Misc. News (Archive)

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Tue Oct 04, 2011 2:29 pm

HikeUp wrote: ↑What gender are these cats? Any other info?

This is a mating pair. The smaller one is the female of course. The male is the one that stretches and walks away at the end. (two words...fuzzy dice)

So cool!!!!!

Ah - the two photos are of a bobcat though....

Mike P · Post by **Mike P** » Tue Oct 04, 2011 6:34 pm

cougarmagic wrote: ↑
HikeUp wrote: ↑What gender are these cats? Any other info?
This is a mating pair. The smaller one is the female of course. The male is the one that stretches and walks away at the end. (two words...fuzzy dice)

Yeah, plus that male totally looks like a tom. Excellent video!

AW~ · Post by **AW~** » Wed Nov 09, 2011 10:38 am

Wildlife Waystation at Halloween images
http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-w ... otogallery

Scoutmaster Rescued Near Switzer Falls Area Saturday(10/30/11)
http://altadena.patch.com/articles/scou ... a-saturday
"Some quick thinking from a Boy Scout troop helped Air-5 rescue a local scoutmaster who had fallen 20 feet onto a bed of rocks while leading the troop on a hike on Bear Canyon Trail, which is about two miles south of Switzer Falls in the Angeles National Forest, according to authorities...."

Ski Area Recreational Opportunity Enhancement Act of 2011 Signed by Obama
http://corbamtb.com/news/2011/11/09/ski ... ecreation/
".... The act goes on to specifically mention mountain bike terrain parks and trails, zip lines, frisbee golf courses and ropes courses as acceptable additional recreational activities for ski areas. It excludes activities such as tennis courts, water slides, swimming pools and golf courses.

In the Angeles National Forest there are four ski areas: Mountain High (East, West & North), Mt. Waterman, Ski Sunrise and Mt. Baldy. For a few short weeks in 2009 Mt. Waterman opened to bicycles in the summer, but was forced to abandon its mountain bike park plans because of the limitations of their ski area permit. The passage of HR 765 now allows the Secretary of Agriculture to issue permits for mountain bike parks to existing ski area permit holders..."

Historical: the San Gabriel - a river on the edge
https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/scribd/in-depth-look-at-the-san-gabriel-river_compress.pdf
A 64 page exhaustive news report on the San Gabriel river in the year 2000....for example on page 51, forest service George Duffy and his vision of lakefront hotels and shopping centers in 25-50 years from then.

Historical: Stan Kisler collection(MtLowe Railway pictures)
http://www.peryhs.org/tag/stan-kistler-collection/
note:3 pages of photos

Spanked on Baldy
http://www.backpacker.com/blogs/673
A cautionary tale of winter storms on Baldy
"On Christmas Eve, 2008 Amkraut climbed Baldy's Devil's Backbone Route, beginning from the top of Mt. Baldy ski area, to test a high altitude mountaineering tent and some other gear....Indeed. Amkraut got struck by a storm that measured 70 mph. "But the wind wasn't the problem," he says. "It was an ice blizzard. Freezing rain coated everything." ....Teaching moment here: Rewarming shock occurs when dilating blood vessels at the extremities can drop your blood pressure to dangerous levels. This is often accompanied by a dump of toxins into the bloodstream, upping the potential for heart and kidney problems. Amkraut ended up in the hospital for four days...."

photos
http://difabu.smugmug.com/
The backpacking and hiking collection, with a lot of San Gabriel locations

AW~ · Post by **AW~** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 1:02 pm

Busy weekend for the Angeles:

01/22/2012 15:34 Lost Teenagers Search & Rescue Garcia Canyon Trail/Glendora Ridge Motorway
01/22/2012 12:54 Rescue/Arroyo Public Assist Arroyo
01/22/2012 11:57 Cliff Rescue Search & Rescue Millard Cyn across from Millard Campground
01/22/2012 11:22 Injury/ Ankle Medical Aid Chilao Area on PCT
01/21/2012 19:05 SAR Activation Search & Rescue Eaton Cyn. b/t the waterfalls & the parking lot
01/21/2012 14:16 FATALITY Medical Aid ACH mm 41.94
01/21/2012 10:43 OVERNIGHT GROUP Miscellaneous VALLEY FORGE

Vigen Sarkisyan, 18, Killed When Car Plunges 500 Feet off Angeles Crest Highway
http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2012 ... d_when.php
"Vigen Sarkisyan(18 years old) was in a car with two of his friends when it flew off the side of the highway -- plunging 500 feet into a ravine in the Angeles National Forest.
One of his friends managed to crawl up to the road and flag down some help...... but by the time Sarkisyan and another injured passenger were pulled from the wreckage (near mile marker 41) by an Air Rescue helicopter from the L.A. County Sheriff's Department, the former was declared dead....."

