Tenaja Falls

Hiked: 4/11/2015
Distance: 1.7 miles round trip on trail
Summit Elevation: 1560' (above the falls)
Elevation Gain: 300'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 0.24
Round trip time: 1 hour
Recommended water: 16 oz.
Parking/Fees: Adventure Pass
Difficulty: Easy

Parker and I made a short excursion to another local waterfall. Tenaja Falls in the southeastern Santa Anas is large and multi-tiered. The hike is easy and relatively popular, but the drive is long unless you live in the Lake Elsinore area. From Orange County, there are three ways to get to the other side of the Santa Ana Mountains.

• You can go around the mountains to the north via highway 91, then south on I-15 to Clinton Keith Road.
• You can go over the mountains via highway 74 (Ortega), then south on Grand Ave to Clinton Keith Road. As an alternative, you can turn right on South Main Divide Road and take it to the dirt Wildomar Road (7S04) and get to the trailhead from the north. The quality of Wildomar Road is unknown.
• You can go around the mountains to the south via I-5, east on highway 76, then north on I-15 to Clinton Keith Road.

From Clinton Keith Road, go west/southwest until it turns into Tenaja Road at a bend right. In less than 2 miles, you will come to a stop sign where you need to turn right to stay on Tenaja Road. Go another 4 miles, then turn right on Cleveland Forest Road (7S01). Go past the Tenaja Trailhead, past the Fisherman's Camp Trailhead, and park in the turnout for Tenaja Falls Trailhead. This area is a confusing maze of dirt roads and I got lost here on my first trip to the area for Margarita Peak, which shares the same access route as far as Cleveland Forest Road. Cleveland Forest Road is a one lane paved road with turnouts, so I drove slowly around turns and was ready to share half the road with vehicles coming the other way if a turnout was not handy. There are some potholes along the way, but any vehicle can make this trip. Driving there is half the adventure.

I was surprised to find no one else at the trailhead. Near the start of the trail is a wide stream crossing. I tested the thin line of rocks across it and they were unstable. We followed a path to the right that led to an easy crossing and got us back on the main trail. There was a lot of poison oak just off and sometimes in the trail near the start. In about a half mile, the trail opens up to a full view of Tenaja Falls. I knew it would only be a trickle during the drought, but could tell it would be something special in full flow. A couple had joined us on the trail and we arrived at the top of the falls about the same time. There was a benchmark at the top, but it was too scratched up to read the marking. Parker played near the top seeing how far down he could throw rocks, while I scrambled around a little to take some better pictures. We hung around the top a while enjoying a welcome breeze before heading back the way we came.

Tenaja Falls Trailhead

Stream crossing, rocks were loose so we went around to the right

Tenaja Falls from the trail

Roughed up benchmark at the top of the falls

Parker at the top of the falls

Looking down from the top

Exploring the falls

A trickle coming down the first tier

Standing in the sad water flow

Launching rocks down the falls

Update: 2/10/2019

I made a second trip during the rainy season and hiked to the bottom of the falls. I took the main trail up to the first hard left about half way up. There is a wrecked car below the trail and a use trail that drops all the way into the canyon, where an old tire marks the way out. There is a decent use trail up stream until the last few hundred feet where some light scrambling is required to reach the base of the falls. The next tier up below the major waterfall is an easy class 2 scramble on the right side. Since it had been raining, the rocks were soaked and slippery. The water was flowing nicely.

Mt. McKinley and Iron Mountain #2

Hiked: 4/3/2015
Distance: 19.8 miles round trip on dirt road and trail
Summit Elevation: 4926' (McKinley), 5636' (Iron #2)
Prominence: 246' (McKinley), 578' (Iron #2)
Elevation Gain: 4330'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 3.46
Round trip time: 9 hours
Recommended water: 164 oz.
Parking/Fees: Adventure Pass
Difficulty: Strenuous

A long drive to the western Angeles National Forest was required to meet up with Madison for a run at Mount McKinley and Iron Mountain #2. Here is Madison's trip report. We met at the Paxton Park and Ride, then carpooled to a parking spot off Big Tujunga Road. Madison had his window smashed and car robbed at the trailhead on the last visit and I was a little nervous parking in the same area, but could not think of a better parking location. Car smash and grabs are one of the hazards of parking in remote areas that are still close enough to the bad people in the big city. The car was certainly not safe, but probably as safe as it could be.

