Mystic Canyon and Lower Monroe Hike - November 26, 2015

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a good time to hit the trail and be thankful for creation and the beauty of nature. I’ve done a few Thanksgiving hikes over the years as holiday plans permitted. Since I have the morning free today before leaving to celebrate Thanksgiving with family, I have the opportunity to hike, as do a couple friends.

I drive to Glendora and meet John and Rick at Rick’s house. We pile into the car and take the five-minute drive to the Mystic Canyon trailhead in Big Dalton Canyon. There are lots of cars parked at the intersection of Glendora Mountain Road (GMR) and Big Dalton Canyon Road and at the trailhead. It’s a brisk 52 degrees.

8:10 Begin hike. I forgot how crazy steep the first section of the trail is. I assure my buddies that shortly it mellows out and the rest of the hike is quite gentle. It’s cloudy and brisk and we welcome the generated heat from the steep climb. We enjoy the expanding views of Glendora and think about Thanksgiving preparation happening in many of those homes. We exchange Thanksgiving greetings with others on the trail. Rick and John are engaged in considerable conversation but I hang back a little and just soak in the beauty of my surrounds. There is virtually nothing in bloom and deciduous plants like poison oak are hunkering down for the winter with their leafless stems. Some recent rain has invigorated plants from the arid months while weedy grasses are brown and dead. The chaparral has wonderful fragrance. A sunflower cheerfully greets us. I am so thankful for the splendor of nature!

Our route climbs north along the western side of Mystic Canyon, a tributary to Big Dalton Canyon. We choose to take the two long switchbacks for the final pitch rather than steep use path from Poop-Out Trail.

8:49 - Junction with Lower Monroe Road (aka Truck Trail). Wonderful vistas! Three gals have Rick take their picture. A small America flag attached to the sign post flutters in the wind. Patchy sun peaks through the clouds. Across Little Dalton Canyon to our west, vehicle noise on GMR detracts from the serenity. To our northeast, Summit 2760 stands pointed against the sky, but we won’t bag it today. Our plan is a two-hour hike, so when we get to the 60-minute point, we’ll turn around and head back.

After a few minutes at the junction, we head northeast on Lower Monroe Road and enjoy the expansive view north. Occasionally mountain bikers swoosh by us. I suspect that most are doing the one-way downhill from GMR, about a nine mile ride. A mother and her young daughter (maybe 10 years old), both clad in colorful riding gear, come racing down the trail. The young lady enthusiastically greets us, “Happy thanksgiveeeeeeeing!” as she wizzes by. We reach the sign post for Punk Out Trial and stop for a selfie (does not turn out well so we retry on our return).

9:11 - Reach our one-hour mark and take a brief stop. The view north begs for a panorama shot.



We turn around and head back, now engaged in a lively conversation about creationism. I’m not an expert but I’m thankful for a personal relationship with the Creator! When we reach the Punk Out post, a pair of cyclists offers to take our picture. Our descent is pleasant. Such a beautiful autumn day!

9:35 - Mystic Canyon junction. We linger for a few minutes, chat with a family of cyclists, and enjoy the views. The trails are getting lots of use today. We retrace our steps down Mystic Canyon Trial and continue to appreciate the gifts of rugged scenery and good friends.

10:10 - End hike.

Epilog – What a pleasant outing! Splendid trail, fresh air, brisk temperatures, picturesque clouds, superb vistas, aromatic chaparral, and a sense of holiday set aside for being grateful. We have so much to be thankful for!

Psalm 100 (Holy Bible, English Standard Version)
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
     Serve the Lord with gladness!
     Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the Lord, he is God!
     It is he who made us, and we are his;
     we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
     and his courts with praise!
     Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the Lord is good;
     his steadfast love endures forever,
     and his faithfulness to all generations.