Teens Rescued, Air-Lifted from Millard Canyo
http://sierramadre.patch.com/articles/t ... ard-canyon
"Three South Pasadena teens—one a 19-year-old woman, who was trapped on a cliff with a 100-foot drop to Millard Canyon—were rescued Sunday around 12:30 p.m. after going on a hike earlier that day, reports Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD)....."

Sheriff's copter rescues 3 boys from Angeles National Forest
http://www.insidebayarea.com/california/ci_19799976
"...A 14-year-old boy who managed to get cell phone reception on a cliff in Azuza Canyon called at 3:40 p.m. Sunday to report that he and two friends were stuck and needed to be rescued, said Capt. Mike Parker of the Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau.
Air-5 Rescue pilots and deputies with paramedic found the boys near Garcia Canyon Trail off Highway 39 north of Azuza, he said.
The four Azuza residents were "trapped on the mountainside, " Parker said. "The steep terrain was made worse by the loose rocks that would cause them to fall if they tried to climb up or climb down. Also, if one boy were to fall, he could knock others off the cliff as well."
One deputy was lowered from the helicopter by hoist as it hovered 300 to 500 feet above the canyon to rescue the boys one at a time, he said. By 4:50 p.m., all four were inside the helicopter.
"Once they were safely in the aircraft, they were all smiles and thank yous and started saying how much better the helicopter was than video games," said Sgt. Tom Giandomenico of the sheriff's Special Enforcement Bureau.
"We later learned they had gone hiking and gotten lost between two mountain ridges," he said. "They were wearing shorts and t-shirts with no hiking equipment. They clearly were not prepared where they ended
up..."

Lost Boy Scouts Found
http://www.crescentavalleyweekly.com/ne ... uts-found/
"At about 8:35 p.m. on Saturday night the Montrose Search and Rescue Team was activated to respond to the Mount Wilson area regarding two boy scouts and their leader who had been separated from their group while hiking and were presumed lost. They were well equipped for the conditions.....The Search and Rescue Team located the hikers near their last known location in the Mount Wilson area. They had begun to set up camp and had planned to continue their hike during daylight. They were all in good health and were all decided to continue camping for the night...."

Second NPS extension for comments on San Gabriel Watershed plans
http://www.examiner.com/san-gabriel-foo ... shed-plans
"The National Parks Service (NPS) has extended the deadline for public comment on the Draft San Gabriel Watershed and Mountains Special Resource Study and Environmental Assessment to Feb. 13, 2012. This is the second extension of the deadline; previous deadlines were Dec. 16m 2011 and Jan. 9, 2012......Next Steps in the Study Process
Spring 2012:
Comment Analysis/Determine Necessary Revisions to Study Report
Spring/Summer 2012:
Final Study/Transmittal to Congress..."

blogroll:
http://www.weekendsherpa.com/activities ... es/?page=1
hiking all over Los Angeles..not many pictures

http://anendlessroad.com/aer/category/hiking/
mostly the San Gabriel mountains with plenty of pictures

Manzanita Cider
http://honest-food.net/2010/08/22/manzanita-cider/
"...Ever since I moved to California I’d read that the berries were quasi-edible, that someone — Indians or Spaniards — did something with them at some point....As it happens, the Franciscan friars, who were the first European settlers of California, made a sort of cider from the berries. The California Indians did the same thing, plus they made a meal from the dried, ripe berries they’d later use for porridge in winter.....But really? I’d eaten a berry or two, and I can tell you manzanita is definitely not something to munch on while walking a trail. The berries are loaded with tannin, which sucks all the moisture from your mouth and replaces it with a coating of felt —...."

