S
Scotzman
Guest
We headed out of the Garden early Wednesday morning, hiking back to Slant Rock, across Shorey Shortcut, and then back the State Range trail over Basin, Saddleback, and down the Orebed trail and out. The trails were all dry and the stream crossings were very easy. The trails were in pretty good shape with the only exception being coming back down the Orebed trail, where some of the ladders on the slide section are missing rungs.
We were blessed with amazing weather and awesome views from both mountains, and the forest from Bushnell Falls back to Slant rock was quite picturesque.
I think the number one thing on my mind and pretty much everyones mind who has never hiked these mountains before was...so how bad is the back side of Saddleback really. I've never rockclimbed before; the extent of my experience has been the numerous rock scrambles that I have had to do during my quest for the 46, some of which require you stop and think. I am not petrafied of heights as long as it isn't extreme but I can't say i'm fond of them. That all said, and given the fact that we took the advice of numerous people and went UP instead of DOWN the rocky cliff, it was the most fun I had the entire trip! We all made it without a problem. If you look at it as a whole it's a bit intimidating, but if you break it down into a bunch of individual 10' scrambles it's very doable. There is a bit of rock hugging and reaching and grasping, but over all as long as you keep your wits about you it's very doable. I think it would be easier for taller people with a greater reach, but one of the girls in our group was still able to do it with no problem.
That all being said, the trails were busy and campsites all had some level of occupancy, even middle of the week. Bugs were non-existance with a few small stretches on the way back out.
Great hike, had more fun than expected!
Scotzman
We were blessed with amazing weather and awesome views from both mountains, and the forest from Bushnell Falls back to Slant rock was quite picturesque.
I think the number one thing on my mind and pretty much everyones mind who has never hiked these mountains before was...so how bad is the back side of Saddleback really. I've never rockclimbed before; the extent of my experience has been the numerous rock scrambles that I have had to do during my quest for the 46, some of which require you stop and think. I am not petrafied of heights as long as it isn't extreme but I can't say i'm fond of them. That all said, and given the fact that we took the advice of numerous people and went UP instead of DOWN the rocky cliff, it was the most fun I had the entire trip! We all made it without a problem. If you look at it as a whole it's a bit intimidating, but if you break it down into a bunch of individual 10' scrambles it's very doable. There is a bit of rock hugging and reaching and grasping, but over all as long as you keep your wits about you it's very doable. I think it would be easier for taller people with a greater reach, but one of the girls in our group was still able to do it with no problem.
That all being said, the trails were busy and campsites all had some level of occupancy, even middle of the week. Bugs were non-existance with a few small stretches on the way back out.
Great hike, had more fun than expected!
Scotzman
