The Three Beauties of Mill B South Fork: A Wasatch Classic

Jagged Sundial Peak Towering Over Lake Blanche

I was back in the motherland for a couple of days of R&R and the heat in the Salt Lake Valley was stultifying. It was time for a run into the Wasatch to cool the body and cleanse the soul. Or maybe that was just an excuse to get up the canyons and into the mountains where I spent a fair amount of time during my misspent youth. I don't know, I don't care, and it doesn't matter anyway because the end result was the same: cool gurgly streams, craggy peaks, exploding wildflowers, aspen tree jungles, and icy lakes.

But where to go? If you know Salt Lake, you know the possibilities are almost limitless. Choosing one trail from the gigantic list of really top-drawer options is a bit like buying beer these days. The choices are so numerous, and the quality so high, that the process can be paralyzing. So we opted for a Wasatch classic, the hiking equivalent of a Polygamy Porter, and headed for the Lake Blanche trailhead up Big Cottonwood Canyon.

As we drove up the canyon, the heat continued to hound us. Escape didn't really materialize, at least not as we envisioned. But the gushing voices of Big Cottonwood Creek and Mill B South Fork Creek sufficiently distracted us as we made the stiff ascent toward the high-alpine cirque which cradles the three beautiful ladies we had come to see: Lake Blanche, Lake Florence, and Lake Lillian.

Twin Peaks Wilderness Boundary Sign

Amazing Aspen Grove

Big Cottonwood Canyon Flora

View Down Mill B South Fork Canyon to Mt. Olympus

Outlet to Lake Lillian Spilling Into Mill B South Fork Canyon

When you live in the barren wasteland that Southern California has become as a result of the continuing drought, it's easy to forget rushing water and the color green. The Wasatch compels you to remember. Lake Lillian was spilling snow-melt into the creek bed which was furiously flowing. The canyon was an orgy of wildflowers, aspen groves, and luxuriant greenery. The scene was so compelling we had to stop several times to simply take it all in.

Lake Blanche with Sundial Peak as a Backdrop



Dromedary Peak from Lake Blanche

Sundial Peak

Lakes Florence and Lillian with Dromedary in the Background

Ultimately, we crested the rocky lip of the basin behind which hides stunningly delightful Lake Blanche. Standing sentinel above the lake is appropriately-named Sundial Peak. It's a scene of magnificent sublimity.

We plopped down in some like-side shade, had a snack, and immersed ourselves in the moment. When we couldn't take any more of Blanche's beauty, we wandered over to Lake Florence to see her and her sister Lillian. On the way, we stopped to admire the outflow from Lake Blanche which despite its somewhat low level was still coursing quite nicely.

My Better Half Admiring the Outlet from Lake Blanche

View Down Mill B South Fork Canyon

Beautiful Bloom Deep in Mill B South Fork Canyon

Getting Intoxicated on Aspen

Mill B South Fork Creek

I recall as a young lad that this and the other trails in the Wasatch were always uncrowded when I went out. Not so this trip. The parking lot at the trailhead was completely full when we arrived and we met lots of happy mountain peeps along the trail. Of all those hikers, the one that really stayed with me, the one I continue to think about, is an elderly lady that we saw up top and met on the descent. I'm guessing she was in her mid-70s. She was solo. She was struggling to walk, using here hiking sticks almost like crutches. But she was slowly, methodically, and doggedly making her way back down the canyon. I imagine her asking her similarly-aged friends if any of them wanted to go climb 3,000 feet to feel the sun, to hear the wind, to smell mountains, and to gaze upon Lake Blanche. When they all unsurprisingly declined her invitation, she said "fuck it, I'm going." And she did. God I want to be like her.

Afterwards, we stopped by the irreplaceable Cotton Bottom to get garlic burgers for perhaps the last time. Unless things have changed since I last heard, this wonderful refuge that breaks up the monotony of sedate Holladay, is slated to disappear only to be reincarnated as a fire station or park or some damn thing. That, coupled with the previous loss of Gepetto's, is an absolute travesty.

