After getting on the Cuddy Valley / Mount Pinos Road and winding to the top, we arrived at the parking lot just after dark. Adventure Pass adorning the rear view mirror of course, and the lot was sparcely littered with vehicles. I had not been to this particular campsite before, but seeing as it was a short walk I figured that it would be ok at night. I had wanted to go to Upper Arroyo Seco in the San Gabriels, but I have never been there, and it is a 5 mile hike in. I'm ok doing that on my own, but not leading a group. So we'll hit that as a day hike, then do it as a troop.
However many sites there are there, I don't know, but it was fairly easy to find, hiking down the trail to the right of the only building there. Keep to the right of the sloped valley, and you'll run right into the 'Chula Vista' Campground sign. Outhouses, picnic tables, and fire rings (check fire restrictions). The low was expected to be 38, there was snow around in patches, some ground showing, some areas with 6" to 12".
I had brought my DIY bedding (three couch cushions sewn together on the edges) which since it was a short enough hike I just made another trip to the car. It made the nights sleep a little more bearable, although as I've gotten older I dont sleep as well as I used to. SOOOooo, other than the obnoxious neighbors in another camp who kept chopping wood til 2 AM and howling (yes, howling) til 3 AM, the night was ok and I didn't freeze my toes off. Reminder: the 'hand warmers' I bought at Big 5 didn't give off much heat, but they did last 12 hours or so, and stuffed into my shoe in the morning, kept my toes a 'little' warmer...
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