On saturday night we drove up to Crystal Lake to camp before the big hike on Sunday. Jeff joined us and also camped for the night. It was a cool night a bit more chilly than the last time we camped a few weeks ago. Lucky for us we grabbed a spot at the same campsite.
As we were chilling by the fire we heard the sounds of a mountain lion growling in the distance. It was a bit freightening for me as this was the first time I ever heard a mountain lion.
anyways, the next morning we met another friend and caravanned to Crystal Lake.
we walked along the road for a bit then started on the lost ridge trail. I had never hiked this route and it was very nice. I gradual uphill and maintained trail. We continued on to Deer Flats where we took a break before continuing on to Big Cienega then finally to the summit of Mt. Islip.
At the peak we admired the views and chef Jeff cooked Grilled Cheese sandwiches for us which seems to be a tradition now. We all contributed by bringing our own ingredients to add to the mix.
After spending over an hour on the peak we headed down the Islip Ridge. This was another new trail that I had never descended. It was very nice and pleasant at first until the final 2 or 3 miles to the Lake.
Along the way we could see the damage from the Bobcat fire which burned above Crystal Lake. A few knocked down and burnt trees along the way but the trail was still visible.
I didn't enjoy the last few miles of this trail down to the lake. It was mostly exposed and very rocky along with narrow overgrown areas.
However, I must admit the views of the lake from this side were very nice. Maybe it was the time of day but the lake glistened and the shadows of the trees on the lake made it feel like I was in the Sierras.
It was a perfect day for celebrating the San Gabriel Forum's 16th anniversary,
Stats: 10 miles, 2750' gain