| Peak | Mt Wilson |
|---|---|
| Group | N/A |
| Trailhead | Chantry Flats |
I decided to hike Mt Wilson solo on Sunday, July 30. I thought it would be a good opportunity to clear my head. I got to the Chantry Flats parking lot shortly after 6:30am and was worried I wasn’t going to get a spot as it was really busy already. Luckily I got one of the last remaining spaces. I headed out to see Sturtevant Falls first. The falls had some water but it certainly wasn’t rushing. It was still beautiful but it was crowded with quite a few adults and kids in and around the water. I snapped a few pictures and headed back to the trail. It didn’t take long to realize that many of the people either hit the trail very early or were just headed to the waterfall as there weren’t many people on the actual trail up to Mt Wilson. It was warm but the shade from the forest and the creek running through it made it much more enjoyable. I found myself alone much of the time, which was nice. Unfortunately, the bugs started getting annoying. I found myself constantly swatting at my face and madly blinking to get them out of my eyes. I ended up putting on the head net that I had tossed in my backpack just before leaving home. It completely solved the bug problem so I am so glad I remembered it! At about a quarter mile past Sturtevant Camp, I was hiking alone when I heard rustling in the shrubs up ahead. It was something big. At first I thought it might be a mountain lion and was really apprehensive but then it climbed up on a downed log and I realized it was a bear. I smacked my hiking poles together to create some noise to scare it away from the trail. It just looked at me and continued scavenging for food. After a few minutes, it decided it had places to go and wandered off so I continued on my way. I hiked behind a small group on the final switchbacks to the top and I think we all struggled to finish. I took a nice long break at the summit to have some snacks and relax. I also checked out the museum, which was very cool. I had a little difficulty finding the Mt Wilson trail to head back down the mountain. I knew it was off of the main parking area but I initially missed the sign. I finally found it and headed down. I had hiking company for a while as a couple hiked about the same speed as me but they eventually stopped and may have taken a side trail off of the winter creek trail. I continued on for what seemed like dozens of miles. I opted for the lower winter creek trail for the last few miles and on the final ascent back up to the Chantry Flats parking lot, had to stop for a few minutes along with some other hikers to allow a good-sized rattlesnake to make its way across the trail. I finally made it back to my car about 4:15 pm. Unfortunately Search and Rescue was there and apparently there had been some kind of incident. Hopefully everything turned out OK with whatever had happened.
