Our Hike to Idlehour

March 30-April 1, 2000

We left Altadena at noon on March 30, 2000. We hiked up the Mt. Wilson Toll Road 2.7 miles to Henninger Flats. We stopped there for water and rest. Then we continued on the road for .75 miles to a hairpin turn - it is at this point that the trail to Idlehour Trail Camp leaves the road. We hiked up to the saddle, then down about 1.5 miles to Idlehour Trail Camp. We spent the night there. The next day we played in the creek for awhile. Then we hiked back out of the canyon to the road and back to Henninger. We spent our second night at Henninger Flats. The lights of the cities below us were beautiful that night. The next morning we hiked back to Altadena, where Manuel's mom picked us up and took us home. We hiked a total of 10 miles.

Manuel Arias (age 8), Emma Qualls (age 9), and Bill Qualls (age 43)

Emma, Bill, and Manuel ready to go. In Altadena at the Mt. Wilson Toll Road.
Cousins anxious to start their first backpack trip.
The Mt. Wilson Toll Road to Henninger Flats is uphill all the way!
2 miles down, .7 miles to go. What a beautiful day!
We made it!
Still more uphill? Approaching the saddle before descending to Idlehour.
The view on the way down. (I think this is Mt. Lowe, but I'm not sure.)
We made it!
We enjoyed this rock next to our campsite.
We love Ramen soup!
We had fun playing in the creek.
This tree reminds me of "My Side of the Mountain".
Dad carved our initials in our hiking sticks.
Copyright © 2000 by Bill Qualls. Last updated April 11, 2000. Happy 10th birthday, Emma! Back to the index page.