There is no short route to McKinley. The Gold Creek route is about 12 miles round trip. The other main option was to leave from Dillon Divide, but that would not be any closer, and both were dirt roads. It was around 6:20 AM when we started, officially before sunrise, but there was plenty of early morning light. The gain was mild and steady, adding up as the miles rolled by. In what seemed a short time, we arrived at the water tank about 4.4 miles from the start where the Yerba Buena Trail junction knifes back toward McKinley. The trail was somewhat overgrown and we pushed through the light brush without problems. We took our first break to adjust equipment at the western saddle of McKinley. I checked out the ridge and was ready to plow ahead, but Madison convinced me it was better to follow the trail around to the north side and tackle the peak from the higher north saddle. That was good advice because the climb from the northern saddle was unobstructed. We had made reasonable time to McKinley and were feeling pretty strong. At 4926', it ranks second on the Sierra Club Lower Peaks List. We signed the register and refueled. Without much debate, we agreed to continue on toward Iron #2. I was happy to log the extra miles since most of my hikes this year had been on the short side.

Predawn at Gold Creek Road

First view of Mt. McKinley

Water Tank at Yerba Buena Trail junction

Western ridge of McKinley, trail goes left

A lot of flora was still blooming

The north ridge of McKinley

Madison slap-tagging the McKinley summit register with an Eispiraten sticker

Condor Peak from McKinley summit

Iron Mountain #2 from McKinley summit

Yerba Buena Ridge from McKinley summit

The Yerba Buena Trail between McKinley and Iron Mountain Saddle was starting to decay. It was somewhat overgrown like the earlier section, but there were also half a dozen wash outs where a slip might send you on an unpleasant ride into the canyon. The wash outs weren't too difficult, and a little care got us by them without incident. While traversing toward the Iron Saddle, we saw a distant tractor leveling the road. Sure enough, when we reached Mendenhall Ridge Road, we had a nice smooth path for the next few miles to Iron Mountain #2. The tractor had moved along to other duties. From our angle of approach, it was not clear where the long western ridge of Iron intersected the road. We marched right by the use trail and started looking for a way up as we got below the high point. We looked at two possible ways up, one a grassy slope heading up the north ridge and the other a scree field. We decided the grassy slope would be better and as we scrambled up the slope, discovered a reasonable use trail heading straight to the summit. That makes three use trails on Iron #2, one on the east, north, and west ridges. The summit of Iron #2 had a benchmark stamped "NAT S". I'm not sure what that means.

We relaxed and celebrated our second peak of the morning. When we started planning this hike, we wanted to make it a loop, coming down Trail Canyon from Iron. The research I had done on a recent trip report suggested the canyon was not maintained and clogged after Tom Lucas Camp. I was wary of descending into a nasty pit, with flashbacks of Hot Spring Canyon and Tanriverdi Falls. Still, we debated the merits and the shorter distance of returning through the canyon. Madison wanted to complete the loop and it certainly sounded more appealing. We agreed to give it a shot. Before leaving the summit, we opened the register to sign it. Reading an entry from 2014 by Amin Faraday, (a veteran hiker with over 200 HPS summits), he described his ascent up Trail Canyon as "horrendous bushwhacking...never again!". That persuaded us to return along the road. We descended Iron along the western ridge, a better way to go up. The sun warmed everything significantly on the way back bringing out the reptiles. I counted four snakes on the way back, but none were pit vipers. I was only able to capture one on camera. We also stumbled over the scattered remains of a deer. Madison removed a tick from his leg at our final break coming off the Yerba Buena Trail. It was a long slog on the way back, and the final road switchbacks seemed neverending. Arriving at the car, I was glad to find it undisturbed. It had been a great day in the front range with the bonus of bagging another Iron Mountain.

Charred tree hanging over the trail

Typical washed out section

Leaving the road on the north ridge of Iron Mountain #2

Looking up the north ridge

Iron Mountain #2 benchmark

McKinley from Iron Mountain summit

On Iron Mountain #2 summit

Deer parts along the road

Western patch-nosed snake

Peek-a-boo

Other Trip Reports:
Mt. McKinley and Iron #2 Loop (EisPiraten, confirmed our decision to avoid Trail Canyon)

San Juan Loop

Hiked: 3/29/2015
Distance: 2.3 miles round trip on trail
Summit Elevation: 2004' (high point on trail)
Elevation Gain: 360'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 0.28
Round trip time: 1 hour
Recommended water: 16 oz.
Parking/Fees: Adventure Pass
Difficulty: Easy

Parker and I headed out for this short and popular loop hike just off Ortega Highway (hwy 74) in the Santa Anas. The large parking lot across from the Ortega Candy Store is the starting and ending point for the loop. Restrooms are available and an Adventure Pass is required if you are planning to use the facilities. The Adventure Pass requirement was ruled illegal unless you use the provided amenities. I always play it safe and display it in national forest areas, though there were many cars parked there without one.

