9000 Feet Up

On Saturday, Boy Scout Troop 29 of Long Beach hiked to the top of Mt. Baden-Powell.  This is one of my favorite mountain hikes, and I've done it about four or five times.  At about 9000 feet up, a number of large lodgepole pines frame views of the Mojave Desert beyond.  It's perhaps my favorite spot on the hike, although the 360-degree view from the top is certainly amazing, too.

This view of the Mojave Desert is looking northwest.  To the south, one can look down (from the summit) upon the San Gabriel Valley and the Los Angeles Basin ... except that on this particular day, low clouds covered the basin like a white, fluffy blanket.  We enjoyed sunshine and blue skies, while the millions of people living in L.A. spent the day in a dreary drizzle.  It's good to head up to the mountains now and then!