Carey's Castle

The hike to Carey's Castle is a bit of a mystery.  At least in the internet age.  I won't post exact directions, but with a little internet search prowess, one can easily find the route.  I was unable to find exact directions from the trailhead to the Castle, but with the GPS coordinates of the Castle and some ever evolving Google Earth skills, I was able to easily trace the route and download it to my Garmin Colorado 450t.

On the topic of the Colorado 450t, I am now learning why it was discontinued.  Several times while on the trail it froze up, causing us to stop and take out the batteries each time to reset it.  Thinking it was fault of some bad batteries, I changed them out, but experienced the same problem with the new lithiums.  It's a respectable GPS and the signal strength is amazing, but the newer touch screen models are surely better options and will soon find their way into my pack.

On to the hike.....finding the trailhead is fairly straightforward, although my wife gets anxiety every time we get off the pavement.  The dirt road is graded and easily passable in a two wheel drive passenger vehicle.  Needless to say, it was a piece of cake for the WK2.  after trying to 4 wheel a little closer than the large parking area, we decided to turn back and park in the large lot as the National Park boundary is not passable in a vehicle.

As we gathered our packs and acclimated to the 50 degree temps with a 15 mph breeze, the stark reality of the landscape took hold.  In typical Joshua Tree N.P. fashion, the jutting granite and semi-high desert vegetation provides a nice backdrop to any day on the trail.

The trail starts out as more of an arid wash as you slowly gain in elevation.  The hike gains elevation all the way to the Castle as you are essentially following a series of canyons and drainages until you reach the Castle.  There are some narrow spots where the canyon comes to within 20 feet wide or maybe a bit less.  Quite a bit of scrambling is required so make sure you have good ankle support and are comfortable using all four limbs to get where you need to go.  On the way down we ran into a group of 3 (the only people we saw all day) and two of the guys were not comfortable bouldering so they kept trying to follow very faint trails around the more difficult areas.  I did not view this as a viable use of time and energy and had they been in my party, I would have made them stash the trekking poles and use their hands.

There are approximately 2-3 forks in the canyon where a decision is needed.  One such spot is obvious as there is a 50 foot dry waterfall that cannot be passed without a rope and the skills necessary to ascend.  The other spot can be a bit confusing, but after making the second turn, the trail levels out and follows a narrow but not deep canyon.

As you approach the Castle, it becomes evident of the existence of humans.   There are some large metal drums surrounding the Castle as well as other debris from a bygone era.   At this point, I found myself wondering what would entice anybody to make a go of it out in the desert.  Apparently there is a road where Mr. Carey would bring his supplies in on, but it enters the Castle from the north side through the Joshua Tree N.P.

If nothing else, Carey was a tough dude who did not fear the isolation of the desert.  He may fear this guy though?

Once inside, I really appreciated the architecture involved in constructing the Castle.  It took quite a bit of stone and concrete to fill in the holes between the rocks to create an enclosure safe from the elements.  There are two windows which allow light into the single room.

Don't forget to sign the trail register

Some leftover artifacts on the shelves.  The ammo box in the corner contains the trail register as well as some poorly placed advertising from some hikers taking advantage of a captive audience.  I found their business cards to be in bad taste.  

Harding Cyn Falls

Looking back at the mouth of Harding Cyn

     I started out this hike on a beautiful sunny early January day.  There were some light breezes blowing through the canyon and the temperature fluctuations from sun to shade were inherently noticeable.  I would estimate about a 7-10 degree difference.  At the mouth of the canyon I considered stashing my beanie and fleece in some bushes to shed weight, but my instincts got the better of me and I decided to hoof it with the extra ounces.  This turned out to be a wise choice as it got downright cold in the shady, sheltered canyon.  Years ago, I may have made the wrong choice, but the years have been kind to my level of wisdom in much the same way they have been unkind to my physical ability.
    With GPS and wisdom in tow, I continued up the wide canyon mouth as it quickly narrowed.  Having done this hike 4 years ago, I knew the way and frankly, it is virtually impossible to get lost due to the out and back nature of the route.  I will not call it a trail because there is no trail for 75% of the time.  My decade of routefinding experiencing came in very handy as there are many tricky pinch points in the canyon where a mistake could mean a soft tissue injury or getting soaked feet at the very least.  The wet feet would not bother me, but I somehow managed to keep them dry for the entirety of the hike.
     Jed, on the other hand, was not so lucky.  Mostly by choice, but occasionally out of necessity, Jed was forced into the water.  A couple of times he was unable to balance on a narrow ledge, and despite his best leaping effort, he bounced off the canyon wall into the chilly pools.