The Legendary Cotton Bottom

Cotton Bottom Bar Stools

Chief Peak the Ugly Way

Pointy Chief Peak as Seen from Chief Peak Fire Road

Ok, calling it the "ugly way" is a bit of an over-statement. Maybe the "uninteresting way" would be a more apt description since the views along the way are pretty spectacular even if the hike up is rather, um, "pedestrian." Either way, fire roads are not my favorite way to get to a peak and this hike involved quite a bit of fire road. 

So why go the fire road route if there are other alternatives? I'm glad you asked that. At 5,587 feet, Chief Peak is the highest point along the Nordhoff Ridge. I've been eying it for some time, but thought a summer route from the north would be preferable to climbing out of the Ojai Valley by way of the potentially scorching route up south-facing Horn Canyon. I was also looking for the most direct route to the summit of the Chief's somewhat out-of-the-way location. Looking at Tom Harrison's map of the Sespe, I didn't see any routes that fit those criteria other than fire road 5N42 out of Rose Valley campground. 5N42, which is the entry for ORV access to the Nordhoff Ridge, climbs south out of Rose Valley to intersect with Chief Peak Road. From that intersection, the route takes you east along the Nordhoff Ridge via Chief Peak Road until your reach a fire break approximately 1.5 miles later that affords easy access to Chief's summit. North-facing, short, and direct. So that was the route I settled on.



Thorn Point and the Sespe from Fire Road 5N42

Upper Rose Valley Falls, Such as They are at the Present

Pine Mountain Ridge from Fire Road 5N42

Pine Mountain Ridge Detail

5N42 begins at the rear south-west corner of the Rose Valley campground. There is a small spot to park between two campsites near the trailhead for Rose Valley Falls that you can squeeze into. Adventure Pass required I believe. Almost immediately, the road begins a relentless climb toward the Nordhoff Ridge to the south. Candidly, I was surprised by the sustained steepness of the road, although it is well smooth as a baby's bottom and well maintained. The day was warm and the bugs were out in force which was annoying, but as the road climbed out of Rose Valley, the dramatic views really begin to open up and a breeze kicked up for which I was eternally grateful. To the south-east, the Rose Valley Falls are visible. To the north lies the Piedra Blanca, the Sespe, and the ramparts of Pine Mountain. Looking west, you catch of glimpse of the Howard Creek trail as it makes its way toward Nordhoff Ridge several miles away.  



5N42 Flora

The Howard Creek Trail Climbing to Nordhoff Ridge to the West of 5N42

The Nordhoff Peak Fire Lookout Standing Sentinel in the Distance

 

After approximately 2.2 miles of climbing, 5N42 intersects the Nordhoff Ridge. From here, and all along the ridgeline, you are treated to expansive views south of the Ojai Valley, the Oxnard Plain, and the Channel Islands in the Santa Barbara Channel. The road going east from here will take you out to Chief Peak and beyond; the road going west roller-coasters along the ridgeline out to Nordhoff Peak.

The Ojai Valley and Beyond from Chief Peak Road

The Oxnard Plain and Pt. Mugu from Chief Peak Road

The View North Toward Thorn Point from Chief Peak Road

Piedra Blanca and Thorn Point

The Upper Ojai Valley from Chief Peak Road

 

Atop the Nordhoff Ridge, the traveling is easy. Basically a stroll along an undulating fire road. A jeep passed me as I ambled along the road absorbing the scenery and solitude, but I had no other company except the halo of flies that magically appeared when the breeze was suddenly stilled. Approximately 1.5 miles later, an obvious fire break to the right signaled it was time to leave the road for a bit of welcome cross-country travel.



Approaching the Chief from the Nordhoff Ridge

Thorn Point Framed by a Nice Meadow

The Firebreak Leading to Chief Peak. You Leave the Road Here

 

The firebreak requires a scamper up a steep, loose slope to the top of the "bump" to the Chief's immediate west. From the vantage point atop the bump, you get a good look at the Chief up close and personal and the rocky route ahead. That route follows a use trail to the base of the rocky out-cropping shown in the picture below and then contouring around to the south side for some Class 2 scrambling to the top.

