Post your upcoming trip out to Anza Borrego here. Great place to organize a group trip.
Santa Rosa Peak Baggers special
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DHeuschele Posts: 87
11/4/2011
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I am considering doing a Santa Rosa Peak Baggers hike this desert season (i.e. before May). It would include the following:
- Pyramid Peak
- Rosa
- Mile High
- Villager
- Rabbit (optional)
- 6582/Dawns Peak (for the masochists)
Note the first 4 are on or near the loop. At some point it will be easier to go forward than backwards.
I have done Villager, Rabbit, and Dawns Peak before, so the part that I am unfamiliar with would be Pyramid, Rosa, and Mile High loop. I have the Sierra Club GPS route for the loop containing those peaks but I wonder if anyone on this forum can shed some light on the quality of the "trail". I am not expecting much of a trail, certainly not as much of a trail as Villager/Rabbit. What I am questioning: is the trail like to 6582 (poor but followable) or virtually non-existant (like Rabbit to 6582)?
I am thinking a single over night somewhere near Villager.
I only plan to stash water at the bottom of the Villager ridgeline. The rest of the water is to be carried (at least 2 Gal per person with the lead (me?) carrying a little reserve (when I led the 6582 hike I carried 0.5 gal reserve and ended up distributing the half gallon).
So first day would be Pyramid, Rosa, Mile High and camp near Villager. Second day would be Villager, Rabbit (optional), 6582 (Masochist), and on down. If we go for 6582 (which I doubt) we would head out Rockhouse Canyon and not down the Villager ridge which would require a short car shuttle and imply the water stash would not be used.
I did consider doing the hike in the opposite direction (up the Villager ridge) but I want to do the unfamiliar/worse trail when freshest.
Obviously this hike will not be easy as I suspect this hike to be in excess of 30 miles (maybe approaching 40 miles), waterless, with questionable quality trail everywhere except the Villager/Rabbit ridge, and ~9K' of total gain (Rabbit alone is 8300' gain). The one good aspect is that it is quite easy to eliminate Rabbit if we are beaten or real low on water.
Has anyone on this forum done the Pyramid, Rosa, Mile High loop? Anyone have any suggestions on the planned trip?
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2624
11/5/2011
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I have been near Pyramid. You can see from my route below. From what I remember, going towards Pyramid was not all that difficult, the terrain was easy to navigate, no huge boulders or cholla and such. I think it would be easy to get to Pyramid from the natural water tanks by just continuing up the wash and then ascend as needed. From there I am not familiar with the area. I also don't recall it taking too long to get to the peak I was at, maybe a few hours from Arroyo Salado campground.
It is quite possible you would find an old indian trail. I found some sections up on the ridge line heading east towards Truckhaven.
Your plan seems doable with some effort to not dilly-dally.
Will this be a solo trip or are you looking for others to join you?
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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DHeuschele Posts: 87
11/5/2011
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dsefcik wrote:
Will this be a solo trip or are you looking for others to join you?
I have a group that I was hoping to get at least 2 people interested but so far the people from that group are not interested. One suggested a hike from Toro->6582->Rabbit->Villager. My issue with this hike is that Toro is drivable and I and most of this group have already done the other 3 peaks.
So this means I may be looking for someone but I do not know yet. If I am looking for someone I will post it here for volunteers. Also for myself I do not know whether I would do the Rabbit part. One person from my original planned group had not done Rabbit. My view of Rabbit is that it is a lot of work for a peak with quite limited views (Villager and 6582 have much nicer views).
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2624
11/5/2011
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I think adding Rabbit/6582 would be pushing it..the lack of water would be a problem. It would be interesting to do the trip as you kinda suggested, a one way back down into Rockhouse Cyn.
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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DHeuschele Posts: 87
11/5/2011
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dsefcik wrote:
I think adding Rabbit/6582 would be pushing it..the lack of water would be a problem. It would be interesting to do the trip as you kinda suggested, a one way back down into Rockhouse Cyn.
I was actually thinking Rockhouse Canyon exit only if we included 6582. The ridge line down Villager/Rabbit is a more gradual decent than exiting Rock House Canyon (easier on the knees) and I expect it to be barely longer than Rock House and does not require the shuttle. In my view Rockhouse is the obvious way back from 6582 regardless of the Rouse listed in AFAF SD.
I do agree that without Rabbit and 6582 it is already very challenging and well in excess of 20 miles, with no water resupply, and rough terrain. So I was including Rabbit mainly for anyone who desired it but I was thinking that I was likely to pass unless I was feeling very good (mostly because I have done it once and do not consider it good enough to warrant doing a second time especially not as an extension to this type of hike).
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