See Windy Gap Trail hike description at Dan’s Hiking Pages
Since June 2003, I’ve enjoyed volunteering with the San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders. This group of dedicated men and women have been building and maintaining trails since 1984. We primarily focus our efforts in the San Gabriel River District of the Angeles National Forest, with much of that in the Crystal Lake basin. The project for today is Windy Gap Trail. I hiked down the trail a month ago and it was in pretty good condition, but since then, there was a big rain storm that caused some damage.
8:00 AM - Leave from the San Gabriel Canyon Gateway Center in Azusa and head up Highway 39 to Rincon Fire Station to load the equipment. There are 25 of us today, including seven Boy Scouts from troop 90 of Newport Beach and their leaders. With equipment loaded, we continue the drive up to Chrystal Lake basin. Once at the campground, our keys allow us to pass through locked gates and to drive along South Hawkins Road through Deer Flats and arrive at the location where Windy Gap Trail crosses the road for the second time.
10:10 - After a safety meeting, we begin up the trail. Two chain saw crews take the lead since they will be going on ahead to remove deadfalls higher on the trail. The rest of group breaks into several parties and attacks various damaged areas along the route. Experienced Trailbuilders patiently provide instruction and oversight for the young scouts.
The weather is great today. Scattered high clouds mute the sun. A pleasant breeze is refreshing. My tool of choice today is a McLeod: half rake, half hoe. It was originally a firefighting tool invented in 1905 by Malcom McLeod (pronounced “McCoud”). It’s a ideal tool for spreading soil and grading trail tread.
After accomplishing some light trail clean up, I catch up with Lou, Buddy, and Alan, three veteran Trailbuilders who are working on a spot where the trail crosses a ravine and is significantly damaged. I’m always amazed to see the kind of destruction that rushing water can do. We chisel away at the dried mud mixed with rocks that is heaped on the trail on both side of the ravine. Lou leads the effort in rebuilding a rock retaining wall to support the trail crossing the narrow wash. We wrestle heavy rocks to move them into place.
12:05 - Take a break for lunch. After the break we continue on the project. We dislodge a huge rock that was perched precipitously above the trail. As we anticipated, the rock came to rest right in the middle of the trail. Three of us laying on our backs and using our legs are able to roll the rock over the edge.
1:20 - Finish the project. I continue up the trail to see what else I can help with. I pass over several sections which have been freshly restored by our crews today. It’s very easy to take for grant it a good trial. I round a bend and find the main group of our volunteers laboring on a large washout. Debris from the sheer cliffs above has obliterated the Sutter walls (wooden retaining barriers) and buried the trail. The task today is to clear a temporary route over the rubble. I lend a hand. Shortly the chain saw crews arrive from the upper trail. They removed four deadfalls today, which was everything to Windy Gap.
2:00 - End the work at the designated time. We gather our equipment and head down the trail. We’re dirty and tired. Views toward the valleys beyond are muted by haze. I think about my hike down this trial on Sept. 3 when smoke from the Williams Fire completely obscured visibility. I look west across the bowl toward Islip Ridge and Mt. Islip and reflect upon my thoroughly enjoyable hike there back in July. Along the trail I admire the work our crews have accomplished today.
2:32 - Arrive back at the vehicles. An ice chest full of cold Gatorade and bottled water is a hit. We load the tools. A group picture caps the day. Back at Rincon Fire Station we unload the tools and say our goodbye to one and all.
Epilog - A very rewarding day of hard work surrounded by breathtaking scenery. I always enjoy the camaraderie. And it’s good to have Boy Scouts join us. For the entire day, we encountered only three parties of hikers using the trail. Maybe eight years of closure due to the 2002 Curve Fire caused people to forget about Crystal Lake as a great hiking venue. I implore hikers to take a break from the crowd-infested places like Mt. Baldy and Icehouse Canyon and enjoy the grand scenery, splendid trails, and majestic peaks of the Crystal Lake basin. And if you would like to serve those who love the outdoors, come out and spend a day with the San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders. Workdays are on the first, third, and fifth Saturdays of each month. Visit the San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders website to learn more.
