Onyx Peak via Pacific Crest Trail(edit)

Sights to See

• Coon Creek Cabin Group Campground

Rate this Hike

★★★★★


Temecula_Dan 5 months, 1 week ago
Solo day hiked Thurs 1/18/24 – Nice to finally make it to the Coon Creek Jumpoff area! Since Forest Road 1N02 is closed for winter, I used the Pacific Crest Trail from Rainbow Lane up to Wysup Peak and then down to the old Coon Creek log cabins that Charlie Tayles built in the early 1900’s. From there, I followed the older part of the 1N02 road that is now inaccessible by 4x4, blocked by some large fallen trees, rocks and brush but still has an animal use trail along it. Once the trail ended, it was a cross-country route along the eastern ridge separating Big and Little Morongo Canyons. First was the climb up Peak 8350 on good rock and then down and up Three Sisters and Three Sisters West peaks. Each of the three summits had great, long ranging views and little wind. Thanks to the 2015 Lake Fire, it was easy to find paths up the faces through the newer growth Manazanita and Ceanothus bushes with no bushwhacking required. Getting over/around the numerous blow downs was also not bad. Visiting the log cabins on the way back was interesting, especially the Tayles lodge cabin that is now the Coon Creek Group Campground. The Hilary storm washed out some impressively large sections of the 1N02 road east of the campground. Some ice and a lot of snow on the PCT up to Wysup from Hwy 38 but a dry trail down to Coon Creek. Brought but didn’t need micro spikes in spite of some stealthy ice. There are a few cairn marked segments between the peaks but constant navigation checks are necessary. Three Sisters West required some extra route navigation and scrambling on stable talus but made for the most fun on this trek. Logged 18.8 miles/4078 vertical ft. with Gaia __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Solo day hiked Weds 11/29/2023 – Started at Hwy 38 on the dirt road 1 mi south of Onyx Summit to access the PCT southward. While it was 19°F when starting, it was dry with no wind so not too bad. Couldn’t pass the private dog compound next to the PCT quietly in the dark so I just powered by it, glad to have a 16 ft high fence between us. Made it to the summit of Wysup Peak in time to see a nice sunrise with the last 1/8 mile or 200 meters being an easy, direct scramble. From there, it took frequent navigating to link several, faint use trails along the ridges and saddles to ascend/descend Peaks 8745, 8763, and 8868. Neat to see the huge Sierra Junipers that grow on these peaks with their redwood-like trunks. After descending 8868, I followed a well-defined track up Heart Bar Peak which was the most relaxing part of the hike. It’s an old access road now partly covered by some good size mountain mahogany trees. Took a slightly different route back to the PCT using a few steep pitched, washed out roads to keep things interesting. After getting back on the PCT, it was a straight forward northbound hike to the base of Onyx Peak with the dogs pacing the perimeter at the compound but a little quieter than earlier. From the base of Onyx Peak, I took the well-worn east gully route to the saddle ridge and then a direct N-NE ascent up to the summit. For me, this was a much better and more challenging route than trekking up the Pipes Canyon access road to the summit. After finding the survey benchmark on the east side of the northernmost antenna group (there are several fenced areas on the summit) and walking around the other antenna groups, I used the same route down to PCT and back to Hwy 38. Definitely a more scenic hike and better weather than what I was anticipating! Logged 18.7 miles/3587 vertical ft. with Gaia.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

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