WHAT A HIKE! Started early on Saturday at the Mt. Wilson Trail Park in Sierra Madre and did a good chunk of the exposed ascent under overcast conditions. Halfway into the ascent, it felt like hiking through a tropical forest with dense foliage, misty atmosphere (I believe it was the marine layer), bird chirps echoing through the forest, and the occasional pockets of intense fragrance of wild flowers & herbs. The 7 mile, 5000 ft ascent was no joke – but the dreamy ambience made it easier to distract myself from the rigors of the hike. It took about 4 hours to reach the top – right on time to grab a snack at the Cosmic Cafe!! The view from above the clouds was mesmerizing and by the time we started our decent, the clouds had started to dissipate opening up sprawling views of LA county and beyond. We clocked in just under 7 hours for the round trip. Hands down one of my favorite hike in the LA region – can't wait to go back again!

FYI – my friend was greeted to a $40 ticket for “not turning the wheels” while parked on the incline next to the trailhead. Good reminder that those long forgotten DMV test questions have implications in real life too!