Southern California Mountains Galleries

Wrightwood - Blue Ridge : Rick McHard's inaugural Claremont Club hike took place on November 1989. To celebrate 20 memorable years of organizing and leading TCC hikes, Rick lead us on a hike up Blue Ridge near Wrightwood. The hike featured views of the Mojave Desert to the north, and towering summits of Mt. Baldy, Iron Mountain and Mt. Baden Powell to the south. After the hike we had a potluck at The Claremont Club.

Wrightwood - Blue Ridge

Rick McHard's inaugural Claremont Club hike took place on November 198 ...

Updated: Nov 15, 2009 7:20pm PST

Mt. Baldy - A day-hike from Manker Flats :

Mt. Baldy - A day-hike from Manker Flats

Updated: May 01, 2009 4:48pm PST

Lookout Peak :

Lookout Peak

Updated: Mar 29, 2007 4:13pm PST

San Jacinto Wilderness - Fobes Trail : Sunday, November 5, 2006

San Jacinto Wilderness - Fobes Trail

Sunday, November 5, 2006

Updated: Nov 07, 2006 7:15am PST

Big Bear Lake Area : Our short and enjoyable hike started at the Aspen Glen Picnic Area. David Money Harris and his one year old son, Abraham, Chelsea and her boyfriend, Adrian, and I followed the Pine Knot Trail for 3.25 miles to Grand View Point. It was sunny and mild, a welcome relief after two weeks of scorching triple digit temperatures in the valley.

Big Bear Lake Area

Our short and enjoyable hike started at the Aspen Glen Picnic Area. Da ...

Updated: Jul 31, 2006 7:59pm PST

San Gorgonio Mountain - Via Dry Lake-Dollar Lake Loop : Sunday, June 11, 2006 Rick Graham, David Money Harris and I started our hike in the San Gabriel Wilderness at the South Fork Trail Head (7:10 a.m.) off of Jenks Lake Road. We reached the summit of San Gorgonio Mountain via Dry Lake, Mine Shaft Saddle and Sky High Trail . On the summit (1:00 p.m.), we ate lunch and lingered for a good 45 minutes. From the summit, we descended to Dollar Lake Saddle (3:05 p.m.), then to High Meadow Spring. From the Dry Lake-Dollar Lake fork at South Fork Meadows (4:10 p.m.), we retraced our steps back to South Fork Trailhead (5:10 p.m.). You couldn't ask for a better day to walk in the wilderness: no bugs, slight breeze and mild temps.

San Gorgonio Mountain - Via Dry Lake-Dollar Lake Loop

Sunday, June 11, 2006 Rick Graham, David Money Harris and I started ou ...

Updated: Jun 12, 2006 12:47pm PST

San Gorgonio Mountain- Vivian Creek : Saturday, June 3, 2006

San Gorgonio Mountain- Vivian Creek

Saturday, June 3, 2006

Updated: Jun 05, 2006 10:12pm PST

Cucamonga Peak - Up the south ridge and down Ice House Canyon : Sunday, April 23, 2006 Departed From the top of Haven Avenue in Rancho Cucamonga at 6:15 a.m. with Joe Sheehy and Rick Graham and worked our way up Deer Canyon. Once we reached the Cucamonga Truck Trail, Joe headed back to Haven Ave. Rick and I continued east on the Truck Trail for about a quarter of a mile where we met the South Ridge. Rick reached the summit of Cucamonga Peak at 11:15 a.m., I made it about 10 minutes later. We reached the Icehouse parking lot by 3:00 p.m.

Cucamonga Peak - Up the south ridge and down Ice House Canyon

Sunday, April 23, 2006 Departed From the top of Haven Avenue in Rancho ...

Updated: Apr 27, 2006 7:01am PST

Mount Baldy : Saturday, March 18, 2006

Mount Baldy

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Updated: Mar 19, 2006 10:13am PST

Six San Gabriel Peaks In A Day : Sunday, December 11, 2005 Four of us started (4:10 a.m.) the San Gabriel Nine Peaks at Icehouse Canyon TH: Joe Sheehy, David Money-Harris, Alex Honnald and I. Not feeling well, Joe bailed after reaching Ice House Canyon Saddle. The rest of us made it to Baldy Notch (3:30 p.m.) after tagging six of the nine peaks: Ontario, Bighorn, Cucamonga, Timber, Telegraph and Thunder. That put us at 20+ miles and 8,000+ feet of elevation gain/loss. Because I didn't want to top out in the dark and descend to Manker Flats in the dark and I would be quite late for a dinner appointment, I crossed over to the dark side and took the chair lift down. Pam, my wife, picked me up at the ski lift parking lot. I left my car for David and Alex. They pressed on and finished the Nine Peaks, tagging Harwood, Baldy and West Baldy. David and Alex arrived at Manker Flats via the Ski Hut trail around 7:45 p.m.-closing in on a sixteen-hour day. David and Alex covered around 31 miles and over 11,000 feet of elevation gain/loss. David carries a gps so I'm sure he has accurate figures.

