Wrong:
Winter always gives a big FU to Angeles Crest. This time, half a lane is gone just east of Cedar Springs - three miles from Islip Saddle.
Sooooo....not expecting this little obstacle to be repaired any time soon, the best option was to ride bikes to Islip Saddle, and hike from there. Which was actually a whole lot of fun. My intrepid friends and explorers, Bernd and Norma helped me out. (Thanks again!)
It was super cold, and foggy. The mist coming up the slopes was great, and having the whole road to yourself is pretty fantastic too.
Once on the northern slope, the sun appeared.
Norma starts the off-trail scramble down to the camera.
This little streambed apparently got avalanched pretty good this winter. It was "plowed" with fresh rocks.
For this set up, I tried using the "FurFinder", an electronic device that makes animal squeak noises at night. HikeUp did a great job securing this to the tree. Though pummeled a bit by the bear, it remained secure, and still works!
It was so nice down there, we decided to explore downstream a bit. It was easy to walk along the beautiful clear stream, and nice camping spots abound.
There are many huge, ancient trees here. We liked this fire-hollowed Cedar.
But got ants on our pants when we tried to stand inside.
I found only one remaining patch of this cold, white fungus that seems to grow only in winter. It was frightening, but luckily it will be gone soon!
On the way back, I wanted to put a camera between the tunnels, where people have seen bighorn sheep, but it was too freaking cold and we were all ready to get back to the car. Next time...
All pics here: http://s484.photobucket.com/albums/rr20 ... =slideshow
