EISPIRATEN

I went to the REI used gear sale in the morning in Arcadia and figured since we were in the area we would head up to Chantry Flats and hike down to Sturtevant Falls (we saw it from the bottom and also hiked up above it to explore upstream from the falls). It was a very nice hike and also very easy . The temps were cool and there was lots of cloud cover, perfect for a front range hike. The creek and falls were flowing pretty well, and the sceneory at the bottom of Santa Anita canyon always seems to amaze me, all wooded and shaded compared to the chapparel covered slopes above. Also, I believe I saw Hikin Jim near the falls, but I could be wrong. All and all another great day in the local mountians, my only regret being that we should have combined this hike with a trip down to Hermit Falls but my gf was being kind of lazy, so we'll just have to do it another day.
Also, on another note Chantry Flat is EXTREMELY CROWDED on WEEKENDS !!!!!!!!

Pics if anyones interested:
http://picasaweb.google.com/brian90620/ ... 1004268546

Beautiful shots, Brian. Even when the place is crowded it's still beautiful, eh? 8)

brian90620 wrote:Also, I believe I saw Hikin Jim near the falls...

Dude! That was you guys with the little dog? Cool! Next time come over and introduce yourself. I saw you guys, and I said to myself, "those guys look like more serious hikers." Sorry I didn't recognize you. lol. Should have worn my glasses.

brian90620 wrote:...my only regret being that we should have combined this hike with a trip down to Hermit Falls but my gf was being kind of lazy, so we'll just have to do it another day.

Hermit falls is definitely worth visiting. A bit of grafitti, but still worthwhile. There are basically three falls. Two of the falls have very swimmable pools. The lowest falls is the highest and has the biggest pool. You can get down to the pool by bypassing the falls to the right a bit higher up. It's a bit of a climb down, but there's a rope tied to an oak tree that makes it very doable.

brian90620 wrote:Also, on another note Chantry Flat is EXTREMELY CROWDED on WEEKENDS !!!!!!!!

lol. You ain't lyin'. My advice, especially on a really nice day: go early -- or go late. If you get there early, you can usually park in the public lot, but also around 3:00 or 4:00 PM spaces star opening up because the scads of tourists have finished their hike to the falls and back. On a spring day when the sun is up until 8:00, it's a great way to enjoy some good hiking with the crowds somewhat reduced.