Month: May 2026

Mount Wilson from Chantry Flat in May

@serafinahikes

It is mid-May, and there has not been much rain, so the terrain is fairly dry. There is a waterfall nearby, but I am unsure if today will be the day, I return to it. I have hiked from Chantry Flat, once before. It is a beautiful area for hiking, in Santa Anita Canyon. It is a popular hiking destination, accessed by a winding road, with a 15 mph speed limit, from Sierra Madre, below. The area has been affected by wildfires, and recently re-opened after the Eaton Fire tore through, the same day Pacific Palisades burned. I began my hike from Chantry Flat to Mount Wilson along Upper Winter Creek Trail around 8:30 am. It would be a 9.5 hour day of hiking, with a 30 minute break, for a total of 10 hours. I hiked 15.7 miles through all types of terrain, to complete what many consider one of the most iconic hikes in the Angeles Forest.

Mount Baldy Summit #7 on Mother’s Day Weekend

@serafinahikes

I was here for summit #7 of Mount Baldy. What a crowd on a Saturday on a holiday weekend. It was jam packed with cars at Manker Flats, so much I had to park a 1/4 mile down the road. I began hiking at 7:30 am, headed past beautiful San Antonio Falls, which was flowing at full blast, making a right on Baldy Road, and then a left soon after, up Baldy Bowl Trail. This would be my 2nd time to Mount Baldy aka Mount San Antonio (Elevation 10,064 ft) this year, and my 2nd May summit. I was here today with an awesome group of hikers, in honor of moms for a Mother's Day weekend hike, during one of the most crowded weekends to hike of the year. I was back at my car by 2:15 pm, and had made good time on this one, along with being grateful to make it back safely. My hike was 10 miles with 4200 foot of gain. Until next time Mount Baldy! Mount San Antonio is named for St. Anthony of Padua, whose birthday is August 15th. The Tongva tribe referred to the peak as Joat, which means snow. The mountain receives a lot of press, due to the extreme environment it becomes in winter, which now results in closures, after multiple fatalities of hikers in winter.