From the end of our street one of the big mountains we can see is Mt. Baden-Powell. It has been calling my name for a while, so I asked two friends if they'd join me on a dayhike up the mountain. However, with the prospect of seeing the Supermoon, we decided to make it an overnighter and camp on top. So we loaded up on water and set out on this well-traveled trail, being that it is a section of the PCT and tops off on a scenic peak with an amazing view.
I was off my game, for sure, on the hike. I've worked a lot of overtime lately on a fire, and haven't gotten much sleep. From Vincent Gap the trail climbs 2,800' in 4 miles, but since we had all day to do it, even though we got a late start and I was slower than usual, we made it in plenty of time to enjoy the view, rest and eat, set up camp, and watch the moon rise.
1.5 miles up the trail there is a side trail to a small spring. There was water, but just enough to nourish the scarlet monkeyflower and white shooting stars. I'm glad we carried all our water, even though the weight slowed me down. As the trail climbed higher the white fir gave way to Lodgepole Pine, and above 9,000' the first Limber Pines appeared. The best part for me were the amazingly beautiful and ancient limber pines atop the mountain. Of course I loved the famous Wally Tree, with its ancient wood glowing orange at sunset. But all the gnarled pines near the summit were duly admired.
We watched the sun set and the moon rise, talked to some boy scouts who summited on a night hike, and then went to sleep sometime around 10 pm. I had set up my tent next to a huge limber pine which helped block the wind that came and went throughout the night. I slept okay despite this being the first night I've spent away from my 16 month old son!
In the morning we ate breakfast, packed up, and headed further west along the backbone of the mountains. We had left a car 4.3 miles away at Dawson Saddle, so it made for a nice shuttle hike. Along the way we admired the views south to the cloud-filled Los Angeles basin and north towards the wide-open Mojave Desert. I also enjoyed the plethora of lupine, blue penstemon, and buckwheat blooming along the trail.
We got back to the car around noon, then drove to Vincent Gap to pick up the other vehicle, then on to Wrightwood. We ate at a Mexican Restaurant there - an all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch! Chorizo with eggs, chile relleno, and all the watermelon and cantaloupe I could eat. It was yummy
Here are some more pics...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tarol/sets ... 327834236/
