Have you seen the San Gabriel Mountains close up in the Spring? Take a walk through history, as we climb up from Altadena to Echo Summit. Here is the site of the White City, a 19th century hotel at the top of an incline railway that was a wonder of the world. From there, we will follow the old trolley line to the site of the Alpine Tavern. There are many interesting picture markers of the old trolley along the way. We will have lunch at the Alpine Tavern.

You will see great vistas of the Los Angeles basin from Inspiration Point after lunch, from the Valley to Santa Monica to Long Beach and Catalina Island, if it is a clear day. The wild flowers should be stunning along the way. From Inspiration Point, we will descend through Castle Canyon, passing an abandoned gold mine along the way, coming back again to the White City before descending to Altadena.

To get to the trailhead, exit on Lake Avenue from the 210 Freeway, go North toward the Mountains until you reach the end of Lake Avenue. There is free parking on the street, although it can get crowded. We will be meeting at the trailhead at 7:30 AM on Sunday May 7, 2006. The trip will take about 8 hours, with an hour stop for lunch. This is a moderately difficult hike, so it is important to be in reasonably good condition. The trailhead is at 1800 feet, the White City is at 3200 feet, and the Alpine Tavern is at 4400 feet. The total vertical climb is 2600 feet over about 5 miles. We descend the same distance in a little over 4 miles.

Bring your ten essentials (listed on GO website at www.greatoutdoorsla.org/essen.html), food, warm/cool weather clothing and at least two liters of water. Carpooling is recommended to help reduce gas cost and parking. There is no fee for this trip and you do not need to pre-register.