That is the original name, now it is known as Smith Mountain.
After the storms last week I was expecting about a half million people to be in the higher elevation, clogging up the roads and trails. To avoid all that I chose something a bit lower for my weekend walk.
After dropping Karen off at the airport I drove up to Azusa Canyon, joining only one other car in the parking area for the Bear Creek trail. This is an interesting trek, looking across the canyons the trail seems near but the various ridges, gullets and drainages make for a much longer route. At one point I heard some water falling so I ventured into the brush to see a real waterfall. After a branch broke under me and my foot was dunked, I came upon some flow over a rock about a foot tall which was a little disappointing. Adding to the misery, I managed some pretty good scratches on my arm from rubbing against the prickly stuff near the trail. After a little more uphill I took a short break at the saddle, enjoying the outstanding views from there. It’s a spot where the ruggedness of the San Gabriels is really on display and this time of year the hillsides are really green.
The last half mile of this hike is up the steep use trail, where I met up with a couple other hikers who had ended their summit attempt. I asked about the terrain and they told me the trail was very sketchy and likely to be lost. I thought then that I might be able to find a way, after all I’ve hiked with Sean so I am much better at finding sketchy routes. A few minutes later I hit the summit, which is adorned with a small register and a benchmark in a large rock. Since I went to the trouble of hauling my Jetboil up there I took a much longer break and enjoyed some hot chocolate to go along with a granola bar.
From the top I noticed a fire break heading up the apparently unnamed peak to the west, which then follows a ridge almost back to the trail - has anyone here ever tackled that? It might make for an interesting day, although not in the summer.
On the way down I saw plenty of cars heading up toward Crystal Lake, and also heard a helicopter circling around. On reaching the last turn back near Hwy 39 I saw the chopper parked across from the trailhead. Watching for a bit, an ambulance brought a passenger down, escorted by paramedics, a fire truck and a ANF fire crew. I didn’t hang around long enough to watch them take off, since it was getting close to lunch time and I might get grumpy when not eating.
Once again, a great day out in the San Gabes and a reminder of why it’s great to live in SoCal.
Trailhead sign
Early view of the peak
Tiny waterfall
Hiking injury - I carry alcohol to guard against infection. Since it is scotch I took it internally.
About to head up from the saddle
Sketchy trail section
Sunny summit
Original name on the register
Snack time
Rescue time
