We hiked along the Mt. Lowe Road through Mueller Tunnel to Markham Saddle. It was going to be a beautiful day with clear skies, plus lots of trees and rocks. It was time to begin the cross-country portion of the adventure and drop from the saddle into the head of Eaton Canyon.
The drop-in was steep but manageable using use trails and a clear route through the trees and gully. We hit the main branch, which was filled with large boulders.
The canyon generally retained a wide profile, so it was easy to criss-cross the floor between rocky and brushy sections. We started to notice a few old metal parts to old things, though we couldn't figure out what they were exactly.
And, of course, when you get eight scramblers together in one place, all they want to do is pose for pictures.
Or walk across logs.
And avoid pools of water.
But perhaps the most common thing scramblers want to do is fetch balloons out of high tree branches.
Up to this point we contented ourselves with picking up the occasional birthday or Disney princess balloon off the ground. But when we noticed these particular specimens stuck high in the tree branch, there was absolutely no leaving the scene until this technical problem got solved. At first rocks flew threw the air with little effect. Jeremiah tried waving a huge fallen branch around, but that didn't work either. Finally, we allowed Dima to try his technique. Jeremiah helped tie a rock to the end of a rope, and Dima underhand tossed it up and over the high branch. With the rope in place, Dima and Jeff then pulled the balloons down successfully. It was perhaps the greatest half-hour struggle in canyon scrambling history.
After the triumph, we continued down-canyon, bypassing falls and cascades, and trying not to break our ankles while trudging through layers of fallen leaves.
Finally we reached the end of the cross-country trek and hit the Idlehour Trail crossing. From here we climbed the scenic path up to Five Points.
At Five Points we counted up our balloon and other trash haul for the day.
In addition to the 30 odd balloons, we also packed out some cans and miscellaneous other garbage. Dima by far made out the best, having found a discarded balaclava and new pair of pants.
While Jeff, Jim, and I walked the Mt. Lowe Road back, Madison, Kellie, Jeremiah, Dima, and Cecelia headed up and over Mt. Lowe via the east trail. Cecelia wanted to see the new memorial scope for Lee Tracy.
Back at Markham Saddle, we closed out the hike with an inspirational sunset.
For additional pictures, Dima has placed his here. Jeremiah's are here. And Jeff's are here.
