[TR] Mount Persis - Trail 11/29/2023

[geosean]

Trip: Mount Persis - Trail

Trip Date: 11/29/2023

Trip Report:

 

After such a beautiful Sunday on Gunn me and @Albuquerque Fred decided we had better play hooky and go catch the last of the high pressure system on Wednesday 11-29, but the best we could motivate ourselves for was Mount Persis.

 

We knew the gate would be long so we took bikes and resigned ourselves to pushing uphill, a lot.

This proved to be even more lousy than expected, but totally worth it for the downhill!

In a previous trip report I claimed that the trail to Gunn Peak wasn't that bad, this one was THAT bad. I think purses might be the worst trail that people have ever called a trail. I've done a lot worse climber's paths, animal trails, routes, ETC, but everybody calls us a trail, it was tough. The 2,500 vertical feet of biking and pushing probably didn't help.

The snow held off until the terrain eased up at about 4500 ft, then we boot packed with minimal penetration, through the forest until popping out into the open. Where the sun had been doing its work over the past week we walked on a nice firm crust seldom sinking in, all the way to the summit.

It was cold, so we didn't stay long. The sun didn't materialize today, but it was worth it, plus I was getting paid for being sick.

The view of the Indexes is amazing!

 

The view of Fred is always amazing:

 

My butt bones hurts after this:

Worth it for the downhill!

Gear Notes:
Bikes.

Approach Notes:
Bike the road, as God intended. Then trail, maybe take some pruners.

[JasonG]

It has been decades since I was up there and back then you could drive the road.  I don't remember the trail as that bad.  Must have been the bike pushing. 

[JasonG]

I edited to take out your Gunn photos....

[olyclimber]

Do they just lock the gate during the winter?  From what I've read elsewhere the gate has been up, you just need a vehicle with clearance for the road.

[geosean]

37 minutes ago, olyclimber said:

Do they just lock the gate during the winter?  From what I've read elsewhere the gate has been up, you just need a vehicle with clearance for the road.

I'm not sure what the story is with the gate, looking through the internet it seems somewhat random. You could do 90% of the road with a Subaru or anything similar, the last switchback is the worst but it's only .25 mile.

I would have been really torn if we'd showed up and the gate was open, it would be almost too easy to drive to 2800'.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

I've heard the gate is open some days, but generally during the week not on weekends.  There has been issue with tweakers dumping shit along the forest road.