Idlehour Trail Camp: 11-01-2008

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

Hiked up to Idlehour Trail Camp today under some really cool cloud cover. The pictures do not do the scenery in upper Eaton Canyon justice, so I'll have my memories and you'll get these crappy pictures. :)

The trail up then down to Idlehour from Mt. Wilson Toll road is in great shape - I'd bet that someone has done some maintenance recently. The trail gains 2 to 3 hundred feet before dropping about 750' into the canyon bottom - all in 1.5 miles. The mosquitoes were horrendous at the trail camp and in the shaded sided canyons along the trail - plenty of incentive to hike back up the steep 750' to get out of there.

Couple of rain showers that lasted less than a few minutes. Saw what I will assume was a hunter in full camo at the top of Henninger Flats (on the road out to the heliport) who was surveying the flats with his binocs. I didn't see a gun but he was sitting next to what looked like a bunch of gear (or another person in camo!). I paused to make sure he knew I was there (nod, nod), then headed down through the flats. *shrug*

Signage at the camp (there was one tent off to the left of this pic)...
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Looking up towards Markham, San Gabriel and the headwaters of Eaton Canyon...
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Sunrise over the sprawl...
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FIGHT ON

Post by FIGHT ON »

I like Idlehour. especially the name. Kick back for an hour. I've only been there once. On a bicycle.
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Dudley Heinsbergen
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Post by Dudley Heinsbergen »

last time i was here there was a torn up old parachute and a buncha empty whiskey bottles everywhere. it was creepy.
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HikeUp
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Post by HikeUp »

Dudley Heinsbergen wrote:last time i was here there was a torn up old parachute and a buncha empty whiskey bottles everywhere. it was creepy.
I didn't get a chance to look around - there were so many gdmf skeeters I couldn't stop moving or else they'd move in, pick me up and have their way with me. I couldn't drink anything or else I'd end up swallowing about a dozen of them. I did notice a faded maroon colored tent without a rain fly, but I didn't take the time to find out if anyone was around - probably the lord of the skeeters.

I actually kind of found it a creepy place too (or maybe it was all the horror movies I watched this week!).
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Hikin_Jim
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Post by Hikin_Jim »

Dudley Heinsbergen wrote:last time i was here there was a torn up old parachute and a buncha empty whiskey bottles everywhere. it was creepy.
It's D B Cooper! I just know it!
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HikeUp
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Post by HikeUp »

Speaking of Upper Eaton Canyon, has anyone here done the hike/scramble from Markham Saddle to Idlehour as described by Christopher Brennen? He says it's not technical, but I'm curious as to what that means - is class 3 or 4 possible?
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Hikin_Jim
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Post by Hikin_Jim »

HikeUp wrote:Speaking of Upper Eaton Canyon, has anyone here done the hike/scramble from Markham Saddle to Idlehour as described by Christopher Brennen? He says it's not technical, but I'm curious as to what that means - is class 3 or 4 possible?
Haven't done it, but have done some other stuff that Brennan has written up. The guy's a heck of a climber. If he says "non-technical," take it with a grain of salt.

Very cool photo (photo #2) by the way.

HJ
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