For this weeks Show Us Your California contest by Hive account@thesocalhive I headed out into the San Gabriel mountains to explore the...

Upper East Fork!!

As you might already know I frequent the East Fork San Gabriel river. I usually hike up the canyon from the bottom at Heaton Flats, but on this trip I decided to start at the top at Vincent Gap and hike down into the canyon. I dropped down the trail into Vincent Gulch. It was a beautiful day to be out. The water was flowing good in Vincent Gulch and I filled my bottle and continued down to where Vincent Gulch meets Prairie Fork and Mine Gulch, all coming together to form the East Fork. And at the Mine Gulch camp I found some ripe apples on the apple tree there!

Starting down the trail from Vincent Gap

Overlooking Vincent Gulch

Remains from a wrecked glider

Ripe apples on the tree at Mine Gulch camp

The Mine Gulch camp is a really nice spot to camp, but I decided to rock hop down the East Fork for a couple miles where I found another great spot to setup camp for the night. The next morning I continued down river. At Alder Gulch I decided to make a side trip up the gulch where I found a really nice little waterfall/swimming hole. Then when I got to Fish Fork I decided to explore up it as well. I know there are waterfalls up there, but I went quite a ways up without finding any. Regardless it was still quite beautiful up there and I was even lucky enough to find a Rosy Boa! Then I continued down river stopping to camp at my normal camp just above Iron Fork.

Starting to make my way down the East Fork

Views of Iron Mountain while hiking down the East Fork

Upper Camp

The next morning I continued down river. At Alder Gulch I decided to make a side trip up the gulch where I found a really nice little waterfall/swimming hole. Then when I got to Fish Fork I decided to explore up it as well. I know there are waterfalls up there, but I went quite a ways up without finding any. Regardless it was still quite beautiful up there and I was even lucky enough to find a Rosy Boa! Then I continued down river stopping to camp at my normal camp just above Iron Fork. There was a small rattlesnake in one of the yuccas there, but he just hung out there and didn't bother me.

Wildflowers

Waterfall in Alder Gulch

The Rosy Boa

Exploring Fish Fork

Fish Fork

East Fork

Views from my lower camp

I enjoyed a nice night at my camp and then started making my way back up river. I made a quick stop to check out the waterfall at Falls Gulch, but otherwise I didn't waste time getting back up to my first camp because I wanted to do some prospecting up there. I got back to the upper camp and busted out the sluice box and spent the rest of the day digging. And I found some gold!

Hiking back up the East Fork

Tiger Lily

Falls Gulch falls

Back at the upper camp

Doing some gold prospecting

Gold

I enjoyed one more night in the canyon and then I started hiking up and out. I ran into some deer which seemed quite surprised to see me and quickly ran away. Then I made my way back up Vincent Gulch to the trailhead at Vincent Gap with a quick stop at the Tom Vincent cabin along the way. From top to bottom I truly love every bit of this awesome canyon.