Baden-Powell (x3) and Ross Mountain

HPS Star Emblem Peak
Hiked: 8/1/2025
Distance: 14.2 miles round trip on trail and use trail
Summit Elevation: 9390' (Baden-Powell), 7404' (Ross)
Elevation Gain: 5598'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 4.4
Round trip time: 9 hours
Recommended water: 136 oz.
Parking/Fees: $5 Day Hike Fee or Annual Pass
Difficulty: Strenuous

The easiest way to Ross Mountain (HPS #102) is going over Mt. Baden-Powell, then descending over 2000' down a ridge. It was a big training day. I parked at Vincent Gap and displayed my Forest Service annual pass. I was approached by an employee of Big Pines Recreation, who informed me that the forest service had auctioned off the parking lot and it was owned by his employer. He stated forest service passes will be honored until 1/1/2026, then Big Pines passes will be required. The current Big Pines day use fee was $5 and a machine that issued passes was already installed.

This was my third trip to Baden-Powell. I climbed the many switchbacks meeting a few parties on their way down. I noticed a couple of well defined use trails that shortcut the lower switchbacks that I didn't remember from my last visit. I reached the summit of Baden-Powell in about 2 hours, noting it was just a midpoint rest stop. I signed the formal register, then started down the south ridge.

I could see Ross Mountain at the end of two steep drops. Before taking a dozen steps, I was already thinking about the climb back out. I picked up a use trail immediately that went all the way ro Ross. The slopes were mostly open with scattered pines. Burned trees and charcoal littered some areas, replaced by young poodle dog sprouts. At the bottom of the first drop was a half-mile plateau covered with knee high manzanita. The second slope dropped even more steeply than the first. The use trail tried to work in short switchbacks in places, but often went directly down. From the bottom of the second drop, there was a little roller coaster section where the slope narrowed, then a 100' climb to Ross. At first, I walked by the register tucked behind a small tree. I found it shortly after. The register was in a Superman lunch box. The summit was long and flat. Views were great toward Mount San Antonio and friends, and there was a close up view of Iron Mountain's nightmarish north ridge. Copter Ridge ran parallel, with Hawkins Ridge the next one over. It had a very heart-of-the-Gabes feel. After some procrastination, I took on the crux: getting back to Baden-Powell. The first slope was the toughest, and I took frequent breaks. A cool breeze had been blowing all day, keeping the temps reasonable. I realized when I reached the plateau that I was a little short on calories, leading me to ration my food. It was a slow plod up the second slope but the worst was behind me. I didn't stop while passing over Baden-Powell the second time. Once I started down the north side of Baden-Powell, I began to relax and was on cruise control the rest of the way.

Note: The Sierra Club rates this hike very strenuous. I felt it was comparable with San Gorgonio via Vivian Creek trail, that they rate strenuous. Maybe the mental aspect of significant gain on the way back was a factor in their thinking.

Ross at the end of the ridge

Ross dead ahead. Iron Mountain left. Rattlesnake Mountain right.

Mount San Antonio

Copter Ridge, then Hawkins Ridge

The steep return to Baden-Powell

Ross from the Angeles Crest Highway

Vaalserberg, NL

Hiked: 7/24/2025
Distance: Drive up
Summit Elevation: 1058'
Elevation Gain: 0'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 0
Round trip time: 10 minutes
Recommended water: 0 oz.
Parking/Fees: €3 parking fee
Difficulty: Easy

Vaalserberg is the continental high point of the Netherlands. We were sight seeing in Maastricht and decided to drive up. The road was paved all the way and there was plenty of parking. In addition to being the high point, the summit is a tri-country intersection where the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium meet. On top was a hedge maze, some restaurants and shops, and on the Belgian side, a viewing tower that we didn't climb to save time. Views were blocked by tall trees (unless you climb the tower). We found the high point marker and also the tri-country monument. It was about a 10 minute effort with no gain. After, we bought soft serve ice cream for our hard work. To leave the parking lot, we needed to buy a token from a vending machine for 3 euros. One car did not read the sign and after 5 minutes of blocking the exit gate, realized they needed a token. A passenger ran to the machine and back, then unclogged the exit. The land, trees, and foliage of the Netherlands looked just like Michigan. Flat and green. Vaalserberg was a fun detour tacked on to a busy day around historic Maastrict.

Nick and Shelby

High point

Leisa and I at the tri-country point, standing in Germany.

Lone Pine Peak

Hiked: 7/15/2025
Distance: 13.7 miles round trip on trail and cross country
Summit Elevation: 12953'
Elevation Gain: 6000'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 5.2
Round trip time: 11 hours 40 minutes
Recommended water: 182 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free on Whitney Portal Road
Difficulty: Very Strenuous

At 5:30 AM, I drove up Whitney Portal Road to Whitney Campground on a quest for Lone Pine Peak (SPS #108). I parked just outside the campground on the side of the road where vehicle parking was marked. I walked through the campground to the Meysan Lake trail. The trail was not in the Whitney Zone so didn't require a permit for hiking. The start of the trail was broken up by roads to vacation homes nestled in the trees. No one else was on the trail and I didn't see another soul all day. The trail made sensible and frequent switchbacks as it worked up to Grass Lake, Camp Lake, and Meysan Lake. Gurgling sounds of Meysan Creek could be heard when the trail wandered near. It was a pleasant 3000' ascent to Grass Lake, where I left the trail. I stayed east of Grass Lake and crossed three streams. I spent too much time on one crossing in an effort to keep my feet dry, forcing a minor bushwhack on the opposite side. Some of the chutes ahead still had snow. If the chute to Lone Pine had snow, it would have been trouble. Fortunately, it was dry.