666-The Beast · Post by **666-The Beast** » Tue Jan 24, 2012 5:56 pm

AW, many thanks to ya for all the fun, informative and educational material that you have posted in the past, the now and the future(in case I forget).
I really appreciate reading something different from just a regular trail report!!!... 666

AW~ · Post by **AW~** » Thu Mar 01, 2012 5:59 pm

Icehouse canyon bird(Wren)

Funeral Set for Angeles Crest Highway Crash Victim 2/23/12
http://lacanadaflintridge.patch.com/art ... to-9178549

"Andrew Mander Searcy was driving back to La Mirada after visiting his family when his car plunged 300 feet off Angeles Crest Highway at Mt. Gleason Road on Monday. He was 25.....Searcy went missing Sunday and the crash site was found about 8:15 a.m. Sheriff's deputies from the Norwalk Station used a helicopter to trace Searcy's route and found the vehicle crashed, the La Canada Valley Sun reported. According to a CHP accident report, investigators concluded that Searcy was driving southbound on Angeles Forest Highway, south of Aliso Canyon Road and Mt. Gleason Road, when he lost control of his vehicle. His car then plunged down a 300 foot embankment and came to rest on its roof, investigators wrote. Sheriff's Air 5 located Searcy's vehicle and lowered a paramedic who pronounced him dead, said Reserve Chief Mike Leum of Montrose Search and Rescue Team."The Montrose team performed the body recovery, which took many hours due to the complexity of the car’s location," Leum said...."

Car overturns, injures 4 on Big Tujunga Canyon Road 2/24/12
http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_20035975
"TUJUNGA - Four people were injured, one critically, when a Mustang convertible overturned in the Angeles National Forest Thursday night.
The vehicle overturned in the 11900 block of Big Tujunga Canyon Road around 9:45 p.m., said Los Angeles Police Department Officer Gregory Baek.Three people were trapped in the vehicle, which was badly crushed, and had to be freed by rescuers, said Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department......The driver[drunk], a male, was taken into custody, said LAPD Lt. Debra Brounsten....."

Forest Service to drop fees at most national forests
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me ... 3639.story

....The U.S. Forest Service proposes eliminating fees for three-quarters of the forest areas where they are now imposed, including 19 in Southern California....Many trail heads, day-use sites and general forest areas where fees are now in effect in the region's four national forests will become free, said Tamara Wilton, a California Forest Service manager.....The Forest Service launched a national review of the fee program last year. Regional offices drew up a list of proposed changes that will be released to the public in the next few months and submitted them to an advisory committee representing recreation interests, said Frances Enkoji, a manager in the agency's California office. The revisions would probably take effect next year.
Twenty-five fee areas would remain nationally, including 12 in the Southland. The agency plans to retain the Adventure Pass. In many areas where fees are eliminated, the agency proposes to continue charging for use of certain busy sites that are equipped with six specific amenities outlined in the 2004 law. Those include toilets, interpretive signs, trash cans and picnic tables.
That may spark more legal battles. What if you park at one of the fee sites to go hiking but don't use any of the facilities? Do you have to pay? "Yep, right now, that's the way we are managing the program and the way we are interpreting" the law, Wilton said...."

SGV board backs completion of Highway 39 to Wrightwood
http://www.whittierdailynews.com/ci_199 ... z1nv3A32Bv
The San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments voted unanimously last week to oppose Caltrans' abandonment of 27 miles of Highway 39 from Azusa to Crystal Lake.
The local joint powers agency also voted to write a letter requesting the state transportation agency continue the project it started in 2009 to repair a 4.4-mile gap in the the state highway between Islip Saddle and Wrightwood at Angeles Crest Highway. That upper portion of State Route 39 has been closed to the public since 1978 due to a mud slide that damaged the roadway.
The COG, a collaboration of 31 cities, three county supervisors and three water agencies, addresses issues that affect the entire San Gabriel Valley and give the region a greater voice in federal, state and county government.

