Saturday, April 25, 2015

#3 - Eaton Canyon (Night Hike)

05/25/2013

Altadena, California

Eaton Canyon has always been one of my favorite hikes. I have been hiking this trail ever since I was a Webelo Scout but was recently turned off by it due to a grossly overpopulated trail. Don’t get me wrong… I am happy that many people have found the time to get out and explore the outdoors, but it just isn’t for me. Eaton Canyon is becoming increasingly popular because it is an easy hike for beginners with no noticeable elevation gain.

The trail has many shallow river crossings making it a lot more enjoyable and adventurous. After the first mile, the trail is shrouded with trees creating a good cast of shade throughout the rest of the hike.  Eaton Canyon ends with a beautiful waterfall deep enough to swim in and refreshing enough to picnic next to. To avoid the crowd and heat, I decided to take an adventurous hike at night. Although parking is free, the parking lot closes at 5:00pm and reopens at 9:00am, so I was forced to park alongside the adjacent neighborhood. The night sky was pretty clear on occasion. The moon blessed us with a beautiful tint of light that guided us through the first mile of the trail with ease. I eventually had to use my flashlight as I reached the river crossings.

Distance: ~3.5 miles (Out-and-Back)

Elevation Gain: 436 ft.

Final Elevation: ~1,362 ft.

Directions to the start of the trail: Use the directions feature in Google Maps and enter the following coordinates exactly as shown. This will take you straight to the parking lot at the beginning of the trail. Parking is free!

34.176400, -118.098538

Beginning of the Trail (keep to your right) 
Note: There is a horse trail! Remember the proper yielding etiquette!

Small fork in the road. Make a left here.

Continuing on... Glad I brought my flashlight.
 
Vandalized sign and the god-awful irony.
"Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are right here. Please help protect it."

Awesome Bridge! If you continue on to the right, you’ll reach a vehicular route to Mt. Wilson. The Eaton Canyon Trail continues under the bridge.
 
Breathtaking. Continuing on the trail below the bridge.
 
Hiking parallel to the river after our first river crossing.
 
Continuing on...
 
Made it!
 
Long Exposure Fail. My handwritten numbers weren’t showing up well in the dark so I had to use my phone. Couldn't keep my hands still enough for the camera. #3.

Chris’s Difficulty Scale – 1/10

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