Mt Lowe - the Rotarians

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 001

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

We all met at Eaton Saddle, along the Mt Wilson Red Box Road. This is the view toward Baldy, with the morning mist not quite burned away. We're at about 5000'.

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 003

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

Diana, Curt, Penny, Cory. That's the barrier at the start, or end, of the Mt Lowe (Fire) Road, which goes all the way down to Altadena at Millard Canyon, and includes part of the old Mt Lowe Railway.

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 004

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

The first half mile or so of the Mt Lowe Road skirts a chasm forming the upper end of Eaton Canyon. That's Mt Markham across the way.

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 007

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

San Gabriel Peak, more than a thousand feet above the Mt Lowe Road.

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 009

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

Mueller Tunnel, built in 1933, avoids a precarious traverse aboe the canyon.

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 011

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

Cory researched that traverse, visible behind him. He's holding an old photo of the traverse.

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 014

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

The iron stanchions that used to support cables to keep people from falling over the edge along the trail. It'd be hard to get past the yuccas now.

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 016

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

Past the tunnel, a view along Mt Lowe Road

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 017

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

There were lots of lizards

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 024

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

Mt Disappointment across Bear Canyon from us. I assume, without proof, that Mts Deception (out of sight to the left) and Disappointment were named because as one climbed toward San Gabriel Peak and Mt Wilson, one felt deceived and disappointed that there were more and higher peaks after one had struggled up these two.

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 029

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

Mt Lowe rising in the background

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 035

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

The Santa Ana mountains in the distance, above Orange County.

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 039

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

Hillside gooseberry. When less ripe they're even spikier.

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 045

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

And now we are at the top. There's a fair amount of leftover hardware up there, from the era of the Mt Lowe Railway and the hiking era of the early 20th century. There are also informative historical plaques scattered through the region.

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 053

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

The pointing tubes from the Railway days, somewhat restored and relabeled since then. These point to Mts Wilson and Harvard (Mt Yale didn't get one).

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 054

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

Mt WIlson through the tube.

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 057

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

A view of San Gabriel Peak and Mt Markham, with Markham saddle between them.

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 059

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

A telephoto view of the pavilion at Inspiration Point. It was destroyed by fire in the 1920s and rebuilt by volunteers in 1996 or so.

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 067

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

Someone's entry in the summit register on Mt Lowe. Can someone translate?

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 073

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

Diana and the Mt Markham view tube. She has a special affinity for the name Markham.

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 080

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

Just below the summit of Mt Lowe, we came across a horned lizard. I grew up calling them horned toad, but they aren't toads at all, belonging to the reptile class rather than amphibians. Don't know the particular species of this one.

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 086

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

They are known to adjust their coloration for camouflage. This one was hard to see at first, so well did it match the rocks and gravel it was sitting in.

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 094

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

I'd been by here three times and never saw this sign stuck in a tree. Some tracker.

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 099

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

Penny and Diana.

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 103

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

Precambrian (probably) banded gneiss.

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 106

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

Back at the saddle between Markham and Lowe.

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 112

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

Pipestem Clematis, otherwise known as Virgin's Bower or Chapparal Clematis - Clematis lasiantha

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 118

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 121

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

Looking across at the Mt Lowe Fire Road. Behind is the Mt WIlson Red Box Road. So, we're almost back to the care at Eaton Saddle.

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 129

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

A very vertical place. San Gabriel Peak is above

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 131

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

The west end of Mueller tunnel

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 138

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

Almost out of the ominous tunnel.

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 152

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

After the hike, Newcomb's Ranch! Great food, nice bar, supposed to be fine breakfast. Lots of bikers, but very tame.

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 155

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

And then Penny and Curt had a mishap on the way home!

Mt Lowe - the Rotarians - 156

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:18:13 -0700

I understand it's not good for wheels to fall off, but do lugnuts have to be this tight? Curt managed, after a great deal of effort.