| Peak | Mt Wilson |
|---|---|
| Group | N/A |
| Trailhead | Chantry Flats |
I headed out with my oldest son and niece to get an early start. We made it to Chantry Flats around 6:45 and found the parking lot already full. Fortunately we were able to park at one of the nearest turnouts while we watched a line of cars trying to find parking. If we had been much later we would have ended up adding quite a distance to our hike. By 7 we were on the trail down, making a quick stop at Sturtevant Falls then on to Spruce Grove for our first break. We made great time until the 3 mile climb from Camp Sturtevant to the summit. Turns out I am old and slow…sigh. We finally made it to the top and took some time exploring the area. We made our way down the remnants of the Wilson Toll Road until we hit the Winter Creek Trail. We moved down at a pretty steady pace, but it took a toll on my knees and feet. We ended up slowing down for the last few miles as we were pretty beat at the end. With all our sidetracking and exploring we ended up covering 17.7 miles in 9 hours. It was gorgeous with the recent rains making everything green and plenty of water flowing. The numerous stream crossings added more fun to the hike. This was a great start for the three of us in completing this challenge. It brought me to an area I haven’t hiked in for many years and better yet it was a great day with my son and niece. All three of us had a blast and cant wait to tackle the others.
