Having heard about the 4 mile hike up with an elevation gain of 2803 feet, I never rushed out to do it. The Boy Scouts were going on an overnight campout and going to hike the Mt. Baden Powell the next day. I beguiled Jacob by telling him we were going camping and then going on a four mile hike. I did not tell him it was straight up hill and that it would take another four miles to get back.
Mt. Baden Powell
The campout went well. We found a geocache that was hidden on a trial less than a quarter of a mile from out camp. It was a big container and had lots of goodies. Jacob grabbed Little Nutbrown Hare, a travel bug dog tag. We slept under the stars while everyone else was in tents. The only problem we had was small caterpillar like insects would occasionally fall out of the tree above us. Nothing like a little challenge while trying to sleep. I also received the text message that Natalie, my Dads wife was taken to the hospital for heart problems.
The next morning, we were up at 5:00 and gone by 5:40 to travel the short distance to the trailhead. Once at the trail head we began our assent. The average speed up the hill was one mile per hour. It was a good workout. Jacob had me take a picture of the clouds heading from the LA basin out towards the high desert.
Looking West on the way up the trail
We finally made it to the top. Once there, we went to look for the geocache that was close to the top. We could not find it so I thought we should eat lunch and then look. Relaxing for lunch was great.
Lunch time at the top
Looking for the geocache was a challenge. We enlisted the scouts to find it. The coordinates put us in one place and the cache could not be found. The hint was to go to the monument on the top and head due north for 130 feet. I left the boys and walked to the monument, found due north and began walking. I was heading east of where we had been looking. About then I hear the boys yelling, we found it, we found it. It was in the exact place the hit described and 35 feet due east from where the coordinates took us. We signed the log and returned the geocache.
Geocachers
We went back up to the top and Jacob took my picture.
Me at the top
Jacob wanted his picture taken in front of a 1,500 year old tree.
Jacob and the 1,500 year old tree
From there Jacob took many photos logging our trip back home. One of which is below and could be considered incriminating to the designated driver.
Evidence
The hike was great. He wants to put together a video of our hike and the one we are going on next month. It is fun to get out into the wilderness and spend time with one of my boys. As for the trip home we stopped at Jensen’s, a market in Wrightwood to get some ice cream. I got the pint of Ben and Jerry’s Cookie Dough ice cream and Jacob got a couple of lunchables. We headed down the mountain to my Dads house for a visit.
