San Gorgonio Mountain 6/14/03
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Joe (me), Zoe and Doug at the Fish Creek trailhead at 8,070 feet. The plan for the day was to summit San Gorgonio Mountain and check out the C-47 wreckage on the Sky High Trail, a 17.5 mile round trip.
The San Gorgonio Wilderness boundary is right at the start of the trail.
It was really green and cool a short ways into the hike.
Ran into this guy on his way to Fish Creek Camp. I thought I've carried heavy packs.
San Gorgonio Mountain is barely visible behind the ridge.
This downed tree was along side the trail.
We took a short break at Fish Creek Saddle at about 9,800 feet.
Back on the trail. Looking through the trees, we could see Dry Lake.
This is at Mine Shaft Saddle at just under 10,000 feet. The end of the Fish Creek Trail and the start of the Sky High Trail.
This is the first patch of snow that we crossed just a short distance from the saddle.
Instead of hiking to the summit on the Sky High Trail, we climbed the last 1,300 feet up this chute on the north side of the mountain.
Looking back down at the trail about 400 feet below.
A few backpackers can be seen on the trail below from about half way up.
The last few hundred feet of the climb was on rocks.
Group shot on the summit at 11,499 feet.
The summit register box.
Zoe leaves her mark.
Looking west from the summit. Not much snow left.
There was a lot of folks on the summit on this day.
It was a little hazy, but we still had a good view of San Jacinto Peak to the south.
One of the summit locals looking for a hand out.
Looking back at San Gorgonio's summit as we start our descent.
Doug and Zoe at a trail junction. We hiked down the Sky High Trail so we could check out the C-47 crash site. We missed it on the way up when we climbed the chute.
Looking down on "The Tarn" from the trail. Located at 10,560 feet just southeast of the summit. When melting snow fills it each spring, it becomes the highest lake in southern California. The peak behind it is Bighorn Mountain.
This was the largest patch of snow we crossed. It was about 200 feet across.
At about the 10,400 foot level we came across the wreckage of the C-47. The C-47 crashed on 11/28/52 in a blinding snowstorm, since then this trail has been cut through the crash site.
Me with the wreakage that's above the trail.
A wing section that's above the trail.
The other wing and some other stuff were below the trail. Snow was still covering some of the wreckage.
What's left of one of the propellers. One blade was broken off, another was sawed off and one covered in snow.
Looking back up towards the trail from about 100 feet below it.
This was the last piece I found. I didn't go down every far. Like to come back here, then climb down this valley looking for more wreckage.
After checking out the wreckage for half an hour, we were back on the trail for the long hike out. I returned to the aera and visited the crash site, photos from that hike can be seen here http://joeidoni.smugmug.com/gallery/1901607
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