Hell's Gate/Sunbonnet Pass
Trail name: Hell's Gate/Sunbonnet Pass
Trailhead location: 34o24'11.4"N, 116o26'3.1"W
Length: 1.7 miles
Elapsed time: 3 hours 30 minutes
How to get there: This trailhead is somewhat more difficult to find, as it is a fair distance from the lakebed. There are at least two routes to the trailhead and this description defines the easiest, though not necessarily the fastest. From the dry lakebed, head north and then east through the gap in the ridge. Follow the main road through the mining area, past first the end and then the trailhead for Aftershock. Follow the wash for a short way but be watching for the road exiting the wash to the right. The road then wanders over a broad plain, crossing several smaller washes draining down from the west. It eventually drops into one of these washes and continues west. It will top out on a small saddle and then continue west down the hill. At 34o23'49.4"N, 116o25'57.5"W, turn right and follow the tracks. The route will shortly drop into a wash. Turn left up the wash, as this is the beginning of the first trail section.
The trail: This trail is actually three distinct trail sections: Hell's Gate, the Devil's Slide, and Sunbonnet Pass. The first, Hell's Gate, is typical fun Johnson Valley fare. It consists of a climb up a rocky watercourse though a seam in the hills. There are several narrow portions that favor small, short wheel base vehicles. The Hell's Gate section ends in a small saddle. The next section, the Devil's Slide is a short, but STEEP descent into the valley below. The route drops down numerous rocky ledges and undoubtedly feels better in a long wheel base vehicle. Once down into the broad, rocky wash below, a right hand turn will lead to Sunbonnet Pass. This route gets progressively narrower and steeper as it twists upward. There are two obstacles of note on this trail section. The first is a sharp left-hand turn in a narrow squeeze between two large rocks directly below a memorial plaque. It is very difficult to negotiate this turn without leaving paint behind if driving anything wider than a Jeep. The second spot was referred to as "Honda Hill" when we first experienced the trail (a Honda's hood was lying next to the trail at this spot). Honda Hill is an extremely steep climb with a sharp left-hand turn in the middle. The exit at the top is over the top of two extremely large rocks. The right line will carry a vehicle cleanly through, but drop either tire in the crack and it can be a noisy and messy experience. Once over Honda Hill, the trail continues up smaller ledges in a rocky canyon until eventually topping out on a high ridgeline to the right. The trail drops off the ridgeline to join back up with the access route very near the beginning of the Aftershock trail. | 
