Trail Stats
Mileage r.t.	5.0
Trailhead	5832'
Windy Gap	7588'
Total gain/loss	1756'
Gain/loss per mi.	703'

Being one the oldest footpaths in the San Gabriels Mountains, the Windy Gap Trail has served for decades as a prime route from the Crystal Lake Recreational Area to the high country beyond. The Crystal Lake basin is flanked on three sides by towering mountains forming a giant horseshoe — Islip Ridge to the west, Hawkins Ridge to the east, and to the north, the divide that separates the watersheds flowing into the Mojave Desert to the North and the Los Angeles basin to the south.

The Windy Gap Trail gains 1758 feet as it climbs steadily, offering breathtaking views all along the way. In times past, the hiker traveled under a shaded canopy of mature pine, cedar, fir, and oak. But all that changed on Labor Day weekend, Sunday, September 1, 2002. Some cultists were practicing a pagan ritual when their fire got away and set the forest ablaze. Hot temperatures, low humidity, dry vegetation, and gusty winds created ideal conditions for a horrific inferno. Before the so-called "Curve Fire" was extinguished three weeks later, the blaze devastated nearly 21,000 acres of our beloved forest. Most of the trees and vegetation on the mountain slopes surrounding the Crystal Lake basin were incinerated, leaving a moonscape with charred sticks.

Looking south into the Crystal Lake basin from the Windy Gap Trail Large photo

But in the last several years since the fire, new life has sproted. No longer do magnificent trees dominate the landscape, but a different kind of natural beauty has emerged. And through the efforts of the San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders, the Windy Gap Trail had been restored to hikable condition. But then the October rains of 2004 severally damaged the trail (See Trail Notes below). During the winter of 2005-2006, the Forest Service hired contractors to repair trails in the Crystal Lake basin. The Windy Gap Trail calls to be trod upon once again.

Season: June - October

The San Gabriel Mountains high country offers some wonderful hiking weather in the non-winter months. In the wintertime, snow can blanket the Crystal Lake basin and surrounding mountains. Weather in the summer can be perfect for a great hike, but check the weather reports for possible thunderstorms. The Southern California "June Gloom" (thick marine layer, fog) can also reach the high country in late spring and early summer.

Getting to the Trailhead:

From Interstate 210 in Azusa, take Azusa Avenue (Hwy 39) north through Azusa and into the San Gabriel Canyon. After about 12 miles you'll pass the junction of the East Fork Road (8.6 miles from the forest station at the mouth of the canyon). Continue straight approximately 12 more miles. The road gets narrow and curvy in places, so drive carefully. Make a right turn into the signed entrance to the Crystal Lake Recreational Area and drive through the campground. In about a half mile past the snack shop and visitor's center you'll reach a junction where the road heads in five directions with a locked gate straight in front of you. Park in the large dirt lot on the right. The marked trailhead for the Windy Gap Trail is on your left (north) across from the parking area. A National Forest Adventure Pass is required for parking.

Trail Description:

From the signed trailhead across from the large parking area, take the rock-lined path as it heads north toward Windy Gap, the lowest point on ridge in front of you. After .04 mile you cross road heading to Deer Flats and South Hawkins. Continue across the road and pick up the marked trail on the other side. Walking through the campground you'll have noticed that much of the heart of the area was spared from the fire. But now the scene begins to change with increasing numbers of burned trees. After another .07 miles you cross the second and last occurrence of the South Hawkins Road. (This is the location where the San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders park to access the Windy Gap Trail and Big Cienega Trail for maintenance - view photo.) Again cross the dirt road and take the signed trail. From here you have 1.4 miles to Windy Gap. After one tenth of a mile you reach the junction for the Big Cienega Cutoff trail, on your left — an alternate route (See Big Cienega Trail description.)

Looking southwest from Winday Gap.

With most of the forest burned away, your views of the Crystal Lake basin and surroundings high country are breathtaking. As you climb higher and higher you'll appreciate the patches of trees here and there which were spared from the fire. After 2.5 miles from the trailhead you reach Windy Gap (7588') saddle and the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT).

From Windy Gap you have several options (View Windy Gap photo with trail labels). You can return the way you came. Straight ahead takes you to Little Jimmy Spring (few minutes) and Little Jimmy Trailcamp (0.3 mile). To the right (east) you can climb to the Hawkins Ridge Trail junction (8390', 1.4 miles) and Mount Hawkins (8850', 0.8 miles from the junction, 2.2 miles from Windy Gap). To the left (west) you can climb Mount Islip (5250', 1 mile). (See my Mt. Islip trail description.) From Mount Islip, an alternate route would be to follow the Islip Ridge Trail all the way to the Crystal Lake parking lot (5575', 4.8 miles), then follow the road down back to your car. Another alternate route would be to take the Big Cienega Cutoff. To do this, from Mt. Islip, follow the Islip Ridge Trail down about 1 mile to the marked trail junction, go left (east) and hike the Big Cienega Cutoff trail 1.8 miles to the Windy Gap Trail. (See my Big Cienega Trail description).

In our lifetime, the surrounding high country above the Crystal Lake basin will never be the same as it was before the fire, however, the trails still offer the hiker great rewards.

9-4-04 Volunteers with the San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders make repairs to the Winday Gap Trail

Trail Notes:

• Access Note 3-22-06: The Crystal Lake recreation area has been closed since the Curve Fire September 2002. The Forest Service had been repairing it from fire and bark beetle damage, and when I first posted this trip report in August 2003, Hwy 39 to the Crystal Lake enterance was open. But the torrential rains of January 2005 badly damaged the road. So CalTrans has closed Hwy 39 at the gate just above the West Fork, making the Crystal Lake recreation area inaccessible to the public. They have made substantial progress, but as of 3-22-06, the Forest Service says that it probably won't be until late fall 2006 before it is open. If you'd like to access these trails before then, come work with the San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders.

• Trail Conditions - Update 11-20-04: The early-season storms of October 2004 inflicted heavy damage to Windy Gap Trail. On October 2, the San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders had completed a productive season of work, restoring the trail to good condition. But two weeks later heavy rains gorged large gullies across the trail. There were half dozen washouts that ranged from five to eight feet deep, some up to fifteen feet wide. On November 20, the Trailbuilders, accompanied by an equestrian crew, went up the trial to recover some heavy equipment that had been cached. It was amazing to see these pack animals — horses and mules — negotiate the deep gullies. The animals and their handlers performed superbly.

• Access Update 11-20-04: Evidently the Forest Service has again closed Hwy 39 at the gate just above the West Fork, making the Crystal Lake recreation area inaccessible to the public. On a positive note, there is lots of activity in getting the recreation area back to usable condition — utility crews running power lines, workers restoring campground buildings, loggers removing dead trees, and crews dredging the lake. So perhaps Crystal Lake may be open this coming summer. We'll see.