Feeling Inspired

On the advice of my friend Michelle, I ventured today to the foot of the western San Gabriels, and climbed nearly 3000' over 5 miles to Echo Mountain and Inspiration Point. Due in large part to the 2008 station fire, and related closures in the Angeles National Forest, I haven't explored the San Gabriels much, so this was a welcome new adventure!

Just above Inspiration Point, looking NW into the western San Gabriels

The first half of the trail from Altadena to Echo Mountain is well-used, and along the way I saw many fellow day-hikers, trail runners, and people chatting on their cell phones. I was tempted at one point to grab the cell phone away from this guy and chuck it into the canyon, but managed to restrain myself.

Scenic foliage along the trail

At Echo Mountain there are some fascinating historical remnants of the old White City resort and Lowe Mountain Railway. Evidently after being repeatedly ravished by weather and fire, this rather ambitious and decadent resort was shut down in the 1930s. Only scattered remains are left, but there are plenty of interpretive signs.

Along the way I met a guy carrying a big backpack up the mountain (who looked decidedly out of place amidst the kooks in spandex and their ipods), and got to chatting with him. It turned out he was an experienced mountaineer, preparing for an upcoming trip to Mt. Baker, in the northern Cascades. I shared my love for giant, snowy volcanoes, and we had a nice talk about nature, outdoorsing, and life in general. He gave me some great advice on exploring the San Gabriels and Sierra Nevada, and invited me to join him and his family for lunch at Echo Mountain. It's always great to meet new people along the way who share my love and appreciation for the outdoors.

From there, I followed the Castle Canyon Trail up to Inspiration Point. The crowds all but disappeared, the trail wound up through a shaded forest with a slowly-running creek, and after a short scramble at the top, I reached a peak around 4700' elevation with 360 degree views into the LA basin, the mountain ranges to the west, and the heart of the San Gabriels.

Inspiration Point features many "locating" scopes that orient the visitor to waypoints below

The radio-towered Mount Wilson was obvious to the northeast, as were the fire-scorched hills all around. Less obvious was Los Angeles, which was covered in a disgustingly thick, smoggy haze. If you look very closely in this picture, you can barely make out the PV peninsula poking out, along with two little humps on the horizon that are Catalina Island:


I really enjoyed the view to the west, where I could clearly spot previously visited sights in the Verdugo, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica Mountains:


After a peaceful lunch hour, I made my way back down the hill (oh how I would love to have a paraglider!) and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon and evening with friends in Pasadena. Good stuff!