Paradise Park to Yocum Ridge: a modicum of success
Posted: September 14th, 2019, 10:11 pm
Another attempt to get from Paradise to Yocum offtrail, without glacier travel or severe bushwhacking. Having previously hiked offtrail from the Ramona area to Yocum Ridge and Sandy Glacier, today I continued to focus on getting from Paradise to the Ramona area.
From the north paradise junction, I cut over to the edge of Paradise Branch canyon, and looked for a safe drop to the creek, at a place where I could also climb up the other side. Almost pulled it off. It was a little sketchy though, and it would have put me in an awkward spot, mid elevation on the forested part of lower Illumination Ridge (or maybe a spur). I wasn't willing to endure a questionable canyon drop just to get to a place I didn't really want to be. So I climbed back up to the canyon lip and continued down, looking for a good place to drop in. By the time I found a candidate, I was so low that I had lost interest. I would have to drop to the Paradise/Sandy confluence and climb the ridge from its bottom at about 4200' up to about 6000', from where I know it's possible to continue climbing and loop above Mississippi Head. That looked very unpleasant, because gaining the ridge at the bottom looks tricky, and then there's a brushy zone. There might be a good route on the north side, but I've seen that side of the ridge from Sandy River Canyon, and I didn't see anything enticing.
So I just continued down the lip (or close to the lip) of Paradise Branch Canyon, then Sandy River Canyon. Around 4200' I found myself on a broad flat-topped ridge, open and easy to walk on (almost brush free). It had a old-maid-flats feel to it.
When I got down to Sandy River, I continued downstream, past the PCT crossing a bit, to the Rushing Water/Sandy confluence. Because Rushing Water Creek briefly runs parallel to Sandy, it would be easy for upstream hikers to believe that Sandy just splits briefly, except that Sandy is grey silty glacier water, and Rushing Water Creek is clear.
I wanted to follow Rushing Water Creek all the way to Paradise, but I quickly realized it was a boring brushy gully. I realize now, looking at GE image, that its character changes drastically above the 3500' switchback that takes the trail away from the creek. Maybe I'll try it again someday.
Although I succeeded in getting from Paradise to Sandy River offtrail, this wasn't a greatly satisfying day. I've already done a similar route in spring, on snow the whole way, so this wasn't entirely new. And I was distressingly close to the trail in a couple places. And I really want to utilize Illumination Ridge, just because it's a much more interesting and adventurous route, up high anyway. But in spite of the disappointments, I did establish that I can get from Paradise to upper Yocum Ridge and Sandy Glacier without setting foot on official USFS trail.
From the north paradise junction, I cut over to the edge of Paradise Branch canyon, and looked for a safe drop to the creek, at a place where I could also climb up the other side. Almost pulled it off. It was a little sketchy though, and it would have put me in an awkward spot, mid elevation on the forested part of lower Illumination Ridge (or maybe a spur). I wasn't willing to endure a questionable canyon drop just to get to a place I didn't really want to be. So I climbed back up to the canyon lip and continued down, looking for a good place to drop in. By the time I found a candidate, I was so low that I had lost interest. I would have to drop to the Paradise/Sandy confluence and climb the ridge from its bottom at about 4200' up to about 6000', from where I know it's possible to continue climbing and loop above Mississippi Head. That looked very unpleasant, because gaining the ridge at the bottom looks tricky, and then there's a brushy zone. There might be a good route on the north side, but I've seen that side of the ridge from Sandy River Canyon, and I didn't see anything enticing.
So I just continued down the lip (or close to the lip) of Paradise Branch Canyon, then Sandy River Canyon. Around 4200' I found myself on a broad flat-topped ridge, open and easy to walk on (almost brush free). It had a old-maid-flats feel to it.
When I got down to Sandy River, I continued downstream, past the PCT crossing a bit, to the Rushing Water/Sandy confluence. Because Rushing Water Creek briefly runs parallel to Sandy, it would be easy for upstream hikers to believe that Sandy just splits briefly, except that Sandy is grey silty glacier water, and Rushing Water Creek is clear.
I wanted to follow Rushing Water Creek all the way to Paradise, but I quickly realized it was a boring brushy gully. I realize now, looking at GE image, that its character changes drastically above the 3500' switchback that takes the trail away from the creek. Maybe I'll try it again someday.
Although I succeeded in getting from Paradise to Sandy River offtrail, this wasn't a greatly satisfying day. I've already done a similar route in spring, on snow the whole way, so this wasn't entirely new. And I was distressingly close to the trail in a couple places. And I really want to utilize Illumination Ridge, just because it's a much more interesting and adventurous route, up high anyway. But in spite of the disappointments, I did establish that I can get from Paradise to upper Yocum Ridge and Sandy Glacier without setting foot on official USFS trail.