  Experience the Creator

See Mystic Canyon Trail & Lower Monroe Road to Summit 2760 and Summit 3397 Hike Description on Dan’s Hiking Pages

PREVIOUS > Mystic Canyon and Lower Monroe Hike - January 25, 2014

Mystic Canyon and Lower Monroe Hike - January 25, 2014

See Mystic Canyon Trail & Lower Monroe Road to Summit 2760 and Summit 3397 Hike Description on Dan’s Hiking Pages

The devastating Colby Fire that consumed nearly 2,000 acres of our beautiful mountainside above Glendora and Azusa last week has been occupying my mind. I felt compelled to hit the trail today to achieve a vantage point to survey the east end of the burn zone where it started. Mystic Canyon Trail and beyond is ideal for such a hike.

My wife drives me to the trailhead since it is close to home and she needs the car today. We turn onto Glendora Mountain Road and a lighted sign reads, “Hiking Trails Closed.” I don’t suspect that that applies to where I’m heading, and it didn’t. We turn right onto Big Dalton Canyon Road and drive the half mile to the trailhead. There are ten vehicles parked here. It’s brisk.

9:00 AM – Begin hike on Upper Mystical Canyon Trail. Within a couple minutes the trail gets crazy steep. I had forgotten how steep it is. But the steepness doesn’t last long and soon I’m out of the shade and views open up to the southwest beyond. A group of about 12 young folks and several adults pass by heading down. I’m enjoying the rich chaparral…such a contrast to my burned mountain in Azusa. It almost feels like summer with so many of the plants being parched from our drought conditions.

I slip and fall and get a nasty scrape on my wrist. Thankful for coagulation. Summit 2760 comes into view at the head of canyon. I snap pics of wild cucumber and purple nightshade flowers, the only thing I’ve seen in bloom so far. Tiny leaves of poison oak emerge from dormant sticks. At the saddle, I turn left (west) take the short spur trail to Poop-Out Trail that runs along the ridge. I get my first good views west across Little Dalton Canyon toward the burn area. What’s encouraging is mountainsides covered with mature chaparral untouched by the fire. I turn north for the steep climb.

9:43 – Lower Monroe Road. Looking north toward Glendora Mountain, I get a good view of the freshly cut dozer lines. I chat with a mountain biker. There are other trail users but it doesn’t feel crowed. The warm sun feels good. I head northeast on the old truck trail, which points directly to Summit 2760. Within a minute I veer right and transition to the ridgeline which parallels the old road, just to follow a narrow path. Views are expansive over the rugged chaparral-covered mountains. Two lone blossoms of California buckwheat bask in the sun. What’s absent is the green grass that would normally present this time of year.

Soon the route rejoins the main trail and I come to a post marked “Punk Out.” The post also says Dalton IHC. I have no idea what that means but later a Google search reveals that it probably refers Dalton Integrated Hotshot Crew. I veer right unto Punk Out Trail to continue my saunter long the undulating ridge. It’s steep in spots, providing an opportunity to catch my breath while enjoying the sweeping panorama.

When I arrive at the base of the steep section going straight up the south ridge of Summit 2760, I sit for a break and treat my abrasion. At 10:40 I begin my climb. I’ve come down this route before but I think this is my first time to climb it. It’s crazy steep and certainly not for the faint-of-heart. Soon I see a young man coming up the trail behind me. His pace is faster and he passes me. I continue up, carefully choosing the spot for each step and stopping occasionally to catch my breath. I’m encouraged when I see bicyclists cross on the trail not far above.

11:02 - Reach Lower Monroe Road again near Summit 2760. What a climb! I chat with the young man, whose name is Clayton. He is student at the Rio Hondo College studying to be a wildland firefighter. We say goodbye and I continue north up the road at 11:27. In a couple minutes I reach the saddle then double back for the finial climb.

11:33 - Summit 2760. This is really a splendid peak. It should have name. I post a pic to FB. Due west across Little Dalton Canyon is Summit 2583, where I was on December 31 before descending Upper Colby Trail. A newly cut dozer line replaced the path I walked up to the summit from Glendora Ridge Road. A helicopter lands on the summit. I suspect it has some function related to the fire.

