This blog will detail 1,000 video hikes in Southern California. By Southern California, I am drawing a line from San Luis Obispo to the Nevada Border. Anything south of that line will be declared "Southern California". In a way, it is a personal challenge to do so many hikes. Mainly, however, it is my way of showcasing how many hiking opportunities there really are right in our own geographic back yard. As a blog, it serves as a companion piece to my Youtube channel "Mike On The Trail". It is also a work in progress, as I don't actually have 1,000 edited videos completed. This will take effort for quite some time before it is declared done. Even then, there will still be more out there. Here's to hiking and all the positive effects it has had on my life...and possibly yours!
Charlton Flats Picnic Area is beyond its glory days for outdoor recreation. Although there are some nice pull in sites, possibly once used for camping in its day, it sits in an area that is mostly off limits to vehicles. It's nearby trails sit mostly overgrown as well. Meanwhile, the picnic area sits near the high point of Vetter Mountain. It is accessible by a forest road, and also an old trail that has fallen into disrepair. I was able to park along Angeles Crest Highway, just outside of Charlton Flats. I then walked in and walked through Charlton Flats. I took the low road at first, which passes through the picnic sites. After reaching an old restroom building, I found the old trail which leaves the road on the left side. It is signed as the Silver Moccasin Trail.
Approaching the Vetter Mountain Lookout.
At least at the time of my visit, this trail was in serious need of attention. It had the look about it like it was not maintained for years. There were even large sections of trail that got washed away by the nearby creek. It had also suffered quite a bit of fire damage over the years. This made the hike a little more adventurous, by climbing over downed trees and debris. Eventually, the trail got clearer as it climbed toward the peak. As it climbed the fire lookout tower came in view. The trail eventually met up with the fire road just below the summit. I climbed the rest of the way to the lookout tower to make the summit official. This is not the original fire lookout tower. The previous one burned in the 2009 Station Fire.
The tower was unmanned on my visit.
When leaving the summit, I chose to take the fire road down. This allowed me to complete a summit loop hike of Vetter Mountain. The road had a higher profile over the area, which allowed me to gain a different perspective on how the recent fires impacted the landscape. There were several burned areas, with an ample supply of poodle dog bushes filling in the open areas. Meanwhile, the views were great along the road. The loop closed shortly before returning to Angeles Crest Highway.
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