Finally, a new peak.
Over a month after bagging a new-to-me peak, I finally got another one: Shields Peak in the San Bernardino Mountains. It's north and across a valley from San Gorgonio. While lower than its more famous neighbor - and even nearby Anderson Peak - it was a nice summit.
I took the Forsee Creek Trail up from Jenks Road. The trail is in OK shape but could do with some brushing; I'd recommend knee-high gaiters or long pants due to the thorny bushes along stretches of the trail. I saw four water sources, but two were in the first mile. The other two are barely trickles; you'd need a low scoop or a straw. And, all of those are in the first half of the trail. There might be water in the second half, but I wouldn't count on it. I didn't check out Jackstraw Springs or do an exhaustive search. Needless to say, that will change.
There are also spots where the outside edge of the trail gives way. It has an even, fairly steep grade with only minimal elevation gain on the return. And, it's not overly rocky or loose. There are also plants along the trail that sound like a rattlesnake when you brush up against them: it's dried seed pods.
The last bit to the peak is Class 2 (or Class 1 if you have poles) over talus plates. Some - including large plates - are wobbly. There are also a couple of minor false summits (depending on where you start the ascent).
I didn't see a benchmark and the register is in bad shape. If you're in the area, please bring another ammo box and/or a large jar to replace the current one.
The only people I saw on the trail were a trail crew at the very beginning, and a couple setting up a tent before the Jackstraw Campground. I didn't visit said campground, but that whole area has been devastated by fire so it's probably not a great place to be. I had to use GPS to find where it is; I didn't even see a use trail to it. I did however see a bounding deer further up the trail.
Note that the trail is up a rough dirt road from a YMCA camp and there are no parking signs at points in the road. Normally I'd suggest that those driving low-clearance or 2WD vehicles park along the road (where there are no signs), but I saw not just a Tesla but a Prius that made it to the lot. You'd need to be careful through the longitudinal ruts.
NOTE: the pics were taken with a new phone and I need to adjustment the settings.
