Backpacking in So. California?

“[i]ola everyone, kinda new to the area, thought I should ask the experts, I read some books and they did not help much, anybody out there know of some good 1-3 day treks in the area of So. Cal? Iam not talking desert but a place's like Desolation,etc, in my area, please help for Iam in need of "walking" somewhere wild.
Thanks
J.”

“Martinez and Sheep peaks, Mt. San Gorgonio, Mt. San Jacinto, Mt. baden Powell, Point Reyes, desert hot creek near San Diego.”

“This info is for a 1967 trip that I was actually on, at age 17! If you looked at the trip reports of the Sierra Club 100 peaks and Desert Peaks Sections, I'll bet you could get a lot of trip ideas.

Martinez Mtn, from Sierra Club 100 Peaks Section Archives.

Distance: 16 miles round trip on trail and cross-country
Gain: 4300' total, 3500' out plus 800' on return
Time: 8-9 hours round trip
Rating: Class 2, strenuous
Navigation: Intermediate
Leader Rating: "I", normal conditions
Route: Possible rock fall problems in the gully

Original: Roger Mitchell, August 1967

DRIVING ROUTE 1

From the west:

* Take I-10 or SR 60 east to SR 79 in Beaumont.
* Go south on SR 79 to the Ramona Expressway. Turn left (east).
* Go east and then southeast on the Ramona Expressway until it ends at SR 74. Turn left (east).
* Go east on SR 74 to Mountain Center (junction with Idyllwild Highway - SR 243).
* Continue east on SR 74 for about 21.5 miles to a paved road (7S06) at a sign "Cactus Spring Trail". This is just across from the entrance to Pinyon Flat Campground.
* Go south 1/4 mile to the (paved) "Sawmill Trailhead" parking lot.

From the north:

* Travel east on I-10 to its interchange with Monterey Avenue near Palm Desert. Exit right (south) on Monterey. Reset your odometer.
* At 6.0 miles, Monterey crosses 111 in Palm Desert and becomes SR 74. Continue straight.
* At 15.8 miles, turn left (southeast) on a paved road (7S06) at a sign "Cactus Spring Trail". This is just across from the entrance to Pinyon Flat Campground.
* Go south 1/4 mile to the (paved) "Sawmill Trailhead" parking lot.

HIKING ROUTE 1

* From the parking area (4040'), hike east along the road to an intersection.
* Continue straight ahead at the beginning of the Cactus Spring Trail. This is shown as a short road segment on the topo. Hike along the trail as it goes right at a fork and descends to a road near a old dolomite mine.
* Turn left (east) on this road and follow it past the mine to where the trail leaves the road. This is the old trailhead. Continue east on the trail as it goes over several rises and then descends to Horse Thief Creek near BM 3492.
* Follow it across the creek as it climbs over a hill to avoid a waterfall and then descends back into a wash.
* Follow it east along this wash to Cactus Spring, about 2 miles beyond Horse Thief Creek.
* Continue on the trail as it follows a wide wash.
* Soon it leaves this wash on the right, just north of bump 4996'.
* From here, Martinez can be seen straight ahead. It has three saddles. A large gully descends from the saddle on the right. This is the one to aim for.
* Leave the trail and continue up the wash. Follow the wash around the left side of a low ridge and up this gully to the summit ridge.
* Turn left (north) and go up to the summit block. It can be climbed from the southeast side. Elevation 6562', shown on the map, is not the summit.

ALTERNATE ROUTE
For large parties

Where the trail leaves the gully, continue up the trail to where it crosses a saddle south-southwest of the summit. This is just north of BM 5168 on the topo. Leave the trail here and follow the ridge up to the summit keeping right at obstacles. This route is poorly ducked.
NATURAL HISTORICAL NOTE

The Cactus Spring Trail is an old Indian route.
WILDERNESS PERMITS

Both Sheep Mountain and Martinez Mountain are in the Santa Rosa Wilderness. A permit is required for overnight use. For permit information, contact:
San Jacinto Ranger District
54270 Pinecrest
P.O. Box 518
Idyllwild, CA 92549
Voice: (909) 382-2921
Fax: (951) 659-2107”

“100 peak section archives:

http://angeles.sierraclub.org/hps/archives/hpsa.htm”