See Windy Gap Trail hike description at Dan’s Hiking Pages
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Friday, September 21, 2012
Griffith Observatory Space Shuttle Hike - September 21, 2012
I love combining a hike with participating in a significant event. And Griffith Observatory has hosted some winners: Its 75th anniversary, solar eclipse, Venus transit. And today it was one of the sites for watching the Space Shuttle Endeavor make its final flight to its museum home in Los Angeles. It was scheduled to fly over Malibu Beach, Getty Center, Los Angeles City Hall, Science Center, Universal Studios, Hollywood Sign, Griffith Observatory, JPL, Disneyland, Boeing, USS Iowa, and land at LAX. For me, the obvious site choice to view the historic flight is my beloved Griffith Observatory.
Riding a bus, a train, and a bus delivers me to Los Feliz Blvd and Vermont at 9:26 to begin my walk into Griffith Park. There’s a gazillion cars. I think the half-mile walk is faster than driving. As I enter the park I see cars parked everywhere. The place is a bustling. There are free shuttle bus rides from the Greek Theatre, but I’m a hiker!
9:42 - Begin hike up Trail #11, East Observatory Trial. It’s been a few years since I’ve been on this trail so I’m eager to re-walk it. The climb starts steeply. The forecast is for a hot day and it’s already getting warm. There’s lots of people on the trail. Soon the views south reveal a very hazy horizon. I pass a lot of folks who are probably not used to climbing mountains. I’m feeling an excitement as I think about experiencing the shuttle flyover with a throng of people.
9:53 - Five-way junction. There’s a small crowd. Streams of people are hiking the east approach from Ferndell. The Hollywood Sign stands proudly on distant Mount Lee awaiting the space visitor. The grand observatory sits majestically on the hill above me. Ant-like people line its terraces. Wispy clouds add character to the pale blue sky. I turn north for the final pitch. Young and old are making the climb. Some are running. Some have dogs. Some have umbrellas. Everyone is sweating, particularly those who are running.
9:59 - Griffith Observatory. Wow. I pause for a moment and gaze upon the mass of spectators covering the observatory grounds. I wander through the crowd just soaking in the spectacle. Maybe I’m part journalist, for to me, the story isn’t just a space craft but the amazing collection of humanity who have gathered here. The crowd is colorful and eclectic and shimmering with frenetic energy. There is a small armada of news vans. I stroll over and photo bomb Colleen Williams with NBC4 shooting a news piece. The summit of Mt. Hollywood to the north is crowded with sightseers as streams of more ant-like people climb its steep trails.
Most people are staked out in their spots with chairs, blankets, sitting, laying, and standing. Long lines are cued up at the restrooms. I hear from an observatory employee that the flyover has been delayed an hour. I continue to meander through the scene and capturing images. It’s hot. Every bit of shade is occupied. Fire crews arrive and began to treat people for heat. Even the bomb squad is here. The crowd continues to swell as shuttle buses keep arriving. There’s an anxiousness in the air. We are anticipating the shuttle to come from the west. As I’m standing on the great lawn toward the west side...
11:57 - Finally, a wave of excitement flows through the crowd as it begins to focus on the southeast. A cacophony of clapping and cheering erupts. Trees obscure the view. I get my first glimpse of Space Shuttle Endeavor riding piggyback on the 747. I roll video and zoom in as the shuttle disappears behind the observatory. I move more to the west end and prepare for the flying spectacle to emerge. It doesn’t. It disappeared! I make my way through the crowd to the south side of the observatory and learn that the shuttle did a u-turn and headed south into the hazy sky. I position myself among the throng on the west terrace, now gazing to the west. Excitement builds.
