Echo->Castle Canyon->Idlehour->Mt. Wilson Toll Road

Post by **Uncle Rico** » Sun Jul 26, 2015 7:53 am

Did this loop two weeks ago but it's taken me all this time to abandon my slacker ways and put together a TR.

http://wildsouthland.blogspot.com/2015/ ... ooked.html

shreddy · Post by **shreddy** » Sun Jul 26, 2015 6:03 pm

Nice write up. The good conditions on the Idle Hour trail are probably due to the recent working of it by runners of the Angeles Crest 100 Mile Endurance Run. Trail work is a requiremnt to run the race. They hit that section every year going down into Idle Hour. They also hit the other end leading from Idle Hour to the Toll Road. These sections have been cleared / worked within the last few months The race takes place AUgust 1 this year.

how was the trail leading out of Idle Hour to the Toll Road?

Happy Trails! 8)

Post by **Uncle Rico** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 6:57 am

The good conditions on the Idle Hour trail are probably due to the recent working of it by runners of the Angeles Crest 100 Mile Endurance Run.

Ah, it all makes sense now. Terrific job by those folks.

how was the trail leading out of Idle Hour to the Toll Road?

That stretch was in great shape shreddy. Smooth and free of encroaching trees, shrubs, and whatnot. In fact, there was only one minor washed-out area along the entire 4.5 mile stretch (before you even hit the canyon bottom on your descent from the north) and that had been worked enough to easily get through without any difficulty.

shreddy · Post by **shreddy** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 10:44 am

Thanks for the scouting report on the trail. With the recent rains I was wondering how things held up.

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 11:15 am

My absolute favorite front country loop.

the absolute freedom of youth is a thing of the past, and one could easily spend an entire lifetime trying, and yet failing to get intimate with every nook and cranny of just these three ranges.

Yeah, ain't that the truth?

Was there any water at Idlehour?

There is a way to thread through the neighborhoods, partly on trail, partly on paved road, such that one does not have to cut over to Lake Ave. on Altadena and do the ghastly climb in the hot sun on Lake Ave.

HJ

Post by **Uncle Rico** » Tue Jul 28, 2015 6:42 am

Was there any water at Idlehour?

I didn't see any Jim, but to be honest, I really didn't look either. We only stopped briefly to snap a pic and have a drink and then moved on. So I'm pretty much useless as a resource for you on that issue.

There is a way to thread through the neighborhoods, partly on trail, partly on paved road, such that one does not have to cut over to Lake Ave. on Altadena and do the ghastly climb in the hot sun on Lake Ave.

Yeah, HU told me about that, but when we got to start (or is it the end?) of the Altadena Crest Trail, it looked like it might be a bit of a roller coaster with a short up initially. And my daughter wanted nothing more to do with up at that stage. So we did the road walk. And it was horrible.

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Tue Jul 28, 2015 11:38 am

Easiest way to find the route through the 'hood is to start at the Echo Mtn Trailhead. When you get to the bottom of the creek bed en route to Echo Mtn, instead of crossing the creek bed and climbing the trail to Echo Mtn, go down the creek bed. Then kind of follow the dirt road you'll come to. You want to keep bearing left. It wasn't that hard to find. AND it's a lot less uphill on the last leg back to your car from Henninger compared to the "hill of evil" (road walk up Lake Ave). It's also considerably shorter.

HJ