Hidden LA

Mountain (mis)Adventure

The twisting drive up the Angeles Crest Highway towards Mt. Wilson alternates between cityscape and the side of the moon, especially at night. This razor thin line between civilization and wilderness is a large part of Mt. Wilson’s charm; the mountain is home to a conglomeration of radio and television towers, but also the Mt. Wilson Observatory, where Edwin Hubble discovered that our universe is expanding while observing the night skies above Los Angeles.

The intersection of modern convenience and unfettered wilderness makes Mt. Wilson a perfect introduction to Los Angeles’ myriad outdoor attractions. It’s one of the most accessible mountains by car and has more trails than any mountain in the San Gabriels. A hike to Mt. Wilson’s peak has all the verdure an afternoon hiker dreams of and from its breathtaking vista points the immense sprawl of Los Angeles takes on a numinous air that we seldom acknowledge while sitting in traffic or navigating a strip mall.
I climbed Mt. Wilson in the evening chill following a warm January day.

We set off on the trail around 8 p.m., marveling at how the plant life was illuminated by stars and the twinkling lights of the city below. It seemed romantic and idyllic until I was scooting on all fours over an ice patch on the dark side of the mountain with the wind whipping around me thinking, “the irony of this is how close I am to downtown LA.” I made my way back to the previous lookout point while my more adventurous friends scaled the top of the icy peak. The glow of L.A.’s many TVs and freeways had never been so comforting. Moral of the story: Don’t miss Mt. Wilson. And skip the icy parts if you don’t have hiking boots.

By Car
CA Route 2 (Angeles Crest Highway) out
of La Cañada/Flintridge. Follow signs for Mt. Wilson.

Link http://www.mtwilson.edu