12:06 - We spot the flying duo coming from the west toward us. The crowd is gripped with anticipation. The shuttle gets closer and closer. It’s hard to locate it on my camera screen while zoomed in at 14x. There is a collective sense of awe as the huge jet with its spaceship passenger lumber overhead along with two fighters escorting it. The moment is short as the aerial display disappears over the observatory.
I begin to head back toward the front of the building and I notice the crowd rotating to the northeast. The shuttle banked north and then west and is now flying beyond the crest of Hogback Ridge on its way toward Universal Studios. I get a shot. Endeavor disappears momentary behind Mt. Hollywood and reappears over the Hollywood Sign for the money shot. The emotions are beyond words. What an extraordinary moment! I get a couple more shots then turn my camera toward the crowd to capture the scene.
The shuttle banks west and disappears into the haze again but only for a minute. Now out of view it does a u-turn and begins to come back. The excitement grows again. The flight now passes to the south side of the observatory. I struggle to find it in my screen. I really need a SLR! I hope that I got a good picture. I get one last shot as the shuttle passes behind the huge copper dome.
I walk back to the front lawn toward the trail and get another shot as the flight fades into the eastern haze, I think it’s on way to NASA’s JPL in Pasadena. No need to linger; I’ve got to get to work.
12:14 - Begin descending East Observatory Trail with the crowd. It reminds me of leaving a baseball game. It’s dusty and hot. There is a little commotion as the shuttle is spotted to the east heading back south toward downtown. It fades away. Seems like there needs to be the swell of theme music and the roll of credits. Winding down the road, I continue to capture images of departing spectators. Angelinos are a motley assortment. I think the last time I was down this route was in the dark while leaving the celebration for the observatory’s 75th anniversary a couple years ago.
12:35 - Trail end at Boy Scout Road. This place is again bustling with cars and people. I’m glad I’m not stuck in the traffic jam. A 12-minute walk down Vermont delivers me back to Los Feliz Blvd where I catch an east-bound Metro 180 and head to work in Echo Park.
Epilog - What an extraordinary day! There is something about a shared experience that makes an event like this even more special. The retired shuttle fleet marks an end of an era. Today I think about my dad, Edwin Simpson, who retired from the U.S. Air Force after 21 years of military service followed by a career in aerospace. He died in 2000. He would have loved being here today. Well, maybe he was looking down on it. Thanks dad for giving me a love and appreciation for machines that fly.
View Photo Album of Hike - 80 photos
See Hiking Griffith Park at Dan's Hiking Pages
(includes links to my other blog posts for hiking in Griffith Park)
See Griffith Observatory via East Observatory Trail (#11) hike description on Dan's Hiking Pages
(Detailed trail guide including driving directions, recommended season, map, notes, links, and photos)
NEXT > Beacon Hill, Glendale Peak and Bee Rock - November 21, 2012
PREVIOUS > Chapel, Bell, Hollywood, and Bronson - February 24, 2012
Riding a bus, a train, and a bus delivers me to Los Feliz Blvd and Vermont at 9:26 to begin my walk into Griffith Park. There’s a gazillion cars. I think the half-mile walk is faster than driving. As I enter the park I see cars parked everywhere. The place is a bustling. There are free shuttle bus rides from the Greek Theatre, but I’m a hiker!
9:42 - Begin hike up Trail #11, East Observatory Trial. It’s been a few years since I’ve been on this trail so I’m eager to re-walk it. The climb starts steeply. The forecast is for a hot day and it’s already getting warm. There’s lots of people on the trail. Soon the views south reveal a very hazy horizon. I pass a lot of folks who are probably not used to climbing mountains. I’m feeling an excitement as I think about experiencing the shuttle flyover with a throng of people.
