Upper Yucaipa Ridge
San Bernardino National Forest (USFS), CAInfo
Distance9.7 mi
Elevation gain4,900 ft
Duration6.5 hr
CruxClass 3
Route typeLoop
Quality8/10
Vehicle to trailheadCar
RegionSan Bernardino Mountains
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Vivian Creek Trail.
Leaving the trail at the Mill Creek crossing.
Joining the wash, right.
Yucaipa Ridge visible ahead.
View back.
Leaving the wash for this steep slope.
Crossing a talus field.
View back.
Contouring a spur toward the saddle between Wanat Peak and Little San Gorgonio Mountain, right.
View back from near the saddle.
Climbing the ridge to Little San Gorgonio Mountain.
View west toward a radio tower along the lower Yucaipa Ridge and Mill Creek Canyon.
Returning to the saddle. Wanat Peak visible ahead.
Starting up the ridge to Wanat Peak.
Approaching Wanat Peak.
Wanat Peak summit. View west toward Little San Gorgonio Mountain.
View east of the remaining ridgeline.
Approaching the saddle between Wanat Peak and Cuchillo Peak.
Exposed ridge section.
View back toward Wanat Peak.
Cuchillo Peak summit.
Descending Cuchillo Peak.
Closeup of the craggy southern aspects of Yucaipa Ridge.
View back toward Cuchillo Peak.
Approaching a foreboding tower of crumbly rock. I contoured to slope toward a weakness, center. One can just as well stick to the ridge crest.
Starting up the face. Instead of climbing it directly (dangerous Class 4), I skirted it to the climber's right via a Class 2 ramp.
Class 2 ramp.
View back along the ramp.
View along Mill Creek Canyon from the top of the tower.
Continuing along the ridge toward West Gelena Peak.
Approaching a cliff band.
Class 3 weakness in the cliff band with an exposed topout. Thankfully, the rock was solid.
Approaching West Gelena Peak.
West Gelena Peak summit. View west.
View east toward Gelena Peak.
Use trail on the traverse to Gelena Peak.
Gelena Peak summit. View southeast toward San Jacinto Peak.
Descending to Mill Creek Jumpoff.
View back toward Gelena Peak.
Starting the extremely steep descent of the Mill Creek Jumpoff. It was a sit-and-scoot affair.
View back up the scree. Basically vertical.
View back from the bottom of the bowl, which consist of larger boulders.
Descending Mill Creek.
Short detour to a 20-foot waterfall.
Approaching the Vivan Creek Trail.
