tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3797598074793378196.post6229373497305311411..comments2024-03-19T07:36:13.951-07:00Comments on Iron Hiker: Clamshell Peaktekewinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10230830520110635922noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3797598074793378196.post-55027773448419169282019-12-24T21:08:59.770-08:002019-12-24T21:08:59.770-08:00Yes, you can get permission from the rangers. I th...Yes, you can get permission from the rangers. I think it's the combination to a lock at the Rincon gate. Driving up the road would save a lot of time and energy. I'd like to travel the Rincon Road just for the sight-seeing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3797598074793378196.post-48004460051053236862019-11-18T05:57:07.150-08:002019-11-18T05:57:07.150-08:00I've read that you can ask the ranger for a ke...I've read that you can ask the ranger for a key to the Rincon Road gate. Then, you could drive to the firebreaks. That's what some people working on the Sierra Club HPS list do.tekewinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10230830520110635922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3797598074793378196.post-32977975832715498522019-11-16T18:51:30.511-08:002019-11-16T18:51:30.511-08:00Indeed. The climb up to Clamshell is actually the ...Indeed. The climb up to Clamshell is actually the hardest part. The rest just felt more strenuous after climbing to Clamshell. If one were to go up Rincon Road the firebreaks up to Rankin and Monrovia wouldn't feel as bad. I imagine hiking up from Monrovia Canyon Park or even Van Tassel Ridge from Duarte would be easier to access Monrovia Peak than climbing Clamshell. Though the firebreaks that lead up to the summit from Rincon seem tougher than the one on the west coming from Rankin.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3797598074793378196.post-16865986445028196432019-11-12T19:50:38.786-08:002019-11-12T19:50:38.786-08:00Anonymous,
That is quite a report. Nice work goin...Anonymous,<br /><br />That is quite a report. Nice work going all the way to Rankin and Monrovia. I still haven't got back to pick those up yet. It's still warm enough for snakes later in the day so they are still a hazard. I can imagine what Monrovia looked like up close. FYI, I always carry a small flashlight and extra batteries in case I get caught in the dark. I totally agree with you on extra water. I didn't bring enough and I was just doing Clamshell.tekewinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10230830520110635922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3797598074793378196.post-8215627868751145262019-11-12T14:06:19.511-08:002019-11-12T14:06:19.511-08:00I climbed Clamshell Peak last week and it's de...I climbed Clamshell Peak last week and it's definitely no joke. I almost stepped into a rattle snake which was hidden under a bush. There's a lot to watch out for when the route is overgrown like this. By the way, your story here was a great reference so thanks for sharing it. I knew I was on the right track when I saw the pink metal marker. A highlight of the climb was looking down on Chantry Flats. But the false summits were taunting. After a few hours I thought I was close but then saw the summit in the distance and felt a bit of impatience. I knew time was a factor so I didn't think about it and kept walking, and I found myself at the top before I expected. It was nice to get some shade there, but it was just so dry and overgrown. <br /><br />My plan was to reach Rankin and Monrovia peaks but it took a moment to find the use trail that leads down to the road. Since I wanted to be heading down before sunset, it felt a little frustrating so I just took a chance at a section that was less overgrown (taking chances is never fun on hikes), and it turned out to be the correct path, just a steep descent. The views of Rincon road and Twin Peaks were appreciated. But the firebreaks on the way to Rankin, not so much. One thing that makes this hike brutal is that there aren't many places to sit or take a break. Not a lot of shade either. <br /><br />As I approached the top of Rankin Peak, I was kidding myself by hoping it was Monrovia, and that I had passed Ranking without knowing it. But I saw the monument at the top, it was just buried by vegetation. And when I looked ahead I saw the actual Monrovia Peak. After so many steep ups and downs on firebreaks, seeing the taller peaks can be discouraging, but of course I couldn't give up after getting that far. I've seen pictures of the firebreak up to Monrovia Peak in pictures, but they don't do it justice. It looks colossal in person, at least after a day of climbing. But again, I didn't think about it, just kept walking and found myself at the top sooner than expected.<br /><br />The views were great but it was close to 5 PM already and I couldn't stay too long since it gets dark around that time this time of year. The next challenge was descending the firebreak on the east side (my plan was to make it down to White Saddle, then down to Duarte). I wasn't sure I was going the right way since it was steep enough to look like a rocky cliff. I saw no other choice so I just headed down and it was perilous, at least for me since I was rushing. I had to grab on to plants and rocks to prevent falling. And I had to watch where I stepped because it seemed to cause small rock slides. I finally made it down and connected to the Rincon road. I made some wrong turns along the way to White Saddle (it can be tricky in the dark) but made it. It was already dark but luckily the moon was shinning and worked as a light source. I didn't pack a flashlight because I was worried about carrying extra weight during the climb and underestimated the time it would take. I also didn't carry enough for that reason. It was cold, dark and windy but I was so relieved to be done with the steep firebreaks and rocky descents, that it didn't even bother me. With the exception of aching toes, the way down was relaxing. What I would recommend to anyone who wants to make it to Monrovia Peak via Clamshell would be to bring enough water and start no later than 7 AM.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3797598074793378196.post-13465987971549280472019-10-04T01:04:27.861-07:002019-10-04T01:04:27.861-07:00I encountered only 2 people camping near the start...I encountered only 2 people camping near the start of the use trail that Tuesday. Due to its unpopularity among hikers, many sections of the use trail are overgrown. The vegetation covers up the trail, making it not very visible from above.<br /><br />Calling it an animal trail is accurate. Wherever humans rarely visit, wild animals travel more. I never saw so many animal tracks anywhere else, thousands of them, in the middle part of trail. Mostly, of mountain lions. Some belong to bobcats, foxes and deer. Very few of bears. Funny, no human footprints except my own above elevation 3,000 feet. None of these animals showed up that day. Who knows whether a mountain lion peeked down at me from the woods above or not?<br /><br />The greatest advantage of day hiking over night hiking is that you can spot the correct trail from far away after losing your way in descent. Never hike in the dark unless the trail system is very simple and you are familiar with it. Even if equipped with detailed maps and GPS, without visible landmarks, you still can lose your way.<br /><br />Hiking poles would be helpful in most parts of the trails, except the steepest zone. I'd rather carry them on the back than use them there. To prevent slipping, I prefer taking a grip on bushes or big rocks.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3797598074793378196.post-16093973295157614522019-10-02T19:49:49.837-07:002019-10-02T19:49:49.837-07:00Anonymous,
