I begin this post with a shout out to G, who provided inspiration for this hike – thanks, G! I had heard of the Echo Mountain House and Mt. Lowe Railway while I was on my San Gabriels History hike to Sturtevant Camp, but it wasn’t until she sent me a link to the trail description that I realized how easy this was to get to.
P and I left home at 11 this morning and were on the trail before noon. I won’t describe all the details of the trail, as many people have already done a far better job. But I will say that this day was one of the clearest I have ever seen. And we haven’t had rain lately to clear the air, nor have we had strong Santa Anas. But the views we had were unparalleled. From Catalina to Pasadena, from the San Bernardino Mountains to the Verdugo Hills and beyond, we could see all of the LA basin clearly.
The weather was warm – I wouldn’t want to take this hike in the summer, but today it was bearable. The trail was well-maintained and not to steep. We originally intended to go as far as Inspiration Point, but time constraints forced us to instead just focus on getting to the ruins of the Echo Mountain House, 2.7 miles from the start of the trail.
When you reach the ruins (the hotel complex and observatory were destroyed by firestorms in the early years of the 1900s), you can still get a clear sense of what a great place it must have been. The foundation is still present, and signs with pictures help describe what the scene was like. There are still remnants of the tracks from the Mt. Lowe Incline, and a few pieces of equipment. While the hike up the mountain was pretty exposed with minimal shade, there is ample shade on the back side of the hill – next time we vowed to bring a picnic to enjoy in the shady grove.
To say we weren’t alone would be an understatement. This has to be one of the most popular trails I’ve hiked on – maybe even more people than Runyon Canyon. Next time I vow to bring a tape recorder to catch the random snippets of conversation you hear when you pass someone. I’m sure there was quite a story behind the “whipped cream” discussion one couple was having!
As we were coming back down, I marvelled that I’ve lived here 17 years and never done this trail – it was fantastic in terms of the terrain, views and history. I’ll definitely be back to explore more.
(more pictures here)
Tags: hike
January 21st, 2009 at 8:49 pm
I feel so honored to have made the blog! This hike is one of my favorites for people new to LA or new to hiking. It’s just so cool, especially on a clear day. I also recommend adding 4 extra miles (2 miles each way) and taking the turn up to Inspiration Point. There’s a great little lookout at the top and very few people after this part.