On Feb 1, 2025, parts of the Angeles National Forest reopened after the devastating Eaton Fire. The next day I drove up the Angeles Crest Highway to Red Box and, aside from a faint smell of smoke in the air at Red Box and Mt Wilson Road being closed to vehicles, things were as they were before in that area.
I hiked up the Strawberry Peak trail and then took the very steep and frequently loose firebreak to Mt Lawlor. The steepest and loosest part is in the middle where it gets as high as a 68% slope. There's no real exposure and at most you'd probably slide for a bit if you lost your footing, but it's still quite strenuous getting up the thing. It's a test of your balance and, if you're using poles, your triceps. There's an old telegraph (?) cable in parts that you can use to pull yourself up, but where there isn't you can use poles or just crawl. Type 2 fun abounds!
Before long you'll reach the Lawlor summit which is thankfully less visited than its more popular neighbor, Strawberry Peak. The route down Lawlor is a bit rough in parts, but nowhere near as rough as the firebreak.
Before long I was on top of Strawberry which, due to getting more visitors, is in worse shape. There's a little graffiti, the register was left open, and only one of the summit signs was still there.
On the way back I saw some large paw prints (image below) which I believe to be from a bear, but I have no idea if that's right. It could be a cougar or the Hound of the Baskervilles for all I know. Unfortunately, shortly after that area you gain back a little of elevation and it's through a wooded area. I had bear spray but I made noise in that section just in case and got away from that area ASAP.
