Dragon's Head and many hats

 About 24n24  |  About Epic4Epic  |  The Wildlands Conservancy  |  My Running  |  Giving  |  Levels of Support  |  Course Map  |  Donors  |  Facebook 

Looking east past Bighorn and Tosh Tarn, to the Mojave Desert

     On Saturday I climbed San Gorgonio and then bushwhacked over to Bighorn and Dragon's Head, the last two peaks on my course before dropping down to the Mill Creek Jump Off. Along with several of the peaks between the Dollar Lake Saddle and San Gorgonio, these two were on my get-to-know list. Although I anticipate not reaching them before sunrise, I've been wondering how I would make my way between them. In the image below I'm on top of Dragon's Head and the camera's facing east toward Bighorn and Tosh Tarn (the wide, sandy basin between Bighorn and San Gorgonio). It was a good day, and I felt better than I'd felt in the fall when I last climbed up top San G from the parking lot in Forest Falls (in about the same time, 3h 20m). There were, no surprise, many others who climbed it that day—the weather has helped to melt most of the snow from the south-facing access.

      There was a couple up top who had on leashes five dogs, large and small. I was thinking about the small dogs' legs and how each mile for humans must be equal to several miles for them, not to mention the 5500 feet of elevation change. I asked them about it and they said the little ones accompany them several miles on bike each day. Wow! And to think that there are so many dogs who's whole world is inside a backyard fence.

Trail to Preservation Point, San Jacinto in the distance

     Like any great job, my job requires me to wear many hats, so on Sunday we inaugurated a new trail at the Oak Glen Preserve. The trail system there is not long, but it holds much spirit. There is a loop trail extending down 300 feet (elevation) alongside a stream, from the upper ponds, toward a camping area called Hidden Hollow, then returning through Oak Knoll Park to our main parking area. Over the past month I've helped to build this new trail from down in Hidden Hollow. The trail is short (just under a mile) but it packs a punch, climbing up 750 feet. Where do you get to on this new trail? We've named the overlook Preservation Point, in honor of the legacy of land conservation efforts throughout Southern California. From that vantage point we can see far to the south, to Palomar Mountain, to the southeast to Mount San Jacinto State Park, to the west to the Santa Ana Mountains and the Cleveland National Forest, and northward to our own backyard, the Yucaipa Ridge, where Wilshire Peak juts up from the line. We served ice cold apple cider, compliments of Los Rios Rancho, and cookies. All was well.