San Gabriel Peak

26 March 1966

By: Dave Tygell

A new wrinkle was added to the provocative pastime of peak bagging when seven men and a mere slip of a woman reblazed the old trail to San Gabriel Peak in March.

As no official date for the event had been scheduled, volunteers were sought from among those attending local Sierra Club meetings to carry out the plans of the joint committee formed by the U. S. Forest Service and the Sierra Club.

Meeting at Red Box, on Saturday, March 26, at 8:30 A.M., the group was taken by Forest Service truck up the National Guard road to Mt. Disappointment within 1/2 mile of the top of San Gabriel Peak. There the trail party was introduced to a variety of tools with such exotic sounding names as Pulaski and McLeod. A brief period of instruction in the proper use and handling of each tool was conducted by Mr. Mike Hubert, Ranger at Red Box, through whose kind efforts the cooperation of the U.S. Forest Service Supervisor had been obtained.

Assigned to work with and lead the Sierra Club party, Mike Hubert, six men and a miss hacked, scraped and brushed their way to the top of San Gabriel Peak where, with suitable flourish, the register was signed, lunch was eaten and the "welcome sign" hung out. Following lunch, the group retraced its steps and turned its efforts to reworking the lower half of the trail leading down to Markham Saddle. Total time, including time spent transporting the group, was six hours.

The group as a whole agreed it had been good fun, less of an effort than each had anticipated and willing to return for another round soon with Pulaski, McLeod and shovel.

On Sunday, June 5, the Local Hikes Committee in cooperation with the U. S. Forest Service has scheduled a trail party to Throop Peak. Trail parties provide good fun and exercise. Come and bag a peak the trail party way. Consult your schedule for time and place. Bring work or garden type gloves. Time permitting other nearby peaks possible for peak baggers.