Ditto. If anyone gives this a shot, we may even organise this as a trip. 2+ heads are better than one. _________________ For sale blog: http://tacoparts.blogspot.com/
Unfortunately, I have no more information than anyone else. First thought about doing it after Augie Medina mentioned it on one of our hikes (Bob Burd was with us and thought it was a crazy idea). I figured out that Augie is a true masochist after he climbed Iron #1 via it's north ridge. Figured out that I can beat myself up plenty in the Sierra without all of that nasty brush.
I've come to the same conclusions as Hiker Jim after taking pictures from the heli-pad on the Heaton Ridge trail, Lookout mtn, and along the Baldy Village trail. I posted some of these for TacoDelRio to look at when he expressed interest. A brutal but possible hike probably involves a car shuttle, taking the trail down from Allison Saddle, and fighting brush up to the ridge top. The rest is just grunt work.
I'm a former Army officer, and I have some old AMS (Army Map Service) and DMA (Defense Mapping Agency) maps that I got while still in the service. These are slightly different than the standard 1:24K 7.5' series topos available from the USGS. The one I'm looking at is a 1:50K 15' series.
I'm looking at Big Horn Ridge, and guess what ... there's a trail marked. I'm sure the trail is essentially no longer there (although perhaps traces can be found), but the old map kind of gives an idea of where the trail was.
The trail up BHR starts where the Heaton Flat Trail drops into the canyon. This makes sense if you think about it since the Heaton Flat Trail was the primary access to the canyon back in the day. Anyway, from where the Heaton Flat Trail drops into the canyon, the BHR trail basically switch backs South a bit, curls around a side canyon and climbs BHR.
The last time I was at the Allison Mine, I was able to find this http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?l...u=4&datum=nad27&layer=DRG trail junction. I could see the trail taking off through the brush to the Stanley-Miller Mine -- a non-stop bush whack from the look of it. I actually aborted my intended trip to the Stanley-Miller Mine just because of the severity of the brush. (I finally did get to the Stanley-Miller Mine by scaling straight up the side of the mountain further up the E Fork of the SG River, a very hard hike, but that's another story).
One interesting item of note is that the old BHR trail takes off from above the Widman Ranch and is therefore (legally) accessible (no comment on brush). I wonder how much of the old BHR trail still exists? _________________ Backpacking stove reviews and information: Adventures In Stoving
Unfortunately, my digital camera went swimming at the bottom of upper Devil's Canyon Falls a few weeks ago, so I can't just snap a photo and post it. I might be able to get a friend to scan it.
Old maps are so cool.
HJ _________________ Backpacking stove reviews and information: Adventures In Stoving
You'd hike in just as though you were going for Big Iron or the Allison Mine but turn off at the saddle where you'd have to choose Allison or Iron and head into Coldwater. I've heard this saddle referred to as Iron Mtn Saddle. It's about 4 miles to the saddle from the TH, so, yeah, kind of a pain, but it does appear to avoid private property. _________________ Backpacking stove reviews and information: Adventures In Stoving
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Oh, duh, yes, that one, Heaton Saddle. That is the official name, isn't it? Thanks.