From this perspective I see only a small portion of the burn area. In contrast, I am surrounded by many thousands of areas of mature chaparral. I’m encouraged because I know that most of this area was incinerated by the 2002 Williams Fire, which burned 37,240 acres. Now it’s thriving nicely. A prime motive for today’s hike was to view Colby Fire damage. What I did not anticipate was the therapeutic value of being surrounded by miles of rich, mature wildlands. It is so peaceful and rejuvenating here.

When I started today, I did not know how far I’d hike, thinking maybe I’d turn around at this point. But now that I’m here, I think I’ll continue on to Summit 3397, which stands north north east and calls me higher.

I leave the summit at 11:55 and in three minutes I’m back on the road. I’m enjoying the scenery and solitude. Three mountain bikers swoosh by. One of the downsides of this trail is that are many segments where the trail tread has been worn into a rounded trench by the bike traffic. It makes it uncomfortable to walk.

Although there is virtually nothing in bloom, some occurrences of ceanothus, purple nightshade, Spanish broom, and current add a few tiny dots of color amidst a vast sea of gray and varied muted greens. Some views open up east toward Mt. Baldy and Ontario Ridge. It’s odd to see them without snow in January. I think about some friends who are hiking there today. As I get closer to the broad ridge dropping south from Summit 3397, I think about my adventure bushwhacking down that route a few years back. Today I don’t see any sign of a clear route. I stay on the trail. As the route bends around the west hip, views toward the north open up. Traffic on GMR puzzles me because it’s supposed to be closed today. Scattered high clouds add interest to blue sky. I arrive at the junction north of the summit at 12:49 and am treated to a striking panorama of the eastern high country. I turn right (south), pass straight through the old beehive area, and begin the gentle climb up the old firebreak. A lupine stands tall with it first purple bloom of the season.

12:59 - Summit 3397. The large, flat summit is the highest point in this section of the range. I’m surprised that it’s not named. It offers commanding views except toward the northwest, which is obscured by vegetation. I sit in a clear spot on the southwest edge, post a pic to FB, and soak in the beauty. Far below me I see my trail. Summit 2960 looks tiny from here. Beyond the mountains to the south, the vast human sprawl disappears into haze. I look over the expansive San Dimas Experimental Forest which covers 32-square miles to the south and east of where I sit. I ponder its peaks, ridges, canyons, and waterfalls…most never or rarely visited by humans and off limits to the public. Which begs the question, how would I know that I can’t just leave this summit and descend into the forbidden furrows below? There are no signs anywhere en route. Of course if I was arrested for trespassing and pleaded ignorance, they would take one look at my website and quickly realize that I’m far for ignorant. So I guess I’ll be a good boy and stay out, at least today.

I leave the summit at 1:30 and begin to retrace my steps. When I arrive at the road, I wander north for a few minutes to get some different views. Back at the junction I continue my homeward trek. I’m always amazed that I can hike in such a splendid local and have it virtually to myself. Where are all those hundreds of Garcia Trail hikers now that it’s closed?

I pass by the Punk Out junction near Summit 2760 at 2:25, choosing to walk back via Upper Monroe Road rather than down Punk Out…it’s just too steep for downhill, at least today. I enjoy the zig-route down the west-facing slope. A sticky monkey flower is in bloom. A couple mountain bikers pass. Stop and chat with three hikers; one is Tommy, who I met on Garcia Trail a couple years ago. I pass the spur trail that connects to the bottom end of the Punk Out steep section at 3:15. I pass the Punk Out post at 3:25. I’m aware that a good section of this return route is new track for me today since I walked along the ridgeline earlier.

At 3:35 I reach the Upper Mystic Canyon Trail junction. I chat with a gal who just hiked up. I head down Mystic (new section for me today) then at the saddle I transition unto Poop-Out Trail for my descent, just to keep mixing things up. And I figure since I’m being picked up, I’d save the half-mile walk between trail heads.

