Not, not the rock climbing kinda rock, just the whole range in general. I've been running around the last few days in the parts not closed by fire and I was once again impressed. This range is freakin' rugged and if you climb something not starting from Angeles Crest (they should close that road permanently, imo) it's hella steep. My calves hurt. And the views are incredible, too. Did a hike last night to Yale from Bailey Canyon Park, with views of the city lights almost the whole way. Awesome.

And there's almost no trash anywhere, at least compared to when I lived here years ago. Good job cleaning it all up, whoever you are.

Ha! Bet you never thought you'd hear a NorCaler give points to the SoCalers.

Haha, that's great. It is a fun 'little' range. Must people only venture up the lower parts of the road, making the eastern part of the range pretty much empty in the winter.

John Muir is reputed to have said the the San Gabriel Mountains were the most inaccessible in the world due to heavy brush. What has always impressed me, however, is the hiking history. Back around 1900 there was a network of backcounty inns and hotels which allowed hikers to wander for weeks. Remants of these structures can still be found today. Ironically, there was more people in the San Gabriel Mountains 100 years ago than now.

I believe Muir's choice of word was "inpenetrable."

I live on the edge of this range and walk up there frequently. While cruising along on a cut trail I always look aside at the steep grades, thick forests of oak and pine and rough chaparral all punctuated with plentiful poison oak and realize that without this trail I am toast up here.

ksolem wrote:I believe Muir's choice of word was "inpenetrable."

I live on the edge of this range and walk up there frequently. While cruising along on a cut trail I always look aside at the steep grades, thick forests of oak and pine and rough chaparral all punctuated with plentiful poison oak and realize that without this trail I am toast up here.

Sounds like good mountain lion habitat

sierraman wrote:John Muir is reputed to have said the the San Gabriel Mountains were the most inaccessible in the world due to heavy brush. What has always impressed me, however, is the hiking history. Back around 1900 there was a network of backcounty inns and hotels which allowed hikers to wander for weeks. Remants of these structures can still be found today. Ironically, there was more people in the San Gabriel Mountains 100 years ago than now.

I believe the quote was uttered by the great western explorer and guide, Kit Carson.

Starting around 1885, as life became more and more urban in LA the residents started to pine for the good old days.... the gold rush days and the westward expansion of the American West. All travel was difficult, the automobile was not on the scene. The San Gabriel mountains were the perfect setting for a wild adventure including such things as hunting, fishing, exploring and Mt. Climbing.

The model for the recreation was taken from Europe, that is why there were inns and cog railways leading to mt. top resorts.

The Hard-Core types (summitpost types ) distained the soft adventure afforded by the inn's and rail travel started to go on expeditions. A typical one would last about two weeks and the hikers used guides and mules.

LA's mass transit system was extended to Altadena which was the major trail head. The first goal of most was Mt. Wilson. Two days to get there was common and the climbers would build a huge camp fire to signal to their friends and loved ones, down in the city, that the summit had been reached.

All this sort of ended in the nineteen twenties, due to several factors, the automobile was in widespread use and adventure could be found further afield. "dad are we going to Yosemite this summer" ????

The Angeles Crest Hwy was built in the 1930's and opened up the "back country" to day and weekend trips.

End of story. (too many "History of the West" #305 .... classes taken in college. )

Dave Dinnell wrote: ...Sounds like good mountain lion habitat

Here's some cat tracks on the trail out of Monrovia Canyon last month, a couple days after a light rain...




edit: A neighbor caught a lion hauling off his 80lb dog here recently. Somehow he saved the dog. The police here called everyone in the immediate area just to let us know.

I've seen more volunteers doing trail maintenance in the SGs than in my many years on the Bay Area trails. Several of the local race directors (AC100 and Mt Disappointment 50K/50M to name two) organize a whole series of trail maintenance days annually. I feel quite fortunate to have this range in my backyard.

Yep, the San Gabe’s got it all. The good, the bad and the ugly
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_14011214

Bob, you should move back down to SoCal so we can toughen you up

Careful there Bob. Next thing you know we'll see you starting a "San Gabriel Challenge". ... cept instead of 1 peak each day for 10 days it'll be 10 peaks each day for 10 days.

John Muir's writings on the San Gabriels

After saying so much for human culture in my last, perhaps I may now be allowed a word for wildness — the wildness of this southland, pure and untamable as the sea.

In the mountains of San Gabriel, overlooking the lowland vines and fruit groves, Mother Nature is most ruggedly, thornily savage. Not even in the Sierra have I ever made the acquaintance of mountains more rigidly inaccessible. The slopes are exceptionally steep and insecure to the foot of the explorer, however great his strength or skill may be, but thorny chaparral constitutes their chief defense. With the exception of little park and garden spots not visible in comprehensive views, the entire surface is covered with it, from the highest peaks to the plain. It swoops into every hollow and swells over every ridge, gracefully complying with the varied topography, in shaggy, ungovernable exuberance, fairly dwarfing the utmost efforts of human culture out of sight and mind.

I just appreciate having real mountains so close by. And they are bad ass. Especially if you like brush and crumbly rock.

And still there tough hikes to do. C'mon Rick, you want to hike to Triplet in the spring?

Rick, you took the mouth right out of my words!

Here! Here! To the San Gabriels. I wake up each morning to the sight of these great peaks.

There are a couple of history compilations out, well written by John W. Robinson. Tidbits are in his 100 Hikes book. Once you read his books every trail is filled with history.

I would wager that there is no comparison with another metropolitan area in the United States to the inaccessibility of Iron Mountain to the proximity of so many millions of people.