Pallett via Burkhart Trail
12.5 mi
Distance
5 hrs 18 min
Time
terrain
2,300 ft
Elev Gain
Overview
This is a difficult out and back trail to Pallett in Pleasant View Ridge Wilderness.
This trail goes by Burkhart Saddle and Will Thrall Peak.
Sights to See
Rate this Hike
★★★★★
Solo hiked Thurs 5/2/2024 - It’s been many years since I’ve been on the Burkhart Trail and forgot how nice it is along Little Rock Creek, especially Cooper Canyon Falls which is flowing strongly right now. The upper part to Burkhart Saddle is another story as it recovers from the 2020 Bobcat fire and the 2023 Hilary storm. You get to see that things are recovering but with many decades to go. The upper scree slide and deadfall areas are best traversed with poles but not too bad like others have said. There is only one area on the trail where a thicket of Poodle Dog bush must be widely bypassed to avoid “paying the price.” Will Thrall, Pleasant View Ridge and Pallett Mtn peaks had great panoramic views, especially Antelope Valley to the north and the snow-capped San Gabriel’s (Baden-Powell, Throop, 3 Hawkins peaks) to the south. Going out to Box Car Ridge to visit the 1966 C-119 plane crash site was more for a solemn observation, given my prior time in aviation. I was very surprised to run into a few steep snowfield problems on the way to the Peak 7520 and Goodykoontz summits with hard snow and a little ice on the northern slopes of the Mt Williamson ridgeline. After trying to traverse the first without crampons or micros and a long runout, I opted to go further down the west-southwest drainage and then up on patchy snow which worked well. After Goodykoontz, I followed a west running ridge to Bobcat Knob and then headed south-southwest on a cross country trek which brought me directly down and back to the Little Rock Creek Log Crossing. From there it was back on the Burkhart Trail to Cooper Canyon Falls for a food break which was the most beautiful stop of the day. Got back in time to see a nice sunset from lower Angeles Crest to wrap up a nice day. Highly recommend the lower Burkhart Trail to the falls/Little Rock Creek and the upper part to those looking for the peaks. Logged 16.4 miles/5241 vertical ft with Gaia.
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Public Tracks
Track (5/20/18, 8:34:07AM)
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