Bridge to Nowhere Hike
Millard Canyon
GEO’s
Bridge to Nowhere Hike is the longest of our hikes, and yet it rarely
fails to please. You start out hiking in the canyon early in the morning
when it is cold, shed layers of clothing during the warm day, and return
so late in the afternoon, it looks like an entirely different place. The
main attraction here is the East Fork of the San Gabriel River and the
dramatic bridge that crosses it, miles from any highway. You have to cross
the river many times, which is nerve-wracking at first, but you get used
to it. A few dark tunnels provide side trips for the daring.
The nice thing about this hike is that it only takes an hour to drive there. If we leave the school by 7:30am, we should be on the trail by 8:30am. Parents can choose to drop off passengers at the end of the East Fork Highway and come back around dusk when we reemerge from the canyon. Other drivers buy Forest Adventure Passes from the GEO officers and lock up the car. If we arrived any later the parking lot would be full. This place is popular with many backpacking groups, gold miners, and bungee jumpers. Some people use this trail to backpack all the way to Wrightwood. Thankfully, we don’t go that far.
We
begin this hike when the canyon is still in shadow and
sometimes it can be really chilly. But don’t wear
anything too heavy because it warms up soon. After
hiking down the approach road on our way to the first
river crossing, we usually make a short side trip to a
damp mine that runs 100 feet into the mountain side.
Inside the walls of the mine are slimed over with
calcium carbonate formations like a cavern. Only 4-5
hikers can explore it at a time, and eventually screams
are heard when somebody discovers the mine is inhabited
by something small.
The river is about 30 feet across and knee deep at the 15 or so crossings. At first, everyone tries to cross the river without getting wet, using fallen trees or skipping across the larger stones. For those without a sense of balance, this can become quite time consuming and dangerous. One thing we do not need is a broken ankle. Once hikers get their shoes wet, then they just slog through the rest of the river crossings. It’s best to bring hiking shoes that are either water repellent or dry quickly, as well as several pairs of socks. The trail is level, usually following the asphalt surface of an old highway that washed out during the floods of 1938.
It
takes about 4 hours to get to the Bridge to Nowhere. You know you’re
almost there when the trail follows the old highway grade 100 feet above
the canyon floor. It seems inconceivable that this full sized highway
bridge arches over the canyon with no highway to meet it on either side.
It’s so clean everybody takes off their shoes and socks and lays on it
while eating lunch. Sometimes a group of people arrive and go bungee
jumping off the bridge, dangling 100 feet over the rapids below. The cost
is $75 for two jumps, but don’t bother asking our advisor. He strictly
forbids it. Instead, a small expedition is organized to explore the
remains of an enormous highway tunnel on the other side of the cliff.
Although the tunnel is over 30 feet high inside, you enter through a small
cave only 20 inches high. Let your eyes adjust without a flashlight to get
the full effect.
After an hour long lunch break on the bridge, we head back. Better leave by 2pm if you want to exit the canyon by 6pm, although, for some reason, going back seems to take only half the time. By the time we reach the cars, the sun has gone down, and the only subject left to talk about is fast food. Hikers change into dry shoes and socks and begin their drive home in search of the perfect cheeseburger.
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