The first part of Poop-Out is mild. Then there are a couple steeper sections which require some careful steps. Then I reach the nightmare. The route is absurdly steep with precarious footing. It’s just crazy! Note to self: Never descend this way again! I cautiously pick my down, sometimes with all fours and on my butt, and sometimes backwards. About halfway down I put on my leather gloves for protection. I’m not having fun. I reach the landing at the switchback and can see my wife parked below. The route gets sane. I make it safely to the bottom in one piece with no falls or injuries. Thankful!

4:35 - End hike.

Epilog - A most rewarding day! I covered about 8.5 miles with 2,300 feet in elevation gain. That’s a good workout. I loved the solitude and serenity yet enjoyed some interaction with others. The weather was amazing and the snowless backcountry in January was strange. I was able to view some of the Colby Fire areas but was rejuvenated being surrounded by miles of mature plant life.

See Mystic Canyon Trail & Lower Monroe Road to Summit 2760 and Summit 3397 Hike Description on Dan’s Hiking Pages

See Colby Fire - January 16, 2014 blog post

Colby Trail, Amgen Bike Race & a Solar Eclipse - May 20, 2012

Today was an amazing trio of experiences! It began with a sunrise hike on Colby Trail—tranquil solitude, beautiful scenery, wildflowers, and the freshness of springtime chaparral. Midday was an urban hike in downtown to L.A. Live and the Staples Center to join thousands of bike racing fans for the culmination of the eight-day, 750-mile, Amgen Tour of California—adrenalin and excitement watching some of the best athletes in world race through the streets of Los Angeles. The day ended with a hike to Griffith Observatory to join thousands of Angelinos in a shared experience viewing a remarkable solar eclipse—the natural beauty of rugged Griffith Park and the celestial phenomenon of the sun and moon. What an experience of many miles under my feet and an array of imagery from the peaceful to the exhilarating to the phenomenal!

My daughter, Christa, who is visiting my oldest daughter Anna in Sonora, Calif., emailed us about a bike race she saw. Stage 4 of the Amgen Tour of California began in Sonora. Christa told us that it would be coming through Azusa on Saturday. My wife and I thought it would be fun to walk the half mile from our house to Sierra Madre Blvd. to watch the cyclists swoosh by. And it was. Then after watching the telecast of the race, I thought it would be fun to see the ending, live. I had also been pondering experiencing the annular solar eclipse from Griffith Observatory. So with the race in the morning and the eclipse in the evening, it seemed ideal to spend a few hours at my office in Echo Park (halfway between downtown and Griffith. But the first order of business for the day was a real hike.

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Colby Trail

I rise before the crack of dawn and drive the 10 minutes to trailhead of Colby Trail in Glendora.

5:45 a.m. - Begin hike. It’s a crisp 55 degrees. I stroll up the woodsy path enjoying the quite stillness of the morning. A coyote stops to observe me. Birds sing. The month of May in Glendora means brodiaea time...namely, Brodiaea filifolia, the endangered thread-leaved brodiaea. My first stop is the brodiaea reserve and I was glad there were at least a few of blooms of the small purple flower amidst a sea of dead grass. I continue up the trail. Glendora and the San Gabriel Valley lay sleeping below me. Marine layer mutes the views. I’m delighted to find a passion flower (Passiflora spp.) in bloom. Soon the first rays of sun land on the ridges. It’s amazingly peaceful here. There is a lot in bloom but I don’t spend much time in taking pictures. At 6:18 I step into the sun at the junction of Colby-Dalton Trail as the yellow ball of light emerges from the eastern ridgeline.

6:22 - Glendora Mountain Road. I soak in the tranquil beauty as I play some tunes on the ocarina. I reflect on what this spot was like yesterday afternoon as more than a hundred world-class cyclists pedaled their way up this road en route to Mt. Baldy Ski Lifts, a grueling 78.3 miles for the day. After lingering a while I start my descent. At the junction I turn left to take Colby-Dalton Trail. A doe eyes me carefully. I’m still in awe of how peaceful it is. The mature oak forest is lush from the winter and spring rains. Poison oak glistens in the morning sun. After more than a dozen switchbacks I reach the bottom adjacent to the flood control basin in Little Dalton Canyon, now back in the shade.

