OK let me start off by saying that I am a real beginner when it comes to serious hiking….. I did read some of the blogs on this hike previous to trying it, and I definitely was unprepared and under estimated the strenuousness of the hike.
I started WAY too late, so when I arrived at the Chantry Flats parking lot it was already overflowing with cars, I was forced to park down the road about 1-1/2 miles from the trailhead. I did not bring a map, I was going to just depend on the signs….and now I realize how helpful the map would have been.
At the Sturtevant Falls junction sign…..I'm pretty sure that I took the harder route up (the upper Falls trail) although it was much more scenic I faced a tough switchback up the side. And at the top of the Falls area there is a scary section where the trail basically fades away and there is just a few small jagged pieces of rock sticking out of the side of the mountain that you must cross to continue on, another blog post I read referred to it as “needing the footing of a mountain goat” or needing to hold onto the side of the mountain to cross….haha I did both, but it was a bit harrowing because below it drops straight into the rocks and the top of the Falls!!!!! I purposely decided to hike this mountain in the winter because I've done the Sturtevant Falls Trail in the summer and the mosquitos were unrelenting and I am doubly allergic to mosquito venom, so It took 2 weeks for all the bites to heal. January was Much much more pleasant, just a few bugs here and there. But speaking of bugs there was an area I entered I think coming up to the Cascade Picnic area that I dubbed “LadyBug Forrest” ?. They were everywhere!!! I felt bad because I knew I was stepping on some of them but there's no way to avoid it.
Passing through the Spruce Grove campsite, I noticed some campers setting up tents for the night, and as I stopped for a second to use the restroom I started reading all of the “Bear warning signs” and became very aware of how remote this area really is.
After a short walk through the magical spruce grove forrest you come upon Sturtevant Camp. As I passed thru I read some of the signage stating that hikers are welcome to refill water at the fountain and rest a bit before continuing on, at the time it was very busy with people who I had assumed were all hikers…..but later I found out it is an operable/rentable camp! Super Cool!! I'd love to come back!!
Just beyond the camp is a mileage marker sign that lets you know that you still have 3 more miles to the summit. At this point I'm pretty tired because of my time crunch I pushed real hard and I didn't rest enough or bring enough food.
Next there is a fairly gradual incline through this boulder field area but the trail is not as defined as the rest of the hike. After trudging thru this much more rocky area I am now totally convinced that I should have gotten hiking boots instead of wearing my tennis shoes. And about halfway through the hike in general I realized I was a fool for leaving my poles behind! And now because of my poor choices in the beginning I am forced to pull my tired body up 2 more miles of daunting switchbacks without poles. About halfway up The tree line opens up a bit and you can see the other mountains and the views around you. This felt like my first real gratifying moment of the hike because I knew I was nearing the top. But little did I know I still had a considerable amount left….So I just kept going…..on the way up I saw 2 deer coming down the mountain. Finally I've reached the top and as I had read in other blogs the top is pretty anti-climactic. You must walk a paved road around the huge Observatory Telescopes to reach the big dirt lot that over looks all of L.A. County.
Where most other hikers adventure would be just about ending…..mine was about to begin….. first the café at the top was not open when I reached it, I had anticipated being able to get something to eat and rest a bit before heading back. But honestly I didn't really even have time for that, I reach the summit way-way too late in the day. I'm now exhausted and a little nauseous, and feeling like I might not be able to make it back down… so I asked a few people in the parking lot for a ride, but because of circumstances they couldn't help me. And because I didn't bring a map I wasn't really sure which way to go down to reach the trail that looped back so I turned around and headed back the way I came up.
Once I had left the summit, and started heading back I realized what a grave mistake I had made in not turning around sooner. The sun was starting to set, and it was starting to set fast. I am alone, tired and now worried about how dark it's getting. At this point I am almost running down the switchbacks and all my noise kept sending these few birds fluttering through the trees and it's echoing in the darkness increasing my fear…..I slipped and almost twisted my ankle, thankful but slightly teary eyed I picked myself up and ran even faster because my anxiety was through the roof thinking about how bad that could have been because I knew at that point if I really did hurt myself, no one was going to come through there until sometime in the next morning and I would be stuck and injured. Now I've reached the boulder field area where I said before the trail is not as defined and everything looks the same especially in the pitch darkness. I've already had my tiny little headlamp out for quite a while guiding my way, but had to hold it to the ground and not wear it on my head. I'm not gonna lie I was pretty much in panic mode at this point……I started yelling at the top of my lungs “hello” “anyone” “help” while I'm running, but the forrest is so dense no one can hear me even though I can hear myself echo in the trees. I came around a bend and I saw a light and heard voices….it was Sturtevant Camp!!! I stumbled in and plopped my exhausted body in the chair outside the “main hall”.
