Meeting at the Diamond Bar carpool point at 6:30 am., we proceeded with 2 vehicles and 7 hikers plus Dan Rosenthal who was driving alone and planned to detour for a couple of errands before joining us at the rendezvous point beyond Heart Bar Campground.
We had specified remeeting on Hwy. 38 between 8:30 and 9 but arrived well before that time after passing the congestion around Angelus Oaks where the search for the missing boy scout was still in high gear. 7 more individuals joined us at this point at the appointed time missing only Dan who failed to show. He phoned that evening to explain how he went astray on the route and was unable to find the group.
Knowing that the road in was rough, we consolidated in Keats' Scout, Austin's camper, and the leader's truck for the 5.6 mile drive in to the trailhead. It was 9:45 before we got started, but the morning was cool and much of the route shaded so the outing was most enjoyable with a very congenial group and moderate speed.
On the summit, we were surprised to find three people with one dog and one bicycle that the owner said he had pushed much of the way over the rough rocks. Then before we finished lunch, a group on horseback arrived coming up from Green Canyon along with several of hikers. It was quite a busy trail.
Arriving back at the cars about 2:30, Bill Gray, Keats Hayden, Diane Heaviside, Susanne Blessington, Molina Stefanovska, Beverly Rawles, and Jean Pinel took off for home while the leaders with Marge Baker, Austin and Betty Stirratt and Erv and Janet Bartel went on to Onyx Peak.
This was Molina's first organized hike and she performed like a veteran. Many thanks to Gordon who led on the way down from Sugarloaf and assisted capably as always and to Bill Gray who helped out along the trail. I did replace the register on Onyx with a better can and built up the cairn a bit.
