Brown Mountain: 09-11-2011

Post by **HikeUp** » Sun Sep 11, 2011 2:36 pm

Hiked up by proxy to Brown Mtn. this fine day.

My evil cousin F#@kUp started at Eaton Saddle and passed through the road closure at Mueller Tunnel. He trudged down Mt. Lowe Road to where the trail takes off down the ridge for an 800+ foot drop to Tom Sloane Saddle. This trail is where you'll find the poodle dog and poison oak invading the unmaintained trail. Still easy to follow - only a couple of spots had dead fall.

Once at Tom Sloane Saddle, F#@kUp took my camera to Brown Mtn. The use trail heading out there is sometimes hard to find but he found it best to stay as high on the ridges as possible whenever he lost the trails as they traversed the scree slopes on the north side.

He really hated that 800' climb back up to the Mt. Lowe Road. Thanks buddy for taking my camera!

Pics.
(Including a video of some jets flying over Bear Cyn. - awesome!)

Brown Mtn. indeed...

shreddy · Post by **shreddy** » Sun Sep 11, 2011 3:55 pm

Great pics - thanks for sharing!

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Sun Sep 11, 2011 6:49 pm

Very nice! That slide at the tunnel seems to be continuing it's trip into Eaton Canyon! it will be nice when (if?) that gets repaired.

Beautiful lighting in the early morning. I bet it was cool and quiet.

Can't wait till some rain greens everything up again!

Post by **HikeUp** » Sun Sep 11, 2011 9:17 pm

Yeah, one good rain and crossing that slide area will not be easy that's for sure.

The weather was a lot hotter than I was hoping for - chance of thunderstorms my ass! I went through 3 liters of fluids. Of course not hiking for two plus months didn't help

cmachler · Post by **cmachler** » Sun Sep 11, 2011 9:36 pm

Yeah, that 800' back up to the road is awful. Many years ago, I hiked loop from Red Box thru Switzers thru Bear Canyon to the Mt. Lowe Road, then up over San Gabriel Peak and back to Red Box.

It was much hotter than expected, and I ran out of water on the climb out of the canyon. Then that 800' broke me. I remember sitting in the first shade I found, demoralized and having a quick sob. Then picked myself up and finished the hike.

Post by **HikeUp** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 10:01 pm

Sounds like a tough hike cmachler. I kept imagining running into a ranger at Markham Saddle who would make me hike up and over San Gabriel Peak to get back to my car

Turned out I saw no one until I got to the Cosmic Cafe on Mt. Wilson for a hot dog and Coke!

AW~ · Post by **AW~** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 10:10 am

This is what you get for going off the NHPS path.....when you get drawn in by Bear Canyon, boom....there are jets for a cool video...but when you get to the summit of Brown Mtn, there is nothing but painful slogs.

Post by **HikeUp** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 3:57 pm

AW wrote: ↑...nothing but painful slogs.

The life of a shameless dayhiking peakbagger.