I turn southward and begin my climb. When I reach the dam I decide to explore off trail and climb up the concrete-gullied ravine on the right. It leads up over the terraced slopes. I spot a couple coyote pups disappear into the brush. The sun feels good. A sea of mustard gives the hillside a yellow hue. I’m really enjoying myself. I reach the berm and begin to descend again. In minutes I’m back at the junction of Colby Trail. I take a side jaunt up to the brodiaea reserve again, now in direct sun, to take a few more photos. I’m sure glad this mesa is natural open space rather than a tract of homes. Thank you endangered Brodiaea filifolia for standing in the way of “progress!”

Brodiaea Reserve Glendora	Thread-leaved brodiaea Brodiaea filifolia

Back on the trail I make my final descent under a canopy of oaks. I encounter my first humans of the day...three inconsiderate women with their dogs not on leashes.

8:08 - End hike. The matilija poppies beg to be photographed...I comply. What a thoroughly enjoyable time of solitude and bathing in the natural beauty of this splendid trail and the freshness of a spring morning.

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Amgen Bike Race

Now off to my second adventure. I drive home, shower, dress, pack, and am on the I-210 freeway heading west toward LA by 9 a.m. I arrive at my office in Echo Park in about a half hour. Sunset Boulevard is closed for the race. It feels like a ghost town...very eerie. I linger around a while thinking it would be fun to photograph the cyclists racing past my office. But then I decided I had better head downtown to where the real action will be. I get in the car and navigate toward LA Live. I know that with the Kings playoff game, a bike race, and various road closures, it will be best to park at a distance and walk to the epicenter. I find a place to park on Hartford Avenue at 7th Street. It feels like a ghost town here too. I stroll down 7th and a 45-minute “hike” delivers me to Olive Street. I’ve never experienced the heart of our great city being so deserted. It feels kind of like Manhattan in the movie “I Am Legend” with Will Smith.

The riders will peddle around a downtown circuit five times before crossing the finish line for the last time. My excitement builds as I see a cop car coming up the street with lights flashing signaling that the riders are coming. The lead pack whooshes past heading north on Olive. A minute later the rest of the throng passes followed by a caravan of support vehicles. That was a fun blast of excitement.

I cross the street and walk one block to Hill Street to see them on the rebound. Five minutes later, here comes the racers again! Swoosh! I walk four blocks south on Hill to 11th just in time to watch the riders pass again and take a right turn. Now a five-block walk west takes me to 11th and Figueroa where the real action is. A huge crowd, cameras, loud speakers, music, VIP boxes, awards stage, Staples Center, LA Live—what a spectacle! Now this feels like a world-class sporting event!

Excitement builds as the racers approach the finish line heading into their last lap. The cyclists whoosh by at the roar of the crowd. I don’t follow bicycle racing at all, but this is a fun experience. The announcer gives the play by play as the racers pedal through the final lap. Again the excitement builds to a crescendo as riders race to finish Stage 8 and 750 miles at about 11:38. Peter Sagan wins his fifth stage and Robert Gensink finishes as the overall winner.

I stay and watch the awards ceremony then wander around L.A. Live taking in the spectacle. Well, I’m hungry and have I’ve had enough excitement for now. I leave at about 12:15 for a 20-minute hike back to the car.

I drive back to Echo Park, have some lunch, and spend some time working in the office. I know the eclipse starts at 5:24 and ends at 7:42, so I figure I’d leave for Griffith Park about 4:30.

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Griffith Park Solar Eclipse

My plan is to park along Ferndale Avenue near Los Feliz Blvd. and hike one of the west approaches to the observatory. But as I turn onto Fern Dell Drive, I see that this is a bad idea. The traffic is at a standstill. Inching along I finally get to Red Oak Drive and see the opportunity to escape the gridlock. I turn left, drive a few blocks, and park in a residential area at 5:15. I walk back to the Ferndell picnic area and begin a pleasant hike. A canopy of mature trees—from oak, sycamore eucalyptus, and even redwood—provides a woodsy feel. Lots of others have the idea too of walking to the observatory. I choose the northern route West Observatory Trail and begin my ascent through the thick chaparral. The wide dirt road is dusty and well traveled. Almost immediately the iconic observatory comes into view high on the mountainside above. Views are muted by haze. As I reach a ridge I look north and see that Western Canyon Road is complete parked with cars from top to bottom. Abundant mustard dominates the floral landscape casting a yellow hue.

