Mathematics Department Hike

date: Sunday, October 16, 2005
location: San Gabriel Wilderness, Mt. Waterman and (optional) Twin Peaks
meeting place: parking lot on north side of hwy 2, apprx 1 mile east of Mt. Waterman ski lift
meeting time: 9:30 AM (count on 90 minute drive from West L.A.)
note: legal parking requires Angeles Forest parking permit (Adventure pass)

 

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Brief desciption:

The hike starts off hwy 2 at altitude apprx. 6,500 ft. There are two options:

• a 5.2-mile loop which gets you to the top of Mt. Waterman (8,038 ft).
• same loop with an additional 8-mile "detour" to Twin Peaks (7,761 ft).

The maps above give you the detail of the topography (the Mt. Waterman loop is drawn in black dashed line). Half of Mt. Waterman loop runs on a fire road but the terrain is generally too rough for strollers. However, the easier option is doable by 3+ year old kids (this has been an extremely successful hike despite 3 ft of snow all over the mountain). Remember to bring good amount of water, sunscreen and warm clothes. We are going pretty high so the conditions can be quite different from what we are used to down here.

Directions:

Leave West L.A. by taking I-405 to the Valley, then join Fwy 101 east. Turn on Fwy 134 until you pass Burbank and then take Fwy 2 -- also known as Glendale Fwy -- north which means "away from L.A. downtown." Drive 4-5 miles until Fwy 2 joins I-210 (the Foothill Fwy), but once you get on I-210 don't leave the right lane 'cause you will be exiting right away. Take the first exit, drive up to the traffic light and turn left; you will be crossing an overpass over the I-210. Believe it or not, the long, straight and steadily-climbing road ahead of you is still Hwy 2, from now on called Angeles Crest Hwy. Drive on it for about 30 miles east (the road is closed after 40 miles from I-210) ignoring all sorts of turns on the way -- particularly, the one to Mt. Wilson. Once you see Mt. Waterman ski lift, you know you are only about 1 mile away from the parking lot.

Parking permit:

In order to park legally, you will need Angeles Forest parking permit which can be purchased (I am told) at Big-5 or at the Ranger Station about 10 miles into the drive on Hwy 2. The pass is $5 for one day. If you hike in these areas a lot, you may consider buying an annual pass ($30 for one; $5 extra for the second pass).

Carpooling:

Seva Joukhovitski and Jim Ralston offer rides. Please get in touch with them if you need one. (Also, let Marek Biskup know if you have room in your cars.)