Agua Caliente Canyon Trail – headed out to do the full La Milagrosa and Agua Caliente Canyon Trail Loop, but didn’t make it… Too many flowers and too much water!
weathertop
Winter Storm – 2/14, 2/15, 2/18/2018
After a largely dry and storm free winter it was a privilege to spend a week under grey skies! Rain, flowing washes, road cuts turned into waterfalls, canyons filled with water – a real joy, and as I write this it looks like we might get another short storm in February!
La Milagrosa Canyon Views, 3/6/3016
Views from a loop up the ridge between La Milagrosa and Agua Caliente Canyon and down the La Milagrosa Trail.
Agua Caliente Hill Trail and Ridge Loop – 2/12/2015
Its sunny and windy, no sign of the rain that filled Cat Track Tank and many of the smaller drainages – I follow the Agua Caliente Hill Trail past the junction with FR4445, under False Hope Hill, across the grassy hillsides and up to the top.
At the top – a quick note in the summit register, a few moments pondering the short/sad/beautiful note above mine and a brief but careful consultation of the map and GPS before leaving the trail and plunging down the ridge to the west towards towards Cat Track Tank.
Capturing the view from Weathertop to Tuffet Tank takes multiple photos – stitched together they document the view, but fall far short of capturing the joy of being out on the ridge. The map shows a trail from the ridge to Cat Track Tank, I find it and try to follow the fading track.
As the trail descends off ridge it disappears and the Cat’s Claw closes in – eventually I abandon trying to find the trail and cut down to the Agua Caliente Hill Trail to finish the day.
9.2 miles, +/- 3000′ of elevation gain and loss.
Point 4831 (Weathertop) and Point 4773 (The Ruins) – 2014/6/22
Southeast, and above, the Molino Canyon Overlook there is an impressive ridge – I have been up to the ridge a number of times to climb at The Ruins, but had never spent any time hiking or exploring in the area… Arriving at the Molino Canyon Overlook at 5pm meant we had just over 2.5 hours to get to Point 4831 and see the sunset on this long summer day – plenty of time for several breaks in the shade along the steep climber’s trail to the ridge.
Ridge – Point 4773 (above the Ruins) – and then on to Point 4831. The trail is – mostly – easy to follow, only occasionally disappearing. The top seems so close! False peak… We continue along the path, under Point 4831 to a great rocky ledge with an old fire ring – a nice spot to sit and enjoy the sunset.
We watch the cars and city light as it gets dark –
and eventually turn on our headlamps and head down… 3.5 miles, 1000′ of elevation gain/loss – there is a well used climber’s trail from the Molino Canyon Overlook up to the ridge but note that it is not an official trail.