Mt. Lawlor: 06-07-2008

TRs for the San Gabriel Mountains.
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HikeUp
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Post by HikeUp »

Quick fun hike up to Mt. Lawlor from Red Box. Started from an empty parking lot a little before 6:00a and returned to a huge throng of National Trails Day volunteers preparing to go to work.

Trail is in great shape to the Strawberry/Lawlor saddle. Use trail up west ridge of Lawlor is easy to follow and involves some fun scrambling. Use trail down south ridge of Lawlor is steep, loose and lined with Yucca (I accidentally backed into one...too much information?).

Wildlife: one skunk as I neared Strawberry/Lawlor saddle. Fortunately he was facing me!

Tree across lower part of trail (on my way back, I offered my water to a volunteer who was attacking it with a hand saw)...
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Back cover of summit register (recently placed with only a few entries)...
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Volunteers gathering at Red Box...
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San Gabriel high country from Mt. Lawlor...
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Augie
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Post by Augie »

Didn't know skunks were up that high. Did you use the cables for support descending on the south ridge of Lawlor?
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HikeUp
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Post by HikeUp »

Augie wrote:Didn't know skunks were up that high.
Yeah, me neither. First I've ever seen one outside of urban areas. I heard a rustling noise in some brush as I passed it so I turned and saw that it was a skunk. I bolted down the trail a few yards (out of spray range) before turning around to look at him. The skunkosaurus seemed offended that I ran away so he skulked off into the bushes before I could get my camera out.
Augie wrote:Did you use the cables for support descending on the south ridge of Lawlor?
I noticed a heavy gage wire every once in awhile, and wondered if it would support weight, but I never felt like I needed to use it in the areas I could see it. At one point I noticed that some erosion had exposed a buried cable (at least 1" dia.) - I didn't feel obliged to investigate.

The south ridge of Lawlor drops about 900' in about 1/3 of a mile - good training for Iron Mt.! :D
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Post by FIGHT ON »

HikeUp wrote:
The south ridge of Lawlor drops about 900' in about 1/3 of a mile - good training for Iron Mt.! :D[/quote wrote:
I was gonna say. Looks kinda steep on the topo. I gotta say thats cool that you went up there. Almost 6k and almost as tall as Strawberry. You can really see those two from Baldy and Baden Powell. Stick out like a sore eye. I would never think of going up there. Now I would. I do remember a few people going up from the south side one time I was going to Strawberry Peak from Redbox. I remember thinking those guys are nuts to go straight up there on that ridge. Why would they want to go up where there is hardly a trail and so steep. I still do but now it's more understandable.
Which way are you looking in that last pic? Is that Mt. Wilson on the lower right?
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HikeUp
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Post by HikeUp »

Last picture is looking east - north east...Ontario is the peak in the distant far right...Pleasant View Ridge (I think) is the ridge in the distant far left.
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HikeUp
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Post by HikeUp »

Looking up Lawlor's south ridge...
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Looking down Lawlor's south ridge...
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Got Yucca?
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Post by FIGHT ON »

Ya that's it. I remember that spot. I was gonna say doesn't look that steep but when I saw the second pic, gulp!
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