Glendora Mountain Hike - February 20, 2011

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A big storm beginning the third and final month of winter dumped tons of snow on our mountains this weekend dropping below the 3,000-foot level. So when I arose and saw the sunshine, blue skies, fluffy white clouds, and snow on the nearby mountain slopes, I knew I had to head into the mountains. I wasn’t sure where I would hike, but I figured I’d jump on Hwy 39 and head up the canyon to see where I would end up.

11:30 a.m. - Leave my house in Azusa and head north on Hwy 39 into San Gabriel Canyon. The beauty of the day and surrounding scenery captivates me. I open the sunroof to experience the brisk air. Lots of water in Morris Reservoir but not over the spillway. Across the canyon to the east I see snow on Glendora Mountain (3322’) and consider it as a possible destination for today. I stop at turnouts several times en route and take pics. Billowing white and gray clouds loom over the high country.

11:59 - Reach East Fork Road and turn right (east), crossing the bridge. Lots of water backed up behind San Gabriel Dam and under the bridge. Continue to stop and take pictures along the way. Photograph the white blossoms of hoary-leaved ceanothus; the blooming shrub covers the mountainsides. The river is rushing.

12:16 - Turn left on Shoemaker Canyon Road and drive the two miles to the trailhead. I love the aromas and beauty after a storm. It’s 48 degrees but feels colder. The Heaton Flat parking lot looks full in the canyon below. I drive back to East Fork Road and turn left (east) and head to the Heaton Flat parking lot. It is completely full and cars are parked down the road. Where are all these people hiking to? The Bridge to Nowhere? I sure wouldn’t do it in this weather. Maybe they are prospecting. Clouds are threatening. Continue on my way.

12:56 - Turn left on Glendora Mountain Road and begin my ascent southwest into mountainsides dusted with snow. Wow, it’s beautiful here. Stop occasionally to take pictures. Make a snowball.

1:18 - Reach Glendora Ridge Road junction at the ridgeline and stop to enjoy the vistas with others. Back in the car, I head west on GMR.

1:38 - Arrive at the trailhead for Glendora Mountain (road marker 6.50), on a narrow ridge dividing Little Dalton Canyon to the south and Persinger Canyon to the north (a tributary of San Gabriel Canyon). The car thermometer reads 43 degrees, but it feels warmer than when it read 48. I haven’t hiked to this summit since 2001 so am eager to revisit it.

1:40 - Begin hike to Glendora Mountain. The path starts on the south side of the road and heads west up a firebreak. It’s a bit steep but not bad. A Spanish broom hosts a few yellow blossoms. An inch of melting snow crunches beneath my boots. Fresh coyote tracks mark the route. Brisk air invigorates me. In seven minutes I reach a knob (3311’), the first of about five bumps en route along this undulating ridge. There are a lot of lupine plants along the path, and one eager plant displays its purple flowers in anticipation of spring coming in one month. Motor vehicles on the road just below contribute to the soundtrack for this hike.

The ridge bends to the south and the summit is in view, less than a mile away. Clouds veil 10,000-foot Mt. Baldy to the east, which certainly is buried with snow. San Gabriel and Morris reservoirs soon come to view in the canyon below. I roller-coaster along the ridge now heading south, following the tracts of the coyote. Great views in all directions. The snow gives the scenery a very different feel.

2:23 - Glendora Mountain (3322’), about 1.25 miles and a net gain of about 200 feet from the start. I enjoy the unobstructed 360-degree panorama. Lots of familiar peaks in view remind me of years of exploring these splendid mountains just above my home. A couple months from now this site will be colored purple with abundant lupine. Patchy clouds cast modeled shadows on the surrounding mountains. No cell reception. Enjoyed leafing through the summit log housed in a baggy in a red tin can that is tucked in a pile of rocks. The last visitor was here two days ago and noted that it was raining. This peak doesn’t get many visitors and most of them have not been standing here in snow. Well, it’s getting cold and the clouds are threatening to dump something on me.

3:00 - Leave Summit. The evidence of fire abounds. The Morris Fire, which began on August 25, 2009 and burned more than 2,100 acres, was stopped on this ridge from burning further east. It didn’t get much media attention since the Station Fire to the west erupted the next day and went on to incinerate 250 square miles of the San Gabriel Mountains.

I follow my footprints in the snow and enjoy the snow-covered panorama to the north. My hands are cold but I don’t bother getting out my gloves. On the final descent I stop and photograph some more plants.

3:38 - Finish hike. The car thermometer reads 51 degrees. I drive down the meandering GMR toward Glendora, stopping several times to soak in the picturesque scenery.

Epilog - Another rewarding experience in the San Gabriels! For this outing, the car trip was as much a part of the experience as the hike. I love my mountains!

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Marshall Canyon Hike - February 6, 2011

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What a delightful romp around Marshall Canyon Trail on a beautiful Sunday. Many parts of the nation are being hammered with snow, and we’re enjoying lots of sunshine and temps in the 70s.

I first discovered Marshall Canyon last March and enjoyed exploring its web of trails on two consecutive weekends. I got to work writing a hike description for Marshall Canyon but the project got put on the back burner. So now with beautiful weather and green hillsides, I figured it was time to revisit the hike and complete the write-up.

