Hillwalking - The Year Ahead

Help us put together a 'wish list' for the Brand Ramblers' 2009 treks. We'll be publishing an updated schedule in January - be sure and submit your ideas and requests so we can incorporate them in our planning discussions.

Here is Ken's initial wishlist:

Mt. San Gorgonio, 11,499 feet/3,505 meters, part 2 of the SoCal Big 3

Mt. San Jacinto 10,834 feet/3,302 meters, part 3 of the SoCal Big 3

Mt. San Antonio 10,064 feet/3,068 meters, a return to Mt. Baldy

Red Rock Canyon CA weekend camp (various Mojave desert summits)

Mt. Whitney 14,505 feet/4,421 meters, a return for Mark and a first for others

White Mountain 14,252 feet/4,344 meters

And lots more after work Verdugo hikes

Stone Canyon to Mt. Lukens

6 of the 7 Ramblers who ascended Mt. Lukens via the Stone Canyon trail on Saturday 12/6.

Despite a locked gate at the Wildwood Picnic gathering point assembled Bramblers were able to start up the Stone Canyon trail by 8:15 and summit between 10:15-10:45 AM.

Water level in Big Tujunga creek was low enough that we were able to scramble across without wading and we walked up the Stone Canyon wash until we located the trail to the west. Next time we'll go straight to the trail head - it's not a well marked as it could be!

The trail itself is partly shaded bu overhanging foliage and has a moderate incline. It's just rather long at 3.5 miles to gain the 3000' feet of elevation before coming out on the flat top of the mountain.

We're still waiting for Mike's GPS watch to dump its KML goodies. Look forward to that and photos from other Bramblers.

Next hike - Strawberry Peak on Saturday 12/20.


Sun on the final approach to the summit

Mt Lukens - Highest Point in LA City Limits

The Brand Ramblers hike Saturday December 6 to the highest point in Los Angeles city limits, Mt. Lukens at 5074 feet.

• Start Time: 7:30 AM, Saturday 12/6
• Trailhead: Wildwood Picnic Area in the Angeles National Forest (6 miles up Big Tujunga Canyon road from Sunland).
• Duration: Approximately 4-5 hours
• Distance: 8.5 Miles
• Elevation Gain: 3200 feet
• Total Elevation: 5074 feet

Brand Ramblers Google map for the Mt. Lukens hike

Checklist:

• Assemble at 7:30 AM at the Wildwood Picnic area. Plan to arrive early so we can start the trek on time. Cell phone reception in the Big Tujunga wash is terrible so you should not expect to call ahead about running late. Give yourself some extra time - you can use it to warm up and stretch before the hike.
• All cars will need a Angeles National Forest Adventure pass (either a day pass or annual pass). Day passes are $5 and Ken will be picking up passes at the Big 5 sporting goods store in Glendale on Friday - just let him know if you need one before noon Friday.
• To reach the Stone Canyon trail we need to cross the Big Tujunga creek which usually entails wading across. Removing your foot gear and rolling up pants works well but you might want to wear shorts to make this easier. Some Bramblers may bring trekking poles and these can be shared for the crossing.
• Gear: Good hiking shoes, hats, sun glasses, trek poles, etc. and dress in layers as it is expected to be chilly in the morning and warming up later in the morning.
• Food & Water: Bring at least 1-2 liters of water and some snack food. The usual suspects will be bringing extra snacks including smoked sausages to share.
• Car Pooling: Confirm your attendance by contacting Ken before Friday afternoon. If we can carpool we can save on the Adventure Passes and at least one USC area Brambler still needs a ride.
  

Some reviews of the hike:
LocalHikes.com
ModernHiker blog

Mt. Baldy Sets New 'Bramblers' Records

Early on Saturday November 22, 6 ramblers assembled at Manker Flats for an ascent of Mt. Baldy via the 'ski hut' trail and a return across the Devil's backbone. The 12 mile roundtrip include a punishing 4K foot climb to the summit.


