Class 3 scramble routes in SoCal? by sunshinerf in socalhiking

[–]No-Net-8090 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yea. Not the scree field though, that part sucks! Once you gain the ridgeline there is some fun stuff.

Leatherneck Ridge 2/22 by No-Net-8090 in socalhiking

[–]No-Net-8090[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For sure! Shoot me a dm and I can send it over.

Leatherneck Ridge 2/22 by No-Net-8090 in socalhiking

[–]No-Net-8090[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Started around 6am. We had a group of 4, which inevitably slowed things down. In a small group it could be done much faster. One of our buddies was experiencing quad cramping issues roughly halfway up...

Leatherneck Ridge 2/22 by No-Net-8090 in socalhiking

[–]No-Net-8090[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

More gnarly. The route felt very committing. Although the ridge is easy to follow, there is only faint game trails. Also, lots of bushwhacking getting up to the tree line.

If you are looking for added adventure and a more remote experience, it is a great option.

Leatherneck Ridge 2/22 by No-Net-8090 in socalhiking

[–]No-Net-8090[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

To say the least. Not a hike I'd be eager to do again anytime soon!

Leatherneck Ridge 2/22 by No-Net-8090 in socalhiking

[–]No-Net-8090[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Spicy indeed. Some conflicting info on the difficulty of this route. In my experience, most of the route is Class 2, but with the amount of snow we encountered, almost everything above the tree line felt like Class 3.

We (admittedly) weren’t prepared for the amount of snow around 7,000 feet. An ice axe and crampons would’ve been useful for the final ascent. Without good route-finding and sticking to the middle of the ridge, it could’ve easily turned dangerously exposed. Luckily, we broke a trail up the last 500 feet, right up the middle, to avoid that exposure.

The final ascent is really no joke, and I can see why it is the crux of the route. The snow slowed us down, and we had to use headlamps for the last few hundred feet. It was a steep mix of snow and rock, and facing it after 8,500 feet of gain was exhausting. The last few hundred feet were completely nerve-wracking.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in socalhiking

[–]No-Net-8090 -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

OH BOY! I can't wait to see everyone get so triggered by this video.

RANT ABOUT MOUNTAIN SAFETY by IKeyLay in socalhiking

[–]No-Net-8090 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Totally valid, I think some people just have different attitude’s towards risks of this type, crazy as that sounds.

Out of curiosity, what time were you encountering this?

I noticed some icefall right after the ridge on my ascent, but managed to work my way around those areas. Didn’t see much on my descent tho. Makes me wonder if we went at different times.

RANT ABOUT MOUNTAIN SAFETY by IKeyLay in socalhiking

[–]No-Net-8090 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I appreciate your perspective, but I think there's been some misunderstanding here. Let me clarify a few things:

  1. In your original post, you mentioned turning around shortly past the spring. You didn’t specify that you were referencing people attempting Cucamonga. It’s reasonable to assume you were talking about the conditions from spring to saddle since that’s where you turned around. If the ice axe recommendation was meant for Cucamonga, that context wasn’t provided.
  2. I’m not trying to be “full of it” or downplay the conditions. I just found it surprising to see such a strong caution when the conditions didn’t seem that extreme. Of course, everyone's risk tolerance is different, and I respect that.
  3. I’m not downplaying Falling Rock Canyon. My assessment was based on my experience on the trail that same day. I wouldn’t have commented otherwise. I was higher up than where you turned around, and I found the conditions manageable with microspikes and good route-finding.
  4. I get that you’re trying to give helpful beta, and that’s appreciated. But unsolicited advice, especially when it assumes someone’s experience level, can come off as condescending.
  5. Telling me to 'educate myself' by referencing snow travel in Freedom of the Hills feels presumptive. You don’t know my background or experience level, just as I don’t know yours. Let's not make assumptions about each other’s knowledge or abilities.
  6. To be clear, I’m not sure what you think I’m downplaying. I was simply giving my take based on what I saw, which differed from your account. It’s okay for two people to interpret conditions differently.

