This was a physical and spiritual experience. Climbing Wilson was grueling, but completely worth it. My final stats from Gaia GPS are as follows.

Total Ascent 4,675 feet

Distance 13.9 miles

Max Altitude 5,585 feet

I went on this hike with my wife and we started a little before 6:30am. As we approached the first switchbacks, looking back toward Arcadia the sunrise was gorgeous. What made this hike so grueling was the trail obstacles (fallen trees, washed out portions, etc.) and the fact that you climb over 3000 feet in 5 miles or less. Every time I thought, “We’re almost at the bench,” or “The peak must be so close,” it was still quite a distance. The hikers passing us down as we were going up would always give good words of encouragement or short time estimates to push you. The last five minutes was so bad, due to the fact that I had no gas left in the tank and I was ready to collapse. My wife was ahead of me and motivated me and I think I couldn’t have done it without her. I learned it’s all mental and you just have to zone out the pain and frustration and do it.

The beauty along the ridges is indescribable. There are a ton of birds, grey squirrels. You could see the snow of Mount Baldy from some of the final ridges as you approach the bench area. We took the Mount Wilson Trail from Sierra Madre. We didn’t take Chantry Flats due to the government shutdown, but found out that it is now open temporarily as the government is now open for at least 3 weeks. Oh well, no regrets, the challenge is everything. The view was surreal and no picture could do it justice.

If you’re prone to blisters like me, I’d tape up and take a pair of extra socks to air out your feet once you get to the top. I got some pretty gnarly blisters on my big toes and one of them popped as I descended the mountain. Take plenty of water and take your time, it’s not a race.