Pacific Crest Trail: April 2012

A rare view from the PCT in this segment down
to the Mohave Desert.

Section D
Three Points to Mill Creek Summit – Nobo
Miles: 16
Hiking with: Gary D

Lodging: Best Western John Jay Inn, Palmdale, CA – There are a lot of hotels in Palmdale along Hwy 14. I got my Best Western discount and so got a real deal. Regardless of what I paid I feel Best Western is always a great deal. They’re always cheaper than the Marriotts, Hiltons, and Holiday Inn Expresses and usually get comparable rooms. However, this hotel only had hard wired Internet in the rooms. The only wireless available was in the lobby.

Shuttle: A Dual Sport Bike (Kawasaki 250) that I put on the back of my Excursion & shuttle myself!!!

Dining: Friday night we stopped at the Fisherman's Market in Banning -- by now a regular stop for dinner. Shrimp Tacos -- excellent.

Start: Three Points trail head at PCT mile 403.5 just off of Co Hwy N3 (Angeles Forest Hwy). The parking lot is about 100 yards south of the road behind the National Forest Fire Station. Nice parking as it will get your car off the main road.

End: Mill Creek Summit trail head at PCT mile 411 just off of Hwy 2 (Angeles Crest Hwy). This trail head is on the north side of the road with an out house. Nice parking as it will get your car off the main road.

People along the trail: We saw no one. Rather surprising as it was an absolutely gorgeous day.

Description: We drove in off of Hwy 14 in Palmdale to Co Hwy N3 (Angeles Forest Hwy). It's was a quick easy drive up to Mill Creek Summit. I chained my motor bike to a fence around a communications tower next to the road. We then continued on to Upper Big Tujunga Road and took that to Hwy 2 (Angeles Crest Hwy) north to Three Points. About 2 miles before Three Points there is a biker bar/restaurant. From Mill Creek Summit to Three Points was about a 35-40 minute drive (25 miles). These are windy roads that every motor cyclist from LA loves to ride on. My estimate is that at least 1/2 of the traffic was motor cycles.

In Semb's book Day Hikes on the PCT he suggests taking a dirt road between the start and end of this hike. Don't do it. Although the dirt road is in really good shape it is only the width of 1 car and will be a slow drive -- take the paved road and reduce the dust!!!

The whole hike was through a burned out section of the forest. With a burned forest comes great vistas. Every once in a while we would come across an untouched section of pine trees -- a glimpse of what this great area used to be.

About mile 413 there was a PCT detour sign that routed us along a well groomed dirt road for the last 6 miles down to Mill Creek Summit. I had no idea why while we were on the trail. Afterwords I looked at Halfmile's maps to found out it was because of the fire and poodle-dog bush (see picture below). On my hike I took a picture of the most common type of vegetation which was poodle-dog bush which is way worse than poison oak or ivy. Fortunately its the flowers that cause itching & blistering of the skin and they hadn't yet bloomed.

We decided to return after this hike so we cruised back to Phoenix (stopping by the Crazy Coyote Taco Stand at the Outlet Stores in Cabazon -- another staple).

Gary at the three points trail head.

A downed telephone wire on the trail.

A century plant just starting to sprout.
It will grow about 6 feet in the coming weeks and bloom.

A view from the Trail. Although most of the trail went through
an area ravaged by the fire it seemed like most of the forest visible to the
north was untouched by the fire.