Mount Hawkins, Throop Peak, Middle Hawkins, South Mount Hawkins (LO), Sadie Hawkins

11 August 1996

By: Joe Young

Leaders: Joe Young, Bobcat Thompson, Stag Brown, Ann Kramer

Sixteen hikers met at the Azusa rideshare point at 7 am and sorted themselves into a few vehicles for the caravan to Windy Gap road head at Crystal Lake. At the road head announcements were made and we were off at 8:25 am, Stag leading.

We arrived at Windy Gap at about 10 am and were greeted by Bobcat Thompson, who had camped at Little Jimmy campground the previous night, watching for the Perseid meteor showers. He reported that a dozen or so were seen, none bolides. Soon Mike Baldwin and Sandy Houston, who had camped with Bobcat, joined us at the Gap.

From here, Bobcat and deputized assistant Ann Kramer led the group, minus Stag, Joe and Sandy (who hiked to the turn off to Middle Hawkins), to Hawkins and Throop. Laura Webb, another Perseid meteor shower camper, soon joined Joe, Stag, and Sandy at the junction to Middle Hawkins. At about 1 pm Bobcat and the main group returned to the junction to Middle Hawkins. At this point Bobcat and his Perseid meteor campers returned to their vehicles on the Crest Highway, and Stag and Joe and the rest of the group headed south for Middle Hawkins.

The group stayed briefly on Middle Hawkins and on "Sadie Hawkins." We appreciated the views of the nearby peaks and we enjoyed the forested portion of the ridge from just north of "Sadie Hawkins" to South Hawkins. Proceeding to South Hawkins, we preferred the trail to the road. Again, after a brief stay on its summit, we regrouped at the intersection of the trail to South Hawkins and the road. We left this point at about 3:45 pm, and proceeded to the cars, the last arriving at about 5:25 pm.

This was a beautiful day for hiking. The temperature was pleasantly warm, and a few dark clouds never posed a threat. While there were few breezes, it should be noted that NO BUGS pestered us today!

Thanks to Stag for doing most of the leading, to Bobcat for his share of the leading, and to Ann Kramer who graciously volunteered to assist Bobcat while Joe and Stag rested.

This was the 50th anniversary of the "Hundred Peaks Game" outing of August 11, 1946 to the same peaks. That hike, led by Henry Greenhood, was featured on the front page of the Los Angeles Times. (Jack Bascom, co-leader 50 years ago, assures me that our hiking route today was the same as the outing 50 years ago.) That outing actually began with the drive from various points in Los Angeles and environs to Crystal Lake taking place on the previous day, because it took so long to get there. We often forget what a difference freeways make to our outings.