Hiking/Snowshoeing/Cross-Country Skiing

[Domingo]

Hey Fight On, have you considered leaving at 5am or earlier?  If you put up with moonlight at first, you should be able to give yourself that safety margin that will make it easier to finish before nightfall.  Just a thought.  If you do the back and forth, will you start in the Baldy ski-lift parking lot and end at the top of the acorn trail or go all the way down acorn before coming back?  Lordy sakes alive, that sounds like a ball-buster!

[MtnMan]

Great shots Nolena! I have always wanted to visit the Grand Canyon. Now I have to wait until my little ones are a bit older to go.

I took my kids when they were 10 and 8 we took the steam locomotive (can't remember the town) to the North Rim. Stayed two nights the next day used the trams to see everything. They are a great way to see the canyon from the top. Then you take the steam locomotive back and during the trip bad guys on horses go past the train shooting guns, the train stops and they come on pretending to rob it. It was great because the kids were young enough to believe it. AAA had a good deal on the whole trip. The train ride is just long enough and ends when you're ready to get off it. Great scenery

[FIGHT ON]

Hey Fight On, have you considered leaving at 5am or earlier?  If you put up with moonlight at first, you should be able to give yourself that safety margin that will make it easier to finish before nightfall.  Just a thought.  If you do the back and forth, will you start in the Baldy ski-lift parking lot and end at the top of the acorn trail or go all the way down acorn before coming back?  Lordy sakes alive, that sounds like a ball-buster!

That was my plan, to start before 5 but I got up too late. 
I want to start at the Baldy Visitor Center and go up the Bear Flat Trail and back the same way. map
According to the Tom Harrison Map there is a gate on Acorn near Camp Mariastella. That's where I'm gonna turn around. That map says it is 2.1 miles up to the PCT and then 1.7 miles from there to the Backbone Trail. From there it looks like about 1.5 miles to Pine Mountain. So that would be 10.6 miles more than what I hiked. Acorn to PCT is 1680 feet gain! In 2.1 miles. which is exactly 800 feet per mile. sounds like a BLAST to me!

[FIGHT ON]

Were you hiking from Baldy Village to Wrightwood alone?

yer not gonna tell on me are you?   
Actually there's a trail. Or a few trails that connect together. It's pretty cool! They're all well defined so if you stay on em, have a map and know how to read it you won't get lost.

[ChrisLynnet]

I took my kids when they were 10 and 8 we took the steam locomotive (can't remember the town) to the North Rim. Stayed two nights the next day used the trams to see everything. They are a great way to see the canyon from the top. Then you take the steam locomotive back and during the trip bad guys on horses go past the train shooting guns, the train stops and they come on pretending to rob it. It was great because the kids were young enough to believe it. AAA had a good deal on the whole trip. The train ride is just long enough and ends when you're ready to get off it. Great scenery

I have wanted to take my son on this for years. It sounds like so much fun. I'm saving for a Nov. cruise so it won't be this year, but I think I just found out where I want to go for my Feb. birthday. Thanks for the reminder MtnMan!

[FIGHT ON]

I made it this time! http://fighton.smugmug.com/gallery/9208103_5BpQ6#P-1-20
The Acorn Trail is very nice.

[in my dreams]

 

I hiked Ice House Canyon to Cucamonga peak back in the day when I was young and in shape. I thought I was gonna die, and it took me 12 hrs.

[FIGHT ON]

I hiked Ice House Canyon to Cucamonga peak back in the day when I was young and in shape. I thought I was gonna die, and it took me 12 hrs.

I went there once! It's hard but the views make it worth the pain! 

[Domingo]

I can't think of an activity more appropriate to the name of the holiday than to participate in the 44th Annual Baldy (Walk) Run-To-The-Top on Labor Day, Sept. 7th, 2009.  It starts just below the ski-lift parking lot and covers 8 miles of fire-road/trail to the top of Baldy. You can really feel the energy of the hundreds of people hoopin' and hollerin' that line up at the starting line and accompany you all the way up the mountain. For more information, check out

http://www.run2top.com/

For some strange reason, very few Wrightwood residents participate in this annual event.  You get a really nifty T-shirt out of the deal too.  Am I going to be the only WW resident running it this year?  Sheeesh.  What I like the best about it is that you can walk it, fast-walk it, walk-run it or run it, according to your physical condition.   They have water tables set up every two miles; a mile or two before the top there's a table w/oranges and at the top they have bananas and oranges and a spectacular view as compensation for your laborious efforts.  If you have any further questions or if you're interested in doing a few Mt. Baden-Powell fast-walk training sessions, please PM me. 

[FIGHT ON]

Think I'm gonna get one of these things. or something like it. Right now I don't carry anything but my cell and it wouldn't help if I got bit by a snake or got hurt.
I've been lucky so far. Hate to die just because I didn't spend $250.

[RobertW]

Think I'm gonna get one of these things. or something like it. Right now I don't carry anything but my cell and it wouldn't help if I got bit by a snake or got hurt.
I've been lucky so far. Hate to die just because I didn't spend $250.

REI has the "spot" for $150.00.  Don't know anything about it.  Most the avid hikers I know, including CDFG Biologists who hike into very desolate areas alone, use this $600 PLB unit:



http://www.rei.com/product/751974

I would also strongly recommend getting a HAM license.  There are very few canyons, especially on the South side of the San Gabriel Mountains that you couldn't get immediate help via Repeater communications.

