2018-11-26 Barley Flats

Solo hike to meet my fellow Meanderthals on the summit of Barley Flats. The main group were doing an ambitious route up the Strawberry Peak Trail, thence cross-country up and over Mount Lawlor, continuing down Lawlor's east ridge and over 5 or 6 bumps to finally arrive at Barley Flats. Although the ridge burned in the 2009 Station Fire, it has regrown to become a real bushwhack. I elected to hike up the Barley Flats Access Road, planning on meeting the group, but arrived on top, had lunch, and departed a couple of hours before they staggered up, bloodied and scratched by their experience. They had good stories to tell, but I'm glad I went my way on this beautiful fall day in the San Gabriel Mountains of Southern California.