Mount Lukens

16 January 1988

By: Bobcat Thompson

Leaders: Bobcat Thompson, Stag Brown

Our Eighth Annual ascent of "Sister Elsie" began on a cool winter day at La Cañada. We carpooled and caravaned over to the top of Haines Canyon Road in Tujunga for the start of the hike. Twenty-six people started hiking at 8:45AM.

Hi ho, hi ho, it's up the trail we go.
We hike up, and then on down,
followed closely by Stag Brown.
Hi ho! Hi ho!

Following a beautiful trail, mostly on the east side of the stream, we hiked up Haines Canyon, crossing the fire road a mile into the hike. And then further up canyon to where the trail splits - Haines Canyon trail to the right, and the Old Sister Elsie trail crossing the stream to the left. We headed north up canyon. We made a fast switchback on the Haines Canyon trail, took out the trail clippers and saws we had brought and proceeded up the trail, clipping and sawing our way through the overgrown trail. This is a beautiful trail in the spring and fall. It would be my choice for our "Adopt a Trail" program when it gets going. Between the lead cat's trail saw, Mike Baldwin's "Cindy" loppers, and the other clippers along, we managed to saw and clip our way for about a mile and a half through a beautiful and seldom visited area of the San Gabriels. Then up to the Mount Lukens fire road where the trail continues up a steep overgrown ridge, crossing the fire road once more to the top of Lukens. We then headed east about a third of a mile to a secondary high point just north of the road where the register was hidden, and had a nice lunch on top.

After an hour atop the high point of the City of Los Angeles, we descended westward on the fire road, picking up the Stone Canyon Trail on the northwest side of Lukens, and followed it down for half a mile, then west on the old ridge trail to connect with the Old Sister Elsie Trail meeting us in a low saddle. We descended this fairly well maintained trail, crossing the stream in two miles, and meeting our upward path again. Back down to the cars by 3:00PM, we headed for the Sport Chalet, and thence to Lloyds Restaurant where we began our day at 7:00AM. Same time next year, and bring your clippers!