I had been putting off hiking Mt. Wilson until the Forest Service made a decision on Chantry Flat.

I had done the hike a few times on the Mt. Wilson Trail but never from Chantry Flat, which has been closed since late 2020 because of a wildfire. However, the Forest Service announced this week that Chantry Flat would be closed for another year, so I headed back to the Mt. Wilson Trail on Sunday.

This was the most difficult hike I have done this year and the worst I have felt after a hike in some time. That means one thing: The Forest Service should have reopened Chantry…OK, just kidding. It means I have not done proper training in the past several months!

The hardest section mentally and physically for me is the part between Orchard Camp and Manzanita Ridge. It’s a constant internal game of “Is that the ridge?” No. “That has to be the ridge!” Nope.

Anyway, the title of this log. Yes, the bugs were pretty bad at the top; especially, if you sat near the cafe. As a result, I cut my time short at the top and headed down. I still love some of the beautiful sections along the Mt. Wilson trail, made more beautiful by this year’s wet weather.