Mount Lowe had always been a favorite ride, and then became a favorite short hike. Besides nice trails, there were a few good XC routes (Lowe-Markham traverse is one) and some interesting, if contrived, scrambling routes.
On Saturday, 27-SEP-2014, my wife Shinta and I set out to do a loop of Mount Lowe from Eaton Saddle. The heat wave had finally snapped, and cool temps were on offer. We arrived at Eaton Saddle to puffy clouds and low 60s F for a cool, beautiful scene.
Mount Markham
We made quick progress through Markham Saddle and on to the Mount Lowe Trail. I hadn't been in this area for perhaps 10 years, so I was a bit shocked to see how much fire damage was in the upper part of Bear Canyon. I had hoped it had been more protected, like the upper West Fork area. However, it is recovering. The live oaks and bay trees are sprouting green crowns at their bases, and should be nearly back to normal within another 10 years.
View down Bear Canyon - A burnt but recovering bay tree is on the left.
There is a lot of the infamous Poodle Dog Bush along this trail, but it is easily avoided, and should die back in a year or two as the other forms of vegitation (buckthorn, sumac) recover. We stopped for a quick break at the Lowe-Markham saddle, watching the churning clouds and the shifting light on the surrounding peaks.
Shinta at the Lowe-Markham saddle
The temps dropped a bit more as we climbed up and past the junction on the east face of Mount Lowe. There are many new washouts, and folks seem to be using them as shortcuts.
Burnt Live Oak - Note the new growth at the bases of these snags.
We were at the summit about 1 hour out, and it was cool and breezy. Clouds were rushing up from Pasadena. A pair of large hawks were cruising on the updraft to the south, drifting in and out of cloud. Though the oaks had been burned off most of the north face, the summit was still ringed with trees obscuring the view from the highest point. We did some 'hero/heroine shots' and walked over to rest on the iron bench for a bit.
Goofy Hero Shot!
Goofy Heroine Shot!
Historic Marker on summit
Soon the solitude was broken by a group of 5 twenty-somethings, so we beat a retreat and headed down the west ridge. I hadn't been down this trail in nearly 20 years, and back then it was barely navigable. It is now in much better shape, having seen some loving care over the years.
Jet Propulsion Laboratory - This shot imparts that mystic aura in which my mind always held it!
We reached the bend in the trail where it turns southeast into Grand Canyon. Here, we continued down the ridge to the west, going XC over a light use trail. Shinta is not very experienced (yet) at scrambling and XC travel, but she is improving quickly. She's just breaking in her first pair of boots, and experiencing the vastly improved control they afford vs squishy running shoes.
The Mount Lowe Road was soon under our feet, and we strolled at a leisurely pace back toward Markham Saddle. The road seems to have been abandoned. In the past this road would have been graded twice a year, but since the fire it has really gone to pot!
San Gabriel Peak - Dramatic lighting is a nice bonus on days like this.
Happy Hiker! - We'd been telling raunchy jokes on this leg of the trip, and she swears she doesn't remember me snapping this shot.
We returned to Eaton Saddle at 3:15 elapsed time just as the temps were really dropping and the wind picking up. The drive home was relaxing, and a pair of Wood Ranch burgers filled up our empty guts to round out a rather pleasant Saturday.
