I Started my 2018 Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge this past Saturday (1/20/2018) and bagged Mount Wilson! This year, I decided to go old school and take the classic Mount Wilson Trail to the summit. I've summited Mount Wilson three times now and I've taken a different route each time. Taking the MWT this year was the most scenic route but it was also the most challenging for me. This trail really put my strength and endurance to the test with nearly 5,000 feet of elevation gain inside of 7.25 miles.
The first leg of the hike through First Water and Orchard Camp wasn't too bad. But once you leave Orchard Camp, that's when this trail really gets its climb on for the next 1.9 miles. The trail maintains a consistently steep climb and gains another 1,500 feet after it drops you off at Manzanita Ridge. From here you head up to the Mount Wilson Toll Road, and then the final one-mile-ish push to the summit. Speaking of which, the Wilson Fire from last October really left a trail of destruction in its wake. All those beautiful trees are now skeletons and there's not much plant life left either.
It was a super clear day and the views were the best I've ever experienced on Mount Wilson. It was also super cold, expecially when the wind kicked up. All in all this was a great adventure and a great start for the challenge. I'm already looking forward to the next peak!
Responses
Great photos @bighike! I always love when you can see the Pacific Ocean from Mt Wilson.