EISPIRATEN

On June 14, 1897, the Herald reported that Lucky Baldwin had begun construction on a trail through Big Santa Anita Canyon. Baldwin intended to one day run a railroad through Santa Anita to San Gabriel Canyon and beyond. But as we know, this fantasy fizzled out. Instead we ultimately got Sturtevant C...

Now's your chance to share that photo you took of a bee.

Here is Jeff's group shot.



And Guy sent me these additional photos to share.

What a beautiful creature! I see why some people worship them.

Thanks for the report. How'd you get that butterfly to sit still?

Here is Keith's drone video of the peak.

In his 1895 book, History of Pasadena, Hiram Reid describes several peaks of the front range. One of them is called Black Jack Peak, which he locates in front of Strawberry Peak. Indeed, an alternate name for Black Jack, according to him, is Little Strawberry Peak. Strawberry & Black Jack - Hira...

Good job! I don't think it should count as hiking naked when you wear boots. Also, I wonder if he applies bug spray to his junk.

Oh. If the toll rd was driveable, then these mule packs weren't intended to go to the peak, but to some camps in-between? I guess this was primarily for Orchard camp, you think? Yes, and there was also quarter-way house which I think was at First Water. The mules would also take stuff to the resort...

dima wrote: ↑Is this where to toll rd is today? Or Mt Wilson trail?

This is the old trail from Sierra Madre. The toll road out of Altadena was already wide enough for automobiles by 1907.

After 34 years of service, Jada the mule retired from the Mt. Wilson pack train, reported this day, June 7, 1946. Screenshot_20230607-114933-569.png (The National City News, June 7, 1946) Here is a postcard of the mule train on Mt. Wilson in 1912, the year Jada joined the pack. Mt_Wilson_Trail.jpg (...

Thanks for the report. Do we need a thread devoted to overflowing trash bins in the forest?

Thanks for the video. I didn't know that sheep lick the asphalt. I had a dog who ate the rubber soles off shoes, and sometimes my old shoes will disappear off the porch, presumably stolen by raccoons. I guess some petroleum products are quite tasty to animals.

Thanks for the report. So, the Humbug Formation isn't a football play named after Ebenezer Scrooge? I feel like I don't know much about geology.

I might be a day late on this one, as some sources put it on May 30. But this article indicates that on Sunday, May 31, 1931, North Baldy was dedicated to Lord Baden-Powell by a large gathering of Boy Scouts and a speech by Major Burnham. Screenshot_20230531-063625-054.png (San Pedro News Pilot, Jun...

On May 31, 1909, Mr. and Mrs. A. R. Wilson fell off a trail on Mt. Wilson. (Remind me never to hike Mt. Sean!) Mrs. Wilson slipped, grabbed her husband for balance, but instead brought him down the cliff as well. (Also a fear I have, of being pulled off a cliff by a dizzy dame.) Together they droppe...

dima wrote: ↑

Sean wrote: ↑Thanks, but I can't read it. The resolution is too low.

It's the full-res image. Keep clicking on it until it's big and you're looking Whitman and Hamlin in the eye.

I switched to "desktop mode" and got it to work. Thanks.

Today, May 29th, marks the 90th anniversary of a terrible auto accident on the road between Red Box and Mt. Wilson. In 1933 a car began to slide off the road. One of the passengers, a pregnant and terrified Mrs. Greenwood, attempted to exit the vehicle, but she was crushed to death when it rolled ov...

Thanks, but I can't read it. The resolution is too low.

Next time someone balks at crawling through poodle dog, I'm going to tell them I know a guy who backslided under this shit while pulling a loaded bicycle, on his way to work in three feet of snow, uphill both ways, etc. Thanks for the words.

Shortly after the first motorcyclist reached Mt. Wilson, three cars made the trip on May 28, 1907. A Franklin, driven by S.S. Whitman, was the first to reach the summit. It was closely followed by a Cadillac. A third car, possibly a Buick, went up later in the day and set the initial speed record fo...

On May 26, 1907, the Mt. Wilson Toll Road racing drama began. After a year of construction, the old burro trail had finally been widened to accommodate the freight truck that would haul parts for the latest and greatest telescope. But before that would happen, a young Edward Loudenclos raced his mot...

Death came for young Dorothy Hayes on May 24, 1925. With family and friends, she hiked Fish Canyon one Sunday morning. She left the trail to peer over a 185-foot cliff. Stanley Morgan then joined her at the edge. Suddenly the cliff gave out. Dorothy started falling. Stanley grabbed her dress. But th...

Found this brick in Pacoima Canyon...

Now it's my brick, there are many like it, but this one's mine!

Now you see the hiking pole, IMG_20230523_114707917_HDR.jpg and now you don't. IMG_20230523_114732011_HDR.jpg Thanks, Nate, for leading this hike. I certainly felt imperiled, but in a good way. Maple Canyon might have more cabin remains to discover under all the overgrowth, but erosion has wiped out...

Thanks for the report of your self-torture. I dub thee Scree Boy. Nice rattlesnake.

Next time you go can you bring me some figs from that tree? Thanks.

One of the fancier mushrooms I've found in Eaton Canyon...

Wow, that's a slot canyon. I love all the red rock formations. Thanks for sharing.

How many days is the presentation? I have to be back home by Saturday.