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Location: Riverside County, about 6 miles east of Idyllwild, 112 miles from Los Angeles

Maps

Auto Club: Riverside County, Los Angeles and Vicinity

Forest Service: San Bernardino National Forest

USGS Topo: Palm Springs 7½, San Jacinto Peak 7½

HPS: Route(s), waypoints and explanation of usage

Nearby Peaks: Tahquitz Peak (LO), Red Tahquitz

Distance: 16 miles round trip on trail and cross-country

Gain: 4500' total, 2600' out plus 1900' on return

Time: 7-9 hours round trip

Rating: Class 1, strenuous

Original: Joe Young, January 2000

DRIVING ROUTE 1

• Drive I-10 to Banning. Exit at 8th Street (SR 243). Note your odometer and go as follows:
• At 0.2 mile, turn left.
• At 0.7 mile, turn right on San Gorgonio Avenue.
• At 1.4 miles, keep left on SR 243.
• At 25.0 miles, Idyllwild Ranger Station (San Bernardino National Forest) on the left. Turn left on Pine Crest Avenue. Note your odometer and go as follows:
• At 0.6 mile, intersection. Make a half right on South Circle Drive.
• At 0.7 mile, Fern Valley Drive on the left with a sign "Humber Park". Turn left.
• At 1.2 miles, fork. Keep left.
• At 2.2 miles, trailhead on the left. This is the climbers trail for Suicide Rock. Keep straight.
• At. 2.6 miles, Humber Park. Park here.

HIKING ROUTE 1

• The Devils Slide Trail begins at the upper right corner of the parking lot. From this trailhead (6500'), hike up the trail 2 1/2 miles to Saddle Junction (8100'). At this point there are four trail choices.
• Take the trail with a sign "Laws Camp" and "Caramba Camp." Follow this trail through Tahquitz Valley and Reeds Meadow for 2 miles to Laws Junction (7400').
• Turn right. Follow the trail 2 miles to Caramba Camp (6600').
• Cross Tahquitz creek at the south side of Caramba Camp. Follow a use trail past Tahquitz Creek to the overlook campsite on the slope.
• Climb the slope southerly, curving around to the left staying about 50 yards below the cliffs until you reach a ridge, or one can take a bearing on the saddle from Caramba Camp and hike along the bearing to the saddle through open country. The climb to the saddle is steep and about 500'.
• Cross the ridge and contour around until you reach the saddle at 7200'.
• Turn left (southeast) and scramble to the summit.

ALTERNATE ROUTES

One may also reach Laws Junction by taking the trail from Saddle Junction that passes through Willow Creek Crossing, or by the trails from the Tram Station via the Hidden Lake/Divide Trail.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS

Wilderness permits are required under all circumstances. Permits are limited to 12 hikers. Permits may be obtained from the Idyllwild Ranger Station just off SR 243 at 54270 Pine Crest Road. There is a self-issue permit stand outside of the ranger station. Permits may be obtained in advance from:

San Jacinto Ranger District
54270 Pinecrest
P.O. Box 518
Idyllwild, CA 92549
Voice: (909) 382-2921
Fax: (951) 659-2107

HISTORICAL NOTES

Peak 7339' is not named on the USGS or USFS maps. In 1999 the Hundred Peaks Section named this peak for R. S. (Sam) Fink, one of the original players of the "hundred peaks game" in the 1940's. Sam Fink was the second person (after Weldon Heald) to climb 100 peaks in southern California. He was the first to complete the HPS List, and was the first to complete it a second time. From the late 1960's until the mid 1970's Sam cleared a route from Red Tahquitz south over South Peak to Antsell Rock, known as the Sam Fink Trail. Today, the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) follows much of this route.

The Hundred Peaks Section's highest award, given annually, according to Secton Bylaws, "made in recognition of distinguished overall service to the Section," is named for Sam Fink.

History of Summit Signature

Climbing Archives

Please report any corrections or changes to the Mountain Records Chair.