After a contract job on the east coast was delayed a week, I found myself with nothing to do, and ended up spending 4 days in the San Gabriel mountains picking off HPS peaks. None of the peaks were very challenging on their own, but collectively they contributed to me being a bit sore by the time the trip was over. My unplanned itinerary…

Wednesday – arrive to the start of my first hike around 4pm, hike Mooney and Vetter mountains.

Thursday – late start, hike Winston Peak, Winston Ridge, Akawie, Kratka Ridge (spooky abandoned ski lift), Twin Peaks, Mt. Waterman – froze my butt off coming back in the dark on that last one, the temp gauge in my truck said it was 39F when I arrived at @6pm. Watched Young Guns on my laptop before falling asleep.

Friday – sleep in, hike Mt. Lewis (started at 11am), Mt. Islip, Pinyon Ridge (trespassed here – didn’t do the research ahead of time for a better route). Watched Young Guns 2 in my truck before crashing out.

Saturday – Meet up with long time friend Tom Waggoner, hike Circle Mountain (excellent views!), and Gobbler’s Knob.

Total mileage/gain estimate for the 4 days -40 miles/13000 feet. The San Gabriel range isn’t normally my favorite of local ranges to visit, but I thoroughly enjoyed this trip. Many more peaks give me a reason to come back, a few times, at least…