#7 Mount Wilson

After completing the Challenge, I took it upon myself to summit all 12 possible options, starting with Mount Wilson. I drove to Chantry Flat and found it basically empty on a weekday morning. I took the Sturtevant Trail up past the falls and enjoyed the shade and sounds of running water. After some steep switchbacks, I left the shade for a bit until reaching the summit. I stopped for lunch at the Cosmic Cafe on the summit (my own lunch, the cafe was closed) and enjoyed the views above the clouds. I descended via a combination of the old Mt. Wilson Toll Road and Winter Creek Trails to make it a loop hike. The way down to the toll road was slightly tricky to find from the summit and was slow-going due to some fire damage, but nothing too bad. Just look out for the Poodle-dog bush that has sprouted up everywhere! Just before the area of Hoegee’s Camp, I encountered some hikers who were headed uphill who warned me they had seen “a bunch of bears” near the camp. I proceeded cautiously and saw a mama bear with two cubs a few minutes later. I kept my distance from them and made some noise to let them know I was passing through, and all was fine. Further down the trail, I also saw a doe with two fawns. The animal families were out in force! The last little uphill section back to Chantry Flat was not fun after all the miles I’d put in, but I couldn’t have asked for more out of this hike. Such a fun day!