61-2 Buckhorn Peak
62-1 Buckhorn Falls
62-2 Buckhorn Spring
Buckhorn Area MapParticipant: Jane Strong
Date: 07 September 1999See also: Afoot and Afield in Los Angeles by Jerry Schad, page 229, Area A-11, Trip 3, Buckhorn Peak
Overview: Yet another kind of forest in this area, this one is higher, drier, and colder with 90% Jeffrey pine and an open understory. It is very, very easy to lose this trail, so turn around frequently to check the landmarks.
Directions: From SR2, the Angeles Crest Highway, go 0.7 mile east past the Cloudburst Summit sign to just before Mile Marker 57.72. Park in the wide spot on the north side of the road where there is a yellow gate and the forest service road is numbered 3N02.
This is the divide between the Cooper Canyon drainage and the Buckhorn Flat drainage. The side branch of Buckhorn Creek that begins here to your right as you start up the trail meets the main branch in the campground where the road to the parking lot fords the stream, dry at this writing, 9/7/99.
Distance: Round trip is ~1.5 miles.
Elevation Change: 400'; summit is 7,283'
Season: Probably June to November, from snow melt to snow fall.
Weather: 85° F at 2:00 pm. The heat brought out the scent of the pines. Very nice.
Note: When summer monsoonal systems are present, afternoon thunderstorms build up quickly in this area bringing rain, hail and high winds. After all, this is near Cloudburst Summit.
Trail condition: Follow the old road bed. Bear left at the first Y where the road curves. Continue bearing left until the next road. This time take the right side of the Y. You are near the saddle mentioned in Schad's directions. At the top of the saddle, you will see the following: on the left, a split rock boulder; in the middle, ashes from an old fire; on the right, a lone pine. Do not continue on the road. Scramble up the mountain east of the pine tree. In a little while, a faint trail will become visible.
Follow this trail as best you can, all the time looking at the landmarks and the cairns left by others. It's one of those that go through pine needles without any other obvious signs.
When you reach the top which is extremely flat and sandy, look around you at all the peaks and canyons visible through the trees. Cooper Canyon is on one side; Buckhorn on the other. Kratka Ridge is visible in one direction and 180° in the opposite direction, Pleasant View Ridge.
Plants: Mostly Jeffrey pine; some sub-alpine pancake (flat) plants like buckwheat and lupine, and milkweed and daisies
Bugs: Not too bad today; on July 13 during a rainstorm, they were bothersome
Wildlife: Coyote sign, even on top of the rocks marking the peak!
See also: 62-1 Buckhorn Falls
62-2 Buckhorn Spring Buckhorn Area Map Participant: Jane Strong
Date: 07 September 1999
Overview: A rough canyon scramble. But you can observe how the little spring in the Buckhorn Spring hike has grown and collected water from side springs seeping in. Buckhorn Creek flows into Little Rock Creek which in turn empties into the Mojave Desert and disappears. The trees here represent the upper elevation riparian habitat.
Directions: From SR2, the Angeles Crest Highway, go through Buckhorn Campground at Mile Marker 58.3. Park in the Burkhart Trailhead parking area.
Distance: Round trip is ~1.4 miles.
Elevation Change: 240'
Season: Probably May to November. Inaccessible when the campground is closed for the season
Weather: 90° F at 12:30 pm. Heat was not too much of a problem. The trail is shaded and the stream had water in some places.
Trail condition: There are two separate falls, 0.2 mile apart. The upper one, the first one you come to descending the Burkhart Trail is about 20 feet high. Pass the sloshy place in the trail, pass the granodiorite outcropping until you come to a fallen log on your right where the trail Y's. Follow the right hand part of the Y down to the first fall.
The seep springs (wet place in the trail) before the rock outcropping are the only visible source of water for the falls at this season.
Back on the trail you head north to the second falls or tier until the view and canyon open up. At the edge where the trail turns northwest, a trail begins at a very acute angle on the right. After a while it becomes much too steep. I stopped here, but couldn't hear any water falling either.
Plants: This moister area has black cottonwood, white alder, willow, elderberry, canyon oak, California bay as well as the four conifers, incense cedar, white fir, sugar pine, but mostly Jeffrey pine; several kinds of buckwheat in bloom, rabbitbrush and goldenrod
Bugs: Yes, in my face, in my ears, up my nose; not biting, though
Wildlife: Migrating painted ladies nectaring on rabbitbrush; abundant evidence of bear (scat)
See also: 61-2 Buckhorn Peak
62-2 Buckhorn Spring Buckhorn Area Map
62-2 Buckhorn Spring
Participant: Jane Strong
Date: 07 September 1999
Overview: This is good as it gets for the upper elevation mixed conifer forest in the San Gabriel Mountains. The area contains four different trees; each in substantial proportions, each with different stages of growth. The four trees are white fir, sugar pine, incense cedar and Jeffrey pine.
Directions: From SR2, the Angeles Crest Highway, go east just past the exit of Buckhorn Campground, to Mile Marker 59.05. Park in the wide spot on the south side. Trail begins at the old brown gate east of the stream gully.
Distance: Round trip is ~1 mile.
Elevation Change: 280'
Season: Probably May to November, from snow melt to snow fall. The trail is shaded and is on the north side making late snow melt a possibility.
Weather: 85° F at 10:30 am. Probably not the best time of year or day to do this hike. Earlier in the season for wildflowers and later for cooler, clearer views
Trail condition: Follow the rocky, eroded road bed to the rabbitbrush flat about 10 to 15 minutes away. There are old posts and cable lying around indicating some sort of human use here, possibly a tow line for a now defunct ski club.
If you like to see different watersheds, leave the roadbed, and follow a faint trail south to the top of the ridge that overlooks Bear Canyon which drains into the Pacific Ocean eventually. The Hawkins are also visible, as well as peaks far to the south floating over the murk.
Go back to the roadbed and continue west. This section is very smooth and level. Keep climbing past the Y; bear left until you reach the spring. In wetter seasons, there is a pleasant mossy, drippy little waterfall. Even now, dry though it is, it is refreshingly shady and moist.
Plants: The four trees of the upper level mixed conifer forest: Jeffrey pine, white fir, incense cedar and sugar pine. Bracken fern and willow getting yellow leaves. Goldenrod and rabbitbrush now blooming. About 20 other species bloomed here earlier this year!
Bugs: Yes, the in-your-face-type, not biting, though
Wildlife: Yellow-winged grasshoppers; chickadees and juncos; abundant evidence of ground squirrels (holes and piles of dirt), watch your footing!
See also: 61-2 Buckhorn Peak
62-1 Buckhorn Falls Buckhorn Area Map
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Copyright © 1999-2003 by Jane Strong.
Permission is freely granted to reproduce any or all of this page as long as credit is given to me at this source:
http://tchester.org/sgm/hikes/js/buckhorn_3.html
Comments and feedback: Jane Strong
Last update: 07 September 1999 (bad link removed 6 March 2000; url for Buckhorn Area Map updated 7 April 2003)