#211: Millard Canyon and Dawn Mine

A trip to Millard Canyon in Altadena is like stepping into a Choose Your Own Adventure novel. Do you want to hike to the top of a waterfall, rock scramble to a spooky abandoned mine, or perhaps take a stroll along the beautiful Sunset Ridge Trail? With all the trails in the area, the possibilities are endless. 

I've been to Millard Canyon twice since it reopened, and I'm going to outline three excursions that this canyon has to offer: the Sunset Ridge Trail hike, the hike to the top of Millard Falls, and the rock scrambling adventure to Dawn Mine. 

Sunset Ridge Trail Hike

The Sunset Ridge Trail is mostly unshaded and takes you through much of the area hit by the fire. We did this as an out-and-back hike on a cool foggy morning in June. This moderate hike was about 2.5 miles.

From the upper trail head, ascend the fire road.  
Soon you will see a fork on the left with this sign. Take the left fork.

You'll pass by Millard Falls on the left as you head up the trail.
Although it's far away, it is quite loud.
 

Next you will come across another fork. Take the right fork.
The sign will indicate that this is the Sunset Ridge Trail.

The trail eventually meets a fire road, marked by a stone wall with a plaque saying "Erected in 1959..." At this point we turned back around, but there are continuing trails to take if you wish to keep going. 

One last note: this is a popular trail for mountain bikers, so be watchful!

Top of Millard Falls Hike

The hike to the bottom of Millard Falls is closed, but you can still get to the top of the falls. It is a roughly 2.5 mile moderate hike.

To get to the top of Millard Falls, ascend the fire road from the trail head and then take the left fork (the same one you take for the Sunset Ridge Trail). At the next fork, go left again. (going right will take you along the Sunset Ridge Trail)

You will pass by this house very shortly after the second fork

Next, you will come across this river:

Follow the river to the left. There's not much of a trail, so you'll just have to walk on the rocks. The river was pretty low in the summer, so it wasn't difficult. The river will lead you to the top of the waterfall. 

Do this at your own risk. Mike ventured out to the very edge,
but I don't recommend it!

Since this is a short hike, you can pair it with the Sunset Ridge hike.  

Dawn Mine Hike

I found the perfect summer/fall hike! It comes with a warning, however. This out and back hike is not for the beginning hiker. It's moderately strenuous and for much of it there's hardly a trail to follow.  The hike also requires a lot of rock scrambling and river crossings (I counted 19 crossings just to get to the mine!).  Our hike was 6 miles because we parked at the lower parking lot and took the connector trail to the fire road. It is about 4.5 miles if you start at the upper parking area.

If you are an adventurous hiker, you will love the hike to Dawn Mine.  The majority of the hike is shaded, and you follow the river most of the way, which cools it down even more. The river was low when we went last weekend, so all the crossings were easy.  The hardest part was definitely following the "trail"... Or what little trail there is. There are some points where it gets rocky and you just have to trust yourself to keep going. 

Do you see a trail?

Thankfully, we went with Mike and Michelle who had been to the mine two times before, so they knew where they were going. If this is your first time to the Mine, definitely bring a lot of water and give yourself plenty of time. The whole hike took us about 4.5 hours even though it was only 6 miles! 

I have a few tips for you if you choose to go to Dawn Mine. About halfway there, things will get very rocky and you will encounter these huge rocks:

Go to the left and hoist yourself over these boulders. 

You'll then pass through an unshaded rocky area, and then it will get shady again. You are almost there. 

For most of the hike you follow the river, but there will be some points when you will diverge from it. 

short detour to a double waterfall

Mike told us that a lot of people miss the Mine. It's difficult to spot. It will be high up on your left, and the most prominent landmark is this old piece of equipment:

look up the canyon wall on your left and you will see this

The mine is behind this rock. See Brad hiding behind there?

Mike, Michelle and Brad went in while I waited outside. Stalactites, a deep pool of emerald water and a hidden waterfall lie in the depths of Dawn Mine. There are also some innocuous long legged spiders, so this is not the place for arachnophobes.

The entrance. You must walk on the planks to avoid stepping in the water.

tiny stalactites

A very deep pool of water. Some guy put a glowstick tied to a rock in there and estimated it to be about 25 feet deep!

The waterfall

Waiting for my friends at the entrance to the Mine. 

Since abandoned mines can collapse at any moment, I do not recommend venturing into the mine. Do bring a flashlight and peer in, though. It's dark in there and you can feel a whoosh of cool air coming from its caverns. 

Parking

There are limited spaces on Chaney Trail Road by the upper trail head. We got there at 9 am and it was all full on our second visit, so we had to keep going down the road and park at the lower parking lot. A National Forest Adventure Pass is required. Near the lower parking lot you'll see this sign:

Follow this trail (.8 miles one way). It will merge with the main fire road
and take you to the main trail head.

Have you been to Millard Canyon? What did you think of it? Leave me a comment below :)


Millard Canyon

**Note: The interior photos of the mine and the double waterfall photo were taken by Mike. You can see the rest of his photos here**

#196: Rubio Canyon's Double Waterfall

What does this mean??

It's so beautiful! Double Waterfall all the way!

The Eastside has its share of stunning waterfalls (see Eaton Canyon Falls (#169) and Sturtevant Falls (#170)) but sometimes the throngs of people on these popular hikes can make you a little nuts. If you're hungry for a one-two punch of waterfall with few to no people, Altadena has a little secret; a spectacular double waterfall accessible via an unmarked trail.

the "trailhead"

This out-and-back hike is only 1.3 miles, and provides some fun rock hopping as you approach the waterfall. The hike is mostly unshaded and takes you past the foundations of the old Rubio Pavilion, which was operational from 1893 to 1936 as the starting point for a tram ride up to a resort on Mount Lowe.

