May 17 – Angeles Crest
We skipped Wrightwood since Randi and Charlie brought us our supplies to the first crossing of Highway 2, the Angeles Crest highway. A shame to pass up a town with such a good reputation amongst hikers, but too good an opportunity for us to pass up.
Randi and Charlie and their two dogs walked with us to Vincent gap, about 4 miles, where we feasted on a picnic lunch they had brought of Subway sandwhiches and beer. Several hikers came through while we were there. After our final farewell to these two wonderful trail suporters, our personal trail angels, we started the climb up Mt Baden Powell.
The climb is as steep as the PCT gets, about 2,800 feet in just under 4 miles, mostly on northfacing slopes. Ten years ago I recalled slogging through several feet of snow, taking three steps forward and slinding two back. There was snow today, but only in a few small patches near the top. The hardest part of today’s climb was carrying the extra undigested weight of foot log sandwiches now inside us.
The top of Baden Powell, at 9,399 ft is not the highest point of the trail, but it is one of the most spectacular. A true “top of the world” feeling with 360 degree views, stunning Mt San Antonio lying just a few miles to the east in resplendant profile, the smog filled LA basin dropping away to the south and the Mojave desert spread out to the north and the San Gabrial mountains sprawling out towads the Tehachapis and Sierra Nevadas lying in our future to northwest. “One Gallon” and Fritz were on top preparing to spend the night.
We descened along a ridge to the west passing several recently burned areas. We stopped for water at Little Jimmy Spring and even though it was geting late by passed the nearby campground. We had run into a southbound section hiker, Capt Bivy who stayed there and had his pack clawed open by a bear last night. So we hiked on a little over 2 more miles to Islip Gap and camped near a road with Southpaw, Plato, Halftrack and Supertramp. Not the best campsite, but the clean and empty trash cans near the parking lot do make good bear proof boxes.
