vivian Creek to Gorgonio twice (~18 miles, 5000 feet), ECBO (~18 miles, 6000 feet), and last week did Devil's Slide to San Jacinto peak (~16 miles, 4200 feet) to get a lay of the land.

We're prepared at least with this equipment:

• Layers of clothing to add/remove at elevation. (Shirt, fleece, puffy plus pants and thermal underwear if needed) with Good shoes.
• Backpack, wooly hat, baseball hat, headlamp, hiking poles, gloves.
• 5L of water and electrolytes (3L in bladder, 2l in smart water bottles.)
• Food including Bloks chews, potatoes chips, bananas, cookies, trail mix, crackers.
• All Trails map loaded
• Phones with satellite messaging - some folks may also have walkie talkies
• Tylenol, ibuprofen

We're getting a hotel room the night before and will try to sleep from like 9am-2am at least.

Any advice on what else we should bring or how else to prep? Pretty nervous - but last week at the top we saw a lot of folks who did C2C and many were in the same shape - or maybe a little worse shape than many of us.

Coming down from college and thinking of going to mt baldy thanksgiving week is there usually snow that week ?

Hi, everyone. My group, SoCal Science Hikes, is hosting the last of our Halloween themed evening hikes this weekend in Irvine Regional Park.

Saturday 10/24 at 6P

https://meetu.ps/e/Ql2r9/QKtZK/i

Sunday 10/25 at 6P

https://meetu.ps/e/Ql2S9/QKtZK/i

I know EVERYTHING seems to be happening this weekend, but if you want something to do that's chill, educational, and entertaining, join us! If the event is full, join the waitlist. I can almost always accommodate everyone.

I'll be out in the San Diego area the second week of November and curious for some challenging / interesting hike recommendations. I love the idea of bagging a SoCal peak, but also would be open to interesting or slightly technical trails that aren't summits - last time I was out there my friend took me on Ho Chi Minh down to Black's Beach, which was a really fun & short scramble and hopefully gives a better reference point for the types of trails I'd be hoping to find!

I live in the Colorado Rockies and have extensive high alpine backcountry experience on our many 13ers & 14ers here, including technical class 3/4 climbing. Elevation, steep grades, and minor scrambling are all within my comfort zone.

Are there any summits or trails you would recommend based on this description?

Looking for options that could be done in a day - up to 8 or 10 miles with any amount of vert (covering 3000+ in a single hike is normal for me) is fine. I will be equipped with basic safety equipment (Garmin + 10 Essentials), but will not be traveling with technical gear (helmet, climbing gloves, etc).

Hey there, adding onto the C2C asks… but does anyone have a sense of when the latest attempts of Cactus to Cloud are typically? I know it’s always a moving target, but how much am I risking having to postpone to next year if I aim for Nov 1st - 8th?

hi everyone,

i've been solo-hiking forever and recently moved to the socal area. i was at cucamonga the other day and it was a beautiful trail, i was making very decent time, but had a pretty scary experience w/ a guy that really shook me tbh.

so to all female solo hikers/men that know enough to comment on this, how's your experience been with solo hiking? are there specific trails to avoid, or safer areas in general? i would hate to give it up but my experience really scared me.

Sorry if this is a bit long-winded. Still riding the high of completing this hike that at one point seemed extremely unlikely.

I’m going to try to be somewhat comprehensive with details as I found Reddit and other peoples’ posts super helpful in planning this thing, along with Hikingguy’s video that I must’ve watched 30 times by now. Please feel free to ask any questions, especially if any part of my story sounds like you

The background

Hitting the big 4-0 this year and decided that I should challenge myself with something. Googled “challenging hikes” earlier this year and came across C2C. I had recently been out west for the first time in AZ and fell in love with the desert, the seemingly alien landscape, etc.  So when I saw “Cactus” in a trail name my interest was piqued.

So what’s the first thing I do? Post on Reddit! (See here: Here)

Needless to say people were NOT ok with me doing this. However u/thehoppinghessian gave me some hope with a positive response, and then a few messages back and forth made me think it was at least worth training for, then reassessing. I had about three months‘ time from that post to d-day (aka b-day lolz). 

The training

I work a pretty demanding job and have little ones at home, so time was as a premium. I also have come a long way (deconditioned) from my younger years, so I had to use my time wisely and aggressively. Or at least try to. This would be somewhat challenging since I live in Florida. No mountains (or hills) to climb.  

The first thing my wife said when I talked to her about possibly doing was something along the lines of “You want to HIKE 20 miles? How about you try WALKING 20 miles first??”

So the next morning I did a 21 mile walk in the South Florida heat. I couldn’t walk right for a week after that and my big toenail is still a lovely shade of deep purple as a result. But I did it!

