Catalina View and Two Peaks

Saturday, Irene and I went on a nice walk with Irene's friend Nancy. We meet at the small parking lot off Palos Verdes Drive and walked out to Hawthorne Rd. It was only a 7 mile walk, but other than the rain, it was really nice. I was glad that Irene and I both had our rain jackets on. Whenever the clouds parted, we were able to see out to Catalina. Nancy took us on a different route than we normal go. It was a nice change. I hope Nancy comes out again. As always, we stopped at the Saint Honore French Bakery for coffee and muffins. It was a nice start for our Avon Walk training. We have until May to get ready for the first one.

Our favorite breakfast stop

Distance:	7.28 mi
Time:	2:01:17
Avg Pace:	16:40 min/mi
Elevation Gain:	449 ft
Calories:	515 C

Then Jenny and I went for a hike on Sunday. It was a little tricky because of the weather. It was cold and very rainy in the morning. Jenny went for a trail run in early. After eating some lunch, we waited for the rain to slow down before we took off. We drove up Route 2, the Angeles Cress Highway, about 14 miles from La Canada. Then up Red Box Road towards Mt Wilson.

Once we found the parking lot at Eaton Saddle, and got out of the car, we realized it was really cold. 37 degrees and very damp. The starting was already pretty high - 5,184 feet. I was very happy to have a wool hat, gloves wool socks and a rain coat. We started up the path, and found rocks every where. The Station fire went right through this area. I assume that the loss of plants and the recent rains knocked rocks all over the pathway. The path goes through a dark tunnel. From Marham Saddle, you can choose either a path or fire road towards Mt. Lowe, or a steep path toward Mt Disappointment and San Gabriel Peak.

We hiked up towards Mt Disappointment through the clouds. Occasionally the clouds would blow away and provide an amazing view of the valleys below. We were really lucky that it was clear when we got to the top of Mt Disappointment, which is just over 6,000 feet. We then hiked back down a bit and up to San Gabriel Peak. At 6,209 feet, that is one of the highest points in the area. I have read that the views are amazing, but we were in the middle of the clouds. So we didn't see much. Still, it was a good hike.

Elevation

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         Time (h:m:s)             Distance (mi)     

After a quick snack, we headed down with the idea of going a few miles on the Mt. Wilson Rim Trail. Just as we got within a few yards of the car, it started to snow. As we headed up towards Mt. Wilson, it was so foggy, it was hard to see. We decided to stay in the car, rather than hike more. I was sure glad we did. It started to hail and rain soon after that. In fact, it poured and hailed all the way down the road back to La Canada.

So pretty short hike today, but a good climb. And although I am still breathing really hard on the inclines, I feel like I am recovering faster. I just need to keep working on it.

Summary

Distance:	4.10 mi
Time:	2:00:29
Avg Pace:	30:00 min/mi
Elevation Gain:	1,309 ft
Calories:	565 C

Avg HR:	128 bpm
Max HR:	160 bpm

Directions: