Mount Lowe

10 April 1988

By: Bob Thompson

Leaders: Bob Thompson, Stag Brown

On a beautiful Spring morning, at 8:00AM, we found 35 eager hikers assembled at the top of Lake Avenue in Altadena for this 14 mile, 4500 feet of gain, day trip to the top of Mount Lowe.

Stag led the troop up the Sam Merrill Trail to Echo Mountain, with Bobcat switching leads with him halfway up to confuse the participants. There was a nice 15 minute stop at Echo Mountain, for history, water and views as far as Catalina. Then we continued on the Castle Canyon Trail, up to Inspiration Point for a short rest. Then we hoofed it over to the Mount Lowe Trail Camp where we left some hikers to relax, while Bobcat led the rest on the trail made by the JPL Hiking Club to the west ridge of Mount Lowe and thence up to the top for a noon lunch. We need a new register and book for this peak.

After lunch, Stag led the unknowing troops down the south ridge of Lowe through some rocks and brush (a typical Stag shortcut) back to the east trail. We descended back to the Mount Lowe Campground where we picked up our missing hikers and continued down via the Sam Merrill Trail to Echo Mountain and down to Lake Street to end the hike at 3:00PM.

Fifteen hearty hikers re-convened at the John Bull Restaurant and Pub in Pasadena for some good English pub fare and spirits ("Old Peculiar" on tap - Joe Young was in Heaven!). We shall return again. A great group, a great day and a great hike through history, travelling the same routes and ridges that John Muir must have trod nearly 100 years ago.