Silver Peak

Hiked: 10/30/2025
Distance: 4 miles round trip on trail and cross country
Summit Elevation: 6756'
Elevation Gain: 1300'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 1.0
Round trip time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Recommended water: 32 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free on Highway 18
Difficulty: Easy

From Gold Mountain, I drove back to Highway 18, then continued east and north to the intersection with 3N62. I parked in a wide dirt turnout and started hiking toward Silver Peak (HPS #134), stark and white. When I got onto 3N62, I realized I could have driven the quarter mile or so to the official trailhead. Oh, well, a few extra steps on a short hike was good for me. The official trailhead had room for about five vehicles, but I was the only one there. The terrain was classic high desert, not an alpine transition zone. A faint use trail led to the base of the mountain. From there, an abandoned and washed out road made switchbacks up to an open mine. I made a mental note to check it out on the way down. A cairn to climbers' left marked the start of a use trail leading to a saddle. The use trail mostly followed a drainage with a steel cable anchored high above, an artifact of the mine. The trail appeared to follow the cable up a steep packed slope. It looked better to stick to the drainage so that's what I did. From the top of the drainage, I started along the ridge and hit a flat spot where upper remnants of the road appeared. I continued along the road to the summit. On top, I found a red register can, but it had been hit with a shotgun blast and there was no sign of a register inside. It needed a new register. A sealed, then subsequently broken seal, partially covered a shaft that was dug at a 30 degree angle into the mountain. I guessed this was for ventilation. Exploring the mine from above seemed sketch so I left it. After a 15 minute break, I checked in with the Garmin Mini, then started down.

Start of 3N62, the official trailhead was a quarter mile down the road

Official trailhead

Use trail up the gully

Mine shaft on the summit with a broken seal

High desert
I followed a cairn down the upper road and onto the use trail I left earlier. It was quite steep in places, but the steel cable was useful to aid the descent. Back at the mine, I sent another Garmin check in, so my last location would be known if something happened in the mine. I unpacked my light sources, carried the GoPro, and left my pack outside. I was able to stand up in the mine in most places. The tunnel went straight back at least 400' past some support beams to an intersection. I lost sight of the entrance. Another tunnel branched left and the main one continued for about 80' before ending. I went back and followed the left tunnel about 100' more until it also came to an end. It was a fun side adventure and added a little spice to the trip. The rest of the descent was uneventful. Silver Peak wrapped up the third HPS peak for the day. As much as I bag on generic HPS peaks, Little Bear, Gold, and Silver were fun.

Lower mine entrance

More mining ruins

Gold Mountain

Hiked: 10/30/2025
Distance: 3.5 miles round trip on dirt road and cross country
Summit Elevation: 8237'
Elevation Gain: 1060'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 0.8
Round trip time: 2 hours
Recommended water: 16 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free on Forest Road 3N16
Difficulty: Easy

Gold Mountain (HPS #64) is slightly NE of Big Bear Lake. A variety of dirt roads lead to the top. I drove up Forest Road 3N16 and parked at the Lucky Baldwin Mine historic site. For people who yearn to push the driving adventure, 3N16 was open and could be driven another half mile to the much rougher OHV road 3N69, my ascent road. I found 3N69 steep with major boulders. It made very few switchbacks. Closer to the top, I left the road for a more direct cross country route. It sort of followed Ben FRs track, more of a concept of a plan to follow it. The slope above the road was mostly open with a few downed trees to work around. After intersecting another road right below the summit, I walked below some tall cedars to the class 2 summit rock pile. Register cans were placed directly above the benchmark. I spotted a couple of reference marks as well. A wooden social media sign was lying nearby. Gold Mountain won the contest for best view of Big Bear Lake (so far). Views were nice in every direction. The weather and blue skies felt more like summer than late October. I soaked in some sun before starting down. My descent path followed a wide gully to the road below, then an easy walk back to the truck.

Lucky Baldwin Mine ruins

Ascent road

Summit rock pile

Little Bear Peak

Hiked: 10/30/2025
Distance: 2 miles round trip on trail
Summit Elevation: 7616'
Elevation Gain: 410'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 0.3
Round trip time: 1 hour
Recommended water: 16 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free on Forest Road 3N12
Difficulty: Easy

I was back in the Big Bear Lake area for more easy HPS Peaks. First up was Little Bear (HPS #88). From Fawnskin, I went north on Rim of the World Dr., then 3N14, then 3N12. The dirt roads were in decent shape with only a few small ruts. The trail started behind a couple of logs. Little Bear came into view about half way there, with pleasant fall colors in the trees. The trail had been routed around fallen trees and through trimmed sections of whitethorn. The high point was a small pile of boulders about 50' before the lookout point. I found the register in a green can under a rock at the lookout point. No benchmark. Little Bear had 360 views and one of the nicer views of Big Bear. I took a few photos and was on my way back. I lost the trail a couple of times on the way back, just looking at trees and generally not paying attention. My track was a mess. I uploaded it to Peakbagger, but I can't recommend it. Soon, I was in the truck driving east toward Gold Mountain.