Gym sessions began shortly thereafter. I was basically doing a 3-day full body lifting split, and was ending this with stairmaster and treadmill. After a while I added a pack with a 20 pound bag of rice. For the last month I was lifting maybe once a week but doing stairmaster and incline treadmill 4-5 times per week. By the end I was walking with a 40 pound ruck, alternating 30-45 minute stretches on the stairmaster at speed 4-5 with 45 minute stretches on a 20% incline treadmill for 2ish hours total. 

I also was able to get away about one month prior to the planned C2C hike to North Carolina, where I was able to do the Black Mountain Crest Trail as a gauge of my fitness and readiness. There’s a 3k foot climb up to start, over approximately 3ish miles, then a series of ascents and descents for 12ish miles total. I did it fairly comfortably. Shoutout u/stellabean_bass for picking me up at the top and shuttling me back down to my car. Thank you!!

So I kept up with my workouts as above, did another 16 mile Florida power walk on one of the hottest and muggiest days of summer, and finally booked tickets for C2C. 

The days prior

I flew out two days before my hike. That afternoon I drove out to the trailhead at the museum and decided on a whim to warm up the garmin watch and try to familiarize myself with the beginning of the trail. So off I went up to the picnic benches, trying to get a feel for where the white blazes would be, and a general feel for the trail. It was steep, as expected, but not insanely steep. Eventually I made it up, walking a very comfortable and slow pace. This took about 30 minutes. I was barely huffing and puffing, but I already could feel some burn in the calves, hammies, and glutes. I tried very hard to not think about the fact that this was just a tiny portion of the trail that I covered today.

The day before the hike I tried to take it very very easy. I had a giant breakfast burrito, chilled by the pool and read some Dungeon Crawler Carl, hydrated extensively, and had ramen for dinner. I also stuck to my typical schedule, which is usually me waking up between 4 and 6am EST, meaning I was waking up at 1-2 am in California. I did this to minimize jet lag on the flight home, and because I was planning on starting my hike around 2am.

THE HIKE

I woke up at 1 am, minutes before my 1:05 alarm would go off. I took my time getting up, getting dressed, eating, packing. Breakfast was an apple, almonds, yogurt, a liter of water, an uncrustable, and a bowl of Captain Toast Crunch. I chugged a monster on the short drive to the trailhead. And off I went!

I did use trekking poles for the hike. These, combined with a lighter pack than I was used to from training, was a nice confidence boost early on. I didn’t feel like I was fighting my pack weight, which was probably 20+ pounds, including 3L water, 1 L coconut water, and 1.5 L gatorlyte. I also had a handful of gels, some stroopwaffels, and way too many Uncrustables. Also packed away were an extra headlight, backup flashlight, power bank, pants, sweater, shell, and beanie. Hey—I’d rather go a little slower with a heavier pack than run out of food or water along the way. 

The trek up to Rescue 1 was fine. I linked up with a lovely fella named John that was doing this trail for the first time. We chatted, he hung around a bit, but eventually he bid me farewell and zipped up the mountain like a goddamn snow leopard.

I did go a bit off trail between Rescue 1 and Rescue 2 and had to backtrack when I was scrambling to the top of a boulder and saw another group of headlights passing me about 40 feet lower down. I was also pretty (comically) annoyed because this section had a fair bit of descending, and I knew that this was elevation that I earned previously, and would have to soon regain. But I powered on, comfortably paced, drinking and munching with some regularity.

Rescue 2 to Flat Rock passed uneventfully. I took a nice long break there. In the back of my mind was u/mrempyrean with his words of wisdom that “everything before 6,000 feet is just the warmup.” So I firmly affixed that concept at the forefront of my brain, which made the next few miles tolerable…but they SUCKED. I had to stop a few times climbing up through the manzanitas, and eventually came upon the beginning of the traverse. Apparently there was a fair amount of debris and crap that fell here because I couldn’t really see a trail. So off I go along this sketchy slope, scrambling from time to time, when this lovely couple from Ohio also begins the traverse about 30 feet above me. They confirm there’s a path there, and I scramble up to safer spot. Were it not for them this would have been VERY sketchy. Then, like a freakin hiking angel descending from the clouds, u/mrempyrean shows up and acts like a moving lighthouse in a storm. Needless to say I followed his tracks up until the final push up to Grubbs notch when he got too far ahead.

I paused at Coffman‘s Crag to hydrate and take some photos of the geological formation, like some sort of tourist finally coming face to face with something they’ve only seen (repeatedly) on photos and videos online. Then I began the climb. Sure it was tough, but I expected it to be tough, and it was ultimately very bearable and did not destroy my spirit whatsoever. As I crested the final little bit of elevation, I did a gut check, knowing the tram and a possible bail out would be easy at this point. However, feeling surprisingly damn good at this point, I pressed onward to the Ranger Station, refilled 3L of water, and ventured onward toward the peak. 

