Mt. Baldy (2005)
Stoney Point (2005-2)
Stoney Point (2005-1)
Millard Falls (2005)
Strawberry Meadow (2005)
King's Canyon (2004)
Ojai (2003)
Hiking Strawberry Peak
This was... interesting.
Bill had hiked the east face via Josephine saddle before, and when we did Strawberry Meadow it was a similar approach. This time we did the west face, which has a number of sweet class 3 rock scrambles after you approach via Colby Canyon.
Supposedly 3 miles each way, so 6 miles round-trip. We initially missed the climb to the peak, as well-- it was a short, very steep climb only a few yards from Josephine Saddle. So close, in fact, that we didn't believe we could possibly have already passed it! When we did find it, we saw painted arrows guiding us up some very steep stuff. Not as long and grueling as Baldy, but unexpectedly steep! We didn't guess that there would be three decent rock scrambles instead of one as the guidebook implied. The 2400' of elevation gain wasn't too horrible, but throw in the fact that much of the rock is chossy (sp?) and hence crumbling, we didn't feel like descending back down the rock scrambles. Most looked safe enough, but one section was crumbly and would have lead to a several hundred or maybe a thousand foot fall down the mountain. Ouch.
We encountered a rattlesnake, too. Jian-hui got a very close look at it, too. Eeek.
The top was unremarkable enough. Unlike Mt. Baldy's distinctive flat, bald, very large top... Strawberry Peak was green and not all that big. We watched two lizards fight each other, signed the log book, and then descended via the east face.
That's where we screwed up. We could have walked 2.6 miles to another parking lot and then walked or hitchhiked a few miles (2? 3?) down Angeles Crest Highway to our car, which would have been smart because it turns out we only had 2L or so of water remaining between the three of us. Instead, we took the 7.1 mile trail around the backside of Strawberry Peak, through Strawberry Meadow, then back up over to Colby Canyon saddle and down through a creekbed to the parking lot the car was at. Bill's declaration of "I can do the 7 miles back" sort of sealed our fate, because Jian-hui is also an experienced hiker and figured she could do it, while machismo sealed me in.
Water check, after 3 miles up the peak and ~1 mile down to Josephine Saddle: Bill: 2L start, nothing left. Jian-hui: 1.5L start, some left (half?). Brian: 4L start, 2L left. NOT A SMART IDEA TO KEEP GOING! (I can hear Keith shaking his head from 100 miles away...)
Fortunately this way is flat enough, at least til we begin to climb the ridgeline to Colby Canyon saddle again... we go through the fly-infested Strawberry Meadow, which is almost as bad as we remembered it, then keep going around the trail. Unlike the steep terrain that murders me, on flat ground I can hold my own and end up doing okay. I've split about 2/3rds of my water with Bill and Jianhui, but by the time we hit the saddle and have 2.4 miles or so to go to the parking lot, we're spending lots of time in full sun and it's starting to hurt. The plan was a 6 mile hike. Instead, we find ourselves on an 11 mile hike. Yikes! We started hiking at 7:30am and expected to be done by lunchtime, instead we don't finish til 2:30pm on a 100F+ day. OUCH. Yes, very stupid!
Somehow we all survive, only mildly dehydrated, and make it back to the car. Well, Bill's truck.
Some generous visitors to the creek have shared a 20oz diet Coke with Bill, and while it sucks moisture from our mouths, it makes us feel a little better as we drive a few miles down Angeles' Crest Highway and stop at the first gas station we see for 1L bottles of Gatorade. $2.25... we didn't care. We needed it!
To conclude things... $6.75 poorer but now alive, we drive a few more blocks to a Vons', where we all proceed to get very dirty looks as we drag our dirty carcasses in to buy a 24-pack of bottled water and six bottles of Vitamin Water to rehydrate ourselves. Bill swears to buy a water filter and water purification tablets.
This, hopefully, concludes our series of crazy insanely difficult hikes with Bill, at least for a while. *grins*
Keith reminds me later that he never does any hiking without at least a gallon of water... considering of the three of us on this trip, I was definitely the least experienced hiker... *shrugs*