9:53 - Five-way junction. There’s a small crowd. Streams of people are hiking the east approach from Ferndell. The Hollywood Sign stands proudly on distant Mount Lee awaiting the space visitor. The grand observatory sits majestically on the hill above me. Ant-like people line its terraces. Wispy clouds add character to the pale blue sky. I turn north for the final pitch. Young and old are making the climb. Some are running. Some have dogs. Some have umbrellas. Everyone is sweating, particularly those who are running.
9:59 - Griffith Observatory. Wow. I pause for a moment and gaze upon the mass of spectators covering the observatory grounds. I wander through the crowd just soaking in the spectacle. Maybe I’m part journalist, for to me, the story isn’t just a space craft but the amazing collection of humanity who have gathered here. The crowd is colorful and eclectic and shimmering with frenetic energy. There is a small armada of news vans. I stroll over and photo bomb Colleen Williams with NBC4 shooting a news piece. The summit of Mt. Hollywood to the north is crowded with sightseers as streams of more ant-like people climb its steep trails.
Most people are staked out in their spots with chairs, blankets, sitting, laying, and standing. Long lines are cued up at the restrooms. I hear from an observatory employee that the flyover has been delayed an hour. I continue to meander through the scene and capturing images. It’s hot. Every bit of shade is occupied. Fire crews arrive and began to treat people for heat. Even the bomb squad is here. The crowd continues to swell as shuttle buses keep arriving. There’s an anxiousness in the air. We are anticipating the shuttle to come from the west. As I’m standing on the great lawn toward the west side...
11:57 - Finally, a wave of excitement flows through the crowd as it begins to focus on the southeast. A cacophony of clapping and cheering erupts. Trees obscure the view. I get my first glimpse of Space Shuttle Endeavor riding piggyback on the 747. I roll video and zoom in as the shuttle disappears behind the observatory. I move more to the west end and prepare for the flying spectacle to emerge. It doesn’t. It disappeared! I make my way through the crowd to the south side of the observatory and learn that the shuttle did a u-turn and headed south into the hazy sky. I position myself among the throng on the west terrace, now gazing to the west. Excitement builds.
12:06 - We spot the flying duo coming from the west toward us. The crowd is gripped with anticipation. The shuttle gets closer and closer. It’s hard to locate it on my camera screen while zoomed in at 14x. There is a collective sense of awe as the huge jet with its spaceship passenger lumber overhead along with two fighters escorting it. The moment is short as the aerial display disappears over the observatory.
I begin to head back toward the front of the building and I notice the crowd rotating to the northeast. The shuttle banked north and then west and is now flying beyond the crest of Hogback Ridge on its way toward Universal Studios. I get a shot. Endeavor disappears momentary behind Mt. Hollywood and reappears over the Hollywood Sign for the money shot. The emotions are beyond words. What an extraordinary moment! I get a couple more shots then turn my camera toward the crowd to capture the scene.
The shuttle banks west and disappears into the haze again but only for a minute. Now out of view it does a u-turn and begins to come back. The excitement grows again. The flight now passes to the south side of the observatory. I struggle to find it in my screen. I really need a SLR! I hope that I got a good picture. I get one last shot as the shuttle passes behind the huge copper dome.
I walk back to the front lawn toward the trail and get another shot as the flight fades into the eastern haze, I think it’s on way to NASA’s JPL in Pasadena. No need to linger; I’ve got to get to work.
12:14 - Begin descending East Observatory Trail with the crowd. It reminds me of leaving a baseball game. It’s dusty and hot. There is a little commotion as the shuttle is spotted to the east heading back south toward downtown. It fades away. Seems like there needs to be the swell of theme music and the roll of credits. Winding down the road, I continue to capture images of departing spectators. Angelinos are a motley assortment. I think the last time I was down this route was in the dark while leaving the celebration for the observatory’s 75th anniversary a couple years ago.
12:35 - Trail end at Boy Scout Road. This place is again bustling with cars and people. I’m glad I’m not stuck in the traffic jam. A 12-minute walk down Vermont delivers me back to Los Feliz Blvd where I catch an east-bound Metro 180 and head to work in Echo Park.
