Angeles National Forest:
I have lived in Pasadena for 14 months now and I have always enjoyed the view of the mountains to the north. So it made sense that my first hike would be so close. I made sure to stop by a Ranger District Office to pick up an Adventure Pass. You only need an Adventure Pass to park in the Forest. It is $5 for the day or $30 for the year. I went ahead and picked up the annual pass to encourage myself to come back. I headed west on the 210 to State Route 2 north. The road takes you right into the mountains for some breath-taking views. I could not believe how amazing the views were just driving through the park. You drive for around 13 miles and turn right on Mt. Wilson road. The road begins to get very twisty but about 2 miles in the road will widen and you can park on the right side of the road. This is the trail head. It is very easy to miss and continue on to the Mt. Wilson trail. If you get to the television stations then you've gone to far.
San Gabriel Peak
There are no trail signs and you may doubt that this is the right trail but I assure you that it is the San Gabriel Peak trail. You can enter right of the gate and step onto a dirt road that was once used by the Fire Department. The hike beginning of the hike isvery easy with a slight incline and about half a mile up you will reach a tunnel. I was hiking by myself and not sure how long the tunnel was. My mind thought of Stephen King novels. I gathered my courage and entered the tunnel. The tunnel was not bad at all and once you are in you can see the other side.
On the other side of the tunnel I continued up the road with an amazing valley to my left. I ran into two hikers who were returning from the hike. This was the last human contact I had till I was leaving the trail. I had the trail all to myself and I didn't realize how dangerous of a situation I could have gotten myself into. Up the trail you come to a fork-in-the-road and take a right. The views of Bear Canyon open up on the left and you begin to switchback up the trail.
This was my first trail that had true elevation gain. By the end of the hike I would have gained 1050 feet. It was very tiring and I stopped often to catch my breath. The nice thing about hiking solo was I didn't have to worry about slowing anyone down. I could do the trail at my own pace and enjoy it in my own time. This is the view I enjoyed at my first major stop (about 5 minutes).
The switchback along the mountain were quite narrow at times and the gravel was lose. I have a weak ankle and gravel is my worst enemy. If you step to close to edge, the gravel will move and you can easily slip off the side. I had several close calls but always kept my balance. I tried to walk closer to the mountain to avoid the edge. It is vital that you watch your step. Stop and look at the views. Do not try and look at the view while walking.
The switchbacks will eventually lead to another fork-in-the-road. At this junction, you take a right and begin the last half mile up to the peak. This is the most strenuous part of the trail with the incline getting steeper. About a quarter of the way up, I stopped to get some water and looked up at how steep the trail was getting. I started to doubt myself and considered turning around. I decided that I had come to far to turn back now and should just toughen up and get up this mountain.
I continued up the trail very slowly. The amount of breaks I was taking was becoming more frequent. It got to the point where I would only climb 20 steps before having to take another 30 second break. At one point I could see the peak but I still had to stop to catch my breath one last time before I could make the final push. I did make it though. When I took the final steps to the peak I let out a scream of joy. I had actually made it. It took me an hour and 20 minutes to make the 2 mile climb to the peak but the view was definitely worth it. The view is 360 degrees and you can see many other peaks. The San Gabriel Peak is the highest peak on the front row of the San Gabriels. It was some what of a smoggy day but you could even make out Los Angeles out in the distance.
The Peak was once a fire lookout tower but now only had some remnants and a makeshift bench. In the dust on the bench someone had written "it is only 20 miles up to space." That made me smile. I sat down on the bench, drank some water, ate a few pieces of beef jerky, and enjoyed the view. I stayed on the peak for around 20 minutes before beginning my return down the slopes.
The return is much easier and I had enough energy to take a side trip up the other side of the second junction for a few more pictures. Descending is much easier though you still need to watch your step. I stopped a few times to snap some pictures. On my way out I saw a few people walking up. I realized I had been on the trail alone the entire time. It occurred to me how easy one wrong step could have put me in a deadly situation. I would have been stuck without any cell phone service waiting on someone to come by. Solo hiking is not smart. Be careful and take precautions.
With that said I want to end this post with my feelings about the hike. I am proud that I got out there and did this despite not having anyone to go with. I am serious about making hiking a regular activity in my life and I don't want to be reliant on other people to go with me. People are busy and have other things going on. Anyone is welcomed to join me but either way I am still going. I am planning on going on another hike this Friday. If anyone wants to join then please let me know.
Here is an album of the pictures I took. Enjoy
Here is an album of the pictures I took. Enjoy
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