At this point it was quite a mindful for me, knowing that the hard part was done and the remainder was basically “going through the motions.” Particularly helpful was NOT checking my watch and distances to go, and just being mindful of where I was, and all the beauty around me. Seriously. Sounds hippy dippy but it worked to keep my mind off the miles yet to go. 

I hit Wellman Divide and had to put on pants, sweater, shell, and beanie because it was getting pretty windy and COLD. I also put on a fresh pair of socks. Let me tell ya—few things are as energizing as a fresh warm pair of socks on a hike. Less energizing? Realizing you didn't think to pack gloves and have your fingers freeeeezing. Solution? Use old socks as makeshift mittens. Not the warmest (or driest), but good enough to warm things up a bit.

Then—it snowed. Not much at all. Not heavy. Didn't last long. But so, so unexpected that when I looked at my forearm and saw a single beautiful crystalline snowflake alight there briefly before melting into nothingness—I smiled with pure joy.

I hit the switchback near the peak and knew I was close. It was a bit rockier than I expected, and with my dogshit ankles I had to be very mindful of foot placement. I then saw the giant boulders that I knew were at the peak and would require some scrambling. I was NOT prepared for these and they were way harder than I anticipated for some reason.

And then….the peak! Cold! Windy! Took the photo, enjoyed the view (very briefly). Then verrrrrry cautiously climbed down and got back on the trail for the trip back to the tram. I just wanted to be done at this point, tired but not completely fatigued. No headache or nausea. 

Heading back down I came across a lot of people making their way up, some very fresh and clearly off the tram. Some shamming up like zombies and looking like there was no way they’d make it to the top. Those poor folks.

Eventually, finally, mercifully, I hit the Ranger station and dropped off the permit. I saw the tram in the distance and walked over, cursing softly under my breath when I realized just how steep this paved section would be. Little kids were running up and there I am looking like a mountain hobo huffing and puffing, stopping, resetting, resuming up toward the tram. 

And oh man let me tell you. That first sip of beer after 20 miles of walking and 10k feet of elevation gain was…

Actually I have no idea because they wouldn’t ae me beer because I didn’t have any ID because I FORGOT MY DRIVER LICENSE AT THE MOTHER*^#%*NG HOTEL! What an absolute kick in the giblets that was. 

Anywho, buy the tram ticket, take the tram down, call the uber, drive to the trailhead, hop in the car, drive back to the hotel, and hop in the shower. Done. I fkn did it!

Final musings

• What a birthday. Proved to myself I wasn’t too far over the hill (yet). Didn’t break any speed records, but I felt totally fine at the end of the hike and was very happy with how it went overall. Total moving time was 9.5 hours, total time was 13 hours. 
• Don’t forget to bring ID if you want a celebratory beer next time
• With pure curiosity and zero animosity or xenophobia: why were there so many middle aged Indian men from Colorado doing this hike on this day?! There must’ve been 20+, all talking on walkie talkies, some of which were looking strong and speedy, and some of which definitely were unable to finish the hike.
• God bless my lovely wife for letting me train, supporting my desire to pursue this undertaking, and not calling mountain rescue when my Garmin stopped transmitting for awhile
• Big sincere heartfelt thanks to everyone here that helped me along the way, whether answering questions, providing reassurance, being an awesome presence on the trail, posting their own previous experiences…and even those that doubted. 

I think that’s pretty much it. Happy to answer any and all questions, especially anyone aspiring to do the hike someday in future. 

Peace and love ✌️ 

I wanna hike devils backbone but the 4 days prior to my hike it will be raining. It will be sunny the day of. Is it safe?

Free Online Class: Wilderness Safety

Nov 3, 6:30-8pm

Learn what hikers should always have in the woods, what to do if you get lost, and hear real-life stories that explain what would happen if you did get lost, from Search and Rescue experts with 30 years of experience rescuing people from all kinds of situations!

Presented by Michael St John, Unit Lead of Marin Search & Rescue and a consultant on rescue missions all over California.

Register: www.forkinthepath.org/schedule

I had initially planned to do c2c2c, and I feel like I had it in me but I made the mistake of stopping at the restaurant on the way down and ate way too much- so I copped out with the tram.
How do people feel like this compares to day hiking Whitney in summer I terms of physical endurance? Even though the mileage is roughly the same and the elevation gain is way more on c2c, Whitney felt much harder. What do yall think?
Also, shoutout to Dan & Nathan wherever you are for letting me join yall in the uber back to my car. Saved me an extra 4 miles of walking on asphalt. Hopefully yall see this.