[FIGHT ON]

REI has the "spot" for $150.00.  Don't know anything about it.  Most the avid hikers I know, including CDFG Biologists who hike into very desolate areas alone, use this $600 PLB unit:



http://www.rei.com/product/751974

I would also strongly recommend getting a HAM license.  There are very few canyons, especially on the South side of the San Gabriel Mountains that you couldn't get immediate help via Repeater communications.

wow what a difference in price.
gotta find out what why.
how does the ham thing work?
is it heavy, bulky?
thanks!

[CA5th]

PM me for info on HAM radio (Amateur Radio). 

A class for the Tech license will be forming soon in Wrightwood.

[Toolman]

The Spot and other location devices are a good concept in theory for civilians....once authorities have been notified of you missing your return time. Missing persons usually aren't considered missing until 24hrs. A lot can happen in that time... like expiration   The military has been using devices like this for years. However for the military, the beacon frq's are monitored 24-7... kinda like Lojack for humans. If the manufactures offered that subscription service to civilians I could consider it a possible "only" tool in the shed for help. But it still doesn't tell them your condition. Also keep in mind once you're reported / considered missing, the time element to dispatch Bravo Company is a factor.

 Personally, if I had only one communication tool I could rely 100%  on in my backpack it would be my Ham radio. The cell phone can stay in the truck as far as I'm concerned, or, at the bottom of the pack next to the T-P.

 There's a grocery list of reasons I got my Ham license years ago and hiking while alone was at the top of the list.

 The new Ham radio test's are as easy as 6th grade math test's now days. Children 8yrs. of age are passing easily joining the Ham radio community.

 Wilderness + cellphone = 0
 Wilderness + Ham radio = 100

You can buy the study book for 20 bucks that covers everything you need to know and in less than a month you'll pass the test. Or as CA5 mentioned, sign up for a class.

[ChrisLynnet]

You know, until this thread I had no idea that HAM radios were that portable. I hike with my dog and am aware that I'll be in trouble if I get hurt. Or if my dog gets hurt for that matter; I couldn't carry 70 pounds of dog out by myself. Hm...

[MojaveSidecar]

 Personally, if I had only one communication tool I could rely 100%  on in my backpack it would be my Ham radio. The cell phone can stay in the truck as far as I'm concerned, or, at the bottom of the pack next to the T-P.

 Wilderness + cellphone = 0
 Wilderness + Ham radio = 100

I have been considering a SPOT,   but getting a ham radio seems to be much more practical.   

Is there a way for a person using a ham radio to leave "voice mail" messages to someone who may not be on line at the time?

What other features are availible in today's ham technology that could be used to support hiking or motorcycling in the desert/mountains.

[FIGHT ON]

The Spot and other location devices are a good concept in theory for civilians....once authorities have been notified of you missing your return time. Missing persons usually aren't considered missing until 24hrs. A lot can happen in that time... like expiration   The military has been using devices like this for years. However for the military, the beacon frq's are monitored 24-7... kinda like Lojack for humans. If the manufactures offered that subscription service to civilians I could consider it a possible "only" tool in the shed for help. But it still doesn't tell them your condition. Also keep in mind once you're reported / considered missing, the time element to dispatch Bravo Company is a factor.

 Personally, if I had only one communication tool I could rely 100%  on in my backpack it would be my Ham radio. The cell phone can stay in the truck as far as I'm concerned, or, at the bottom of the pack next to the T-P.

 There's a grocery list of reasons I got my Ham license years ago and hiking while alone was at the top of the list.

 The new Ham radio test's are as easy as 6th grade math test's now days. Children 8yrs. of age are passing easily joining the Ham radio community.

 Wilderness + cellphone = 0
 Wilderness + Ham radio = 100

You can buy the study book for 20 bucks that covers everything you need to know and in less than a month you'll pass the test. Or as CA5 mentioned, sign up for a class.

Toolman.
Is the ham transmitter waterproof like spot? I saw a few pictures of them and they look pretty small. How much do they weigh?
How much $ is it going to cost before I am hiking with one?
it's a $100 yearly with spot. is there a fee with the ham system?
Thanks.
Also you can kinda text with spot. I found this on you tube.

[Nolena]

Chanel 7 News reports, this morning, a spate of thieves targeting hikers' cars in the Angeles Forest. They're breaking in and looting the cars' contents while the owners are hiking.

[ChrisLynnet]

Thanks! Did they say what areas the bad guys are targeting?

[Toolman]

Chanel 7 News reports, this morning, a spate of thieves targeting hikers' cars in the Angeles Forest. They're breaking in and looting the cars' contents while the owners are hiking.

 There's a lot of places that have been reported of car break in activity. In our area, the most popular was Islip Saddle while the road was closed and a few were reported from Red Box.
The majority of the car looting occurs along Hwy39.

 Anytime you park your car in a remote area and leave it for hours you are at risk of a car looting. Try not to leave anything visible in the passenger area except an empty coffee cup and the Adventure pass.  I can't believe some of the stuff I've seen left in cars sitting on the drivers seat or passenger seat. Cell phones left to charge, I-Pods, expensive hiking gear it's all fencable.