Alpenglow on Lone Pine Peak

Reflection in Grass Lake

The notorious sandy scree chute was not completely visible from the start. It just looked like a head wall, but it cut back sharply through an opening in the cliffs. Before I tackled it, I dropped a small water cache under a boulder for the return trip. The chute was wide, but there was no obvious best way. Attempting to go up on the high angle dirt was self-defeating. I tried to stay on boulders and larger talus for traction. In the lower half of the chute, I tended toward the right side, then more left in the upper half. It was a slow grind. I paused every 50-100' to see if I could improve my route. I eventually reached the top of the chute where multiple large cairns had been built. The chute gained about 1500' in a half mile, but somehow went class 2. From the top of the chute, I was still 600' below the peak. I found a use trail and followed it toward the first of two false summits. More scrambling on large, solid granite got me over the false summits. I could have saved some energy if I had stayed lower and gone around false summits. Finally, I reached the the summit: a large boulder on the precipice of a 2000' drop to the lakes below. I was psyched and relieved.

Hard to see, but the SW chute cuts back sharply left

Half way up the chute

Summit in view

Summit boulder

The views were incredible. Lone Pine Peak lives between Mount Langley and Mount Whitney. Other visible 14ers included Russell and Williamson. Next door was Mallory and Irvine. To the east, Owens Valley stretched out 10000' below and the Inyo and White Mountains were visible through some haze. There were multiple registers in the ammo box under the summit boulder. The newest was placed in 2023. Several entries said things like "Never again" or "One and done". The chute was discouraging, but I can't say never. I rested a while on top in perfect weather and slathered on another layer of sunscreen. On the way back, the large cairns were helpful in deciding where to drop into the chute. It was easier than expected going down. A combination of scree skiing, plunge stepping, and using the available boulders. It still took a long time, but gravity was my friend. I picked up my water cache, then made no attempt to find dry passage back over the streams. I plodded clumsily through a wide, shallow part. Wet feet and shins were a welcome way to cool off. Descending the trail was pleasant, but the endless switchbacks seemed to eat up the rest of the afternoon. Satisfied with the days events, I loaded up the truck for the drive back to the OC.

Mount Langley

Mount Whitney, Russell (distant center), Williamson (right)

North ridge

Starting down the chute

Final look back

Allen Peak and Birch Mountain

Hiked: 7/10/2025
Distance: 14.2 miles round trip on dirt road, use trail, and cross country
Summit Elevation: 5798' (Allen), 7832' (Birch)
Elevation Gain: 4130'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 3.3
Round trip time: 8 hours
Recommended water: 148 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free at Bear Paw Reserve (with permission)
Difficulty: Strenuous

I wanted to chip away at the Yucaipa Ridge peaks, this time working from the bottom. The best way to reach Allen Peak (HPS #203) was from the Bear Paw Reserve. It's private property and permission is needed to access road 1S08 that leads to the Yucaipa Ridge trail. I filled out the web form and got approved a day later with an email containing the gate code. The process went smoothly. The Reserve provides free hiker parking at the end of the paved road. There was a nice restroom at the parking lot. I was the only fool out hiking in the heat. My plan was to get Allen, then Birch (HPS #79), then make a game time call on Cedar Mountain (HPS #57). Starting from the parking lot, I went up left of the house and found a short single track that intersected the dirt road. The road before the Yucaipa Trail junction was slightly overgrown with grass and soft plants. At the junction, I turned right and continued past a gate to the use trail for Allen Peak. There was some encroaching whitethorn and unavoidable poodle dog born in 2020 El Dorado fire. Parts of the use trail were blocked by charred deadfall, but easily bypassed. I found the register outside a battered can and many pages scattered around. All the loose pages were empty, so I packed them out. After signing, I put the register back in the can and tried to secure it better. The most recent prior ascent was back in January. There were good views into Oak Glen, the IE, and San Gabriels.

Connector trail

Allen Peak

Yucaipa Ridge (left), San Jacinto (right) from Allen
I descended Allen, then continued on Yucaipa Ridge trail. The angle of ascent was mellow for the next couple of miles. There was little tree cover, but the ridge provided shade in the morning. When I reached the Oak Glen divide, the abandoned road became a mess. A hot summer salad mix of deadfall, fox tails, and whitethorn with poodle dog dressing. Though overgrown, it was possible to pick through it without great difficulty. Route finding became harder below Birch Mountain when the road vanished. I worked to the top of the ridge finding an occasional cairn. The final approach to Birch was up steep dirt and charcoal slopes around clusters of brush. When I finally reached the summit of Birch, I was pretty fatigued. The heat had taken a toll, and it took me an hour longer than planned. I checked my water supply and decided to abort the attempt on Cedar Mountain. My choice was validated since I almost ran out of water on the way down. I was sort of surprised that I didn't find evidence of bear activity. No prints or scat. The truck said it was 100 degrees out, but it only felt like 99 in the shade. In the future, I want to hit the middle of Yucaipa Ridge for the other two HPS peaks from the Oak Glen side.

Very overgrown from Oak Glen divide

Looking down on Allen Peak and beyond to the San Gabriel mountains

Birch Mountain is the highest bump in the center

Birch summit, Cedar Mountain in the background

Gorgonio from Birch