Mt Pinos/Sawmill/Grouse 3 peaks/1 day

cheriej2042
cheriej2042 Posts: 241 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
This is a hike in the Los Padres National Forest over 50 miles north of Los Angeles. The hike starts at the Los Pinos Nordic Base at 8300 so it’s only a moderate hike.
Miles 10.44
Elevation gain 2200

Mt Pinos is the highest mountain in Ventura County at 8847 ft
Sawmill Mtn is the highest mountain in Kern County at 8822 ft
Grouse Mtn is at 8586 (even tho their sign says it’s 8853)

This was a fun hike although it took me 2 1/2 hours to get there. The forest is beautiful and no hikers at all until the return trip.

First you come to Mt Pinos which had three survey markers from 1941 but someone stole the sign

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Then it’s a twisting up/down to Sawmill

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It’s only about a mile to get to Grouse after that.

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I’ve always wanted to do this hike so I can check this off the list. When I got back to the huge parking lot it was completely full. There were 30 cars when I got there around 530 am but since I never saw anyone on the hike in I think they were all camping at the McGill Campground. It’s a beautiful place.


Replies

  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    I love your trip reports!

    Is the Nordic base a ski area?

    I did two summits yesterday, of course you did 3! 🙂 Keep it up!
  • cheriej2042
    cheriej2042 Posts: 241 Member
    edited June 2021
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    I love your trip reports!

    Is the Nordic base a ski area?

    I did two summits yesterday, of course you did 3! 🙂 Keep it up!

    There are no ski lifts there but hikers I know snow shoe there and said that area always gets snow in winter. Hey where are your pics of your hike??? Please post!
  • girlwithcurls2
    girlwithcurls2 Posts: 2,282 Member
    I am a total lurker who actively looks for your posts :blush: (... and yours too, @NorthCascades !)

    Please, PLEASE, keep posting your photos. It's funny that as someone who has never lived in LA, my impression is: big city, huge freeways, cars everywhere. I had no idea that you could access mountains so easily. That is one gorgeous area of the country. My middle kid just got 5 permits to summit Mt. St. Helens again. We've done it a couple of times and it's loads of fun (mostly bouldering), but getting a permit is challenging. They're sought after!

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