Friday, July 14, 2023

Wright Mountain

Hiked: 7/14/2023
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.




Wright Mountain is at the top of the ridge on the left

PCT junction

Followed the use trail on the left going up

Summit

Summit snow plants

The best view I could get to the north

Pine Mountain #1

Memorial




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