Angeles Crest Highway (CA-2)

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 4:05 pm

http://cbs2.com/local/Roads.Closed.Due.2.1332456.html

Roads Closed Due to Station Fire to Reopen Monday

Roads through wildfire-damaged sections of the Angeles National Forest will reopen Nov. 30, officials said today.

Parts of the Angeles Forest Highway, Angeles Crest Highway and Big Tujunga Canyon and Upper Big Tujunga Canyon roads that were closed due to the Aug. 26 fire will be reopened about 5 a.m. Monday.

Anything more than a light shower, however, may prompt a new round of closings. Denuded hillsides are likely to produce slides when saturated.

Work being done by the county Department of Public Works and Caltrans
may create intermittent traffic delays, but most of the work has been done,
county officials said.

Notice of closings due to rain will be relayed via message boards, news radio alerts, news releases, and commuters will be able to get e-mail alerts via www.dpwcare.gov and http://dpwgis.co.la.ca.us/website/roadclosures/main.cfm.

While the roads will reopen, all campsites and backcountry trails remain off limits.

edenooch · Post by **edenooch** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 4:34 pm

now thats NEWS!

moppychris · Post by **moppychris** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 4:59 pm

hazzah is right! I just heard this on KFI640

EnFuego · Post by **EnFuego** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 5:31 pm

This is good news.

Post by **HikeUp** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 7:19 pm

Parts of the Angeles Forest Highway, Angeles Crest Highway and Big Tujunga Canyon and Upper Big Tujunga Canyon roads that were closed due to the Aug. 26 fire will be reopened about 5 a.m. Monday.

So what "parts" are opening?

Neither of the links in the story are valid.

They get paid to write stories this well?

AlanK · Post by **AlanK** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 7:56 pm

HikeUp wrote:
Parts of the Angeles Forest Highway, Angeles Crest Highway and Big Tujunga Canyon and Upper Big Tujunga Canyon roads that were closed due to the Aug. 26 fire will be reopened about 5 a.m. Monday.
So what "parts" are opening?

Neither of the links in the story are valid.

They get paid to write stories this well?

Here

Post by **HikeUp** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 8:13 pm

I had already found it but thanks Alan.

Good to know that Video Road is closed on Mt. Wilson

On a side note...doing much hiking lately Alan? Haven't seen many TR's from you lately - you ok?

AlanK · Post by **AlanK** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 9:25 pm

HikeUp wrote:I had already found it but thanks Alan.

Good to know that Video Road is closed on Mt. Wilson

On a side note...doing much hiking lately Alan? Haven't seen many TR's from you lately - you ok?

I figured you probably found a decent link. That Video Road tip is priceless.

I have been getting out in a somewhat sporadic fashion -- a lot of distractions. I did Baldy the weekend before last, though. I am hoping to pick it up a bit soon.

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Thu Nov 26, 2009 10:42 am

I hope someone is going to check it out up there and post a TR - I can't get there until next weekend, and it looks like rain is on the way at that point. (and we're back to 'closed' after that, I bet).

Post by **Taco** » Fri Nov 27, 2009 3:11 am

Wish my car wasn't dead, or I might give it a shot.

Layne Cantrell · Post by **Layne Cantrell** » Sat Nov 28, 2009 4:27 pm

cougarmagic wrote:I hope someone is going to check it out up there and post a TR - I can't get there until next weekend, and it looks like rain is on the way at that point. (and we're back to 'closed' after that, I bet).[/quote

Its snowing in the upper elevations of the mountains today, Saturday. I don't really expect the road to open monday, but if it does - I'm there. I'll drive the length of it and let y'all know what I see! Never done a trip report before but this is one I've been chomping at the bit to do. I live in Glendale so there's no commute involved just getting up there.

MtnMan · Post by **MtnMan** » Sun Nov 29, 2009 1:56 pm

Hwy 2 has been open from Vincent Gap- westbound to at least Upper Big Tujunga since Thanksgiving Day, even with the snow. The 2 Cal-Trans Districts (who have primary control over the road and gates) are not coordinating very well, so they have been turning people back around at that point making them come back out at Vincent Gap.

canoeman · Post by **canoeman** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 11:39 pm

angeles national forest highway opened this morning, will drive it tomorrow.

canoeman

mattmaxon · Post by **mattmaxon** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 5:24 am

canoeman wrote:angeles national forest highway opened this morning, will drive it tomorrow.

Been there.. done that....
yours truly pontificates

Matt

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 6:30 am

TR and pics please!

mattmaxon · Post by **mattmaxon** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 7:12 am

cougarmagic wrote:TR and pics please!

Ok ok ok...

Mike P · Post by **Mike P** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 9:43 am

Matt-

Can I have your autograph??? Please??

lilbitmo · Post by **lilbitmo** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 9:54 am

Matt, you movie star you

What's next, a little canyoneering video training documentary

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 5:40 pm

Canoeman - did you go? I'm interested in everyone's experience, since I can't get up there myself.

