Little San Gorgonio attempt

Hiked: 11/1/2024
Distance: 4.3 miles round trip on trail and cross country
Summit Elevation: 9133'
Elevation Gain: 2541'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 2
Round trip time: 4 hours 30 minutes
Recommended water: 48 oz.
Parking/Fees: Adventure Pass or National Parks Pass
Difficulty: Strenuous

I drove to the Vivian Creek Trailhead in the San Bernardino Mountains for a shot at Little San Gorgonio (HPS #28). It is the high point on the Yucaipa Ridge. The route from Vivian Creek goes up a wide drainage on the north side of the ridge. Not far up the drainage, it starts up a very steep ridge, makes a jog up to a saddle, then up a final slope. The gain is more than 1000'/mile. Short and stout. With temps hovering around 40F, I was in no hurry to beat sunrise. I had a lazy start around 8:30 AM. There was still plenty of parking at the trailhead. I walked less than a half mile up the trail before leaving on the right in a pine needle covered gully. This intersected the major wash with gray rocks. I continued upstream a while, then spotted a cairn exiting the wash. I followed that onto a faint use trail. The use trail hit another steep gully with a fallen tree near the top. I worked my way around the tree, but the angle was about 50 degrees and the ground was loose. It was somewhat dangerous going up that way. I found a better way coming down.

From there, I was firmly on the ridge. The use trail skirted the edge of the major wash. Cairns marked the route pretty well. At 7500', I was completely surprised by a layer of snow that got steadily wider and deeper the further up I went. I often swerved into light brush for extra traction and hand holds. I did not bring crampons or microspikes or snow boots, so I was uncomfortable on thin snow at sharp angles. My toes went numb, but I was high enough to see a break in the ridge only a quarter mile higher. I decided to continue. It was slow and sketchy, but I reached a turn in the ridge and got a great view of Little San G. I was less than a mile away and 800' below the summit. I thought maybe I could follow the south side of the ridge and avoid the snow, but I had a good view of the rest of the ridge. There was a lot of steep terrain ahead and the snow looked worse for the final push. I decided it was too risky to go higher. It was a wonderful route, but I should have done it in September. There's always next year.

Note: I used little water because it was cold. In the summer, I would need at least double the amount I used on this hike.