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The Plan
I researched a few hikes for Dec 27th including: Rabbit Peak, Iron Mountain, Quail Mountain and Carey’s Castle. In the end, we decided to try a variation of the Wonderland of Rocks Traverse that involved some walking on roads, but eliminated the need for a shuttle. I had read some conflicting details regarding how much time this hike would take us, but once I decided the route we would take, I estimated that it would take us 9-10 hours, including breaks.
The Outcome
Looking at the forecast, I was debating how much ‘cold-weather gear’ we would need to carry; reducing pack weight has been an ongoing goal for the last year or so. During my two most recent hikes, I had spent time in 20 and 30 degree weather. On both trips I had cold-weather gear that I did not use. This hike would include some class 3 scrambling, so pack weight was even more important. At the same time, I want to be safe and comfortable. The forecast called for temperatures ranging from 30-46 degrees throughout the day, with no mention of wind. The thought of not having enough warm clothing made me nervous and as we were headed out the door, I decided to throw another jacket in the trunk of the car for myself and MW put an Uniqlo Ultra-light Down jacket in his pack.
As we passed through Cabazon, it was apparent that the wind would be an issue. Big rigs were getting pushed around and the windmills were spinning quickly. When we arrived at the trailhead, the three of us were very surprised at how cold and crisp the air was. The car’s thermometer said 30 degrees, but with the wind chill, we agreed it felt like it was in the low teens.
The first hour or so was very chilly. We moved quickly and didn’t take many photos. We followed Boy Scout Trail north for 1.25 miles, then took a right onto Willow Hole Trail. We followed Willow Hole for 2.25 miles, then headed into the Wonderland of Rocks. Finding a route through the boulder maze was relatively easy and the scrambling wasn’t that difficult until we started to drop down into Rattlesnake Canyon. At this point our pace decreased and route finding became more difficult. We had managed to split up some and I ended up doing lots of backtracking trying to find a route down that I was comfortable with. We eventually made our way to Rattlesnake Canyon Picnic area, ate lunch, then followed the road to the westernmost camp located in Indian Cove Campground.
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From Indian Cove Campground, we followed a use trail to the west, which led us to Gunsight Notch. Once we hit the notch, we followed a wash until we found Boy Scout Trail, which we followed back to our car. While it was not necessary for navigation, I was very happy to have my GPS with our approximate track loaded onto it. It was nice to have some confirmation that we were always headed in the correct direction.
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How to Improve the Next Hike
If I did this hike again in similar conditions, I would bring a winter hat or balaclava and extra pair of thin gloves to wear under my mechanics gloves (Columbia Trail Summit Running Gloves). It probably would have been wise to pack my GoLite down jacket as an extra insulation layer.
The walk along the road was not fun. If doing this hike again, I would would setup a car shuttle to avoid walking the road, possibly only hiking the Wonderland of Rocks Traverse. I felt good after we finished the traverse, but the ensuing walk to Indian Cove Campground and climb up to Gunsight Notch were exhausting.
Geek Stats
