Hoyt loop

[JeffH]

I'm catching up on some walks I've done...
September 28, 2025
Last month I was avoiding the higher mountains as it looked like rain so I drove over on ACH to the parking area for Georges Gap trail. From there I walked through the fog/clouds on a use trail up the ridge of Hoyt Mountain. It was shorts weather at home, up here it was definitely wet and I got soaked just walking through the brush. Not knowing exactly where the summit was and limited by visibility, I looked around on each of the bumps for a register - despite some rock piles I couldn't find anything. The actual summit is marked by a fence container of trail work tools, unfortunately while I was there I didn't have any great views. Sitting for my breakfast Snickers I kept getting wetter just from the heavy cloud cover so I retreated down the other side, intersecting with the Telephone Trail. That was a nice walk, mostly level with occasional views of Big Tujunga although I was startled to round a rock outcrop and see a guy in full camo holding a bow and arrow. Oh yeah, it's hunting season. Anyway, I missed the turnoff to go back uphill, realizing this error as I felt like I was headed the wrong direction. Looking at CalTopo I thought the trail went up the drainage so I explored that for a little while and figured that certainly was not correct. Retreating back, I located the turnoff and went up to the somewhat familiar junction that we crossed on the Josephine trip. Around here the clouds cleared a little, showing off some nice views of Josephine and then Strawberry along with Blackjack and Lawlor. Sadly they closed up quickly so I'll have to keep those good memories in my head. I picked up a little trash along the way, unfortunately I couldn't get a mylar balloon as it was lodged in the center of some poison oak - plenty of that stuff along this trail!


Going up the use trail

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First false summit or at least it looked like one from here

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Wet spiders, all the brush was covered with similar droplets

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Another bump along the way although it had a rock pile marking apparently nothing

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Real summit ahead, no marker anywhere

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Broader summit plateau

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One final bump to cross on the way down - while not a trail, the path is obvious

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Telephone trail section

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Big Tujunga could be seen through some breaks in the cloud cover

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Josephine Peak barely visible

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Better view of Strawberry and others although it didn't last

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This might be the guy I saw along the trail

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