Twelve participants joined the three leaders for this easy stroll in the Angeles Forest. The fifteen two-footed hikers were joined by three generally well-behaved canines.
Meeting at 8 AM at La Cañada, the group consolidated and commenced the drive to Cloudburst Summit, about thirty-two (32) miles from La Cañada. Skies were clear, temps moderate at the trail head.
While passing around the HPS sign-in sheet/waiver, Stag asked the group to introduce themselves and add a little information, which everyone did. Just past 9 AM we began the hike.
Winston Peak was ascended via standard route. We found a register on the summit block.
At about 10 AM joe led the group to the ridge leading northeasterly to the saddle south of peak 6903'. This ridge is steep, and many took a fall en route. But there were no incidents. Once at the saddle the leaders and long-time but seldom seen (at least recently) hiker Gary Murta recalled how our first encounters with that ridge required strict cross-country route finding; now there is a nice, though steep, trail from the summit of Winston Peak to the saddle. Stag observed that a few dark clouds were forming.
Joe led the group on the trail that sidehills the west side of peak 6903' to the saddle north of peak 6903'. After another brief respite, we began the hike along beautiful Winston Ridge. Joe and others noted the evidence of recent rain along the trail. (An unusual westerly shift of the monsoonal summer weather pattern that normally brings thunderstorms to Arizona and New Mexico had brought daily rain showers throughout Southern California during the previous week.) We arrived at the summit of Winston Ridge (11 AM). There we enjoyed a brief lunch under now partly cloudy skies.
At about 11:30 we began the return. Joe led the group to the saddle north of 6903', then around the west side to the saddle south of 6903'. Stag led the group back to the cars via the PCT/road. Reina Lee Brown, Nami & Joe swept and examined tadpoles in puddles along the road en route. Most participants arrived at the cars before 1 PM. No rain developed today.
Reina Lee Brown, now age 7, daughter of Stag and Nami, handled herself quite nicely today.
