BEAT THE HEAT 1 - Sawmill Mtn. via Mt. Pinos - Easy or Moderate, your choice?

July 11, 2015 - BEAT THE HEAT 1 - Sawmill Mountain via Mount Pinos - Easy or Moderate, your choice?

Distance: 4 miles or 7 miles, out and back.

Gain: About 500' in first 4 miles and another 600' if doing the full hike

Rated: Easy+ if doing the first 4 miles only or Moderate for full 7 mile hike

Time: About 4 hours, including a 20 minute lunch break.

Description: Listen to the swush of the wind as it gently caresses the huge pines teasing out their fragrance.

This 4 or 7 mile hike takes in 1 or 2 summits (Mount Pinos and then Sawmill Mountain). The nice thing is that you can make it an "Easy" or "Moderate" hike. The hike is an "out and back", regardless of which one you chose and is well marked, so you can turn around after the "Easy" (2+2 mile) hike or whenever you like after that. Beginners can summit Mt. Pinos, enjoy the views, and fresh mountain air before heading back down to the parking lot at their own pace. Moderate hikers should be easily able to complete both summits (3.5 + 3.5 miles).

First, we summit Mt. Pinos (8831 ft.) from the Trail head (8340 ft.) for an "Easy" 4 mile Round Trip hike, made a little more difficult due to the altitude.

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(Above) Mt Pinos summit nature display

Then, if you continue with us down some switchbacks to Sawmill Mountain (8818 ft), we add another 3 miles RT and another 600 ft of gain to give us a 7 mile total distance and 1100 ft total gain "Moderate" hike.

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(Above) Sawmill Mountain's Cairn

Mount Pinos is the highest point in Ventura County and lies on the edge of the Chumash Wilderness of the Los Padres National Forest. Mount Pinos, created over 100 million years ago was known as Iwihinmu to the indigenous Chumash people. The slopes are a mix of sub-alpine, white fir, and Jeffry Pine habitats. The views from Mount Pinos are beautiful, including the patchwork quilt of agriculture in the San Joaquin Valley to the north, the Tehachapis to the east, and the Carrizo Plain and Temblor Mountains to the northwest.

Bring: Poles if you have them, lunch/ snacks, bug spray and bug net, 3 liters of water, sunscreen, lip balm. The views are spectacular, so bring your camera.

Adventure Pass: Required ,when parking at the Mt. Pinos Trail head (These can be obtained at Sports Chalet in Stevenson Ranch or any BIG 5 Sporting Goods store; $5 for a day pass, $30 for a year pass.

Directions (from Santa Clarita Valley): Allow 1 1/2 hours to get to trailhead from Santa Clarita.

Take the I-5 North ~ 40 miles to the Frazier Park off ramp. Exit, turn left under highway. Go West on the Frazier Park Road for about 12 miles passing Lockhart Valley Road (on the left) until you see signs for Mt. Pinos. Stay to the left at the fork and follow the road as it twists and turns 9 miles up the mountain to the Nordic Hut parking area at the very top. Park on the left side, by the Mt Pinos trailhead, and look for us there.

If you wish to carpool - meet at Towsley Canyon at 6.45AM to check in for a 7.00AM SHARP departure. Please be respectful of your driver's support by contributing something at the end of your carpool to help defray the cost of gas - THX.

Those intending to do only Mt. Pinos are encouraged to carpool with other "Easy" hikers, or drive alone to avoid waiting for the rest of a carpool.

Meet your leader: At the Mt Pinos parking lot trail head at 8:15 AM; we will depart up the trail to Mt Pinos at 8:30 AM SHARP (or when SCV carpoolers who have checked in get there).

Rating: Easy to Moderate, depending on the distance you choose.

Leader: Steve I.

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