You can knock about 700 feet of elevation gain off this hike if you don't do Charlton, Little Charlton, and Jepson Peaks.
May 10, 2018 — I hiked San Gorgonio Mountain via the Vivian Creek years ago, but didn't get to see any views because of the random April snow. So, I planned a big loop from the north side of the Bernardino Mountains. This long but gradual ascension to San Gorgonio Mountain includes a traverse of Charlton Peak, Little Charlton Peak, Jepson Peak, Big Draw Peak, and San Gorgonio Mountain.
Follow the South Fork Trail to the Dollar Lake Saddle (Dollar Lake was empty today), and then continue on the San Bernardino Divide Trail, taking a short detour for Charlton and Little Charlton, and redirecting the trail up to Jepson Peak for a short time. All three are pretty steep, but don't have any brush to get through. You can see Anderson and Bernardino on the opposite ridge during the few miles leading up to the Gorgonio summit. This was a loop I did a few months ago, so this added some nice perspective. After the San Gorgonio Mountain summit, continue back down on the Sky High Trail, which leads to Mine Shaft Saddle. From here, you'll get the nicest views of the day as you go through a meadow beneath Jepson and Gorgonio, and then as the trail follows the side of a mountain, where you get really nice views of Charlton Peak and the valley below.
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