Asbestos Mountain, Lookout Mountain #1, Rock Point

10 December 1988

By: Jack Trager

Leaders: Jack Trager, David Eisenberg

Luella Martin was scheduled to lead this outing, but a backpack to "Big Rabbit" was more exciting so I took over and she arranged for Dave Eisenberg to assist.

We met at 6:00AM at Diamond Bar with 18 signing in and carpooled to our first objective - Lookout. Frank Dobos and Ruth Lee Brown were not enthralled with it and drove to Santa Rosa Mountain instead. Sixteen of us were up and down in short order and on to Asbestos by 9:45AM where Frank and Ruth joined us after what must have been a record drive of that slow Santa Rosa Road.

By leaving the three passenger cars at the Pinyon Flat turn-around, we were able to drive 3/4 mile to the foot of the mountain. The track badly needs brushing and as was observed, it is hardly worth the trouble to drive it.

I led up the east slope paralleling the wash and that route goes quite well, but possibly not as easy as in the wash itself, which is the way we came down. On top by 10:45AM, we enjoyed an early lunch on the protected flat below the peak and returned to the cars by 12:30PM.

Dick Akawie was familiar with some of the new roads into Rock Point and led our caravan to the optional trailhead point where we again left the passenger cars and drove the additional mile to the junction of Butterfly Mountain and Rock Point roads. This last mile of road has deteriorated badly and should be recommended for 4WD vehicles only.

The hike into Rock Point was a surprise to me. Instead of following the creek bed, there is now a very good trail right to the base of the mountain and a well ducked (and marked) trail up to the peak. On top, three of our group: Tom Eng, Al Craun and Greg Gerlach scrambled up the summit block while the rest of us were content with the Register at its base.

David Eisenberg led the group back to the cars by 2:00PM and his good assistance was much appreciated. In view of the early hour three cars took off for Butterfly Mountain while the rest settled for an early return home. Others participating were: Barbara Cohen, Frank Long, Walt Whisman, Jack Haddad, Alice Cahill, Shirley Akawie, Cal Boyer, Roth Boyer, Bill Hembach, Graham Breakwell and Robert Hartstone.