What a great hike! I've lived in Southern California all of my life and had never been in this area. We started at Chantry Flat and stopped by to see the pretty waterfall before beginning the ascent in earnest. It was a strenuous climb but not difficult; however, being slow as a turtle (speaking for myself here and not necessarily my hiking companions) it took us all day to complete the round-trip. It turned out to be warmer than expected, somewhere in the 60-degree range, and we quickly shed layers of clothing. Returning via the Mt. Wilson/Sierra Madre and Winter Creek trails was a bit trickier than we expected with very few people along the way. The top of the trail takes you through a recent burn area, and we wondered whether we were on the right track. As we finished up, dark was already falling and city lights twinkled in the distance. Beautiful!

Next up: Maybe Cucamonga Peak, if February weather and trail conditions allow.