Distance: 1.6 miles round trip on trail
Summit Elevation: 3651'
Elevation Gain: 465'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 0.3
Round trip time: 45 minutes
Recommended water: 16 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free on service road by I-15
Difficulty: Easy
My third and final hike of the day was Wye Benchmark. It is a noticeable bump at the Cajon Pass, the intersection of I-15 and highway 138. The intersection is always busy, and the gateway to Wrightwood and the northern San Gabriel mountains. There used to be a flag flying on the summit. The trail to Wye starts on a dirt utility road running parallel to northbound I-15. I made an awkward left turn from the 138 over a low curb to reach the road. There were a few shallow mud puddles and some ruts, but I didn't need 4x4. The trail looked like it was used by motorcycles and mountain bikes. It made a wide curve to the ridge behind Wye, then went directly up the north slope. The trail was in good shape all the way. On top, the flag pole was still in place, but it had no flag. There were solar lights aimed at the pole to illuminate it at night. A chained ammo box held a combination of registers and geocache goodies. Looking through the register, it seemed to be a popular hike for firefighters, whose signatures outnumbered those who were not firefighters. I had a great view of Ralston Peak, where I had just been. I wanted to hang out on top a bit, but I must have disturbed a flying ant nest, because I was suddenly swarmed by them. Not just my head, but my whole body was attacked. I was barely able to scribble my name in the register and close it before beating a hasty retreat down the trail. Once I was 50' off the summit, the attack stopped, allowing me mop up the unlucky ants still on my person. Robbed of summit basking time, I walked back to the truck. Because of the location of the access road and the traffic in the intersection, I was forced to get on I-15 north and turn around at the next exit. Since I drive by it all the time, Wye was a nice get.
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