52 Hike Challenge 2016 Adventure Series
15.5 miles | +3040'
This was my second trip to Tahquitz Peak since 2010. I tried
last year but caught altitude sickness and had to turn back. This time I was
prepared and made sure to stay hydrated before and during my hike. I also took
Ginkgo biloba supplements the day before and morning of my hike. I felt great
the whole time and was so happy to be out exploring these mountains again!
The peak gets its name from a Cahuilla Indian legend- a
spirit who inhabited the mountain would feast on maidens and create crackling bolts
of lightning over the San Jacinto Mountains.
South Ridge Trail doesn't waste any time, climbing 2000 feet
in 3 miles, first through Jeffrey pine, live oak, and fir, then past thickets
of low-growing chinquapin and stalwart lodgepole pines. Off to the left (north
of the trail), you may see or hear some of the many rock climbers who gingerly
make their way up the sheer face of Lily Rock. Finally, after many switchbacks,
you reach the fire lookout structure atop Tahquitz Peak. The lookout is staffed
from May through November. Walk around the structure to enjoy the complete
summit view encompassing the timbered slopes of the southern San Jacinto
Mountains and innumerable valleys and ridges spilling west and south.
After soaking up the sights at the summit I made my way to
the PCT and looped around Tahquitz Meadow, Saddle Junction, and back to the
peak before making my way down the ridge.
Built in 1937, Tahquitz was a working fire lookout until the
end of the 1993 fire season and reopened October 1998 staffed by volunteers.
This hike through the San Jacinto Wilderness offers some of the most beautiful
vistas in Southern California.
Tahquitz Peak Lookout at its elevation of 8,830 feet is the
highest lookout in the San Bernardino National Forest. It is also the forest’s
longest continuously operated station, and is the only lookout located inside a
Wilderness area. In the San Jacinto Wilderness, all work must be done with
regular hand tools. Due to its wilderness location no power tools, not even
cordless, are allowed.
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