During Memorial Weekend 2010, my hike's start was delayed due to Sierra Madre's Mount Wilson Trail Run. This is a difficult enough hike (14-15 mi RT), so I'm not exactly sure how people complete this as a trail run. If you're doing this hike in May, make sure to check the calendar or be prepared to wait around.After a quick nap & some playground play (we street parked nearby), T, J, & I weren't able to access the trailhead until 11:30. It was hot & humid and poison oak grew rampantly (make sure you can identify it). Once we reached First Water, we realized it was a mistake that we had forgotten the mosquito repellent at home. We were bombarded by mosquitoes which had no qualms about flying into our eyes or mouths. If you're going in spring, make sure to bring repellent!
On the upside, the wet winter provided for a lush spring with vibrant flowers & flowing waterfalls. There were sections that reminded me of the lush Lost (in reality, Hawai'i) scenery. It also proved to be a good training hike since J & I were training for Whitney.
We lunched at 4pm, failed to find the observatory, napped, & returned by 8pm. T found out the hard way about upside down hikes & a 4,680 ft elevation gain. If you don't want to find out, you might want to skip this hike.
No comments:
Post a Comment