Little Bear at the end of the ridge line

Hanna Rocks, Butler Peak, and Crafts Peak

Round Mountain and Luna Mountain

Hiked: 10/21/2025
Distance: 7.8 miles round trip cross country
Summit Elevation: 5272' (Round), 5967' (Luna)
Elevation Gain: 2070'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 1.6
Round trip time: 3 hours 55 minutes
Recommended water: 60 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free on Oak Springs Road
Difficulty: Moderate

Another random Tuesday chasing Sierra Club peaks. Round Mountain (HPS #255) and Luna Mountain (HPS #188) were on the agenda, north of Lake Arrowhead. Both of these peaks are in the high desert and the ecosystem felt like the higher mountains in Anza-Borrego around Warner Springs. I like the high desert, even though they lack the soaring vistas of the Sierra. I'm a desert rat at heart. I took Bowen Ranch Road, a smooth dirt road to Oak Springs Road that had deep ruts and needed high clearance. I parked just north of Round Mountain and started up a trail in that direction. OHV trails crisscrossed but generally went the same direction. There were three parallel use trails heading up to Round. I took the rightmost, though they were functionally identical. It was a steep, sandy ascent ending at a tame summit. I didn't find a benchmark, but the register was in a pile of rocks, inside a PVC pipe inside a can. The previous party had visited in May. The nicest view was of the Angeles National Forest, white tipped from a recent storm. I also recognized the HPS Pinnacles to the south. I plunge stepped back to the road and headed toward Luna Mountain looming above.

Round Mountain from the start

High desert golden hour

Half way up the use trail

Summit with Luna Mountain in the background

San Gabriel Mountains

After a small dip, the road started climbing up to a saddle east of Luna Mountain. There was a maintained trail that climbed the east ridge while the summit was on the opposite side. I was tempted to go cross country from the south, but didn't think I'd save much time or distance. The trail hit all the sub-peaks along the ridge and passed some interesting rock piles. The summit had a pristine benchmark from 1928, a register, and apparently a working antennae of some sort. Views were even better from the higher perch of Luna, including the Pinnacles to the south. The late October sun was warm but not hot. On the way back, I noticed an odd sticker on one of the gates: "Goggle Packers MC". With some net-fu, I learned it was an off-road motorcycle club that clearly doesn't take itself too seriously. A relaxing day and two more HPS peaks checked.

Trail up the east ridge

The Pinnacles to the south

Big Horn Peak, AZ

Hiked: 10/15/2025
Distance: 7.8 miles round trip cross country
Summit Elevation: 3480'
Prominence: 1400'
Elevation Gain: 2325'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 1.8
Round trip time: 6 hours 30 minutes
Recommended water: 80 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free on Salome Road
Difficulty: Strenuous

I was in Phoenix for business and looked for an interesting mountain to hike on the way back. AI came up with 4 suggestions, including Big Horn Peak. It was a little north of I-10 and the trailhead was relatively easy to reach. Big Horn featured a cross country scramble. After breakfast, I drove about an hour west from Phoenix and exited at Salome Road. Google Maps suggested an oddball route, but the exit at Salome was open and provided direct access to the service road for the Central Arizona Project Canal. I added a map below. The road was nicely graded gravel and I parked at the end near a pump station. The canal was fenced, but an unfenced open bridge allowed me to cross into the Bighorn Mountain Wilderness without trespassing. I followed the fence line north about a quarter mile where the fence ended. Then, I went directly toward the somewhat scary looking Big Horn Peak.

Big Horn looked like a sombrero. A lower band of cliffs acted as the brim, with a plateau surrounding the center tower. I followed the lower band of cliffs east until I found a class 2 gully to ascend. There was some minor brush but it was more helpful as holds than a hindrance. The middle plateau was covered in dense cholla. Despite careful steps, I picked up some needles both directions. I left the plateau onto a subtle ledge system with route finding the rest of the way. One ledge might not connect with a higher one and the route then was straight up, though not exceeding class 2. The slope was also loose with lots of gravel. It was slow work.

Salome exit on I-10 and service road

New ride and Big Horn Peak in the background

Protected cabin ruins

Skirting the lower cliffs

Ascent gully

Cholla moat

Under the summit
I finally arrived at the base of the crux: 40' of class 3 on good rock. I tried to have the drone follow me on the crux, but due to operator error, I only got a photo at the base. On the summit, I got a few aerial videos. I never found the register, thought it might have been hidden below a rock I didn't move. No benchmark either. I reveled in the views for 15 minutes before heading down. I down climbed the crux facing the rock. When I got back to the plateau, I decided to try to descend the gully since it was more direct. I had enough juice to climb back up if needed. When I reached the band lip, I was cliffed out. However, I saw a chute only 100' over that looked class 3. I climbed up a little to get to the chute. I was relieved it did go class 3 with some brush. The rest of the descent was easy as I merged into my approach path. It had taken me an hour longer than I expected. Big Horn was a great hike and worthy challenge.

Base of the class 3 crux

Looking back on the way down

Plateau. The ascent gully was on the left, the descent gully on the right

Looking back at the descent gully