As the trail bends southeast, I decide to veer left and take a use path up the ridge. I’m a hiker, I don’t need to stay on a wide dirt road with all the ordinary folks. The route climbs steeply and provides a nice vista north and south. I stop to photograph a beautiful specimen of showy penstemon. It’s 5:39 now and I’m aware that the eclipse has already started. Soon I reach a spur road that runs below the observatory and deadends here. I follow it south, but before I reach the junction I decide to take another use path up the steep hillside. It works nicely and soon I find myself climbing past a splendid stand of matilija poppies to arrive at the observatory’s south lower observation terrace.

5:49 - Griffith Observatory. I get my first view of the eclipse from a man holding a piece of paper with a hole in it casting a blurry crescent-shaped spot of light on the wall. I wander over to the west end of the observatory. The place is a buzz with people using various means to view the solar phenomenon. I step inside the door of the west rotunda and realize I hit the mother load. A small crowd gathers around the monitor of the solar telescope. There on the live screen is the eclipse! A docent describes what is happen. Cameras are clicking and beeping and flashing. There are other viewing devices on both sides of the room offering additional images. I linger for awhile soaking in the experience.

I decide to go outside and explore more. An amazing assortment of people are using all kinds of devises to view the eclipse. To me, the astronomical phenomenon is interesting, but even more so is the human response to it. This place is a people watcher’s gold mine. As I curve around to the front of the observatory I am blown away by a vast sea of several thousand people covering the great lawn. I flit around like a bee trying to capture various images of people interacting with solar event. Long lines wait to view the eclipse through serious telescopes. Shorter lines are cued up for viewing on more modest gadgets. I’m having a blast. In fact I’m deeply moved. I came up here thinking it would be a fun place to see the eclipse, but I did not anticipate how emotionally stirring this shared experience would be.

I watch the delight of children as they form a grid of overlaid fingers to cast a patch of dots on the wall. One guy uses binoculars to project a strikingly clear image of the eclipse. Someone is using something to project a crescent on the shady side off the tubular elevator structure. Some have the cardboard “Solarama” viewers sold by the observatory. One little girl has her head in a box. A welder’s mask is the choice of another. Some are using sunglasses as camera lens filter.

I wander onto the rooftop to get a bird’s eye view of the sea of humanity on the great lawn. At 6:37 a voice comes over the loud speaker announcing that we are about one minute from maximum eclipse. The crowd lets out a cheer. It’s hard to image another place on planet earth better to experience an astronomical event than right here at LA’s historic Griffith Observatory. I go back inside to get another view from the solar telescope.

Then back to the roof. The crowd on the lawn is thinned a bit. I post some photos to FB. Then back to the great lawn and view the solar phenomenon through various devises. I watch Michelle Valles of NBC4 record her tag for her news piece.

Well, I’ve had enough excitement for the day. At 7:26 I leave on the main trial south. Lots of people leaving. I take pictures of the setting sun. I don’t recall if I ever been on a sunrise hike and sunset hike on the same day. I enjoy a pleasant walk down the southern route West Observatory Trail to Fern Dell.

7:50 - End hike at car.

Epilog - What an amazing day! A sunrise hike experiencing solitude and the beauty of nature. An urban hike experiencing a deserted downtown LA and the exhilaration of a world-class sporting event. And a sunset hike to an iconic landmark for a remarkable shared experience with thousands of Angelinos viewing an astronomical phenomenon.

  See Hiking Griffith Park at Dan's Hiking Pages
  (includes links to my other blog posts for hiking in Griffith Park)

See Colby Trail Hike Description at Dan's Hiking Pages

See Ferndell to Griffith Observatory via West Observatory Trail

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