Location: Kern County, about 12 miles west-northwest of Frazier Park, 80 miles from Los Angeles

Maps

Nearby Peaks: Antimony Peak

Distance: 9 miles round trip from final locked gate

Gain: 3300'

Time: 7 hours round trip

Rating: Class 2, moderate, summit block is easy class 3

Navigation: Moderate

Leader Rating: "I", normal conditions

Access: Groups should contact the Mountain Records Chair to arrange permission and to receive the lock combination.

Original: George Wysup, March 2000

DRIVING ROUTE 3

• From the SR 166 exit on I-5 north of the Grapevine, turn left (west) toward Maricopa.
• At 7.2 miles, dirt road left (south) marked with a rustic sign "Wind Wolves". Turn left.
• You will shortly reach a gate with a combination lock. If you have received permission, open the combination lock and continue to the Preserve headquarters and sign in, 4.6 miles from SR 166.
• From the headquarters, take the road to the east about 0.3 mile, reaching a closed gate. Please open it before driving through, and then close it behind you.
• Turn right and drive for about a mile to the first stream crossing (concrete bottom).
• Drive about another 5 miles, passing another gate en route to a second stream crossing. Here, high clearance vehicles may be needed to ford the stream (ask the Preserve staff about the stream level).
• Go about 0.2 mile and turn right at the first opportunity, following San Emigdio Creek, to a third (locked) gate. You may have procured a key to this gate at the headquarters office. If not, park here. The hiking description begins from this point. If you have the key to the gate, you may continue driving as far as you reasonably can (about 0.8 mile) and park.

HIKING ROUTE 3

• From the final locked gate (2520'), hike south up the dirt road about 0.7 mile along San Emigdio Creek to a road junction. Take the left fork.
• At the end of the road, find and follow a prominent cattle trail. After about a mile, this trail goes through (under) some willows. Soon thereafter the trail crosses to the west side of the creek.
• Follow it about another mile, passing up an opportunity to climb a rocky ridge to the left (east) and passing up another opportunity to ascend a gentler ridge to the left.
• Go past an eroded cliff on the east bank and cross San Emigdio Creek.
• Ascend a moderately steep, grassy slope, starting at about 3400'. This route joins the ridge ascended in the Route 1 at 4700'. The terrain is quite open for the first 1/2 mile before the narrow, rocky, scrub oak-studded ridge is reached.
• Follow the faint use trail up the ridge, eventually passing through a Pinyon pine grove (5500') and then ascend the steep grassy slope north toward the sandstone cliffs. An occasionally ducked route leads up through the cliffs just above the trees. The summit is reached immediately after ascending a ramp that passes the final large buttress on its right side.

NOTES

HPS hike leaders must contact the HPS Mountain Records Chair to arrange for permission to cross the Preserve and for driving instructions to the Preserve headquarters.

Spring can be the best time to visit the Preserve because the hills are verdant after the winter rains. In some years wildflowers will be in abundance. Temperatures along the creek (the trailhead is at about 2600') are usually moderate at this time of year.

The Wildlands Conservancy created the Wind Wolves Preserve in 1996 as the result of the purchase of over 87,000 acres. The Preserve extends from the northern reaches of the San Emigdio Range through the foothills into the San Joaquin Valley floor. The Preserve has an impressive array of habitats and a unique assemblage of plant and animal species. The Preserve is introducing Tule elk to replace cattle. The Preserve is a popular destination for school field trips with naturalist talks.

Wind Wolf is the name for the rolling waves in tall grass resulting from the wind.