This was the long planned ascent of Mt. Baldy and established a number of firsts for the Brand Ramblers: highest elevation (10054'); most elevation gain (3900'); longest distance (12 miles) and longest duration (6 hours).


What a gorgeous day! The weather was perfect and the views were spectacular the whole way. The alpine terrain was magical as we ascended the ski hut trail, continually changing as we passed through different elevations. The views from the Devil's Backbone were as advertised and allowed one to look north and west into the desert or south back to the city while navigating the narrow ridge line.


'Bramblers' associated with AT&T Interactive couldn't resist the temptation to celebrate the rebranding of Yellowpages.com and proudly posed for a summit shot.
The hike down the ski lift maintenance road was uneventful and a nice 'cool down' after the ascent. We got to observe some ambitious folks rappelling down the San Antonio Falls. Crazy!


(All photos courtesy of Sun)

Updates of Recent Hikes

We've been a little lax in updating the Brand Ramblers blog so we take this opportunity while cooling down from a Vital Link trek (see Google Earth image above looking down the ridge) to post the following updates:

Vital Link Weekly Fitness Hike, Tuesday 9/30
Mark, Sun, Ken, Chetan, Joel (first time to the summit for Chetan)

Mt. Lee/Hollywood Sign Hike Sunday 9/28
Neil, Angela, Vish & Ken (first time for Angela & Vish)

Vital Link Weekly Fitness Hike, Tuesday 9/23
Ryan, Sun, Ashish, Chetan, Joel (first time for Joel)

Vital Link Weekly Fitness Hike, Tuesday 9/16
Mark, Sun, Ryan, Julia, and Ken were returnees while Shri and Kevin were first-timers to the summit

Mt. Thom Sunset Hike (4th Ascent) Tuesday 9/9
Mark, Katya, Julia, Chetan, Ken (first time for Mark, Katya & Julia)

The days are rapidly getting shorter while the summer heat has been over staying its welcome. Look for more weekend outings and we'll be adapting by adding flashlights and headlamps as we continue our post-workday evening hikes.

On a sad note, we're losing Brambler Brother Harvey who's relocating to Atlanta and will be dearly missed on our treks. We wish him and his new family many happy hikes in the beautiful South East.

Harvey (far right) looks towards the camera as Brand Ramblers prepare to leave Fern Dell in Griffith Park, March 2008

Back to Mt. Lee & the Hollywood Sign

The Brand Ramblers return to Mt. Lee & the Hollywood sign for the first Sunday morning hike of the Fall. This a moderate well-paced hike that starts and ends in the south western corner of Griffith Park. We'll meet at the parking lot at the end of Bronson Canyon drive at 8 AM and proceed up the Brush Canyon fire road until we meet the Mulholland Trail. We'll then head west along the trail and take Mt. Lee drive for the final leg of the ascent. Currently the landscape is pretty dry and dusty but hopefully we'll have a couple hours of low clouds for the climbing portion of the trek. A few weeks ago clusters of native datura (common names Jimson Weed, Hell's Bells, Angel Trumpets) were blooming trailside [see photo]. Interestingly Datura comes from Hindi Dhatūrā for thorn apple.

The Brand Ramblers Tuesday evening Vital Link fitness hikes continue (2 down, 5 to go) although we may have to move the start to 5 PM given the rapidly shortening daylight.

Full updates and pics of recent hikes will be posted soon.

Weekly Fitness Hikes Kicked-Off

7 'Bramblers' kicked off the weekly Vital Link hike series last night with the successful completion of the 4-mile roundtrip from the Wildwood Canyon parking lot. Mark, Sun, Ryan, Julia, and Ken were returnees while Shri and Kevin were first-timers (Shri had made a previous descent during a traverse of the Verdugos but had never ascended the trail).

The weekly Vital Link fitness hike with continue on Tuesday through October 28.

The next Brand Ramblers weekend hike is the Sunday September 28 Mt. Lee/Hollywood Sign hike from Bronson Canyon. Details to follow... previous MT. Lee hike info is available here and here.