There was a group of people there and one nice man asked me if I was ok….I said no, I'm exhausted and I'm scared to continue on in the dark (because I was remembering the area above the Falls I would have to cross). He asked me if I had eaten and I said no….he took me inside, put me at a table in front of the fireplace and got me a huge plate of food and gave me lemon aid and hot cocoa. It turns out this was a Long Beach (where I live too!!!!) chapter of Boy Scouts and leaders that rented out the camp for the holiday weekend. The man who brought me inside went and told “Dan” the wonderful man who runs Sturtevant Camp my situation. He came and asked me if I was injured, I said no just totally exhausted, I could barely even eat bacause my eyes kept wanting to shut. He got some phone numbers for my loved ones from me and called down to the rangers office and had them contact my loved ones so that no one would send search and rescue when I didn't return for the night….OMG how embarrassing!!!! But SOOOO incredibly thankful for everyone's hospitality!!!! Dan set me up in “The Rangers Room” with lots of blankets, water, a lantern and some almonds in case I needed more protein, but I just curled up on the cot and slept like a thousand pounds of rocks. In the morning they offered me some breakfast before I started my pain staking 5 miles back to the car. I thanked everyone for their kindness and offered them the little bit of cash I had but of course no one would take my money.
As I left Sturtevant Camp I was overwhelmed with emotion and started to cry. Forever grateful for these wonderful people and also proud of my accomplishment and glad I was gonna make it back (even though it almost ended badly) so I took it suuuuper slow on the way back…every muscle in my calfs were aching, my bad knee was inflamed, and my ankle that I almost twisted was causing me to limp, not to mention that my upper buttocks muscles were on FIRE, and in my frenzy running down the switchbacks my toe nails jammed down into my nail beds and bruised them under the nail so every step I took felt like the tips of my toes were gonna bleed. But I made it, one foot in front of the other…looking like a zombie all the way back to my car.
Seasoned hikers will probably laugh at this story but I told it not to discourage anyone but to hopefully help a “newbie” not make the same foolish mistakes I made. I've learned a lot and know exactly how to prepare for the next mountain. What an adventure! I can't wait to get out there again!
Responses
I am SOOO glad you friended me on this site! I am a new hiker too, and although I haven’t had quite THIS type of experience, it has only been because I hike with my girlfriend and friends, who are experienced hikers. But I definitely know that feeling of being unprepared! and of that underestimating how much of your strength and energy you are going to need. I have cried several times on several trails. To make you feel better, my girlfriend tells the story of her first hike on Wilson getting lost on the descent and ending up 14 miles away in Eaton Canyon. They had to Uber back to their car! One thing I always do that might help you…I always look up the trails on ModernHiker.com. He is pretty thorough with trail description and photos. I take screenshots so that I can still see them even if there’s no cell service. This way, you don’t necessarily need a map, but you have a trail guide of some sort. I also try and time my hikes so that I know about how many minutes I average per mile. I am SLOW…at some points VERY SLOW… I took 4 1/2 hours to go up and 3 1/2 hours to go down Mount Wilson. That’s about 35 minute miles (I usually go about 40 minute average, with some of those miles being like 80 minute! Ha!). But when you know the time it takes you to do a hike, you can better plan when to leave by. For the 6 pack hikes, you should be leaving before sunrise all the time or you won’t have enough time–as a new hiker I know this too well. You’d rather start in the dark (with a headlamp!) because it gets light usually within an hour and get back by mid afternoon. Rather than get yourself in a situation where it’s just getting darker and darker. And always bring your poles, 3L of water, and food. I hope this doesn’t sound preachy. I am just trying to genuinely share some of the things I have learned in this past year that really helped me out. If you are worried about hiking alone, you are welcome to join us on our next hike. I don’t usually invite people because I am so slow and need lots of breaks, but I welcome other beginners.