Has anyone hiked Vincent gulch to Cabin flat?

[Nightowl]

I was hiking down the Vincent gulch trail the other week.  The trail started out good but once you are down in the drainage it is in pretty bad shape. I finally turned around as it was getting late and I actually lost the trail for a couple minutes as it meandered through the drainage.  Just curious if anyone has been through this and up to Cabin Flat via praire fork.  Does the trail get worse or better?

[snowave]

From the reports I've heard, there's really no more trail in this section to connect to Cabin Flat.

Due to the limited use and the consistent water in the area, the trail gets overgrown very quickly... and has since gone back to wilderness. (bushwacking)... not recommended.

[hikin_jim]

I went down from Vincent Gap to The E Fork of the SG River about a year ago (fall '07).  Eventually, the trail does peter out, and you just walk down the rock strewn creek bed.  I didn't find the rock inordinately difficult, nor did I find the trail to be badly overgrown.  Your mileage may vary.    There were a couple of dead falls (downed trees) that had to be negotiated.  They weren't easy, but they weren't the end of the world either.  An older gentleman (60's) my friend and I met was able to negotiate them with a full overnight backpack.

The trail coming down from Cabin Flat was signed.  My friend and I didn't have time to explore up Prairie Fork; we just turned around and went back to Vincent Gap, but we did go up to the trail sign and could see the route up to Cabin Flat. 

If you just go back up to Vincent Gap, you need to really monitor your time and level of fatigue.  Climbing back to Vincent Gap isn't as steep as say the N face of Baldy, but it definitely is a climb.  The downhill that you came in on can be deceptively easy.

The other thing to make note of is where the trail finally peters out and you just follow the watercourse.  You want to be able to exit the creek bed at the proper point to get back on the trail.  By the way, in the lower section where one generally just follows the creekbed, bits of trail will periodically reappear on the east bank.  Some stretches are worth following inasmuch as a trail is quite a bit easier to travel on than a rocky creekbed.

By the way, the old, maintained trail camp on the flats between Vincent Gulch and Mine Gulch is long gone, but the flats are still flat and it's an excellent spot to camp.  For you overacheivers out there, one can go to the Big Horn Mine, descend the steep and unstable slopes below the main entrance down to Mine Gulch and then hike out via Vincent Gulch.  It can be done as a day hike, but it is in my experience a very difficult hike.  The hike down to Mine Gulch from the mine is for very experienced hikers in good shape only.  It's a slidey, steep route; the faint of heart need not apply.  The old mine carts and such that one encounters on the way down are very interesting.

HJ

[Nightowl]

thanks. hiking jim good info.

[hikin_jim]

You're welcome. 

[Bildonator]

I went down from Vincent Gap to The E Fork of the SG River about a year ago (fall '07).  Eventually, the trail does peter out, and you just walk down the rock strewn creek bed.  I didn't find the rock inordinately difficult, nor did I find the trail to be badly overgrown.  Your mileage may vary.    There were a couple of dead falls (downed trees) that had to be negotiated.  They weren't easy, but they weren't the end of the world either.  An older gentleman (60's) my friend and I met was able to negotiate them with a full overnight backpack.

The trail coming down from Cabin Flat was signed.  My friend and I didn't have time to explore up Prairie Fork; we just turned around and went back to Vincent Gap, but we did go up to the trail sign and could see the route up to Cabin Flat. 

If you just go back up to Vincent Gap, you need to really monitor your time and level of fatigue.  Climbing back to Vincent Gap isn't as steep as say the N face of Baldy, but it definitely is a climb.  The downhill that you came in on can be deceptively easy.

The other thing to make note of is where the trail finally peters out and you just follow the watercourse.  You want to be able to exit the creek bed at the proper point to get back on the trail.  By the way, in the lower section where one generally just follows the creekbed, bits of trail will periodically reappear on the east bank.  Some stretches are worth following inasmuch as a trail is quite a bit easier to travel on than a rocky creekbed.