I leave the house at 7:38 a.m. for the 13-mile drive from Azusa to La Verne. It’s 48 degrees. I arrive at the big parking lot on Stephens Ranch Road. There are eight cars in the lot. It’s now 55 degrees. With map and trail guide in hand, my intent is the walk the route I have written up to check details and accuracy. I start the hike at 8:10 and descend the trail heading south into Marshall Canyon. The sky is blue, the sun is bright, the grass is green, and the aroma of the morning chaparral is pleasant. A haze mutes the distant visibility. Soon I’m covered with a canopy of oaks and serenaded by a sparking stream. The little white flowers of wild cumber are the first blooms en route.

8:32 - Reach the first junction and encounter my first contact with others...several walkers and several bikers. Turn left (east), cross the creek and begin an ascent. In a few minutes I reach the large flat clearing on a low ridge that separates Marshal Canyon and Live Oak Canyon. Walkers and bikers are coming and going. I continue east. A eucalyptus tree buzzes with bees. The trail bends north and parallels the east fence of the equestrian facility. I snap a pic of a purple nightshade, my second flower en route.

8:52 - Arrive at junction where a hard right would take me on a lower trail downstream to the equestrian center on Esperanza Drive and Golden Hills Road. I bear left and continue upstream enjoying a beautiful wooded setting with the pleasant melody of the creek below. Bare sycamores stranding amidst a carpet of brown leaves remind me that it is winter. Bikers whisk by me often.

9:04 - Hit a junction marked by a huge patch of poison oak directly in front of me with a sign describing the toxic plant. Either direction will take me on a large loop, but for this hike, I turn right (east). In couple minutes I cross the creek, veer left and begin a meandering climb up the east side of Live Oak Canyon. The views open up nicely to the valleys beyond. Take pics of pearly everlasting and orange monkey flower. Very few flowers in bloom. After climbing about 400 vertical feet I reach an upper ridge with a sweeping panorama. I turn left (east) and follow the road as it ascends to a high point. A lone bicyclist rests on the summit but soon is joined by a bunch more. The warm sun feels good. Snow-capped Ontario Peak peeks above the hills to the east. Sunset Ridge and the Angeles National Forest loom to the north.

9:52 - Reach a junction with a narrow trail cutting northwest back into the canyon. This is a trial I have not yet hiked, so one of my intents for this hike is to break from the trail description to check it out. The slope blocks the sun. Fern and vivid green moss accent the route. Currant displays its small, white blooms. Two switchbacks aid the descent. Near the bottom, the creek provides a pleasant soundtrack.

10:13 - Arrive at the main road. Sitting at the picnic table, I have a bite to eat while studying my map and notes. It’s peaceful here, expect for the frequent bicyclists racing past. I have found that cyclists and equestrians tend to be noisier than hikers. Their loud voices break the tranquility of this beautiful setting. There is a narrow trail heading east up canyon that begins by roughly paralleling the one I just came down. I’ve not yet hike that one either, so my plan is to check it out. Hit the trail at 10:38. It climbs a ridge that separates two creeks. Soon I emerge from the canopy of oak to sun-soaked chaparral. Views to the valleys below open up to the west.

10:56 - Reach the road. Another objective of this hike is to explore the old pack trail that starts from here and climbs 1,300 feet to Sunset Ridge. So up I climb. The route at first is in reasonable condition. Several places are quite steep and slippery. After about 15 minutes of climbing, I decide it’s time to turn around. I don’t know if the route is doable all the way to Sunset Ridge, but it would at least require some earnest bushwhacking and precarious climbing.

11:34 - Back to the road, I continue east on familiar territory, reverse of the hike description. Pass a sign, “You are now entering Claremont Hills Regional Park.” At 11:45 I arrive at the junction of Cobal and Johnson Moterways. I decide to go straight and see what the route holds, at least for a bit. After six minutes the road begins to descend quite steeply, so that’s as far as I go for this trip. Back at the junction I turn left and continue my ascent southwest. Nice views out over the Claremont foothills and beyond.

12:06 - Arrive at the lookout site, a nice, covered rest area with two benches and sweeping vistas. I relax in the shade, have some lunch, call the wife, and enjoy the pleasant breezes and splendid scenery. Snow-capped San Jacinto and San Gorgonio dominate the distant eastern horizon. Less than three and a half hours to Super Bowl kick off, so I must go. Hit the trail at 12:40 and retrace my steps east and then west. I move at good pace now. Three minutes to the Johnson/Cobal junction and another nine minutes to the junction where I came up. I continue down the road. In two minutes I pass the picnic area. The road contours along the north face of the canyon in full sun.

1:07 - Transition from the road to a narrow trail dropping into the canon to bypass a section of road. Poison oak is abundant. Four horseback riders pass. In seven minutes I reach the road again and in two more minutes reach my earlier junction with the picnic table. I’m really enjoying the beauty of my surroundings. As the canyon narrows I get glimpses of the stream as it gurgles below me. The route contours along in mixed shade and sun as the canyon opens. After a point where the road bends back to the northwest, I take a left at the junction and in a few more minutes I reach another junction about 75 yards short of my 9:04 location. Not wanting to retrace the lower section, I turn right, briefly climb to the entrance of the equestrian facilities, continue straight to the parking lot, and reach my car at 2:00.

Epilog - I really enjoyed this hike with its varied scenery, amazingly beautiful weather, green grass, splendid views, flowing streams, and pleasant breezes. I’m eager to get home to finish publishing the hike description in hopes that others can enjoy the treasures of Marshall Canyon Trail.

See Marshal Canyon Trail Hike Description on Dan's Hiking Pages
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