Jed wading the intermittent stream

  One mistake I made this time around was to constantly look at my GPS.  Not remembering the distance from my previous trip, I was estimating the falls to be about 5 miles each way based on some literature I had read from Orange Coast Magazine.  As I periodically checked the distance on the GPS, I became increasingly discouraged by my lack of progress.  Hiking through this canyon is not an expedited process no matter your level of route finding.  Most of the time you have to pick a line and stick to it until another obstacle arises.  The over and under style of hiking requires two hands and two feet and I averaged less than 2 miles per hour.  Had I given in and just decided to get wet feet, I would have increased my time considerably.  Being that I had two weeks of vacation, time was definitely on my side.  

      Further up canyon are some of the most spectacular pools.  Clear as can be and deep enough for a swim on a warm day.  Rumor has it there used to be seven of these pools until a landslide buried the majority of them.  Until numerous floods carve them back out, the few that remain will have to do.

Emerald pool on the way to the falls

     As I rounded corner after corner, doubt began to set in.  Having a vast amount of experience outdoors, I have become familiar with the mental game that doubt can play with your head.  There were a few times when I considered cutting my losses and turning back, but I knew that it was entirely possible to make it, so I continued.  At this point the only thing that could hold me back was my mind.  Seeing the mileage on the GPS creep forward was a tad disconcerting, but the reward of the falls was the only thing I concerned myself with.  Assuming that I had to do a 10 mile round trip, I mentally prepared and pressed on.  About the four mile mark, I rounded a bend and noticed a break in the canyon.  I looked up and surprisingly realized that I had made it.  A rushed sense of elation overtook me and I was happy to reach the halfway point a mile before I was expecting it.  This meant that I would have to hike 2 miles less than anticipated in total.  

Harding falls from the side

Harding Falls

     The area surrounding the falls featured filtered sunlight and I kicked up my feet on a warm rock, ate a super sandwich from Sprout's and relished in my accomplishment.  Jed didn't understand the finality of reaching our destination and continued wasting valuable energy by retrieving sticks of all sizes for me to throw.

The super sandwich

     After gorging on the sandwich, chips and a home grown tangerine, I picked up my things and started to head back.  About this time, I realized my new SOG knife was no longer clipped to my pack. My feeling of accomplishment was quickly overcome with a feeling of emptiness and I began to rehash my movements in my brain.  After a thorough search of the immediate vicinity, I concluded that it must have come off while scrambling under some tree limbs.  The good news was that I certainly had to pass it on the way back.  Wondering if I'd be able to locate it amid the rocks, leaves and water, I set out on the return trip.

    3/4 of a mile into the hike back I literally kicked the sheath with the knife and soon resumed my elated state.  1/4 mile after recovering the prized blade, I stumbled across the first people of the trip.  The lady told me she thought I was Sasquatch until she saw Jed.  I wasn't sure whether to take this a compliment or just as a silly comment.  Ignoring the social awkwardness of the situation I encouraged the couple to continue and reap the reward of the free-flowing falls.  They informed me they had previously tried and failed to make it to the falls and I wasn't surprised as this hike is as much of a mental challenge as it is a physical one.  

Do you see a trail?

     As the uneven terrain began to wear on my knees, I picked up my pace a bit reduce my time.  I was slowed a few times when Jed needed me to pull him up in some tricky spots on the "trail."  In one particular spot there was a web of well established tree roots sitting at the base of a four foot cliff.  Jed had some difficulty navigating through the maze, but eventually got into a position where he was able to attempt a jump.  The awkward positioning of his body made it difficult for him to get much power behind his jump, so on his second attempt, I grabbed his neck rolls and pulled him up.  He's quite the natural at this hiking thing and is unfazed by any and all obstacles.  In the instances where the drop off was too far for him he simply finds his own trail and bypasses whatever impedes his progress.  I have to admit I envy his agility and lack of doubt.  Sometimes a simple mind encourages clear decision making.

     As Jed is now on his sixth year of life, I was impressed with his stamina and he wasn't the least bit tired as we neared the end of the hike.  One last pain in the ass of a hill and we made it.  The last 1/4 mile is VERY steep, but it is short lived and I was back at the car in no time.  After enjoying a post hike  Anchor Steam, we were heading for home.

Photos courtesy of iPhone5

Bearing Through Bear Creek

As the title would suggest, this hike is very difficult.  You basically start somewhere near the Big Bear Lake Dam and hike straight down into the valley that houses Bear Creek.  As you can see in the photo on the right, the valley is extremely deep.  I would rate this hike as strenous because of the steep entry into the canyon, but more so because of the terrain around the creek bed.  There are only faint trails as you move downstream.  There is tons of boulders, thick brush (including stinging nettles), and lots of fallen trees to navigate past. 

