On 2-22-12 I did a 20.6 mile hike with 6563 feet of gain.

I started at the Cobb Estate Trailhead (Corner of Lake Ave. and Loma Alta Drive) and hiked up the Lower Sam Merril Trail to Echo Mountain, took the Castle Canyon Trail to Inspiration Point, went up the Middle West Sam Merril Trail to Mt. Lowe, down to Markham Saddle, then up to San Gabriel Peak; down to the San Gabriel Peak Trailhead (near the corner of Mt. Wilson Road and Mt. Disappointment Road), back up to Mt. Disappointment, down to Markham Saddle, Up to Mt. Markham, and back down the Upper East Sam Merril Trail, the Middle Sam Merril Trail and the Lower Sam Merril Trail to the Cobb Estate Trailhead.

Since there were 19 different trail segments, It will take me a while to post the hike here.  I’ve hiked most of the portions of this trail several times starting back in January 2011.  So, I will start posting those earlier shorter hikes and build up to completing this one.

I met a group of hikers from the Sierra Club who told me how to hike up to Mt. Markham.  I was lucky to have met them as I really enjoyed that portion of my hike.  Below is a photo of the San Gabriel Peak from Mt. Markham.