Four Wilderness Weekends : Backpackers Find Splendid Solitude Close to Home

Michael and Marci DiDio had obviously been this route before.

Dominating the landscape above them, the sheer rock face of Tahquitz Peak reflected the late morning sunshine, broken only by slowly moving specks that were, in fact, rock climbers working their way up.

Strapped into heavy backpacks, carrying walking sticks, the DiDios stopped at a switchback on the back-breaking Devil’s Slide Trail--one of the major access routes to the San Jacinto Wilderness of the San Bernardino National Forest--to produce their visitor’s permit for forest ranger Jim Sauser.

It was a businesslike exchange, probably reflecting the DiDios’ status as experienced backpackers.

This Saturday morning 400 or so other people, in various states of readiness, were also starting a backcountry getaway weekend in the San Jacinto Wilderness, about a two and a half hour drive from downtown Los Angeles.

Irony of ironies, human crowding may begin to impact many “wilderness” areas within reach of the city if weekend backpacking continues to boom--as at least one outdoor expert predicts. Wally Smith, president of REI Coop, the Seattle-based retail chain that is the best known purveyor of back country equipment, said demographics of backcountry use seem to indicate that shorter trips are in favor with backpackers whose time is limited by careers and family commitments. “There is a trend toward recreation closer to home,” he said.

So, before revealing the whereabouts of four particularly appealing close-to-home camping spots, a caveat.

To preserve the back country as back country, go only if you can behave like a backpacker. That means observing an old back country motto: Take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints. Leave the coolers and beach chairs at home. Leave no suds, wrappers or coals behind.

That said, here are four special treats among wilderness areas you can reasonably get to and from in a three-day trip from Los Angeles. They range from the punishing climb into the interior of the San Jacinto wilderness, to Parson’s Landing on Santa Catalina Island, which is accessible by a long, if easy, hike or--practically effortlessly--via shore boat.

David Elliott had to confess: this wasn’t backpacking.

Elliott, a 30-year-old marketing representative from San Jose, and his friends did have backpacks at their campsite on a bluff overlooking the San Pedro Channel between Santa Catalina Island and the Southern California mainland. But the shore boat had brought them within a mile of the campground (normally a seven mile hike over relatively level terrain); then, an obliging ranger had tossed all their goodies into his truck and hauled the load to the campsite. All that was left for Elliott and friends was to unpack the beer and fire up the grill for the steaks.

Parson’s Landing, a primitive campground situated in a stunning cove near the untrammeled west end of Catalina, has two faces. On weekends, it’s becoming as civilized as Westwood Village, said a Parson’s ranger. During the week, a lucky camper can own the beach. “It’s perfect here during the week,” said ranger Marc Samulewicz. “It’s the best spot around as far as I’m concerned.”

You ride either the Catalina Express from San Pedro or the Catalina Cruises’ boat from Long Beach. Make sure you’re booked to Two Harbors, not the more popular Avalon destination. Be warned that flammable materials such as stove fuel are not allowed on the boats, but can be purchased at the general store in Two Harbors.

Campground Reservations

Reservations for the campground (and the shore boat, if you insist on taking the wimp’s way out) can be made in advance by calling Catalina Cove and Camp Agency at (213) 510-0303. The campground fee is $5 per person per night; the shore boat costs $3 each way.

The logistics are a little daunting, but once you make it to Parson’s, you’ve found sublime peace. This end of Catalina is home only to boats and a few service vehicles, so there’s no traffic. And 26 miles of ocean effectively blots the city out of your consciousness. You can camp on the beach (the only place campfires are allowed) or on the high bluffs, furred with dried grasses. Either way, the ocean--bluer and more majestic than when seen from the city--is your view.

The place abounds with wildlife. Pilot whales, porpoises and seals can be seen in the water. Ranger Samulewicz reports that there are three resident buffalo who guard the campground. Frank, Bill and Lulu are their names. They’ll allow you to get close, but if you can smell their pungent body odor, you’re probably too near--buffalo have been known to go after mettlesome campers.

Campers should secure all food and cosmetics well out of the reach of marauding critters. Ranger Samulewicz advises that in addition to the voracious Parson’s mini-bears (squirrels) and aero-squadron (ravens), there are wild boars who like to tear into packs while campers sleep. New to the pack-raiding scene this summer is a mother fox who will do just about anything to get your food for her babies, Samulewicz said.

Although the mornings and evenings can be foggy at Parson’s, days are dependably sunny on the island, even when a marine layer shrouds the ocean. A pleasant day hike is along a broad trail heading from Parson’s to the very west end of the island. Beaten paths leading away from the trail go down steep cliffs to isolated cove beaches.

At one of the few San Jacinto Wilderness campsites where fires are permitted during part of the year, Jan Fuller, an Irvine land surveyor, lay in a hammock he had packed up the trail and suspended between two trees--complete with a string to gently swing himself. Fuller and his wife, Chris, a school teacher, were in the wilderness with four other people to begin a cycle they repeat each year. It starts with easier wilderness experiences and culminates with an expedition to challenging high country near Mt. Whitney.

“We do this to escape the hustle-bustle of Orange County,” Jan Fuller said, slowly swinging. “What we find (in the back country) are really nice people, and I don’t think that has changed at all in the last 10 years,” Chris Fuller added.

Like only a few other wilderness experiences, San Jacinto is accessible both by arduous and easy means. The wilderness area actually straddles land administered by the California Department of Recreation and Parks (the San Jacinto State Wilderness) and the U.S. Forest Service (the San Bernardino National Forest Wilderness). From the Palm Springs side of the Mountains, access is possible via the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, which drops hikers off near San Jacinto Peak. The hike to camp sites from the tram terminal can still be a long walk, however.