Close Up of the Chief. The Route Up Contours Around to the Right in this Pic

The Ojai Valley and Channel Island from Chief's Summit

Anacapa Island Peaking Out from Above the Coastal Fog

 

Atop the summit I found two benchmarks, a summit register, and rocky aerie upon which to lunch and appreciate the 360 degree vistas. Even though the fog clung heavy to the coastline, the Oxnard Plain, Pt. Mugu, and the Santa Monica Mountains were all plainly visible. Although partially obscured from view, Anacapa Island also poked its head through the cloud cover to make its presence known. Looking north brought views of Reyes and Haddock Peaks, the upper Sespe drainage, Piedra Blanca, and Thorn Point. The Topa Topa Bluffs featured prominently in the view to the east.



The Sespe from Chief Peak Summit

The Topa Topa Bluffs

One of Two Benchmarks Atop Chief Peak



The Second Benchmark. This One Looks More Recent.



Chief Peak Summit Register Adorned with Eispiraten Logo

After spending what was far too short a time on the summit, I scrambled back down to Chief Peak Road and began my way back to Rose Valley. On the ridgeline, the breeze kept things tolerably pleasant and the bugs at bay. Descending 5N42 on the backside of the ridge, however, the breeze abated and the bugs became my constant companion all the way back to Rose Valley campground.

So that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Although fire roads are generally not my preferred mode of back-country travel, in this case the ease of access, the direct route they provided, and the amazing scenery all made up for the "ugliness" of not having a trail to tread. 

May Snow Day on Mt. Baldy

My personal odometer rolled over to 52 last Friday so I ditched work and headed for Mt. Baldy to celebrate the momentous occasion (and, I suppose, prove to myself that I could still do it). The sky was filled with foreboding clouds as I left the house. Drizzle fell on me here and there as I made my way east along the 210. As I drove up San Antonio Canyon, I watched the outside temperature gauge steadily drop until it settled in the high 30s as I arrived at Manker.

 

Given the rare winter conditions, I was expecting a horde of mountaineers looking to get a snow fix. But Manker was strangely empty with just a smattering of cars parked along the roadside which was posted "No Parking" in preparation for the Tour of California which was coming up the canyon the following day.

 

A light snow was falling as I made my way up Falls Road which had an accumulation of about 3-4 inches of snow. After about 0.9 miles, I left the road and begin climbing the Ski Hut Trail. The snow was probably 4-5 inches here, and the ascent steeper, so I donned micro-spikes and gaiters and broke out my sticks. Shortly thereafter, I passed two gents who had turned back a short distance higher up the trail because they lacked adequate traction. After this encounter, I saw no one all the way to the Ski Hut. A single pair of descending tracks had broken the trail for me (which I assumed meant someone had stayed the night in the ski hut), but no one had yet been up the trail that morning.

 

The descending tracks stopped at the ski hut and so did I. Here, snow accumulation was probably 7-8". Beyond the ski hut, the trail across the bowl was pristine and unbroken. I sat in the portal of the ski hut enjoying the amazing stillness and solitude as I savored a celebratory and frosty malt and grain adult beverage.

 

I'll spare you my further blathering now and get straight to the good stuff. Here is what the day looked like. Quite extraordinary when you consider the fact that this in mid-May. In Southern California. During an historic drought.

 

Enjoy.

 

 

White on Evergreen

 

San Antonio Falls

Falls Road

The Road Past the Falls

 

Ski Hut Trail

 

Yucca with Snow

Winter Conditions

More Ski Hut Trail

 

Contradictions

Snowy Forest

Blanket of Snowy Goodness

 

Trail View

Frosty Ponderosa

The Bowl

San Antonio Ski Hut

329 Days of Sun. Ha!

 

The Bowl from the Ski Hut

View Toward Ontario and Big Horn

Snow Covered Slope

 

Spring and Winter Together

Silent Forest Sentinel