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!
There is more than one way to reach the summit of Azusa Peak. I had previously climbed the southern slope via the Garcia Trail. That option was closed off about a decade ago, which left me to consider other options. I found a really good one which accesses Glendora Ridge Motorway to the east.
Taking a look a the summit of Peak 2675.
The hike starts from Glendora Mountain Road. Glendora Ridge Motorway is closed to cars, so it served as a nice wide hiking trail across the ridge. The pathway passes near a few summits on the ridge. A brief scramble off the road to reach the summit occurred with each one of them. These were peaks, 2583, 2675, and Peak 2596.
A secret swing on the way to Azusa Peak.
To reach Azusa Peak, I actually had to descend to it after reaching Peak 2596. It is about a 600 foot drop to reach it, which was nice, but of course I had to re-climb it in order to get back to the car. Overall, this is a very underrated part of the San Gabriel Mountain Range. There are great city views and some nice shaded portions of trail. There is even a secret swing location before arriving at Azusa Peak.
On the summit of Azusa Peak.
As always, it was great for me to revisit Azusa Peak after a decade of non-visits. Returning along Glendora Ridge Motorway had more ups and downs to deal with, and certainly made for a challenging but enjoyable hike.
Heading back up the ridge toward Peak 2596.
I saved Peak 2583 for last, which allowed me to exert the last bit of climbing necessary to complete the ridge crossing. A few of the summits had cement foundations, hinting at being an area of importance at one time. Now, they are just scars on the mountain tops. This is a hike that is great for cool weather and cloud free days. Then again, what hike in Southern California isn't?
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