Roughly 10,000 ft of elevation gain and descent, 2,000 ft of loose scree (the “Little Slope of Horrors” and “The Ghastly Ridge”), no trail, and a little third class spice near the summit.

Walking a road to the summit wasn’t exactly inspiring, so I put White Mountain off for years. Eventually I settled on a plan to bike it from Big Pine, hoping the novelty of biking a 14er would entice me to finally get it done. Unfortunately it snowed 2 days before my trip and I wasn’t sure how feasible biking would be, so I pulled up Google Earth thinking surely there are more interesting ways up this mountain. That’s how I found the west ridge. I found an old DPS Sierra Club trip report and looked at the FKT page to get a sense of what kind of day I was in for. It was perfect.

I did bedtime with the kids Tuesday night, left South Bay at 8 pm, parked at 4800 ft off a dirt road at 2am, slept until 6am, hiked from 6:15 am to 8:05 pm, ate dinner with a friend who lives in Bishop, then drove home. Got back at 2:30, showered, slept a few hours, then took the kids to school in the morning. I’d never experienced altitude issues at 14k before this trip. The final 2k ft were rough, and my headache didn’t go away (and my pace didn’t return to normal) until I’d descended to 10k. My training for this hike was woefully inadequate.

My understanding is that this route is infrequently done, so I didn’t expect to see anyone on route. But I didn’t expect to have the summit all to myself too!

Yesterday (Wednesday) was my first time hiking up Ice House Canyon trail. I can now see why it gets such a high rating on AllTrails. It’s a beautiful hike! There are still some sections showing some fall colors. That guy asking about scenic hikes in LA area should try this hike.

Trail is in good shape. No muddy spots from recent rain. No water crossings this time of year. I got to the trailhead around 9:15 am and plenty of parking. Of course it was a Wednesday so it’s probably quite different on the weekend.

I did the loop version of the hike (about 8 1/2 miles) and did it clockwise. I think this is a good way to do it because you experience most of the canyon going downhill and you see the progression from dry creek to water-filled creek as you descend. Full ambient hike video of the descent coming soon.

Lots of wildlife out today. Spotted a grey fox on my way back down the trail and a pair of bald eagles flying around throughout the hike.

I had planned to do San G from Vivian Creek TH this Sunday before the snow fell on 10/11. Anybody been up there who can tell me if it’s mountaineering conditions now? Did the snow stick? I am not equipped for mountaineering. 😞

I’m planning on a hike to the Sturtevant Falls and was wondering if anyone has been in that area in the past week or so that can comment on the mosquito situation. I’m very sensitive to their bites, so trying to figure out just how bad it is to know how many layers of loose clothing I need to wear. I’m planning to go in the morning, though likely not super early, so hopefully they won’t be as bad as they might be near dawn. TIA

A couple buddies and I are planning on hiking San Jacinto from the tramway on Sunday. Does anyone know if there's any snow up there yet at this point in the season?

Hi y'all. I'm trying to get back into hiking now that I have more time. I'd love to find a group to periodically join. Preferably somewhere along The Corona-MoVal-Temecula triangle, but not limited to. Last trip was. Solo hike to Etiwanda Falls, if that helps put some perspective. Thanks.

I know it is not winter but it’s definitely not going to be warm. I have a very warm sleeping bag and proper cold weather clothes and a 20 degree rated sleeping bag too. The other gear I have is regular backpacking gear I take to the Trans Catalina Trail.

Should I avoid sleeping on the summit and opt for something lower? Should I avoid The Devil’s Backbone?

If anyone has been up there either recently or in late October please share your knowledge.

Hey seeing if anyone has info / update on water locations along the trail from palm springs up to mt san jacinto peak?

Anyone know if the water spigot at the long vallry ranger station is closed or not?

Any other campground spigots or streams available?

Any info would help thanks!