Mount Wilson & Inspiration Point. Mount Wilson is one of the high peaks visible to the north of Pasadena. It gained early significance as a place from which to observe stars, and there is still an observatory up there. It is an important part of our infrastructure - the top is covered in antennae for TV transmissions and a whole host of other broadcast services. San Gabiel Peak and Mt. Disappointment, both close by, are just a little higher.

I rode this on April 8th 2000 - I passed quite a few hikers between the bottom and Heninger Flats which is a campground and Ranger's station about 1/3 of the way up. I passed almost no one beyond there. One guy on a mountain bike passed me around Heninger and I noticed he was standing on his pedals all the way. It was about 55^oF at the bottom at 7.30am when I started, and about 70^oF towards the top. Elevation gain is 4700 feet.

This is one of the toughest rides in this area - the Mount Wilson Toll Road is an unrelenting steep climb which has some very rocky terrain in the third quarter, just when you could do without it. This used to be the only way up and it cost a toll to drive on it. Nowadays, there's a real road coming off the Angeles Crest Highway which comes up to Mount Wilson from behind.

You start off from Pinecrest Drive which is just off Altadena Drive, accessable via the Altadena Drive/Sierra Madre exit of the 210 Foothill Freeway. Thomas Guide® ref pg 536 D5. You cannot park close to the trailhead at weekends, so I parked in nearby Bowring Drive. This is the what the trailhead looks like
	For the first 30 seconds, you're actually going steeply downhill to cross Eaton Canyon over this bridge. Enjoy it while you can....there's no more downhill for a very long time! Thus you start on a long climb. As this was Saturday morning, it was busy with people who I suspect walk up to Heninger on a regular basis. You've pretty much got to start off early in the morning, otherwise it gets way too hot at this time of the year.
	This is the first landmark: Heninger Flats which feels like about 1/4 to 1/3 of the total elevation up. There were some army people camping and having their breakfast. Fairly soon after this, you're in shaded woods for the next couple of miles - complete with flies...
	Eventually you pop out into the open, and you get a glimpse of the top you're heading for which still seems a long way up.It's now getting pretty rocky on the trail which really sucks.
	It's nice to know you've only got 1¾ miles left to go, even if you've only done 7¼ miles so far. They were tough!
Here is something you see close to the top - it's one of two observatory towers
The last mile or so is thankfully paved, which is a nice respite from dodging rocks and boulders. Eventually there is one last super-steep push up and then you're in among the forest of antennae. There's just tons of stuff up here and it all hums away.
Appropriately named street......now it's time to descend. One time I was up here there was 12" of snow on the ground - didn't exactly expect that when I set off at the bottom!
So now you head back down along the paved road towards the Angeles Crest Highway, except you don't go that far. Rather, you get back onto a trail at a spot called Eaton Saddle. This trail is actually the old Mount Lowe Railway. You can see the complete map of the Mount Lowe Railway here which roughly indicates my descent.
	Not every trail gets a tunnel! This one is only about 100 feet long or so, and was constructed in 1942. There's a very small amount of climbing on this section, but basically it's downhill all the way from here. The trail is very rocky here.
	After a couple of miles of descent, I like to make a short side trip to Inspiration Point. This has a collection of "viewing telescopes" which are simple tubes aligned so that when you look through them, you should see the specified target. It's claimed you can see Catalina Island from here 75 miles away.

Then it's back on the trail again, and a fast and furious descent following the Mount Lowe Railway trail. The last couple of miles are paved and you can really go flying. Eventually you get back to civilization at Chaney Trail (Thomas Guide® ref pg 535 H3) and then you just have to make your way back through the streets of Altadena and hopefully find your car. When you look up back at the mountain and realize your two little legs powered you up there, you wonder how you ever did it!