By the way, the old, maintained trail camp on the flats between Vincent Gulch and Mine Gulch is long gone, but the flats are still flat and it's an excellent spot to camp.  For you overacheivers out there, one can go to the Big Horn Mine, descend the steep and unstable slopes below the main entrance down to Mine Gulch and then hike out via Vincent Gulch.  It can be done as a day hike, but it is in my experience a very difficult hike.  The hike down to Mine Gulch from the mine is for very experienced hikers in good shape only.  It's a slidey, steep route; the faint of heart need not apply.  The old mine carts and such that one encounters on the way down are very interesting.

HJ

Hey Jim,
It's Bill from the SG forum.  Excellent TR   The route from the mine to Mine Gulch sounds like an interesting one.  Reads like a chapter out of Robinsons book.  Hope to try that route, maybe as an over-nighter, then up to Pine.
Bill

[hikin_jim]

Hey Jim,
It's Bill from the SG forum.  Excellent TR   The route from the mine to Mine Gulch sounds like an interesting one.  Reads like a chapter out of Robinsons book.  Hope to try that route, maybe as an over-nighter, then up to Pine.
Bill

Hey, Bill.  Watch it on that upper part below the mine.  It's nothing that can't be handled, but it's pretty loose.  You're pretty committed once you start.  Definitely not a route to be attempted solo in my opinon.

Yes, then once you get to the confluence of Mine Gulch, Vincent Gulch, and Prairie Fork, you could go up Pine Ridge and then walk out via the trail to Acorn Canyon to Wrightwood.  Interesting hike.  Hmm... 

Now cut that out.  You'll get me thinking. 

[kawasaki_girl]

  Reads like a chapter out of Robinsons book. 

ahh I remember cursing Robinson and his book often on backpack trips!! 

[hikin_jim]

ahh I remember cursing Robinson and his book often on backpack trips!! 

Most of his stuff is good info although his books are now in need of some serious updating.  You have to keep in mind that Robinson was one heck of a hiker in his day.  Not all of us can match his ability and navigational skill.

[Bildonator]

Most of his stuff is good info although his books are now in need of some serious updating.  You have to keep in mind that Robinson was one heck of a hiker in his day.  Not all of us can match his ability and navigational skill.

I agree.  He also adds historical facts that get you thinking about the area your hikin in.  To me thats half the fun.

[Bildonator]

Hey, Bill.  Watch it on that upper part below the mine.  It's nothing that can't be handled, but it's pretty loose.  You're pretty committed once you start.  Definitely not a route to be attempted solo in my opinon.

Yes, then once you get to the confluence of Mine Gulch, Vincent Gulch, and Prairie Fork, you could go up Pine Ridge and then walk out via the trail to Acorn Canyon to Wrightwood.  Interesting hike.  Hmm... 

Now cut that out.  You'll get me thinking. 

Just thought I would post a report on the WW site.  I did the hike from Vincent Gap to Bighorn mine, and down to East fork returning up Vincent gulch as described by my friend Hiking Jim.
I had a good time, but I must agree with Jim that it should not be attempted alone.  If I would have broken a leg or worse I doubt my dog could have dragged me out!   It was neat seeing old mine cars and equipment on the way down, and I saw an old plane crash site on the way up Vincent gulch.  See pictures here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30922174@N06/sets/72157609103350983/
Thanks again for the info Jim.

[hikin_jim]

Cool hiking, Bill.

I went through a phase of "collecting" mines a while back.  There's some neat old equipment out there, although I have to say that some of those old mines are hard  to get to.

In the upper section of Vincent Gluch, near but above Vincent's cabin, there's an old mining road that runs basically south.  The old mining road must lead to some old diggings.  I explored part way down one time but turned back due to an appointment I had to keep in Wrightwood.  One of these days...

HJ

[Bildonator]

Cool hiking, Bill.

