Ten Thousand Foot Ridge and Mount Grinnell Loop

San Gorgonio Wilderness, CA
Get directionsDownload GPX

Info

Distance12.5 mi
Elevation gain4,100 ft
Route typeLoop
Duration6.5 hr
CruxClass 2
Quality6/10

Peaks bagged

1
Peak 95809,580 ft / Prom. 140 ft
2
Hell for Sure Peak9,920 ft / Prom. 280 ft
3
Tea Bag Can Peak9,884 ft / Prom. 201 ft
4
Peak 99719,971 ft / Prom. 51 ft
5
Peak 1005510,055 ft / Prom. 60 ft
6
Carmen Peak10,075 ft / Prom. 10 ft
7
Ten Thousand Foot Ridge(HPS)10,094 ft / Prom. 94 ft
8
Fish Creek Peak9,942 ft / Prom. 142 ft
9
Lake Peak(HPS)10,161 ft / Prom. 321 ft
10
Grinnell Mountain(HPS)10,284 ft / Prom. 479 ft
HPS. Hundred Peaks Section

Report

Entering San Gorgonio Wilderness from Fish Creek Trailhead.
Along Fish Creek Trail, the spur ridge to Peak 9580 is visible on the left.
Leaving the trail after 0.2 miles.
Shin-high brush for the first 400 vertical feet along the ridge.
Looking back at the trailhead parking area.
Peak 9580 comes into view.
A short dip along the ridge.
Another look back.
Flat area below the summit of Peak 9580.
Some likely avoidable class 2 to gain the summit.
Brushy near the summit
Peak 9580 summit. View south toward Hell For Sure Peak.
Descending the south side of Peak 9580.
Rocky along the ridge.
Staying to the right of the ridge to avoid tricky terrain.
Looking back toward Peak 9580.
Final major push toward Hell For Sure Peak.
Looking back.
Almost there. Hell For Sure Peak is the mound on the left.
Hell For Sure Peak summit.
Traversing northwest toward Tea Bag Can Peak.
Descending about 200 feet to a saddle.
Small bump on the descent.
At the saddle. Tea Bag Can Peak ahead.
Looking back at Hell For Sure Peak.
Tea Bag Can Peak summit.
Continuing west along the ridge.
Looking back.
400-foot rise to Peak 9971, ahead.
Jumbled mess of fallen trees.
Peak 9971 summit.
Onward.
Peak 10055 on the right.
Looking back at Peak 9971 and Tea Bag Can Peak.
Approaching the 10,000-foot mark for the first time today.
Looking back.
Peak 10055 summit.
On the right, Carmen Peak is just 0.2 miles away.
Looking back at Peak 10055.
Carmen Peak summit.
A stone's throw to Ten Thousand Foot Ridge.
Looking back at Carmen Peak.
Ten Thousand Foot Ridge summit.
Dropping off the southwest side of Ten Thousand Foot Ridge. From left to right, San Gorgonio Mountain, Lake Peak, and Grinnell Mountain are all visible.
Some beautiful colors in this backcountry area.
At the saddle between Ten Thousand Foot Ridge and Fish Creek Peak.
Looking back at the slope I just descended.
Another look back at Ten Thousand Foot Ridge.
Fish Creek Peak ahead.
Fish Creek Peak summit.
Heading toward Lake Peak, the final peak along the ridge.
Abruptly entering a burn area.
Lake Peak is the pile of boulders on the right.
Class 2.
Lake Peak summit. San Gorgonio Mountain's summit is just out of view to the left. On the right, Dry Lake.
Descending the north slopes toward Grinnell Mountain.
Fish Creek Saddle Campsite.
Starting up Grinnell Mountain's south ridge.
A use-trail briefly appears.
Looking back.
Flat area before the summit.
Grinnell Mountain summit. The area is so flat it took a bit of searching to find it.
I returned to the campsite and joined Fish Creek Trail.
Expansive views down Fish Creek.
The trail makes several large switchbacks. View toward Ten Thousand Foot Ridge.
Approaching Fish Creek.
Fish Creek. There was a light, but steady flow of water.
Entering Fish Creek Meadows.
There were a number of trees blocking the trail. Here, it was easiest to walk right along the trunk.
Looking back at Fish Creek Meadows.
Southern fork of Fish Creek. The trail cuts through the grasses on the left.
Rejoining the trail on the other side of the creek.
Farther along the trail, looking back.
Junction with Aspen Grove Trail (left), an alternative route that adds about 4 miles and 700 feet of elevation gain roundtrip, but shaves off about 10 miles of rugged driving along forest road 1N05. Stay right to continue along Fish Creek Trail.
Almost back at the point where I departed the trail at the start of the route. The ascent ridge rises to the right.
Returning to Fish Creek Trailhead.

Nearby trips

San Bernardino Mountain Loop
San Bernardino Mountain Loop
20.1 mi5,400 ft8.5 hr
Bertha Peak
Bertha Peak
7.5 mi1,400 ft2.5 hr
Grays Peak
Grays Peak
7.1 mi1,300 ft2.5 hr