Six San Gabriel Peaks In A Day

Sunday, December 11, 2005 Four of us started (4:10 a.m.) the San Gabr ...

Updated: Mar 22, 2006 6:54pm PST

Bear Flat - Mount Baldy : Sunday, November 13, 2005 Met Joe Sheehy at Manker Flats at 6:00 a.m. Joe jumped into my my car and we drove to Baldy Village and started our walk up Bear Flat Canyon around 6:30 a.m. I arrived on the summit of Baldy at 9:10 a.m. Joe arrrived about 10 minutes later. We had a pleasant conversation with Peter on the summit who came out from Massachusett to climb Baldy. Neat guy! After a short snack break, Joe and I ran to our car via Baldy Bowl and the Sierra Club Ski Hut to Manker Flats. We arrived at Joe's car at 10:50 a.m. On the run down, the usual Sunday throngs were making their way up the Ski Hut trail. Trail conditions were clear on the way up and of course on the way down. Just a dusting of snow remains on the north slopes of Baldy. A gentle breeze on the summit cooled us down and we were rewarded with sterling vistas. We could see the High Sierra and Catalina Island. Perfect weather for a fall hike. Thank you for taking the photos, Joe.

Bear Flat - Mount Baldy

Sunday, November 13, 2005 Met Joe Sheehy at Manker Flats at 6:00 a.m. ...

Updated: Dec 07, 2005 10:22am PST

Iron Mountain - Mount Baldy In a Day : Sunday, December 4, 2005 A dayhike starting at Heaton Flats TH at 5:00 a.m. to the summit of Iron Mountain. From Iron Mountain, we followed the San Antonio Ridge to the summit of West Baldy then on over to Old Baldy. We descended via the Ski Hut to Manker Flats, reaching our car at 5:30 p.m. Total distance: about 17 miles. Elevation gain: about 10,000 feet.

Iron Mountain - Mount Baldy In a Day

Sunday, December 4, 2005 A dayhike starting at Heaton Flats TH at 5:0 ...

Updated: Mar 01, 2006 11:24pm PST

San Jacinto Peak - Folley Peak - Fuller Ridge :

San Jacinto Peak - Folley Peak - Fuller Ridge

Updated: Dec 03, 2005 4:32pm PST

San Jacinto Peak - Cactus to Clouds In a Day : Sunday, November 20, 2005 Originally, my plan was to do the San Gabriel 9 Peaks. But I couldn’t pass up the glorious weather in the San Jacinto Mountains, and not knowing how many more weekends the weather would hold, I decided, therefore, to dayhike Cactus to Clouds. I arrived at the Desert Museum in Palm Springs from my home in Claremont at 4:40 a.m. After a bit of organizing and gulping down the last of my coffee, I was on the trail by 5:00 a.m. The moon was directly overhead and bright enough to walk without a headlamp. About an hour into the hike while watching a pair of hawks working a thermal I heard, “Good morning!” A trail runner passed and said he was shooting for four hours to Long Valley. He had a water bottle in his left hand, shirtless and a tiny hip bag. Talk about going light. I moved on enjoying the tapestry of colors brought on by the rising sun. At Flat Rock, I took a ten-minute nutrition break (9:15 a.m.). From Flat Rock I can usually reach Long Valley in one hour, but I decided to throttle back a bit to save my legs for the last six miles to the summit. I reached the rim of Long Valley at 10:30 a.m. and headed for the Ranger Station to get my permit. After filling out my permit, I had a relaxing lunch of red potatoes dipped in seasoned salt and a pint of Gatorade. Love those potatoes, must be the Irish in me. I departed for the summit at 11:00 a.m. and topped out at 1:15 p.m. A guy at the summit said that there was a cold Heineken in the food cache in the Hut meant for an emergency. We both wondered what constituted an emergency. We decided that our present state did not fall under the definition of “emergency.” After spending about ten minutes on the summit, I walked/jogged to the tram station, arriving at 3:10 p.m. Got on the first car and enjoyed listening to the excitement each time we passed over a tower. At the bottom, a tram operator called a taxi for me and in about fifteen minutes I was on my way back to the Desert Museum. I thanked the taxicab driver for the ride ($25 including tip), and headed for home at 4:30 p.m. The freeway gods must have been with me for I made it back to Claremont before 6:00 p.m. I couldn’t believe how perfect the weather was—cool but not cold the whole way to the summit. By the time I reached the summit there was hardly a whisper of wind and no snow or ice on the trail. Another fantastic fall weekend. I’m wondering if we are going to have a late winter this season.

San Jacinto Peak - Cactus to Clouds In a Day

Sunday, November 20, 2005 Originally, my plan was to do the San Gabri ...

Updated: Nov 27, 2005 5:52pm PST