Distance: 7.2 miles round trip on trail and cross country
Summit Elevation: 8505'
Elevation Gain: 2396'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 1.8
Round trip time: 2 hours 55 minutes
Recommended water: 64 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free on Acorn Ave (or $10 donation)
Difficulty: Moderate
Wright Mountain (HPS #47) was one I missed when I was last in the area for the North Backbone trip. I approached this hike as a trainer so I chose the Acorn Trail from Wrightwood instead of driving up most of the way to Guffy Campground. I parked in one of 5 spots at the St. Edwards Retreat Center. We were under an extreme heat warning, so I wanted to get up and down quickly. It was 72F when I started around 8:00 AM. The first half mile was a paved road, then the trail became a dirt road, then a single track. The trail was well shaded most of the way which helped keep the heat in check. It was a smooth trail through aromatic pines and cedars. The northern part of the range is generally much nicer than the southern side. In the first hour, I took one short break and made it just below the PCT. Once I started east on the PCT, I spotted a use trail branching along the ridge. I took the use trail, but it faded out and found myself hiking through mostly open forest covered in pine needles. The summit was less than half a mile directly along the ridge. A moderate sized cairn of rocks surrounded a metal post. I looked through the rocks but didn't find a register. No marks found either. There were no views from the summit, everything was blocked by tall trees. I descended the north slope a little just to get some kind of photo. After taking photos, I decided to return south to catch the PCT, it was closer than the way I had come. I found the north backbone trail first and followed it a little to get some shots of Pine Mountain. Pine looked close, but I knew I didn't have time to bag it with the heat rising. I realized I had passed the PCT, so made a course correction down a steep slope to the PCT. I found the Jodi and Jerry memorial on the way back. These were two hikers who died trying to be the first to complete the PCT in winter. I followed the Acorn trail down, slow jogging the steeper parts of the trail. I made it back the truck in less than 3 hours, about 30 minutes faster than my goal. It was 89F when I finished but it never felt too hot. I was glad I had taken the Acorn Trail, it was beautiful.
No comments:
Post a Comment