Led by Jen Dooley and Nancy Beverly
Photo above: At the trail junction by the old Nike Missile Base and below the towers on Mt. Disappointment. Photo by Jeff Johnson.
By Demetria Villanueva
I happened upon this late May hike on Meetup and on the Angeles Chapter Schedule of Outings page, and decided to go. This was my first outing with the GLS section. Even though I have hiked with other groups/sections, I appreciated the organization of the group leaders; they gave clear details, provided easy links to the required forms, trailhead directions and carpool rendezvous points. Leaders responded to my email inquiries in a timely manner and we left the trailhead punctually!
It turned out to be sunny and warm, just on the edge of hot. Gnats and flies were out, enough to be annoying and warrant a net but not enough for Deet.
We ascended via the Bill Reily Trail, approximately 1000′ in a mile, towards San Gabriel Peak (6’164′) and on to Mt. Lowe (5,606′), skirting around Mt. Disappointment and the relics of the former cold war era Nike Missile Site.
We had plenty of opportunities for rest and shade on the way up. Moving at a steady moderate pace, but not a grueling crawl. The elevation gain, the switchbacks and the peaks were enough to punish the legs and rev up the heart without feeling like you can’t catch your breath. If you’ve hiked Baden-Powell or Ski Hut trail in the Baldy Bowl, you have an idea of the grade of the trail which climbed constantly through the shade of north facing oaks. The switchbacks gave way to scenic views of the San Gabriel Mountain backcountry and you are immediately taken by some of the larger peaks around the Mt. Wilson area.
We climbed the switchbacks meeting the fire road marked by a Gumby trail marker. This made a perfect spot to rest the group before the next two climbs. Here the old road becomes level as you skirt past old foundations left behind at the aforementioned site and the glaring array of microwave communication towers littering the small seemingly disappointing hill called a mountain.
Hiking in a SW direction, we took a trail down to our first baby saddle via San Gabriel Peak Trail, summiting the peak quickly, this short leg is steep enough to feel dispiriting but short enough to still be fun. On the way up we caught wide-open space-featuring views of Mt. Lawlor and Strawberry Peak, the trail peppered with blooming manzanitas. Gaining the peak by breaking through chaparral, with the blooming blue ceanothus being prominent, we found inviting benches fashioned from remaining residual iron planks. The 360° views on what I would call a knob were unobstructed.
After taking in the vistas, split breaks and snacks we descended back down the short trail to meet the junction known as Markham Saddle connecting to the trail leading to Mt. Lowe. The saddle, marked with a vibrant playfully painted cistern, is an excellent rest spot providing oak shaded areas before starting up the two long and gradual switchbacks heading to Mt. Lowe.
The hike from here on to Mt. Lowe was gradual and forgiving compared to the steep and punishing previous 3 miles. Along this section you will find bursts of Indian paintbrush springing out from the rocks.
As routes go, it is among the easier way to access Mt. Lowe, the 1 mile from the saddle to Mt. Lowe was an easy peak bag. Lunch at the top was entertaining with old sighting devices left behind to view Baldy, Wilson, San Gabriel and Harvard, to name a few. Lowe feels whimsical with a swing and its sight views which stand to act as a bench marker, not that I looked for or found an official USGS survey marker, because I was too taken with the swing that read:
CLIMBING/SWINGING ON
HISTORIC STRUCTURE
COULD RESULT IN
ITS REMOVAL
I chose only to sit on the attached swing but did not dare swing nor climb.
After a leisurely lunch we made our way back down to Markham Saddle, rested and full from lunch. We exited via the Mt. Lowe Motorway, to the east, where the GLS leader opted to head out as opposed to revisiting the ‘W’ we trod up to get to that point.
The new route provided more historical sights as we trudged over chopped or ground chunks of rock and entered the Mueller Tunnel (1942). The group ended up meeting the Mt. Wilson – Red Box Road after taking in the sinking expansive views of Eaton Canyon. The alternate route down the smoothly paved road back was a tradeoff, what we lost in elevation, we gained in mileage bringing the hike to a close around the 9-mile mark.
For a Spring hike, we found ourselves riddled with more sun than anticipated while climbing up peaks and dropping down saddles, but the group took the day in stride.
