High Sierra Topix

I wasn't able to head out for a 'real' hike the last two weekends, but was able to get away for an hour or two.

Do you guys have a local hill or mountain that you use for training or for when you can't get away for the day?

Blue Mountain || Distance: ~3.16 mi || Duration: 1hr 25m || Gain/Loss: ±1,258′ || Net Elevation Gain (at Max Elevation): +982′ || Max Elevation: 2,406′ || Difficulty: Easy, but steep

Hiking with Dogs: Blue Mountain, November 8 2015

Riley is excited to get out for a while. San Bernardino Peak is the high point in the distance.


San Gabriel Mountains Behind Us


Wild burrows (sorry for the weird lens flare)


Nearing the summit

HikingGeek.com wrote:
Do you guys have a local hill or mountain that you use for training or for when you can't get away for the day?

Nice little mini TR.

I live just south of Pasadena so the San Gabriels are my usual training/stomping grounds when I cant head out for something further away.

A couple of days during the week I usually hit the Mt Wilson trail out of Sierra Madre. I start at 5 in the morning when street parking at the TH opens and do an out and back of around 5-6 miles. I'm back home by 7 - in time to get myself ready for work and the kids ready for school before dropping my daughter off on my way into the office.

The last few weekends I've been putzing around on the trails out of Chantry Flats. Did an easy 4.5 mile loop up to Hogees and back with my sons boy scout troop on Saturday. Didn't feel like that was enough so I got up early on Sunday and did a 15 mile loop from Chantry to Mt Wilson via Gabrielino / Rim / Mt Wilson / Winter Creek trails. That was enough.. I'm still feeling it today

Nice! Yup there is a cinder cone called Pilot Butte, about 500 ft elevation gain. Optimum week for me is 6 trips over MTTF with wed a day of rest and monday and Thursday 2x. Weekends are left to volunteering,football viewing, and a whole two beers a day instead of the usual 1. Unfortunately life often gets in the way of "optimum" like the call of the "other Woman"-- my boat, or honey do's. Also most of the late fall and winter I carry a 20 lbs which I increase in Feb. to 30 and then 35.

Sometimes I pass up the Butte for longer but flatter walks in the Badlands or along the Deschutes River.

Mike

Mike, my dad climbs Pilot Butte almost daily. Most days, it's at around 11 a.m. For a while he held the "fastest time up" plaque for his age group, but he tells me his record has fallen. Small enough town, you probably know or at least recognize each other.

- Elizabeth