Looking back, I think we should have explored upstream because the going was so tough downstream that it was tirelessly demoralizing.  This was probably mile for mile, the toughest hike I've ever been on, and I consider myself to be in great shape (minus the beer). 

As far as the fishing, we did see a lot of trout in the stream and as I expected, they were easily spooked because they are native brown trout.  This is a rare area in SoCal, because you are able to access a remote area that still has native trout.  I know this is a popular area with flyfishermen, but there was very limited access to throw a fly.  Many overhanging trees lined the creek, as well as tall brush.  I was hard to sneak up on the fish because of all obstacles.  Again this was downstream of the where the trail hits the creek, so upstream could have been different, but it appeared to be more of the same.  There were some excellent pools and trout holding in less that 1 foot of water.  The largest trout I saw was in the 12 inch range, with many in the 8-10 inch range.  REMEMBER TO CATCH AND RELEASE!

It is obvious why nobody fishes here: difficult terrain, crazy hike in, overgrown brush, quasi sketchy dirt road on the way in, and quad busting hike out.  The overall distance of the trail is only 1 mile, but you gain/lose a whopping 1100 feet in that mile.

The bugs were the worst I have ever experienced in the So Cal Mtns.  I swear that the same 6 flies were following me the entire way up the trail.  I must have squashed 35 bugs on my body, and that is a conservative estimate.  I did not notice too many mosquitoes, but the constant buzzing near my ears was enough to drive a man insane.

There were many flowers in bloom near the creek, with the yellow one above (of which I don't know the name) as well as some sort of iris (I believe it's called mountain Iris).

Before returning, there are lots of negatives to consider about this hike, but I think with a little more knowledge about the place, the reward could easily outweigh the risk.

McGrath SB and Santa Clara River Preserve

Okay, so first of all, I wouldn't really call this a hiking post. The trails near McGrath State Beach were, in my opinion, quite meager. There all went into a dead end and when they did dead end, it was either into a road, or the stagnant Santa Clara River. Being that it hadn't rained in more than a month, I was not surprised to see the river stagnant. This river is a typical SoCal river in that it only flows to the ocean during the rainy season. Otherwise, the natural sand berm builds up and blocks the river's access to the ocean.

On our particular trip, the low clouds and fog hung around for the entire weekend, which at the beach, makes my level of motivation seriously lack. Anyway, we did check out all of the trails and even went on the main trail that is behind the sand dunes. (side note on the sand dunes: It was refreshing to see how a "real" SoCal beach should look, with iceplant and dunes and not houses right up to the water). The only bummer about the dunes is that they are protected habitat for nesting birds from March 15 to November 15 and you have to walk around that area. Not a big deal, merely an inconvienence.

As far as the campground goes, I thought our site was really nice. It had good privacy because there were plenty of trees to block the neighbors. The ground was nice and soft (I only know this because my air matress failed; never trust someone's elses gear) due to the campground being on the flood plain of the Santa Clara. Also, behind most of the sites in the park, there is a large grassy area for bocce, football, horshoes, redneck golf, etc. Some people had set up their tents, but I would not want to do that because the area is really exposed, and I hate having my tent in the sun. Dogs are allowed in the campgound, but not on the beach (got to love the state of California). I find it funny that federal land allows dogs, and state land doesn't.

My biggest complaint was the cost of the campground. Because every campground on the southern/central coast was booked, we had to reserve online and it cost $35 plus an $8 reservation fee. You could almost get a motel in Vegas for that price. And on top of that, they charge $10 for a 2nd vechicle. You can bring a car and a trailer, but you can't bring 2 cars. That doesn't make any sense and is just another gross mismanagement of OUR state land by the horribly mismanaged state of california (not capitalized on purpose).

Joshua Tree Willow Hole

 

 

 

 

This 7 mile roundtrip hike is well worth it. I found the trail to be very level, but there were some extremely soft spots in the narrower wash areas. The "Hole" had quite a bit of water in it, but you could see the water line was about 12 inches above it's current level. The peak was probably during that late January period of rain when we got 4 or 5 days of rain in a row.

We were not fortunate enough to see any wildlife, but there were conducting a SAR training mission down through Rattlesnake Cyn. That canyon is in a separate drainage from Willow Hole, but since the hole is at the end of the drainage, it's only a quick climb to Rattlesnake Cyn.

The SAR guy told me that they had already gone on 20 rescues this year (as of Apr. 10). He also mentioned that most of them were rescues and not recoveries. The fact that he said "most" made me want to ask if there had been any fatalities this season, but I refrained. They pretty much form a relay system from their team in the field back to the nearest trailhead, which in this case happened to be the Boy Scout Trailhead. One funny thing I noticed was that the SAR vechicle was a Lexus. Looked like someone's private car and my guess is that these guys are volunteers.