Permits are required for any use of either the state or federal wilderness. Some day hiking permits are issued to walk-in visitors at ranger headquarters but wilderness restrictions severely limit the number of people who can be accommodated in the ecologically fragile areas.

Wilderness permits for the state-run area are available by writing to the Mt. San Jacinto State Wilderness, Box 308, Idyllwild, Calif. 92349, telephone (714) 659-2607. Permits for the federal government portion can be obtained from the U.S. Forest Service, San Jacinto Ranger District, Box 518, Idyllwild, Calif. 92349, telephone (714) 659-2117.

Saddle Junction

It’s a 2,000-foot altitude gain from the trailhead in Humber Park in Idyllwild to Saddle Junction--a sort of freeway interchange at the top of the climbout from which trails fork off to the interior of the wilderness.

From Idyllwild, access to the wilderness area is strictly by climbing the Devil’s Slide Trail, which in summer is best attempted by starting near sunrise, with plenty of water. Since there are no reliable water supplies in the wilderness area itself, packers should carry their own--though some streams run most of the year and some water may be found at higher elevations.

There are no toilet facilities and camp fires are generally outlawed, except at a handful of specially designated points. Strict regulations govern where tents can be pitched. Trash must be hauled out by backpackers.

The San Bernardino National Forest also houses the stunningly beautiful San Gorgonio Wilderness, south of Big Bear Lake. It is accessible from a trailhead with the undeserved name of Poopout Hill, off State Highway 38 between Redlands and Big Bear.

Popular among wilderness aficionadoes and less well known than the nearby Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead tourist meccas, the San Gorgonio is a spectacularly beautiful collection of mountains and small lakes held together by a challenging trail system that takes wilderness users up steep inclines and over sometimes punishing terrain.

Poopout Hill is a misnomer since it is possible to drive directly to the trailhead--the hill was named before the road was constructed. The trailhead is located by turning off Highway 38 at the intersection of Jenks Lake Road.

From the trailhead, the initial climb-out is deceptively easy, but the elevation gain after that is pronounced. What awaits at the end of the trail system is worth the effort, however. Ranger Dave Hood, who teaches history at Cal State Long Beach during the academic year and heads the wilderness management program at San Gorgonio during the summer, noted that many wilderness users prefer to climb well beyond the most popular spots. For first time visitors, however, the San Gorgonio has many treasures.

The most popular spot in the wilderness is Dry Lake, but for more adventurous campers, rangers also recommend Dollar Lake, at a slightly higher elevation. Veterans of the wilderness counsel that both spots may be relatively crowded during the peak summer months. Many experienced packers recommend hiking past Dry Lake to mountain peaks beyond.

Permits for the San Gorgonio can be obtained by writing the U.S. Forest Service, Mill Creek Ranger Station, 34701 Mill Creek Road, Mentone, Calif. 92359, telephone (714) 794-1123.

After tromping around in the pine needles all week, where does a forester go to recreate on her day off? For Kathy Andregg, a forester who works near Lake Tahoe, the answer on a recent weekend was Sequoia National Forest, a backpacker’s nirvana shielded from overcrowding by its more popular sister to the north, Sequoia National Park.

Andregg and her friend, wildlife biologist Bea Anderson, fished tarps out of their packs on a recent afternoon as rain clouds bunched up over Click’s Creek Trail. At 8,000 feet, they were in for some unsummery weather on this early summer expedition. But what is a little snow and sleet, they said, when you get to be this alone in the woods?

It takes longer to get here than other Southern California backpacking destinations due to a winding drive on Highway 190 out of Springville. (Springville, gateway to the Sequoia National Forest and Golden Trout Wilderness, is about 60 miles northeast of Bakersfield.) At a campground called Quaking Aspen, you turn left onto an easy-to-miss forest service road, number 21S50, and then bump along a few miles of dirt road leading to the trailhead. (The Click’s Creek Trail is only one of several fine backpacking trails in this part of the National Forest. For others, contact the Tule River Ranger District at (209) 539-2607.)

Andregg said that the “hellacious drive” is what keeps this part of the forest so sparsely occupied, even on a holiday weekend.

A bonus once you find the place: You can camp anywhere. To someone looking for that elusive wilderness feeling, it’s a big advantage not to be restricted to established campsites. This way, there can be dozens of people signed in on the log at trailhead, yet you can have a forest-ringed meadow all to yourself. Plus, your own stream for water (be sure to purify it before drinking) and your own plentiful supply of downed trees for firewood.

You don’t need a camping permit to camp within the National Forest; only a fire permit, obtainable from the Tule River Ranger District. To camp within the Golden Trout Wilderness, which begins one mile in on the Click’s Creek Trail, you will need a permit, which can be picked up at the ranger station on the day you arrive. The permit is free, and there’s no need to write in advance to get it.

The Golden Trout Wilderness is a wet land. Expect to make frequent stream crossings, and have the sound of running water accompany you on your way. The scenery consists of long stretches of tall timber--redwood, fir and lodgepole pine--interspersed with marshy, empty meadows.

For the adventurous, try coming here while there’s still snow on the ground. In late May, according to Rex Holloway of Torrance--who said he and his buddies are the first into the wilderness every spring--the land is still submerged in white and there are snowy bear tracks everywhere.

With all the black bears around (you can hear their echoing roars), rangers advise that you hang your food out of reach. They say there have been no bear-attacking-human incidents in the forest (but advise campers to exercise caution). So count yourself lucky if you hear one booming its chorus over the forest as you gather firewood for dinner.