Secret Walks #27, Chantry Flat & Sturtevant Falls, 3.8 miles.

A long drive up, up, up into the San Gabriel Mountains overlooking Arcadia and Santa Anita Racetrack, took us to the Chantry Flat Recreation Area. We parked at the Adams' Pack Station—built in 1936, the last remaining pack station in SoCal—and hiked from there along the Gabrielino Trail deep into the Angelus Forest. Our goal: Sturtevant Falls, @2 miles in. Recent rains left the paths muddy but not sloppy as we trudged rocky trails, crossed bridges, and forded streams (Barbara was surefooted, I did a shaky, rock hop mambo). Nature in her unabashed glory—and the biggest maple leaf I have EVER seen. Deep into the mountains, we passed a group of cabins built between 1907 and 1936, now privately owned on leased land, and missing superfluous luxuries like running water, electricity, garbage pickup, and septic tanks. No dashing out for froyo after dinner—owners have to load in supplies by pack train! Serene, quiet, and remote with whiffs of smoke drifting from cabin chimneys. My photos don't do the justice to the scenery, especially the simple power of Sturtevant Falls. On a hot day, we'd be wading in the pool at the bottom. On this chilly SoCal morning, we settled for a needed rest before stream hopping and hiking back. We were so high up (Mt. Wilson only 5 miles above) that in the distance, downtown LA looked like a mystic Emerald City.