After the wet winter, all of the desert flora was either blooming, or getting ready to bloom. The yucca, joshua tree, and one of the cacti with stunning red flowers were just beginning to bloom. Don't do this hike if the temp is over 85 degrees. We had a nice cool day with some high clouds blowing in from time to time. I am personally not a person who likes to torture myself by hiking in hot weather, especially in the desert, so this trail is better done in the winter/spring. Especially because the willow hole would not be as full in the summer.

Deep Creek via Hooks Creek Rd.

 
 
 
 

Getting There: Get to Lake Arrowhead and then head toward Cedar Glen. When you get to the gas station at Cedar Glen, turn right onto Hooks Creek Rd. Continue to follow this road until it dead end's into Splinter's Cabin Trailhead. Part of the road is dirt, but 4x4 isn't required.
Minus the poor fishing, this hike was amazing. The hike follows a section of the Pacific Crest Trail and offers magnificent views of the creek from above. Heading downstream, the trail is ever so slightly downhill, and easy on the way back. This area appeared to have recently been burned (i think it's been about 5 years as of this post, but that's a guess) therefore, there is very little shade. I don't envision there would have been much more shade anyway because the ecosystem is pretty desert oriented, with the occasional oak, but mostly scrub oak and high elevation drought tolerant plants. I would estimate that we only hiked 2 miles from the trailhead. The one problem I saw with trying to fish on this hike was that the trail was high above the creek, so access was a bit limited, as we only crossed 3 footpaths leading down to the creek on our hike.

I managed to get an aeriel view of Aztec Falls, said to be the best swimming hole in CA. It looked like you could have jumped, but with the water being high, it was hard to see the bottom, in case a new boulder has been submerged by the storms/runoff this season. Also, the water temp was in the mid 50's, so even though it was a warm day (about 75), I would probably want to wait until later in the season.

Fishing: Mike and I did not catch any trout, nor did we get any bites. The creek was appeared to be flowing very high, but being that this was my first visit to the area, I can neither confirm nor deny that statement. I used a super duper, panther martin rooster tail, and the tried and true bubble fly method (my prefered method). This creek is filled with great runs and a number of slow moving pools. The water had a brown tinge, but was still quite clear (if that makes sense). Mike was fishing with artificial worms. This area is a wild trout stream, so you are only allowed to use lures with barbless hooks. No bait fishing at all. The limit is 2 fish and they must be at least 8 inches long. This is definitely somewhere I will return to fish.

Jed: He did very well on this hike, except I have determined that dog's and fishing don't mix. He gets very instinctual when I fish, and wants to chase my lures, or any animals that might be nearby. He would clearly make a great bird dog, but not so much when it comes to fishing. I think I will leave him home on fishing trips from now on. There were a courting pair of mallard ducks that he kept harrassing, but I have to admit it was pretty funny. The ducks kept coming up to us thinking we would feed them (of course we wouldn't, this is one of my biggest pet peeves when people feed wild animals) and Jed would chase them back in the water and swim after them until they were far enough away to satisy him.

Black Star Canyon Falls

Okay, since the OC Register already did a huge Sunday front page article on the falls, I figure why not. These falls are amazing, yet having them go "mainstream" means more people will be attracted to attempting this hike. It isn't overly difficult, but one mistake and it's a long way out, especially with the lack of meadows for a heli transport.

We all have Dave Whiting to thank for the article, not sure if you've seen it, but the guy who wrote Whiting the letter to promote the falls and ultimately ended up with his name in the paper, looks like quite a tool. I guess it was only a matter of time, but damn, it's unfortunate to see it exposed in such a manner.

2010 in February was a solid time to see the falls. The flow was very strong, being that the watershed isn't all that big for these falls. A week of rain in January, followed by consistent rains for the next month or so contributed to the solid flow at Black Star Cyn Falls this year.

Side Note: Jack Tuttle is the world's angriest man. Those of you who have encountered him know what I'm talking about. When we were almost back to the car, past the locked gate, he was chatting it up with some other hiker (quite a rare sight from what I understand) when he noticed that we had wet feet. He proceeded to provide us with his usual accusatory rhetoric. I mean, the funny thing is that he tells people the same thing and after some time, it gets quite old. He claimed to be taking a photo of my car, but the funny thing was he was holding the camera such that the lens was facing him, and I was staring at the viewfinder. Never listen to this guy, he thinks anyone who goes on the road is trespassing, when in fact, the road is public, as well as the creek once you enter the Cleveland National Forest