This blog will detail 1,000 video hikes in Southern California. By Southern California, I am drawing a line from San Luis Obispo to the Nevada Border. Anything south of that line will be declared "Southern California". In a way, it is a personal challenge to do so many hikes. Mainly, however, it is my way of showcasing how many hiking opportunities there really are right in our own geographic back yard. As a blog, it serves as a companion piece to my Youtube channel "1,000 Hikes in So Cal". It is also a work in progress, as I don't actually have 1,000 edited videos completed. This will take effort for quite some time before it is declared done. Even then, there will still be more out there. Here's to hiking and all the positive effects it has had on my life...and possibly yours!
Showing posts with label Sierra Pelona Mountains. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sierra Pelona Mountains. Show all posts
It is a relatively short hike to reach Townsend Peak. That's what makes it a great add on hike after hiking nearby Whitaker Peak. Unlike Whitaker, however, this nearby peak is much greener with lush plant growth. A hike here is more scenic as well. The hike is essentially a climb on a dirt road to the summit. At the end, it requires a short scurry off the road to reach the summit. I found no summit markers on top.
On the ridge.
There is a nearby twin summit about a half-mile away, so I climbed it as well. Sometimes peak climbing involves hedging your bets a bit by climbing all nearby high points in order to be sure that you actually climbed the proper peak. By doing both, I had no doubt that I completed the task. I returned the same way to close out the visit. Despite being right next to Interstate 5, I had both trails to myself, with the exception of a mountain biker or two.
Summary Whitaker Peak is one of a handful of hikes accessible from Golden State Highway. GSH is the old roadway bed that went through the canyon before Interstate 5 was built. The hike begins at a signed roadway that elevates above the canyon. I parked near the start of the hike and hiked past the locked vehicle gate. The road is in good shape, and is probably only open for service vehicles. There is also little to no shade on the hike, so it is best to visit on a cool day.
Approaching Whitaker Peak.
The semi-paved road leads out to buildings with radio towers overlooking the Sespe Wilderness at Whitaker Lookout. Although it is at the end of the road, this isn't the actual Whitaker Peak summit. To get to it, I had to backtrack to a point where I could go cross country (with a faint use trail) to the actual summit. The summit has a benchmark.
Summit benchmark.
Afterwards, I retreated back to the road. I followed the road all the way back for 4 miles. Although the hike involved claiming two peaks, I still had the desire to do more, so I drove down the road to take on the Townsend Peak hike as well.
Summary I was in a mood to go somewhere I had never been. Since there are several peaks that I had yet to visit, I picked one that was far away from me. I was drawn to Warm Springs Mountain. When searching online, I found little to no information about this mountain. When searching it on Google Maps, I could see a clear route that leads to the summit. This was really all that I needed to know, so I made the drive to it.
Approaching Warm Springs Mountain.
Where Lake Hughes Rd meets Forest Road 6N32. the hike begins. The whole hike is along wide forest roads on the way to the summit. However, since the starting point is far away from a population center, this hike is rarely visited. I saw nobody else on my Saturday visit. This is another perfect example of finding solitude in nature without leaving Southern California.
On the summit.
After a few miles, the hike continues on Forest Road 7N13. This road bends to the left and eventually leads to the peak. The summit has a lookout tower and a benchmark. The peak overlooks the parking area on Lake Hughes Road, but it would be quite a bushwhack to head straight down.
The summit lookout tower.
I returned the way I came, for a gradual downhill hike back down the forest roads. Outside of the trees near the trailhead, there is no shade on this hike, so visiting on a cool day was a good call.
Summary From a wide parking area on Spunky Canyon Rd, the trail begins on a dirt road. The climb begins right away, and by staying left at a trail junction (which is the return portion of the hike), the trail continues to climb. Once reaching the ridge, the hike climbs even more steeply up the loose slopes. Fortunately, it isn't a long climb as it reaches the summit of Jupiter Mountain in about a mile. A bench sits on the summit, making for a nice resting spot before continuing on.
On the summit of Jupiter Mountain.
To continue to Juno Peak, the trail descends the opposite side of Jupiter Mountain and then starts a new climb toward Juno. Steady climbing up the wide trail leads to its summit. I didn't find any marker on the summit, but views are good.
In between Jupiter & Juno.
On the way back, it requires a return back down the trail to a junction between Juno and Jupiter. A left turn on this trail bypasses the reclimbing of Jupiter Mountain. The hike hugs the lower slopes of Jupiter Mountain all the way back toward the parking area, for the completion of a semi-loop hike.
On top of Juno Mountain looking back at Jupiter Mountain.
