This trail begins at Dawson Saddle, mile marker 69.60, which is the highest elevation on the Angeles Crest Highway. The trail which is 1.8 miles long climbs and meets the Pacific Crest Trail between 9,138' Throop Peak to the south and 8,396' Mt. Lewis to the north. Dawson Saddle and Dawson Peak are both named for Ernest Dawson, the President of the Sierra Club in the mid-1930's. Tom Chester's Angeles Crest Highway page gives the following information: "The USGS gives 7,903' [for Dawson Saddle] on the topo map and with their Geographic Names Information System. The road sign gives 7,901'. But the difference of 2' is negligible compared to the 7,986' given by Robinson in The San Gabriels! That doesn't seem to be a typo since Robinson also says that during the construction of the highway, some wanted to add 14' of dirt fill so the sign could say an even 8,000'." This trail was done in August so many species had finished blooming. For another Dawson Saddle photo gallery, see http://www.calflora.net/recentfieldtrips/dawsonsaddle09.html which was done in June 2009.

Mousetail ivesia
Ivesia santolinoides
Rosaceae
[Named for Eli Ives, 1779-1861]

Alpine sulphur-flowered buckwheat
Eriogonum umbellatum var. minus
Polygonaceae

California fuchsia
Epilobium canum ssp. latifolium
Onagraceae

Davidson's lotus
Acmispon nevadensis var. davidsonii
Fabaceae
[Named for George Davidson, 1825-1911]

Wax currant
Ribes cereum var. cereum
Grossulariaceae

Rock buckwheat
Eriogonum saxatile
Polygonaceae