Epilog - What an extraordinary day! There is something about a shared experience that makes an event like this even more special. The retired shuttle fleet marks an end of an era. Today I think about my dad, Edwin Simpson, who retired from the U.S. Air Force after 21 years of military service followed by a career in aerospace. He died in 2000. He would have loved being here today. Well, maybe he was looking down on it. Thanks dad for giving me a love and appreciation for machines that fly.
View Photo Album of Hike - 80 photos
See Hiking Griffith Park at Dan's Hiking Pages
(includes links to my other blog posts for hiking in Griffith Park)
See Griffith Observatory via East Observatory Trail (#11) hike description on Dan's Hiking Pages
(Detailed trail guide including driving directions, recommended season, map, notes, links, and photos)
NEXT > Beacon Hill, Glendale Peak and Bee Rock - November 21, 2012
PREVIOUS > Chapel, Bell, Hollywood, and Bronson - February 24, 2012
Monday, September 3, 2012
Hawkins Ridge Hike - September 2-3, 2012
View south from Hawkins Ridge toward So. Mount Hawkins with the Williams Fire gaining in intensity |
I had an extraordinary hiking experience this weekend as I climbed Hawkins Ridge to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the Curve Fire which destroyed the historic South Mount Hawkins Fire Lookout. And yesterday, Labor Day Sunday, as I stood on the ruins of the fire lookout, I could hardly believe my eyes. At 2:32 I spotted a column of spoke due south rising from East Fork San Gabriel River. This was nearly the exact same time 10 years ago to the day when a fire lookout looking south would have spotted the start of the Curve Fire. The timing was extraordinary. The hike was surreal.
Ten years ago on Labor Day Weekend 2002, I had planned an overnighter on Hawkins Ridge above Crystal Lake from Sunday to Monday. Those plans were preempted when the Curve Fire erupted at about 12:35 on Sunday afternoon, September 1. By the time the fire was out weeks later, it had consumed 20,857 acres of our Angeles National Forest, including most of the Crystal Lake Basin, much of the Sheep Mountain Wilderness, and the historic South Hawkins Fire Lookout.
So on this Labor Day weekend 2012, I planned a Hawkins Ridge hike to visit the ruins of the historic fire lookout, hike up Hawkins Ridge, spend the night on Mt. Hawkins, and return via PCT and Windy Gap Trail.
Gate across from the
|
I walk past the locked vehicle gate and up the paved road through the closed section of the campground. I’m surprised that even this area is filled with holiday campers. A half-mile walk brings me to Windy Gap Trial trailhead. Now I’m ready to hike.
View north toward Windy Gap
from near the beginning
of Windy Gap Trail |
View southwest from
with damage from the 2002 Curve Fire in the foreground |
View south on |
11:08 - Soldier Creek. There’s no water visible but lush vegetation. I sit on a comfortable rock in the shade and enjoy a 15-minute break. It’s quite and peaceful. Sugar pine, Jeffery pine, and white fir grace the mountainsides. All along the way I’ve been scanning the landscape to scout out potential off-trail routes up to this road. I indentify a couple ridges but they are awfully steep.
View southeast on
toward South Mount Hawkins |
12:01 - Camera battery pack dies. It should have been good for the entire day, so I think this battery is ready to be retired. I put in the backup. I have some angst that for the rest of the trip I have to be conservative in my shooting.
It’s starting to get warm now in the full sun. A breeze feels good. Three hikers come down the trail. I take a short energy break. Encounter a couple more hikers coming down.
View south on
toward South Mount saddle |
Ruins of South |
2:32 p.m. - View south toward the Williams Fire
2012 from the ruins of South Mount Hawkins Fire Lookout |
Williams Fire 2012 |
As I watch the fire grow, I eagerly wait to see a jumbo jet swoop down and drop its load of orange foscheck. Or at least let’s see a super scooper or even some helicopters. I figure there is a herculean effort on the ground to scramble resources and evacuate those in danger, but why aren’t they fighting this thing from the air!?