I went through a phase of "collecting" mines a while back.  There's some neat old equipment out there, although I have to say that some of those old mines are hard  to get to.

In the upper section of Vincent Gluch, near but above Vincent's cabin, there's an old mining road that runs basically south.  The old mining road must lead to some old diggings.  I explored part way down one time but turned back due to an appointment I had to keep in Wrightwood.  One of these days...

HJ

Alright!
So is the road along the same trail as the Bighorn mine trail or the Vincent gulch trail.  As I was heading up to the mine I noticed an old foundation on an out turn before the mine.  Is that the old cabin site?

[hikin_jim]

Alright!
So is the road along the same trail as the Bighorn mine trail or the Vincent gulch trail.  As I was heading up to the mine I noticed an old foundation on an out turn before the mine.  Is that the old cabin site?

The old foundation you saw is an old foreman's cabin or something like that.  It was still standing the first time I went up as a kid.  Apparently some people stayed the night and decided to build a fire in the cabin.     The cabin burned to the ground.     The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard. 

When you turn off the main mining road to the Big Horn Mine and start dropping down towards the streambed in Vincent Gulch, you're following the roadbed of an old mining road.  At some point, if you're watching for it, you'll see the trail down Vincent Gulch and the old mine road part ways.  The old mine road goes to the right and levels off at the parting of the ways.  The road is heavily overgrown with trees and such, but with a bit of bush whacking is still followable.  After about 0.2 to 0.3 miles past the parting of the ways, Vincent's cabin can be seen about 500' below the road.   There's also a use trail that connects Vincent's cabin more directly with the trail down Vincent Gulch.

Much of the old chimney is intact on Vincent's cabin.  The roof and walls are intact.  I suspect some restoration has taken place.  It's hard for me to believe that Vincent's cabin could be in as good of shape as it is without having undergone some restoration.

It's an interesting place to spend a few minutes, but not overly interesting.  There are a lot of discarded old tin cans in the area and a couple of pieces of some kind of period something or another.  Otherwise there's not much to see.  I still found it interesting to visit in the context of going down Vincent Gulch, but I wouldn't make a trip just to see the cabin.

As I mentioned, I went down the old mining road just far enough to visit Vincent's cabin.  I'd be willing to bet that there must be some kind of shaft or something at the end of the road.  No one would go to the trouble of building a road there unless there were something fairly important at the end of the road.

Here's a map: 
. 
You can see where the trail down Vincent Gulch separates from the road to the Big Horn Mine.  Near the knoll with an elevation of 6562, the trail down Vincent Gulch takes a sharp left.  The old mine road separates from the Vincent Gulch trail shortly before this sharp left turn.  If you look SSE from the sharp turn, you can see that Vincent's cabin is shown on the map.  The abandoned mining road runs above Vincent's cabin and below the road to the Big Horn Mine.

HJ

[K9luvr]

Yes, the cabin was restored by a Fenner inmate crew under the direction of Bill Cohn.  Can't remember what year, but they did major restoration of "Vincent Cabin."  Grassy Hollow Volunteers sponsor an interpretation of the cabin one or two weekends in the summer.

[Bildonator]

Yes, the cabin was restored by a Fenner inmate crew under the direction of Bill Cohn.  Can't remember what year, but they did major restoration of "Vincent Cabin."  Grassy Hollow Volunteers sponsor an interpretation of the cabin one or two weekends in the summer.

Very interesting!
Thanks.

[hikin_jim]

Grassy Hollow Volunteers sponsor an interpretation of the cabin one or two weekends in the summer.

That would be interesting to attend.  Do they post a schedule online anywhere?

[K9luvr]

You can check the Volunteers of the Angeles National Forest at their Grassy Hollow website.  www.grassyhollow.net

The summer 2008 schedule is still up and should give you an idea of what they will have next year:

http://www.grassyhollow.net/pages/summer2008.html

[hikin_jim]

Thanks!

[RobertW]