One of my favorite places in the Angeles Front Country is the eastern edge of Mt Markham. The trail doesn’t appear on a lot of maps, but I’ve been visiting the spot regularly for many years. The easiest way to get there is from the Eaton saddle on the Mt Wilson Red Box road, past the locked gate, taking the Mt Lowe fire road that skirts the south face of San Gabriel Peak going through the Mueller Tunnel. You get a bird’s eye view of the tunnel once you reach the spot, but take a step too many and you will fall to a certain death, down the eastern cliff edge of Markham, to the upper reaches of Eaton Canyon, approximately eight hundred feet below. The south face is just as daunting. It’s a dramatic vista point made all the more special by a convenient large rock that sits like a table or bench inviting the passerby to rest for a moment, and take in the spectacle.

Speaking of spectacle, the Mueller tunnel is also a stage in this performance.

Walking Project 017_tunnel visions from chris worland on Vimeo.