3:16 p.m. - View south toward the Williams Fire 2012 from South Mount Hawkins one hour after it begin |
3:16 - Leave the South Mount Hawkins. I take the ridge route north. The location where ridge meets the road gets rocky and steep and a little tricky to negotiate. I cross the road and continue down the ridge. It’s somewhat steep but not bad. There’s no path but there are indications that others have taken this route. After about 10 minute I arrive at a trail. I didn’t realize a formal trail climbed this ridge. I followed it down.
View east toward Mt. Baldy |
I reach a large meadow-like area and the trail disappears. I stay to the left edge since there seems to be a hint that there may be a trail here and I see footprints probably from the hikers I met earlier. The trail doesn’t materialize and so I cut left and climb a steep slope to the ridge. It seems the Curve Fire was capricious in selecting what trees to kill and what to let live. I continue up the board ridge carefully picking a route over undulating terrain through dead grass, hardy vegetation, and fallen trees. Huge billows of smoke fill the southern and eastern sky. I wonder what fire officials have launched as an aerial attack.
View northwest toward Windy
Gap and
from Sadie Hawkins |
I leave the summit heading north on the semblance of a path. Middle Hawkins stands as an imposing mass on the ridge to the north. I had not anticipated on it being so big. Within a few minutes the slope begins to drop steeply. It’s strange to see what appear to be bike tracks in the loose dirt. As I near the saddle I meet the actual trail coming in from the east flank Sadie Hawkins.
View north on Hawkins Ridge en route to Middle Hawkins |
View south from Middle Hawkins |
6:50 - Junction Pacific Crest Trail (8390’). The sign is gone and only a post lies on the ground. A left turn (west) would take me to Windy Gap (1.4 miles) and if I kept going, to Canada. I turn right (east). The trail soon veers northeast to skirt a large knob on the ridge. The setting sun casts an orange hue on the scenery. A toothpick forest is a stark reminder of the destructive Curve Fire.
View of sunset from |
View south from |
[As I’m writing this portion of the blog post days later, I debate whether I should admit what happens next. Part of me is embarrassed and would rather gloss over it. But part of me feels that perhaps being transparent may help others learn from my mistakes. Ok, here it goes, true confessions...]
As I stand on Mt. Hawkins surrounded by smoke, I find myself feeling some fear. My logic says the fire is many miles away and has no possibility of reaching here tonight. But my senses are impacted by the smoke and lack of visibility. I decide not to spend the night here on the summit. It seems like a good plan to follow the path east 0.2 mile to PTC then consider my options. Plan A is to head west to Windy Gap (2.0 miles) where I could spend the night or head down the ravine 0.2 mile to the highway if needed. Plan B is to head east past Throop Peak and down to the highway at Dawson Saddle (2.7 miles). This of course would put me many miles from my car at Crystal Lake.
Descending from |
Down and down I go, climbing through brush, over logs, and around rocks. Sometimes there is a faint use path. This is crazy. Something’s not right. I’m starting to feel a little fear and bewilderment. In the back of my mind I began to entertain the thought that maybe I went the wrong way from the summit. Surely I didn’t go south down Copter Ridge? No, that’s impossible! Only ignorant people make those kinds of navigation errors. These are my mountains; I don’t get lost. As the visibility gets better, it’s disconcerting to me that Throop Peak is not looming in front of me. This ridge seems like it drops forever into an abyss, like Copter Ridge does. Oh my. It’s time to face reality. And this large, flat area is an ideal place to spend the night.
