Special Instructions
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NF Adventure Pass Req'd
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You are here: Home
: Hiking |
Last
Updated on 09/06/2001 |
RATINGS |
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Vincent Gap to Mt Hawkins
via PCT, Mt Baden Powell, Mt Burnham, Throop Peak |
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Location: San Gabriel Mountains, Angeles National Forest, Southern California
Region: Mount Baden Powell Region
Wilderness: None
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Total Distance:
14 Mi
Elevation Gain: 5,500 Ft |
Season: April-Nov
Type: Out & Back |
Start Elev: 6,565 Ft Peak Elev: 9,399 Ft |
Total
Time: 6.9 hr Time In: 4.4 hr Time Out: 2.5 hr |
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Peak List |
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Peak
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Elevation |
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Mount Baden Powell |
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9,399 Ft |
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Mount Burnham |
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8,997 Ft |
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Throop Peak |
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9,138 Ft |
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Mount Hawkins |
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8,850 Ft |
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Driving Directions |
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From I-15, exit at Hwy 138 N. Take this to Hwy 2, make a left. Take hwy 2 a few miles past Wrightwood to Vincent Gulch Parking area. Park here. |
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Route |
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Start hiking up the PCT at the west end of the parking lot. Hike ~3.8 miles up the PCT to a junction with the trail that goes to the top of Baden Powell. Take that left fork to go to the peak. When done at the top, take the same trail back down to the PCT and continue westward on the PCT (or look for the trail on top of Baden Powell that takes you down the backside and meets up with the PCT, this would be quicker and shorter.) Stay on the PCT for about a mile more and pass just below the top of a 9086 ft unnamed peak (more like a hill on side of Baden Powell) along the way. You will come to a fork in the trail, the left fork goes up to Mt Burnham, take it. The trail does a small circle on the top of Mt Burnham & continues down the other side of Mt Burnham. I didn't find this at first and was cutting through some brush until I landed on this trail. The trail meets back up with the PCT and now continue on the PCT maybe 1.5 miles to a fork. Take the right fork up to Throop Peak. From the top of Throop Peak, start back down the same trail you just went up on but at somepoint (I didn't realize where) the trail must split to the right and rejoin the PCT so you don't have to go all the way back to the fork where you turned off to Throop Peak. In this area, before you rejoin the PCT there are some really nice & very large Jeffery Pines. Continue on the PCT along a ridge to another fork. Take the left fork up to Mt Hawkins. When done at Hawkins, go back down to PCT and follow the PCT the whole way back to Vincent Gap, avoiding a 2nd visit to each of the peaks. |
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Details |
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I just kind of took it easy on this hike. I planned to go from Vincent Gap to Mt Islip which is a ~4 mile further hike each way and adds about 2500 ft more elevation gain. But when I got to Mt Hawkins I was looking over at Mt Islip & it just ain't a very impressive mountain, at least from the view I had. It just didn't seem worth it. Plus I was wearing this new pair of boots and had blisters developing since climbing Baden Powell. I had pleanty of water, food, and energy, just not much desire to continue, so hell I didn't. There are good views of different things from each of the 4 peaks. The best views are from Baden Powell, a lookout on the south side of the trail between Burnham and Throop, and Throop Peak. Not a whole lot to say about Mt Burnham except there is a nice out of place Sugar Pine on the peak (W side). Didn't find a register can on top of Burnham. Throop peak has some real good views, especially of Devil's Punchbowl. The best part of Throop Peak though, was the stand of large Jeffery Pines that the trail goes through as you walk down. Mt Hawkins is a very easy hike from Throop and the view toward the West and South is worth the hike. To the southwest there is a pretty good view of Mt Wilson & there is a good view of the hills that the PCT goes over as it goes down to Windy Gap. There is also a good view of Mt Islip and some broad looking mountains further out that way (maybe Waterman Mtn?) and the ridge that leads out towards South Mt Hawkins. There is also a great view of Baden Powell, Burnham, & Throop from Hawkins. Going back, the worst part that comes to mind were some switchbacks on the PCT up the backside of Mt Burnham, they were small and few but just kind of annoying for some reason. The hike back down Baden Powell seemed more like 6 miles. The weather was pretty nice for most of the hike. About 1/3 of the way up Baden Powell a good breeze started blowing and got stronger. On top of Baden Powell at about 8:30 am it was fairly chilly (but extremely nice) with the stong gusts that were blowing up there. I had lunch up here (at 8:45 am) and played around with my new camera a little. It was a welcome relief to the heat that I've felt out here during other hikes. There were other localized patches of wind but it all pretty much stopped after Mt Burnham & it didn't return for the rest of the way in or out, bummer. Clouds covered all of the non-desert cities for the whole time that I was out there. That was cool to be on top of. Going back, past Mt Burnham and on the side of the 9086 ft unnamed hill (next to a sign that says something like Baden Powell to the left, Mt Burnham to the right), the is a good view of Burnham, Throop and Hawkins. I'd say the best part of the hike was the large Jeffery pines below Throop and the fact that the PCT was heavily littered with Jeffery Pine seed, I still got to check if they are any good though.
UPDATE 9/7/01: the Jeffery Pine seed is very good quality seed. I estimate a 90-some percent germination rate under ideal conditions. Jeffery pines I shall be growin. |
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Trail Condition |
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PCT - excellent, side trails up to peaks are generally a little steeper and not as wide or smooth as the PCT. |
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Forest Details |
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Jeffery Pine, Lodgepole Pine, & White Fir abundant. Some Limber Pines, a few Sugar Pines. Chincapin & Manzanita abundant. Some Mountain Whitethorn. |
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Pictures |
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UNDER CONSTRUCTION check back soon |
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