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!
Mount Islip is a classic San Gabriel Mountains hike. It is reachable from a handful of different trailheads. The approach from Islip Saddle via Angeles Crest Highway is probably my favorite option. However, on this occasion, I did the more challenging route from Crystal Lake.
Approaching Mount Islip.
I accessed the Windy Gap Trail to elevate to Islip Ridge, which eventually led to Mount Islip. The parking lot was jammed packed, so I had to park in the picnic areas, which added about another mile to the round trip hike.
Summit building ruins.
Once on the ridge, the climb lessens quite a bit. Meanwhile, the trail meanders somewhat before ascending to the summit. A stone building sits on top, which is photogenic. The summit also has great views down toward Crystal Lake and over the Angeles Crest Highway area to the north. Many other hikers congregated at the top, which didn't bode too well for my video creating. So I made a minimal stay before making the descent.
On the summit.
On the way down, I formed a loop by incorporating the Big Cienega Trail. The trail loops down the slope before reconnecting with the Windy Gap Trail. From there, I returned on the Windy Gap Trail for about a mile back to where I parked. Afterwards, I made a quick visit to Crystal Lake, which was at its lowest water level that I had ever seen. Still a lot of water filled the deep hole in the lake's center, though.
Heading out on the ridge to pick up the Big Cienega Trail.
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