Jeff, Cecelia, JJ and I met at Burma Road in Little Tujunga at 7:15 AM. We experienced the wind immediately. It wasn't very bad, but occasionally gusts were strong. Apart from the wind, the weather was clear and cold. We all bundled up in winter clothing, except Jeff, who stuck to his shorts and gloveless hands. He did at least wear a windbreaker.
Most of our time on Burma Road was spent in the shadow of the ridges, with sunlight hitting the mountains above us.
The road remained clear until intersecting with a firebreak, then it became unmaintained. We pushed through brush and climbed over rocks and landslides. We had to take extra care at one slide with bad exposure.
Other road features included a service ladder for the electrical towers,
sheer rock faces,
and the Holy Wall of Mendenhall.
At Highline Saddle the power lines crackled and the wind howled. We took shelter behind some brush and ate a snack. Between periods of light wind, gusts would roar to life and almost knock us off our feet. The gusts, however, were infrequent enough and did not deter us. We marched straight up the steep ridge toward the peak, taking a break at Point 4403.
The wind really blew us around on that first section of the ridgeline. A few times we crouched low to avoid being pushed off the side. Thankfully we could see our destination now and we willed ourselves to the top.
The summit contains ruins of a fire lookout station. We huddled around a small structure and tried to block the wind so Jeff could cook the grilled cheese sandwiches. He needed to relight the stove several times, but he got the job done. Next time we'll have to increase the obstacles and provide a tougher challenge for him.
Pesto and sun-dried tomatoes have become mandatory toppings on the grilled cheese. JJ brought spicy pickles, which tasted great. I brought Hostess Cupcakes for the birthday party desert, but we also put some on a grilled cheese sandwich, because we crazy like that.
I gave Jeff a photo album with pictures from all the hikes we've done together. Then it was time for our summit group shot.
Cecelia signed the register for everyone, and we left an EisPiraten flag as well.
Jeff made these awesome flags for us. So in addition to grilled cheesing summits, we're now going to flag them too. I'll start handing out these flags at forum hikes.
We returned via the lookout service road and Mendenhall Ridge Road. The wind died down a little in the afternoon and finally we were allowed to remove some layers. Aside from the persistent view across Pacoima Canyon toward Magic Mountain, I enjoyed the fancy rock outcroppings along the road.
We reached Dillon Divide. The girls waited there while the boys walked down the highway to our cars at Burma Road. Jeff found extra gifts in the gutter, one dirty shirt and a hat. Happy birthday, Jeff!
