Top 5 Leg-Busting Hikes in Los Angeles

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I get a lot of emails from people asking me for personal trail recommendations in and around L.A. If I can find the time, I’m happy to oblige, but one of the questions I seem to get fairly frequently (in some phrasing or another) is “What are some hikes I can do around here to REALLY give my legs a thrashing?”
It’s summer, so I’m getting that question a lot more … so here are my Top 5 leg-blasters within an hour’s drive of downtown Los Angeles (give or take). Tackle these trails after you’ve had a bit of practice and get ready to ice those calves when you’re done.

5. Mount Lukens


The highest point in Los Angeles City Limits, Mount Lukens can be approached from the north by Stone Canyon or from the south via Hanes Canyon, and both are pretty gruesome trails. The Stone Canyon approach starts out with a slippery river crossing and then climbs a relentless 3500 feet in 4.6 miles, and the southern route isn’t much easier, climbing 3018 feet in 4.25 – so it’s easy to see why this unassuming mountain is a popular training route for Angelenos with their sights set on taller peaks. The trails were damaged in the Station Fire but are open now. Before the fire, both routes were already rough – Stone has almost no shade on the entire ascent, and Hanes was nearly completely overgrown in several areas, but if you’re looking for a challenge, you won’t have to drive far.
***Note - Both of these routes to Mount Lukens are currently in the Station Fire Burn Area – but they are right on the border. The fire road ascent is open, so I’m optimistic that at least Hanes will be usable in the next round of openings. ***

4. Ontario and Bighorn Peaks


This 13.9 mile round trip hike heads up Icehouse Canyon and tops out at two of the most prominent mountains in the San Gabriels – Bighorn Peak and Ontario Peak. This route travels through some incredible alpine scenery, which might help distract you from the 3710 feet you’ll gain in elevation along the way. There’s a fairly tough stretch right before Icehouse Saddle, but from there you still have to climb your way up to the high ridge between Bighorn and Ontario. This is a full-day adventure to be sure, but you can make it a bit more leisurely (but heavier) on yourself by bringing your tent to Kelly Wilderness Camp and spending a night.

3. The Three Tees Trail South to North


I realize as I’m writing this that I have yet to record a GPS route of the entire Three Tees Trail from south to north, and I’m not exactly looking forward to getting it. Starting off at Icehouse Canyon, this route heads to Timber Mountain before winding north to Telegraph Peak and Thunder Mountain, ending at Baldy Notch (where you can mercifully take the ski lift back down to your car shuttle). The route is about 10 miles one-way and hits you for over 4700 feet of elevation gain along the way. Yes, you will have gorgeous views, but this route requires some very high levels of both physical and mental stamina – particularly on the neverending stretch between Timber and Telegraph. But if you want a workout, you’ve found it.

2. Mount Wilson via Firebreaks / Winter Creek Trails


Mount Wilson can be approached more ways than any other peak in the San Gabriels, but there’s a reason my friends have nicknamed my route the Mount Wilson Death March. This 13.3 mile round trip route starts off on fire roads, but quickly cuts into steep, shadeless firebreaks. On the ascent, you’ll gain 3800 feet on steep, unmaintained use-trail that rises and falls in full sunlight. It’s grueling and tough, but when you get to that summit, you’ll know you’ve earned it. And don’t worry – the return route is all on mostly shaded single-track.

1. Mount Baldy


If you want to go big, you can’t get any bigger than Mount Baldy (Mount San Antonio), the highest point in Los Angeles County. At 10,064 feet, this mountain is a monster by any approach. Starting at Manker Flats, the trail gains 3950 feet in 10.33 miles and hits two peaks. The counter-clockwise route (heading to Baldy Notch, then west across the Devil’s Backbone) is slightly easier, so if you’re looking for a workout forget that and go clockwise, climbing up past the Sierra Club Ski Hut and heading right to the summit. This is some of the most jaw-dropping scenery in all of Southern California, and when you get to the peak you will literally feel like you’re on top of the world. Bring plenty of sunscreen and water, and don’t freak out about the Devil’s Backbone unless it’s really windy or icy … in which case you probably shouldn’t be up there in the first place. But this is really a trail that you MUST do at some point in your hiking life here in SoCal – so make it a summer goal!
Of course, there are many other tough trails around here, and I’m sure you’ll share your favorites in the comments. One of my all-time favorite tough treks was Strawberry Peak, but that’s right smack in the middle of the Burn Area and probably won’t be open anytime soon. There is also the even MORE difficult ascent of Baldy from the Mount Baldy Village visitors’ center (on my to-do list for summer), and the cross-country hack-and-slash of Iron Mountain.






Posted on Wed, 15 Jun 2011 22:16:08 +0000 at http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/modernhik...m_hWqXFLc/
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