It sounds like you had pretty much the...Anonymous,<br /><br />It sounds like you had pretty much the same experience as me. I was using vegetation going up and down that very steep slope. Using a pole helps a lot with downhills. I agree being up there at night would be dangerous. If it is still as overgrown as when I went, it would be very easy to step on a snake or wander down the wrong ridge. Glad you made it back safely.tekewinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10230830520110635922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3797598074793378196.post-52787732806356946732019-10-02T01:23:01.648-07:002019-10-02T01:23:01.648-07:00I did the hike yesterday from the start of the Low...I did the hike yesterday from the start of the Lower Clamshell Truck Trail to Clamshell Peak and returned the same route. <br /><br />I must say this is one hell of torture. The extra steep mile seemed intimidating but actually wasn't too bad when ascending. Because one remains energetic after the first 2 miles of easy stride on the gentle truck trail. And the elevation at the use trail start is only around 1,900 feet, no concern about thin air. The problem came during descent. Man, so steep, like cliffs! Mile 1.9 and 2.9 has an elevation difference of 1,600 feet. The steepest 0.2 mile drops 500 feet, which is equivalent to 2,500 feet loss per mile! I couldn't believe myself walked up this way. Looking back up, it is like a wall behind me! Crazy! Plus, loose sands and stones. I had to grab the plants on both sides to avoid a fatal fall in most parts of that mile. My toes hurt badly on the way down. In order to relieve the pressure and ease the pain, I decided to desend sideways sometimes, like a crab.<br /><br />Guess what? I made the same mistake as you did and got lost for over an hour before figuring out what went wrong. That spot is very tricky. When ascending, you won't notice that southwest bound downhill dead end truck trail on the left; when descending, you can only see that one in front of you, but not the correct southeast bound animal trail on the left.<br /><br />All in all, I don't recommend this hike, considering the risks of falling & getting lost. Night hiking on this trail is absolutely "no-no!" You will likely end up in injury or spending the night with the beasts out there.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3797598074793378196.post-75549205795648857712017-11-12T14:16:22.877-08:002017-11-12T14:16:22.877-08:00Unknown,
No doubt about the steepness of the ridg...Unknown,<br /><br />No doubt about the steepness of the ridge before the marker. I've seen pictures of the new firebreak, a good idea given how much fuel was up there. I think you picked a good time of year to go. It was hellish up there in the summer. Nice work getting Monrovia and Rankin. I still haven't made it out to those two.tekewinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10230830520110635922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3797598074793378196.post-81314070714702205132017-11-12T11:33:25.722-08:002017-11-12T11:33:25.722-08:00I did this yesterday. the trail to the pink metal ...I did this yesterday. the trail to the pink metal marker is gnarly to say the least. Overgrown, slippery and steep. But from the marker all the way to clamshell and even to rankin and monrovia, it's all bull dozed fire break, which can be very steep (how did they get a bulldozer to do this?). It's also easy to follow, but kind of rough to walk on, but it's better than fighting the bushes. It took me 5 hours to get to Monrovia peak. No one else out there. views are great. some nice forested area between clamshell and monrovia. Drank 4.5 liters of water. I can't remember the last time I had to stop and catch my breath so many times. Incredible rugged journey. Also, you have to park 1/2 mile from the clamshell truck trail, because the neighborhood has restricted parking now. GPS at parking area said 775 feet, so counting the ups and downs it's over 5000 ft elevation gain.joehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15035137761408018577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3797598074793378196.post-6953484603713966632016-05-23T16:44:55.058-07:002016-05-23T16:44:55.058-07:00Lesliepop,
Thanks for the trail status update and...Lesliepop,<br /><br />Thanks for the trail status update and cockroach warning. Clamshell is not heavily trafficked and not easy to find. Heading over Rankin and Monrovia after Clamshell is a very big hike, but I get why people do it. You have already done the hard part.tekewinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10230830520110635922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3797598074793378196.post-1954455838115593352016-05-23T15:08:34.049-07:002016-05-23T15:08:34.049-07:00I did this over the weekend with two friends. We ...I did this over the weekend with two friends. We kept going over Rankin and Monrovia peaks and then down to White Saddle, down past Trask Boyscout camp and then down out of the Monrovia canyon park and then back up Ridgeside Dr. to the car. That turned out to be about 18 miles total,and we were TIRED. It took about 11 hours total-- we were very worried about going back down that steep section you mentioned. I wish I had read this before we went. The pink metal marker is not there anymore, but someone has helpfully put up pink ribbon on tree and bush branches to help guide the way to clamshell peak. The pink markers kind of disappear after that first peak. Someone else has slipped a GIANT plastic cockroach into the trail marker ziplock, so be prepared! Once up there already Rankin and Monrovia were not too bad although there is some steepness there too, but nothing like that first climb. Thank goodness it was early enough in the year that the vegetation was green enough to use for handholds. The day was not too hot and I had 100oz of water and did not even use it all on this trip. But I wouldn't want to do it in the hottest part of the year for sure.Lesliepophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02570363551619176642noreply@blogger.com