Layne Cantrell · Post by **Layne Cantrell** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 6:21 pm

cougarmagic wrote:Canoeman - did you go? I'm interested in everyone's experience, since I can't get up there myself.

Just got back, myself. Went from the bottom at La Canada to a few miles past Islip Saddle. The drive up during the day was alternately depressing and relieving, as the damage was somehow both worse and not as bad as I had feared. The drive after dark was downright exhilarating, since I couldn't see any of the damage and my familiarity with the road (especially after dark, kinda my thing) made it feel like I'd been there last week.

I took a veritable buttload of pictures from my cell camera. A ton of them are at my beloved Buckhorn, of course, and I snapped a ton of just TREES after I got past Cloudburst - after the traversing the bottom part of the crest they were like gold. I'll post them, they're not incredibly interesting since I couldn't help but focus on the parts of the crest that weren't damaged.

Layne Cantrell · Post by **Layne Cantrell** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 6:22 pm

mattmaxon wrote:
canoeman wrote:angeles national forest highway opened this morning, will drive it tomorrow.
Been there.. done that....
yours truly pontificates

Matt

ROCK. STAR.

I'm honored to have bugged you for updates during the fire.

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 7:23 pm

Layne Cantrell wrote:I couldn't help but focus on the parts of the crest that weren't damaged.

That's fine with me!!

Interesting about driving at night. I was just telling my friends how much I would love to be stuck behind a slow moving van on a Saturday afternoon on ACH again. Maybe I'll try that (driving at night) to relive the good ol' days.

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 7:24 pm

lilbitmo wrote:Matt, you movie star you What's next, a little canyoneering video training documentary

Oh boy - now he's gonna need a bigger helmet.....

Layne Cantrell · Post by **Layne Cantrell** » Tue Dec 01, 2009 11:32 pm

cougarmagic wrote:
Layne Cantrell wrote:I couldn't help but focus on the parts of the crest that weren't damaged.
That's fine with me!!

Figured you wouldn't mind.

I wanted to see the damage for myself, but my heart had ached for that place for so long that once I was there all I wanted to do is find/be in places where it was easy to believe the fire was all just a bad dream.

I don't think there really is such a thing as a 'boring' drive on the crest, but that's all I really wanted. A lot like your sentiment:

Interesting about driving at night. I was just telling my friends how much I would love to be stuck behind a slow moving van on a Saturday afternoon on ACH again. Maybe I'll try that (driving at night) to relive the good ol' days.

You really ought to. It was good for the soul after the weeks of fretting during the fire and the waiting after.

If you really want to put yourself in a fire-proof bubble I recommend starting in daylight hours from Wrightwood and timing it so you hit the burn areas in darkness. You'll never know your beloved forest ever burned!

The real plus is that, even in daylight, it looks like the most severely burned portions of the forest contained mostly Chaparral and such and will recover before we know it. Make no mistake, many many trees are gone and who knows how long it will take for them to return, but at least they weren't the big old guys that we know we wouldn't have ever seen again.

Most of them fellas are up above where the fire burned. It was like seeing old friends again for the first time in years!

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 8:27 am

Layne Cantrell wrote:If you really want to put yourself in a fire-proof bubble I recommend starting in daylight hours from Wrightwood and timing it so you hit the burn areas in darkness. You'll never know your beloved forest ever burned!:)

I like the way you think. Maybe for daytime driving, I could paint tiny little chapparal on the bottom edges of my sunglasses - it would be like a matte painting movie effect. The ultimate in denial!

canoeman · Post by **canoeman** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 7:38 pm

ANF announces that angeles national forest hwy closed for incoming storm from tonight untill storm ends. other closures also incude Little tujunga and big tujunga canyon roads.
snow is a comming along with big rain. eh

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 3:26 pm

http://www.mtwilson.edu/fire.php

Dave Jurasevich, who is off the mountain at present, is attempting to get replacement parts up ther as early as today, but he received a report this morning from Caltrans that a significant undermining of the Angeles Crest Highway has occurred at mile marker 28.4, a short distance up hill from the aforementioned fire station. The erosion presently extends inward to the road's centerline, and although Caltrans has installed K-rail barries to help divert water flow, the incoming storm is likely to do further damage. It seems probable that it will be weeks or months before the Crest is repaired and reopened.

edenooch · Post by **edenooch** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 3:34 pm

so what else is new

Post by **Taco** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 3:39 pm

I vote that they don't repair bridges, but instead place videogame style jumps before each gulch the damaged road passes over. Should be fun.

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 3:40 pm

edenooch wrote:so what else is new

Dr Ray Stantz: Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling!
Dr. Egon Spengler: Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes...
Winston Zeddemore: The dead rising from the grave!
Dr. Peter Venkman: Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!