A hike to Mt. Hillyer, north of the front range of the San Gabriels, was a last minute switch from the planned hike to Mt. Waterman.
By Jeff Johnson
The planned hike up Mt. Waterman on August 13 was changed a week before when co-leader Jen found that a big disc golf event was planned that day at the Waterman ski area. So Nancy and Jen took us to Mt. Hillyer instead, and it was a very satisfactory alternative.
Unlike many favorite hiking areas in the San Gabriels, the area around Mt. Hillyer has not burned recently, so no sad, charred, hollow trees, no blasted chapparal, and no poodle dog bush. We had the trail almost completely to ourselves the whole way. The trail is in pretty good shape, and we had unfamiliar views of many familiar peaks on the way up. And at the summit, I did get to take a nap in the shade.
But what really makes a good hike is the people, both the old friends to catch up with and new people to meet. There was someone who arrived in town from Texas the week before to start a teaching job, and this was already her third local hike. Someone who does music for television shows. A teacher at a local university whose subject is sexuality. Someone who drove a long, long way specifically because we were going to Mt. Hillyer, a relatively obscure peak which she hadn’t been to. And no one on the hike that day had any trouble getting to the top and back down again.
And, just in case you are wondering, the original Mt. Waterman hike has been rescheduled in October. See you on the trail!