The loop trail starts on the north side of the parking lot and in about a quarter mile descends to San Juan Falls. Like most of the local waterfalls, it had been reduced to a trickle due to drought. We continued to descend south to a creek at about the half way point, then wandered through an oak shaded area next to the creek. Patches of poison oak lurked just off trail in a few places, but none of it intruded into the well maintained trail. There is a junction with the Chiquito Trail just past the creek. Shortly, we turned north again parallel to Ortega Highway and the noise of traffic blended with the nature sounds. We were almost to the Upper San Juan Campground when the hiker in front of us stopped. When we caught up to her, she said a snake was in the trail. Indeed, a juvenile rattlesnake lay half way across the trail, either basking or hunting, but oblivious to the nearby humans. As soon as she recognized our presence, the rattle came to life and she slithered into the grass. The rest of the loop was less rocky than the beginning and we were back at the parking lot in an hour. Flying bugs are starting to gain strength near the creek, so I recommend bug spray from now through the summer. This trail is family and dog friendly. Bikes are not allowed.

San Juan Loop trailhead

San Juan Falls

Here is falls flowing a couple of years later

Blooming yucca

Creek at the bottom of the loop

Shady oaks

Juvenile rattlesnake, best guess western diamondback based on black and white tail stripes

Parker on the trail

Mt. Deception, Mt. Disappointment, San Gabriel Peak

Hiked: 3/20/2015
Distance: 8 miles round trip on road, trail, and cross country
Summit Elevation: 5796' (Mt. Deception), 5960' (Mt. Disappointment), 6161' (San Gabriel Peak)
Prominence: 1561' (San Gabriel)
Elevation Gain: 2180'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 1.74
Round trip time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Recommended water: 64 oz.
Parking/Fees: Adventure Pass
Difficulty: Moderate (combined)

Mt. Deception lies west of Mt. Disappointment, part of a long ridge line that connects to the local high point at San Gabriel Peak. It is the one peak in the San Gabriel cluster I had not visited in my previous trips to the area. I wanted to hit Deception and make my second summit of Disappointment. I ended up hitting up San Gabriel Peak a second time mainly for the workout. I parked at Red Box and followed the winding Mt. Disappointment Road up. I had not been up that road before and it was actually quite pleasant. There are great views of the Arroyo Seco, Josephine, Strawberry, and Lawlor along the way. Pines and their aromatic scents are thick on both sides of the road. When I got to the firebreak on Mt. Deception, I left the road and followed it up to the ridge, then over the false summit to the uninspiring true summit. The most remarkable thing about the summit area was the burned vegetation making a slow recovery. Deception is an HPS peak, but not a USGS peak, so there was no benchmark and no register. Most of the peaks in the San Gabriel cluster are too pedestrian for a register. I continued a short way past the summit to a clearing with better views, then returned to the road on the regular use trail.

Approaching Mt. Deception summit

The nondescript summit of Mt. Deception

Mt. Disappointment (left with towers), San Gabriel Peak (behind),
pinnacle at the end of the ridge of Mt. Disappointment

Close up of the ridge and pinnacle

Back on the road, it was a short trip to the summit of Mt. Disappointment. The radio clusters are second only to Mt. Wilson and there is a well maintained heliport. The launchpad for 1960s era Nike missiles is also in good shape. On my trip down Bear Canyon last year, Sean and I noticed the 85' pinnacle jutting up from the SW ridge of Disappointment. It has no official name, but I considered climbing it. To get to it from the top requires a 280' descent down the ridge, then the climb. I took a hard look at it from Disappointment and I thought my chances were pretty good of getting up it. The ridge, however, looked more dicey. I decided to start down and see what was what. The rock on the ridge is not very sturdy, and other than a few shrubs and small burned trees, the only vegetation is dead or dying poodle dog bush. Sections of the ridge are class 3 with some exposure on both sides, and poodle dog blocks the main path. I put on my gloves and parted the poodle dog, climbing over the rocks and through some small burned trees. I took a photo part way down, then started contouring left where it looked like I could descend. That didn't last long as the loose gravel pushed me back closer to the ridge line. I got down to less than 100' from the saddle in a slippery gully just left of the ridge. It looked like I needed to slide down, but it also looked like a one way trip. I estimated my odds of scrambling back up the gully to be low, so I reversed course, got back on the ridge line and looked at descending that way. I soon ran into a steep, loose down climb that I also didn't like. I decided to head back and stuck to the ridge. It was tricky getting back up and I had one foothold and one handhold break loose on the way, but without mishap. Back on the Disappointment summit, I checked the time and decided to add San Gabriel Peak to the tour. At the top of San Gabriel, I met a very friendly lizard who was ignoring me in favor of the tasty bugs flying around. The lizards were out in force today, meaning the snakes are probably on the way. I took the Bill Reilly trail on the way down for a change of scenery.

Mt. Disappointment benchmark

Mt. Disappointment summit

Mt. Deception from Disappointment

Lizard on the Disappointment ridge

The pinnacle from the top of Disappointment, ridge drops out of view

Part way down the ridge, I got to the end of the white section where a steep drop convinced me to return

Approaching San Gabriel Peak

San Gabriel Peak benchmark

Friendly lizard on San Gabriel Peak