View southeast toward |
Monday, September 3
Pre-sunrise view southeast toward |
View southeast from Copter Ridge |
View south from Copter Ridge toward South Mount Hawkins |
View west from PCT amidst smoke from the Williams Fire 2012 and damage from the Curve Fire 2002 |
View southeast from Windy Gap down Windy Gap Trail |
I’ve been on Windy Gap trial lots of times and normally enjoy it. But today it is unpleasant hiking into a smoke bowl. The thousands of trees left dead by the Curve Fire are accentuated by the smoke and smell of this current inferno. As I approach the campground it seems deserted.
12:22 - Windy Gap Trail trailhead (5830’). I wander down the road. The campground is a ghost town. Obviously it’s been evacuated. I’m so eager to be home for a nice shower, refreshing Coke, and long nap. As I approach the visitor center, two gentlemen from the forest service walk to meet me and inquire about my presence. They are relieved to know that one of the two cars left was mine.
The drive down Highway 39 is also very strange being completely deserted. As I near the East Fork I can see flames, smoke, and helicopters. San Gabriel Dam is being used as a staging area for the helicopter air attack. I do my best to snap pictures from my privileged vantage point. As I pass the barricade at the month of San Gabriel Canyon, I think about other times I’ve stood here behind the closure line and watched my forest burn.
Epilog - What a strange and extraordinary experience. It started as a great hike memorializing the Curve Fire on its 10th anniversary, a fire that forever changed the landscape of our mountains. I felt the honor of standing at the historical fire lookout ruins and the horror of watching a new Williams Fire start. I felt the frustration of what seemed to be an incredibly slow response to attack the fire when it was small. I climbed four peaks I’ve not previously conquered while watching the sky fill with smoke. I experienced a smoky mountaintop and the angst of being temporarily misplaced in a dark and strangely eerie place. I enjoyed the relief of a comfortable night under the stars and hiked through a desolate forest of dead trees with the acrid smoke of a forest-destroying blaze. This is one hike am not likely to forget!
Trail Stats The standard loop route comes out as follows with 3,333 feet in elevation gain: |
||
Windy Gap trailhead (5830') to So. Mt. Hawkins (7783') | 4.7 | |
South Mount Hawkins (7783') to PCT junction (8390') | 2.8 | |
PCT junction (8390') to Mt. Hawkins (8850') | 0.8 | |
Mount Hawkins (8850') to Windy Gap (7588') | 2.2 | |
Windy Gap (7588') to Windy Gap trailhead (5830') | 2.5 | |
13.0 | ||
The full distance of my hike was 15.4 miles with 4,180 in elevation gain. That includes side jaunts to Sadie Hawkins (200’ gain) and Middle Hawkins (150’gain) of about 0.5 mile each, a detour down Copter Ridge (500’ feet lose/gain) of about a mile, and a mile of waking through the campground to and from the trailhead. Mileages based on the Tom Harrison map. See my Windy Gap Trail hike description for driving directions, season, and other notes. |
View Photo Album of Hike - 130 photos
Links on Dan’s Hiking Pages and Blog:
- Blog Post: Williams Fire 2012
- Wildfires on Dan's Hiking Pages - Reports and photos of the Curve and Williams fires 2002.
- Blog Post: Hawkins Ridge Trail Work with the Trailbuilders - Oct. 6, 2012
- Big Cienenga Trail hike description at Dan's Hiking Pages - With a hike report from August 30, 2003
- Windy Gap Trail hike description at Dan's Hiking Pages
- Mt. Islip hike description at Dan's Hiking Pages
- Blog: Mt. Islip Hike - July 23, 2011
- Blog: Mt. Islip from Crystal Lake Hike - July 15, 2012
Other Links:
- San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders
- Mt. Wilson 150-Foot Solar Tower Best of the Towercam - September 2002 Curve Fire Gallery
Labels:
Curve Fire,
Hawkins Ridge,
Hawkins Ridge Trail,
Middle Hawkins,
Mount Hawkins,
Pacific Crest Trail,
PCT,
Sadie Hawkins,
South Mount Hawkins Fire Lookout,
Williams Fire,
Windy Gap
Location:
United States
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)