Oak Grove Park to Bear Canyon Junction and Return - 20 miles. Difficulty: Moderate. NO WATER AVAILABLE.
This was it! My first long trail run in the San Gabriels in years. You may leave your car in Oak Grove Park in the Hahamonga Watershed Park and cross the Arroyo at the foot of JPL and head up the Gabrielino Trail into the National Forest to Oak Wilde Campground and beyond via Gould Mesa. The route is pleasantly shaded by oak and laurel and would make for a pleasant run even under hot conditions.. The trail skips to and fro over the creek which still serves as a major water source for Pasadena. The five miles from Oak Wilde to Switzer's is a good climb with impressive scenery and some steep scary drop offs into the canyon. The last half is largely exposed to the east without the pleasant tree cover of the lower altitudes so be prepared for heat here. If you decide that Switzer's is too much of an affort, you can turn around at Bear Canyon Junction about 2/3 of the way to Switzers from Oak Wilde. I DON'T recommend trying Bear Canyon unless you have LOTS of time and water, and preferably a companion. Bear Canyon actually comes out at Tom Sloane Saddle at the west end of the loop around Mt. Lowe. The scenery down in Bear Canyon is wonderful, but the footing is very poor and the trail non exsistent in places, so this route takes some time.
Gould Canyon, La Canada Trail, Lukens Connector Trail- 15 miles. Difficulty: Severe NO WATER AVAILABLE.
This route starts at Starbucks/Trader Joes on Gould Ave and Foothill Blvd and heads up one of Hampton Ave to a nice shaded bridal path that winds its way around the neighborhoods. After a mile or so it becomes the Gould Canyon Trail (probably a connector here somewhere over to Gould Mesa). This trail follows the creek through residences that become older and more rustic as the way progresses up the canyon, past a debris dam. At last the canyon trail passes under a big concrete bridge that I know to be Angeles Crest Highway and the sounds of the city and the drone of the 210 freeway will fade away to leave just the sound of your footsteps. At a trail junction a sign says that 0.9 miles to the west is the "Lukens Connector Trail". I used to run to Lukens regularly, but with a starting point at the trail head on the other side of the mountains off the Angeles Crest Highway. The .9 miles is uphill, but easy enough - then the real work begins. Be sure to look for a small clearing where there is a signpost, but no sign on it. On the east side beyond a beat up picnic table is the Connector Trail. The Trail is an EXTREMELY steep climb that quickly becomes unrunnable. You will probably use your hands in several places to balance and keep from falling. Fully exposed to the sun the climb quickly becomes a "character builder". After what seems an eternity, but is probably, in fact, less than a mile of misery, the trail opens onto a meadow with, of all things, a giant Indian style teepee at the edge overlooking the city. Turns out it is a boy scout retreat. On a clear day the view is spectacular with vistas of Catalina and Palos Verdes to the southwest and Saddle Peak in the Coast Range to the west. It's about five miles from the Teepee to Mt. Lukens, but be prepared. It is hot, exposed, uphill and there is NO WATER. There is a junction at one of the saddles before the last long grind up to Lukens that takes you to Grizzly Flats, an extablished pine plantation from the 60's - DOWN hill away from Lukens, but a nice side trip. The road also leads to Angeles Crest Highway and is one of the eastern approaches to Lukens.
El Prieto, Lower Brown Mountain Road to Ken Burton Trailhead and back. 16 Miles. Difficulty: Moderate NO WATER AVAILABLE
This run starts at Oak Park as well and heads up the Arroyo, branching to the right at the Ranger residences following the sign toward Brown Mountain Road. Another 1/4 mile and El Prieto Trail branches to the left. El Prieto is generally shaded, and while not easy, it is not a killer either. The trail criss crosses the small creek and zigs around the debris dams that are interspersed in the canyon. El Prieto comes out on Lower Brown Mountain Road. Brown Mountain was named for Owen and Jason Brown, sons of famous Civil War abolitionist, John Brown. The Brown cabin ruins as well as the grave of Owen Brown can be found nearby. In fact, Owen Brown once worked for Professor Lowe, the visionary who designed the Mt. Lowe Railway! After hitting Brown Mountain Road, bear left to the Ken Burton trail junction. Signs will direct you west to the Ken Burton Trail. The scenery is great. Reaching the saddle where the Ken Burton Trail you turn around and head back the way you came unless you want to do the Oakwilde return route (see the next trail route description). In the summer most of this run is exposed, so start early and carry water as it gets quite hot on the long south facing stretches of Brown Mountain Road.
Mouse over the pictures for a description of the scene
El Prieto, Lower Brown Mountain Road to Ken Burton Trail to Oakwilde then back via the Gabrielino Trail. 17.5 Miles. Difficulty: Moderate. NO WATER AVAILABLE
Follow the same route as the El Prieto run listed above, but after reaching the saddle where the Ken Burton Trail begins it's a two and one half mile drop down to Oakwilde some 1000 feet below. The trail does not appear to be maintained well and is quite overgrown in sections, at least when I was last on it. If you don't like bush whacking, you'll turn around and head back down the way you came as in the run listed above. But, if you head down Ken Burton, you will end up at the very pretty campsite at Oakwilde. Then head back down the Arroyo on the Gabrielino trail to Oak Grove Park. It's pleasant and shaded and makes for a nice finish to the run if you are hot and tired. There is water at the ranger residence just before the fork off of Gabrielino to El Prieto, but this water is at the very end of the run with only a couple of miles left to survive. I have been happy to refill my bottles, however, on more than one occasion!
Mt Lukens via Haines Canyon. 12 miles Difficulty: Moderate NO WATER AVAILABLE
This route starts at the head of Haines Canyon on Haines Canyon Road. You can exit of the 210 at Lowell Ave and head to Tujunga Canyon Blvd, turning right on Haines Canyon, right on Day Street and left up Haines Canyon again. Be SURE not to park inside the gate at the top - it may be locked when you come back! Also, be aware of the no parking signs at the top of Haines Caynon Blvd. The route winds up Haines Canyon Motorway on dirt fireroad all the way to the peak. It is a long slow steady grind that gains about 3000 feet in 6 miles. The footing is by and large pretty good, but do watch out for rattlesnakes. I have seen several sunning themselves in the middle of the fire road. A few shaded sections exist, but the road is mostly exposed to the west, so in the summer it will be a better early morning run. There is an alternate for a portion of the run that is a trail that has just been groomed and while the route is a bit shorter, it is all in the shade. See the desrciption of this route below. It would be the preferred summer route, I think.
Mt Lukens via Haines Canyon with trail segment. 10.5 miles Difficulty: Moderate NO WATER AVAILABLE
This route is the same except as the fireroad version of the Mt. Lukens run described above, except that when you come to the first junction in the road after the large oak grove on the left you bear to the left. If you bear to the right you will go through a red and white heavy bar gate with the words "Road Closed" painted on it. If you see the gate, you turned wrong. You head east up a trail past a weird flat area with an old electrified fence around it. This used to be an apiary and the fence kept bears out! The trail is quite nice and shaded and continues along Haines Canyon finally splitting at a sign that says "Sister Elsie" to the left and "Mt Lukens" to the right. Sister Elsie is the former name of Mt. Lukens. Bear to the right up the Mt Lukens side and you will pass an old wrecked Volkswagen that plummeted off the side of the fire road some time back. Soon you rejoin the fireroad and continue on up to Mt. Lukens as in the run listed above. This route would be the preferred summer route due to the shade. It's also quite scenic.
