The Microwave Site trail run out of Chantry Flat is usually run by the club on the last wednesday of September and is the last trail run of the year. We call it the microwave site trail run because it goes up to where a microwave relay bill board reflector is mounted on the side of the hill as well as other radio communication repeaters. The dirt road we follow was built to service these repeaters. The bill board reflector can easily be seen from most of Arcadia and Monrovia. The hill it is mounted on is actually Mt. San Olean near where Santa Anita Ridge connects with Manzanita Ridge.

Left: view looking down at the microwave bill board reflector with Arcadia and Monrovia below.
Right: looking back up at the reflector from the Clamshell trail showing the shortcut up the ridge and the road above.

From the Chantry upper parking lot, the trail goes west up the paved road past the gate and Upper Winter Creek trail head to the Heliport. Take the dirt road to the right (2N41) all the way up to the end. The sunset is about 6:40 PM at the end of September and the distance is 3.6 miles one way. Walkers should start no later than 5:30 PM and runners at 6:00 PM to make it in time. As an alternative, there is a steep single track short cut trail behind the shed at the Heliport that goes straight up the ridge line to the dirt road and cuts off at least a mile. Watch the sunset atop the Starship Enterprise - actually a water collection cistern. There is a trail continuing up the ridge from the cistern that connects with Manzanita Ridge, but is currently overgrown. At a point where the ridge intersects above the cistern there is a trail back down that meets the dirt road just up from where the heliport shortcut joins if you want to make a loop. Bring a flashlight for the return trip and picnic dinner, drinks and a folding chair for after. The gate now closes at 8PM, so you will either have to leave the parking lot by 7:50 PM or make sure some one going down later has a key and follow them down.

At the turn around, Flyers pose atop the Starship Enterprise - named that because the water cistern looks like the disc of the Star Trek space ship.... oh well it does take a lot of imagination.

If you get to the top of the road about 6:30PM on the last Wednesday of Septembers run, you can catch the sunset dropping over the adjacent ridge and a view out over Los Angeles.

Even after a little thunder storm, the sunset view from atop the Mt. San Olean water cistern can be fantasitc.

Taking the Ridge trail shortcut from the Heliport up can cut a lot of time and get you to the top in time for sunset, however, it is quite steep and more of a hike. Then take your time running or jogging back the dirt road.

You will need a flashlight for the return trip but there are some good views of the San Gabriel Valley lights below when you reach the USFS heliport.

A family of foxes often comes out in the early evening to scavenge any dropped food by visitors in the Chantry Flat parking lot.

Chantry Flat is all the way north into the mountains on Santa Anita Ave from Arcadia - see directions.