Moments in Dirt and Ink

Angeles National Forest There are a number of places to start hiking up Waterman Mountain and I chose a more conventional one this time. The day is a dreary grey that I am sure will burn off and I have let the start go a little late waiting for some of that to happen. My previous trip up to the top was an exploration of an abandoned road, and while I managed to put a loop together in the end, it did have a bit of road walking in it. This time, I am starting at a turn out just east of one of the ski resort roads. An unmarked trail climbs the hill a short way and splits, one side heading off east somewhere and one crossing the road to head west. I am going for the west part first, so I take that. Without a lot of ceremony, it delivers me to a second trailhead at the next turnout west, where information boards have been nearly wiped clean by the weather. The well marked trailhead. Sort of. There is no other well used trail from here, but there is a lesser used abandon...

Angeles National Forest Locate the trailhead. Today's grand escapade was found about 27 miles up highway 2 just the other side of Upper Chilao Campground. Well signed and even with a bathroom, we came to... Here be Devils Canyon. Well, on down the trail a while, actually. Devils Canyon! Um, trail. The actual canyon is at the end of the trail as most of it is going down a tributary. And so we headed out into the San Gabriel Wilderness. Also we met our first set of backpackers. The San Gabriel Wilderness starts just the other side of the road from the parking.