EISPIRATEN

Anyone else smell anything fishy about this? http://www.burbankleader.com/news/tn-bl ... 6407.story They never say why they are looking for him, but you don't send over 150 law enforcement personnel out just because you are "concerned." The fact that they mention he may be "suicidal &...

@HikeUp Part Chow and part Golden Retriever, at least that's what we tell people. Her pedigree is a bit dubious, as we got her from the animal shelter, but she does have a purple tongue, like a Chow.

One thing I AM sure of, she is 100% Good Dog!

She would appreciate all of the attention.

Pretty damn epic, AND you got a coffee mug!

My hiking buddy and myself set out for a quick little jaunt up the snowy slopes of Mt Lowe today. I haven't been up there since the fire and the tunnel closure. Now that the tunnel is open, we parked at Eaton Saddle and enjoyed a nice afternoon. The snow is melting fast and will probably be gone in ...

If crowds are a concern, you may want to also consider parking at Red Box and camping at Valley Forge or West Fork campgrounds. Lot less traffic than Big Santa Anita. The only downside is that it's all uphill on the way out.

Gotta love a happy ending!

Hey Michael, be sure to post and let us know you got out allright.

Hey, with El Diablo telling you to go on and have a good time, what could go wrong?

Get a couple of kegs and invite all of your buds to come over.
Tell them the toilet is clogged and ask them to relieve themselves on the perimeter of your property. Then the coyotes will smell a pack....

THERE's the solution I've been waiting for!

Well thanks, Elwood, I did misunderstand your intent, along with another commenter it seems. Well, if you're referring to me, I did not misunderstand the comment. In fact the first thing I alluded to was that people are upset with dirty diapers and mountains of trash. YOU were the one that suggeste...

Elwood wrote: "I hope this doesn't mean fewer urban burritos north of Crystal Lake!" Sorry, but it's this sort of comment that makes people living in communities like Azusa feel that they are being banned from their forest by people who don't like them for just looking different. Ever bee...

Love the Cosmic Cafe! Be sure to check out their Facebook page!

I hiked upper Dark Canyon over the weekend (see TR) but would really like to hike lower Dark Canyon from ACH to Arroyo Seco. Anyone have any first hand knowledge of the condition of that stretch of the trail? I saw online from the '05 edition of Trails Of The Angeles that there was a washout or some...

The trail was in great shape though it doesn't look like it gets a lot of use (we encountered only one other person all morning) Thank you for your effort!

Maggie and I decide to get out for a little walk yesterday and take advantage of a beautiful day. I've been meaning to check out the Dark Canyon Trail since Angeles Crest re-opened so that's where we went. This was one of my favorite hikes before the fire because it was so close yet lightly used. We...

How much driving do you want to do? I took my son when he was 5 on his first backpacking trip up to Twin Lakes near Kaiser Peak in the Ansel Adams Wilderness. If you've never been this is a great area accessible by one of the most scenic mountain roads in the Sierra. Take 168 out of Fresno up to Hun...

Thanks for all of the useful (and entertaining) responses. My wife put up a couple of very "attractive" strings of cut up Coors Light cans over our gates. (If we ever move to the trailer park we'll be all set). The UC Davis piece was very informative. I am afraid that the coyotes in the ne...

This morning my cat and I were surprised by the sight of a coyote bounding across our back lawn! We live in Burbank in the hillside district and are used to seeing them in the neighborhood and even under the deck in back (there's an easement that runs the length of the block between backyards) but t...

Count me in with the Sweetwater crowd. It's been a very dependable piece of gear for a long time. Pumps a large volume quickly and is very sturdy.

I've always had a good experience getting footwear at the Northridge REI. Knowledgeable and helpful, staff, good selection in a wide range of prices.

Apparently your tolerance to Urisol (the bad stuff in PO) decreases with each exposure cuz it kinda builds up in you. So maybe I'm not really immune and someday I'll get a monster reaction? I dunno. :o That's exactly what happened to my wife last year! She's been exposed tons of times since we've k...

Was that slide that turned you around really uncrossable or was it just an appropriate time for you to turn around?

It was pretty loose but most likely passable, though at this point I didn't want to risk anyone, dog or human, sliding down the hill. It was the last straw kinda thing.

My wife Robbin and I and our two dogs got a late start Sunday morning for the South Fork trail up to Islip Saddle. We left Burbank around 7:30. Never having hiked this trail before I wasn't quite sure where the trailhead was. I knew it was in the general vicinity of Devil's Punchbowl. When I pulled ...

Usually beer:

Hiker 1: Man that was an awesome climb! Wanna beer?

Hiker 2: No way! You packed beer up here?

Hiker 1: No, you did. (beer retrieval and hilarity ensue)

It's running into cats (or wolves) like that that make for interesting times in the outdoors. Just one of many colorful characters to make their mark on the San Gabriels. Dig it.

Thanks Johanna. I had an eye out for you. saw a couple of people on a ridge across from the trail. Was this your group?

@ Marty, it looks like you made it further up Bear Canyon than I did and from what I hiked I would say no work has been done on that stretch up from the Arroyo Seco. I did hear though that one of the campsites at Bear Canyon Camp got washed away and that the table and stove now reside under 8-feet o...

@ Greg. Can neither confirm nor deny the "Wolf." He didn't want me to post his pic so I will respect his request for anonymity. He was cool though and most hospitable. He reminded me of several old hippie acquaintances I've made over the years. He's obviously an old timer in those parts an...

Great TR and pics! Yosemite is a special place.

How is the valley handling all of the runoff? I remember back in the 90s when a pineapple express came through and caused some major flooding.

thanks Tim! That did the trick.