Last Saturday I hiked to one of the very first mountains I climbed 4 years ago.
The trail was very nice and curved around Lost Canyon with spectacular views of lush green areas after the recent rains.
As we got closer to the saddle the views were prettier and prettier.
After reaching the saddle I was reminded of the 800 ft steep climb to the summit and I looked forward to some cool rocks to hop over. Once again, I reminisced about the false bump just before the peak.
More cool views.
Whooohooooo!!!! Smith Peak summit 5111'
How many hikers know that Smith Mountain was named Mt. Headlee back in the 1930's? No register, just old BM.
From the peak you can see the surrounding San Gabriels, Mt. Hawkins, Twin Peaks, Mt. Baldy and West Mt. Baldy.
Overall, it was a nice day for a quick 7 mile round trip with about 1800 ft elevation gain.
Headlee's was the name of a resort in the canyon, not the name of the peak--at least not in the 1930s. Smith Mountain has had that name officially since as early as 1926.
La Cienega is marked on this 1941 map in the North Fork.
I'm not sure if the current, existing cabins at this location were part of Headlee's resort or not. But there are also ruins of old cabins all over that area. The sites are around the trailhead for Lewis Falls in Soldier Creek.
Maybe someone else has more detailed info. I haven't found much about Headlee's online. But it was a substantial place, so there must be a good description out there somewhere.
Unfortunately Hikespeak provides no reference for their claim. The Sierra Club, however, claims that Smith Mountain appears on the 1926 USFS map, which can be verified quite easily.
Maybe the author at Hikespeak doesn't understand how benchmarks get their names. They don't necessarily reflect the name of the peak upon which they reside. Surveyors make up the names for their own reasons.
