I'm now in my early 50s, been on a number of big backpacking and hiking trips over the years, but oh, the year of Covid lockdown and next year spent recouping from it really has me out of shape.  If I'm going to manage these 12-17 mile trips up to 10K foot + peaks, I figure I need to work my way back into shape gradually.  So today, I started my “Six Pack of Peaks” SoCal challenge with a familiar hike – Strawberry Peak.  I've summited it twice (when much younger) from the Colby Canyon trail and the more dangerous northern ridge.  Not ready to repeat that exposed rock-climbing route this year, so I went with the suggested route up from Red Box Picnic Area, right at the entrance to the Mt. Wilson road, a route I last hiked in 2019.

Started at 6:45, a bit later than I'd hoped, but the day was cooler than usual for July.  Still 70 degrees at the start of the hike, so figured it would be hot on the way down.  I love the gentle start of this hike, and the first two miles go fast… gentle switchbacks with some brief oak tree shade, but you're quickly into lush chaparral.  Once past the fire break on Mt. Lawlor, you're on the traverse around the west-facing side of that peak, so shaded in the early morning and great views of the receding marine layer and the Santa Monica Mountains.  Strawberry looked great as I cruised into Lawlor saddle in just over 35 minutes, cruising in the early going through this first stage.

The second stage of this hike is the rather brutal ridge trail that takes you over 4 “false peaks” until you reach the final stretch up to the top.  I put that in quotes because they're not false peaks so much as rocky knobs along the ridge that the trail simply goes over when around would seem much easier.  About a mile and a half long, this stretch has some steep, rocky scrambles and sandy loose soil that make for somewhat treacherous hiking, especially on the way down.   There's also virtually no shade at this point, so glad I had that early start.  Once you see pines on the ridge to the right, you're ready for the final push up to the top, a more gentle trail where by my count there are but two false peaks before you get to the top.

There are many more signs up here than the last time I came up.  I was glad to get there by 8:35, under two hours, with the sun climbing and very little breeze.  Not setting speed records, but a good time for my first hike in a long while.  I saw just one other solo hiker on the trail, and he made it up about 15 minutes behind me.  Took lots of photos, especially of the backside of Mt. Wilson, Mt. Baldy, and I believe San Jacinto out in the distance.

As for wildlife, the bees were out in force on the white flowers of what I think were hoary ceanothus; many, many whiptail lizards along the trail; even saw a small snake, maybe a racer or garter snake; beautiful swallowtail butterfly near the peak, and of course the hummingbirds, scrub jays, and ravens all made appearances overhead.  Lots of flies in the shrubs at the top, but thankfully they were not interested in me.

Made it back to the parking lot at Red Box by 10:30am; washed the dirt off my legs and called it a good start.  Now to decide… what's next?  Mt. Wilson?  Or maybe Baden-Powell?  Would love to hear how the Mt. Wilson route from Chantry Flat is looking just a couple of years after fire.   Thanks for reading!