photos: HIKING to MOUNT WILSON via MT WILSON TRAIL from SIERRA MADRE

Above: MT WILSON is the peak on the far right…which I hiked from Sierra Madre in early May 2018. It happened to be an unusually foggy day (yes foggy, not smoggy, …the clouds were very LOW all day long…so while it made for cool hiking, there was NO VIEW…so no photos of the LONG VIEW during the hike.. ) depending on how you measure, it is a fourteen to sixteen mile hike.. with a SIGNIFICANT rise in altitude as you can 1

imagine…it’s not that the peak is so high at about 5000 feet, but you start around 1000 or less feet from Sierra Madre (as opposed to the Chantry Flats starting point which is a bit higher). I saw VERY FEW people along the way (maybe because of the weather), around three people total the entire day. At the very top you NOT ONLY reach the peak of Mt Wilson but ALSO the Mt Wilson Observatory (numerous gigantic telescopes open to the public on weekends). YES, you can also drive up to Mt Wilson …there is a LARGE parking lot at the top of the trail and all the buildings for the observatory, and the COSMO CAFÉ which is open on the weekends. Exactly a week ago I hiked MT Baldy so my legs were mostly recovered from that hike…but I actually wonder if this hike was more difficult than the Baldy hike due to the rise in elevation, even though it is 5000 feet lower than Mt Baldy.

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This is where I began…it is a residential area in Sierra Madre and a now-closed café called LIZZIE’S which is now a museum…it used to serve the old mountaineers back in the early 1900’s

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“This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other."

Zechariah 7:9-10

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Contrary to the above sign, there was ONE WORKING WATER FAUCET at the top. I believe this is also where PACIFIC CREST TRAIL HIKERS PASS THRU, SO IT IS nice THAT THEY AT LEAST PROVIDE RUNNING WATER.

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“For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.�

Luke 11.10

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THE FIRST REFERENCE POINT IS “1st WATER” … and a separate trail takes you down there..probably a nice place to cool off and rest in hotter weather..

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Another separate trail takes you to JONES PEAK

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HALFWAY POINT IS “ORCHARD CAMP” ..A FEW REMNANTS FROM THE EARLY 1900’s remains …

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Above: I saw a few deer along the way…this was a baby deer with the mother in front…

Above: this is the MANZANITA tree, lots of these in this area..…hence the name of the next reference point, “MANZANITA RIDGE”

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“Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the LORD, who do their work in darkness and think, "Who sees us? Who will know?"

Isaiah 29:15

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Above: the FAMOUS BENCH MARKS “MANZANITA RIDGE” where the Mt Wilson trail joins with Gabrielino trail (from Chantry Flats)

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Above: NEAR the top you find evidence of a FOREST FIRE some time ago

Finally at the top of the trail you step out into a GIANT PARKING LOT…and lots of antennae and the COSMIC CAFÉ, among other things..

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This is the “museum� at the observatory..and it was open on the weekday..mostly pictures on the wall..

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HEADING BACK DOWN… SAME TRAIL , STILL LOW CLOUDS, NO VIEW

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“The Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.�

2 Thessalonians 3:3

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