Just past the concrete foundation you'll come across a junction in the trail. The trail on the left takes you up a steep incline while the one on the right continues along the stream. Take the right trail and keep going along the stream. Soon the trail will turn rocky and you'll rock hop across small streams until you reach the waterfalls. If you lose the trail, just keep following the water and you'll reach the waterfalls--it's not very far!

I came here on a weekday afternoon with my friend Charles and we saw only a couple of people on our way to the falls. The whole hike took us about an hour, including resting time at the falls. Wear good shoes since you will be walking on potentially slippery rocks.

Follow these tips for your visit:

• The trailhead is located on Rubio Vista Drive in Altadena between houses numbered 1351 and 1342
• Dogs are allowed
• Park in the neighborhood for free. No passes needed.

Have you been to Rubio Canyon's Double Waterfalls? What did you think of it? Leave me a comment below!

Rubio Canyon's Double Waterfalls

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#169: Eaton Canyon Waterfall Hike and Nature Walk

After a morning of taxes, and an energizing lunch at my fave Pasadena spot Cham Korean Bistro, Brad and I headed to Altadena to get our feet wet at the Eaton Canyon Nature Area.

An educational stroll

Eaton Canyon is my kind of place: it has free parking and admittance! After stopping at the visitor's center to get a map, we started our walk off like an old married couple, taking a leisurely stroll along the Oak Terrace nature trail. There are 11 stops along this short trail. With pamphlet in hand, we read the descriptions at each stop. It was quite the educational experience--now I know for sure what poison oak looks like (not what I thought it was...), and I also found a new favorite plant: the yucca plant.

a living yucca on the left. a dead one on the right.

This amazing plant lives for 8-12 years, then in the last two weeks of its life, it shoots up a huge stalk that sprays seeds all over the place. Talk about going out with a bang!

After completing the loop, we were ready for the main attraction: the waterfall hike (3 miles, moderate). It seemed like everyone in Altadena was going to the waterfall: young children, older folks, dogs, babies... Brad commented halfway that this was one of the most diverse hikes we've been on. Now normally I don't like a crowded hike, but it actually warmed my heart seeing so many people willing to get their feet and pants absolutely soaked just to see a waterfall.

Yes, I said soaked. If you're going on this hike, prepare to walk at least half of the way with wet feet. That's because you'll be doing 10 river crossings. And that's just one way.

Crossing #1: This is easy

Now we had no idea that there were 20 river crossings in our future. At the visitor's center, one of the rangers simply told us about the first crossing, and advised us that it's best to just walk through the water instead of rock hopping. That's because a lot of people twist their ankles on unsteady rocks and branches. Well, like most of the people heading to the waterfall, we didn't follow the ranger's advice, so there was a traffic jam of people waiting in line to rock hop across the river. Even as we saw all the people coming back from the waterfall soaked from the knees down, we stubbornly refused to get our feet wet.

Crossing #2: Whew, that was a thin log

We got through the first 7 or so crossings fine, but by the 8th one, it became obvious that our feet were taking a dip: there simply weren't any stones to hop onto. So we rolled up our pants and stepped into the icy cold water. And you know what? It was liberating. With wool socks, it wasn't even that cold. After embracing the wetness, we bypassed the lines, and just walked right through the water.

Oh, and the waterfall? Amazing.

Brad insisted on taking pictures of all 10 river crossing for y'all, so enjoy:

Eaton Canyon Nature Area

Along the easy nature loop

That's it on the left! Very tasty.

Stink bug. Nutritious!

Crossing #3: Piece o' cake.

Crossing #4: If those little kids can do it, so can I.

Crossing #5: Come on, give me something challenging.

Crossing #6: I'm loving this

Crossing #7: Eek! A little water seeped through.

Crossing #8: Hmmm that pipe is pretty shaky.

Crossing #9: Aw the heck with it. Wet socks it is!

Crossing #10: Almost there

Made it!

There's a mariachi player at the end of this rainbow

Have you gotten your feet wet at Eaton Canyon? What did you think of it? Leave me a comment below!

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#6: Do a Triple Gelato Run

Bulgarini gelato. Strawberry Chilli, Dark Chocolate, Zabaglione.

The best gelato in L.A. can be found in 3 places:

1. Bulgarini Gelato in Altadena... Bulgarini is my favorite gelato shop. The flavors are so fresh and vibrant, and though the selection is small, everything is made of quality ingredients. The zabaglione (custard and Marsala wine) is my absolute favorite flavor, the cantaloup is ambrosial, and the strawberry with red hot pepper is sweet, then burns on the way down. Divine!

2. Scoops in East L.A... Scoops is known for their bold and creative flavors such as honey lavender, pistachio fig, strawberry balsamic, brown bread, and pear and champagne. Scoops is never afraid to try unusual flavor combinations.

3. Pazzo Gelato in Silver Lake... When I lived on the East Side, I had Pazzo gelato at least once a week. The Dark Chocolate with Grey Goose, Strawberry, European yogurt, and CHEESE gelato are top in my book! Yes, I said CHEESE gelato. The mascarpone, chevre, any cheese flavor that they concoct are out of this world.

So my challenge to you is to do a triple gelato run. Yup, you heard me; visit all three of the best gelato shops in LA. in one day. Get ready for a sugar rush like you've never had before. Sure, you might get temporary brain freeze, but you'll be in gelato heaven.

Bulgarini Gelato, Scoops, Pazzo Gelato

Scoops Gelato. Pumpkin Pie in the foreground.