Growing up, I used to make several winter trips into the furthest eastern part of the Angeles Forest to Wrightwood to snowboard on some of the slushiest-iciest snow even in ideal conditions (aka LA manmade snow). It was a lot of fun back then, but yesterday I became acquainted with a part of the region arguably more enticing and definitely more peaceful.
Yesterday’s trails from the Vincent Gulch trailhead across to Big Horn Mine offered 70 degree, clear skies hiking conditions, providing a much needed escape from smog and the crowds. Even with a parking lot of some with a monthly motor trade and others with Insurance Partnership at the trailhead at Vincent Gulch off of Highway 2, I found myself investigating remote areas of wilderness where I bears, big horn sheep and mountain lions all call home, while also finding opportunities to peer into California’s past with the ruins and wreckage of a mining operation (sadly, they’ve dismantled the small miner’s cabin that till recently was available to all hikers to peer into). For an hour, after carefully hiking about 1/2 a mile past Big Horn Mine , across what could only be best described as a sketchy hint of a trail (the trails are narrow and precipitous), I found myself a quiet spot to enjoy the view across a gentle canyon spilling down into the San Gabriel River, accompanied by the chattering of chipmunks and excitable tales of birds. My time there was short, but time stretches when left to enjoy tranquility…I certainly had to force myself to leave, such was the desire to just take a nap, sitting there on a perfect tiny cliffside.
Upon returning back to the trailhead, I decided I had a little more in me and descended back down another trail, this time into Mine Gulch Flat. I suspected the more lush, cooler wooded region of this trail would offer my best chance of finding mushrooms. And indeed I did!. I hiked down into the lower regions of the gulch, but turned back after 1/2 a mile, deciding I’d save this trail as a primary destination for a return visit, knowing there was more to explore than I could afford in both time and energy.
Note: Just be sure to bring some insect repellent…I fortunately had sprayed myself, and still was harassed by a huge squadron of late spring/early summer winged creatures. And sunscreen too; the trails are about 3/4 exposed to direct sunlight and the 7000+ feet elevation means plenty of UV. And of course, practice safe hiker’s habits and come equipped with the 10 Hiker’s Essentials (although I myself only had 9/10 that day, forgetting a map).
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