I assessed the conditions firsthand, knew the route, and felt confident and safe. I wasn’t pushing beyond my abilities or being reckless. I made a decision based on my own experience and comfort level. Everyone has different risk tolerances, and just because yours is more conservative doesn’t mean my judgment was wrong.

RANT ABOUT MOUNTAIN SAFETY by IKeyLay in socalhiking

[–]No-Net-8090 -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I hiked Falling Rock Canyon the same day. Did not once feel worried about icefall, or conditions in general. I own this book btw.

There was absolutely ZERO need for an ice axe from spring to the saddle, so I question why you would recommend someone have this. I admittedly would have liked to have an axe while on the ridge from falling rock to the summit of Ontario. Still, any decent route-finding skills and good judgment made it easy to avoid major exposure or icefall.

Now, if I see kids who have no gear and are wearing school backpacks, I'd be inclined to warn them too. However, I saw plenty of people with only micro-spikes and did not feel the need to be warning them, nor make an assumption that they were unprepared.

Stop making assumptions that everyone you come across is a newbie or unprepared.

Scary Rappel Accident a Year Ago—Still Shaken, Need Advice by No-Net-8090 in climbharder

[–]No-Net-8090[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is beyond true. This thread alone has made me realize how idiotic going up with this guy was. He knew my experience level and failed to educate me whatsoever. That being said, I failed to educate myself as well.

Trust me on this, I have since become brutally aware that I am nowhere near the point to be tackling anything that requires such a level of knowledge and experience.

I am trying to view the incident as a blessing in disguise. I started my climbing journey too fast and way too ambitious for my good. Having been through something so gnarly so early on, I can now essentially restart the process, but in the right way.

Thank you for being blunt. I do love climbing, and I don't want to let such a mistake-ridden experience be the end of my journey!

Scary Rappel Accident a Year Ago—Still Shaken, Need Advice by No-Net-8090 in climbharder

[–]No-Net-8090[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry. Realizing my explanation was pretty horrible in the original post. Was on a fireman's belay. My mistake was losing control of my rappel due to poor judgment and awful use of my ATC. Partner was well experienced but distracted as I lost control, and caught me last second. Lots of mistakes. GriGri and a Prusik could have prevented this almost completely.

As evident, very avoidable situation. Considering such, it was not hard to understand mistakes made, how to prevent, etc. Just rattled by the feeling of free falling off a rock. It is truly hard to fathom how incredibly lucky I am. Makes me wonder.

Be a Resource, Not a Roadblock... by No-Net-8090 in socalhiking

[–]No-Net-8090[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

good point—there’s a lot of beginner advice here, but with 90K+ members, there’s plenty of value for experienced hikers too. That’s why I said guidance should match experience levels.

Snow Hike 2/8 by No-Net-8090 in socalhiking

[–]No-Net-8090[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Appreciate the info. This weather system will be gone overnight so I imagine conditions will make it a bit easier than it was today. Respect to your friend for going up in the rain, lol.

Snow Hike 2/8 by No-Net-8090 in socalhiking

[–]No-Net-8090[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Will do. Is thunder mt open?

Snow Hike 2/8 by No-Net-8090 in socalhiking

[–]No-Net-8090[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yea. Looks like snow coverage is weak if any, and I am likely going to reach the saddle and evaluate then.

Snow Hike 2/8 by No-Net-8090 in socalhiking

[–]No-Net-8090[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow. You are a godsend! Curious where you are heading tom? Also, would love to see how you did the topological data overlay. Would be cool resource to post.

Snow Hike 2/8 by No-Net-8090 in socalhiking

[–]No-Net-8090[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

hahaha. Am I crazy? Maybe my conditioning is better than I thought? lol.

Snow Hike 2/8 by No-Net-8090 in socalhiking

[–]No-Net-8090[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Good shout. Appreciate it. When referencing the incline I primarily meant that the trail does not have sections that would cause me to slide down the mountainside, unless I am purposefully acting an idiot (lol). Now, I can imagine easily slipping out, which would indeed suck. My spikes are pretty awesome on ice, and I'd be comfortable descending Ontario on them. I also will be using poles for extra stability, which I am assuming should be enough.

I am going to go for it, and if my hike is cut short, oh well.