We had yet to explore the area of the Angeles crest between Throop Peak on the east and Mt. Islip on the west, the interval being a south-and-west-trending ridge that includes Mt. Hawkins, elev. 8,850′. Really just a bump along the ridgeline, the peak’s position at the juncture of the ridge’s change of direction endows it with open 360-degree views. Located just a few hundred yards south of the PCT, we figured we’d most easily reach it from Dawson Saddle via the Boy Scout trail that runs two miles south to the PCT, then another mile along the PCT south and west to the peak – after a leisurely morning, we reached the trailhead shortly after 1pm. The trail up from Dawson Saddle is a beautiful walk, for the most part gently ascending toward Throop Peak as it meanders southward up the ridgeline. We had passed lots of mountain oaks now turned golden on the drive up from Wrightwood, but the trees were nothing but green here above 8,000′. As it gains elevation, the trail offers several open views west over the San Gabriels, and we’ll come up here again at some future date to watch the sunset from one or more of these vantage points. We reached the PCT in about an hour, having stopped along the way several times both to admire the views and to hunt for pine cones to supply Jane’s various decorating projects. Once at the PCT, we headed west around Throop Peak and south down the ridgeline. The PCT junction was actually the high point of the hike, as the trail south from here loses about 300′ of elevation before gaining just another 100′ or so to the top of Mt. Hawkins. Now on the south side of Throop Peak, we soon spied Hawkins ahead, and we found the use trail to its summit without any trouble. The view from the top was as good as we had expected – a marine layer was still present over much of the southland, though mixed with brownish-grey smog in some places, and many of the San Gabriels’ south trending canyons were filled up with clouds and mist. The Mt. Wilson area in particular was sharply defined, its dark mountaintops rising above a sea of clouds below. We could not locate a summit register anywhere despite an exhaustive search, and after snapping about a dozen photos, we headed back down the use trail and northward up the PCT. We had talked about tagging Throop Peak again either coming or going, but in the end we decided to just retrace our steps and save a second trip for another day. As we made our way back down the ridge to Dawson Saddle, the ever-changing mists to the west lent new views over the mountain ridges. We arrived back at the van at 4:30pm, making the 6-mile hike in just over three hours. Another great day in beautiful fall weather with temps in the 60s – cool but never cold with only a light breeze to contend with.