It is the first time the agency has weighed in on the Highway 39 issue since this newspaper reported in October Caltrans' decision to drop the roadway completion project. In December, this newspaper reported Caltrans said it could no longer afford to maintain the mountain portion of State Route 39, citing budgetary reasons, and said it was shopping the highway to other governmental entities.
It costs Caltrans about $1.6 million a year to upkeep the road, which connects county flood control workers to three key mountain dams, as well as millions of visitors to recreation areas that are part of the 650,000-acre Angeles National Forest.
A group of business leaders, cabin owners and some
environmental groups support re-opening Highway 39 as a continuous loop from Azusa and Glendora through the forest, to ski areas in Wrightwood, as well as destinations to the west in La Canada Flintridge. They contend the 34-year closure acts like a clog in the state route system, keeping visitors congregating along the west and east forks of the San Gabriel River, instead of allowing them to circulate more freely in the forest and beyond.
Barret Wetherby, a proponent of re-opening the road, called the COG action "great."
"I think that will help," he said.
Wetherby and members of the Azusa Chamber of Commerce met with state Sen. Edward Hernandez, D-West Covina, on Jan. 27, to talk about the issue. Also at the meeting were officials from Caltrans and the state Department of Fish and Game. Another meeting is set with Sen. Hernandez on March 9, Wetherby said.
At that meeting, the Department of Fish and Game will discuss whether reopening the roadway will cause harm to the San Gabriel Mountains Big Horn Nelson Sheep. Caltrans cited concern for the sheep as a reason for not pursuing the project.
Some residents of Wrightwood, however, are in agreement with Caltrans' latest decision. They say opening the road will bring too much traffic, litter and other problems from the San Gabriel Valley to the mountain resort town. Others say the mountain environment will be damaged from more cars and auto exhaust.
A two-page memo from Duarte City Councilman John Fasana, COG transportation committee chairman, notes that the re-opening project "was fully funded and was programmed in the 2008 State Highway Operation and Protection Program for $47,592,000, capital and support." Construction on the project was to begin last year.
Caltrans said in October 2011 the project was "not realistic or cost effective."
Wetherby, at the meeting with Sen. Hernandez, said he questioned Caltrans officials why an 800-foot section of Angeles Crest Highway above Pasadena was repaired in 1.5 years, while "we are still waiting more than 30 years later" for Caltrans to repair 500 feet of the 39 roadway.
When Azusa chamber officials asked what happened to the money for the project, Caltrans said they no longer had the funds.
On the issue of turning over the 27-miles of mountain highway to another entity, both the county of Los Angeles and the U.S. Forest Service have declined, according to the COG memo.
4 rescued from Eaton Canyon on February 21, 2012
Note: Eaton canyon saw 3 rescues during that 24hrs period
http://www.amrt.org/index.php/blog/entr ... ry-21-2012
A call came out for stranded hikers in Eaton Canyon at approximately 5:30p.m. on Tuesday February 21.
By the time the first unit was dispatched we were able to make contact with one of the individuals on their mobile phone. After verifying whether there were injuries and if they were safe, we were able to determine their approximate location. The information that our victims were uninjured, in a safe location and somewhere between the 2nd pitch and the top of the falls was relayed to our field crews. The victims were updated with an occasional text, letting them know crews were on the way. A short time later the field crews made contact with the victims. The victims were located on the north side of the ridge, with two of the four over the side of the ridgeline on a ledge.Two team members proceeded up the ridgeline to set hand lines and raise two of the victims from the ledge to the ridge. The other team members remained on the canyon floor, including the crew chief, to run the operation from below.
Once in place, the hand lines allowed team members to escort the victims from the ridgeline to the canyon floor safely
Woman strikes Eaton Canyon Nature Center employee with car 2/5/12
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?secti ... id=8531990
A dispute over a dog leash at Eaton Canyon Nature Center ended with a county park employee in the hospital.Sheriff's officials said it all started when the park employee asked a 28-year-old woman to put a leash on her dog on Friday.According to deputies, the employee asked Arune Kavaliauskaite three times to put a leash on her dog.Officials said Kavaliauskaite became angry, got into her car and then purposefully drove into the employee, knocking her into a parked car.Kavaliauskaite was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon. She's being held on $30,000 bail.
Rancho Cucamonga stepping up trespassing enforcement at Cucamonga Canyon
http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_19 ... z1nv51ioqY
"RANCHO CUCAMONGA -- The city is stepping up enforcement against trespassers on their way to Cucamonga Canyon, the area north of Alta Loma marked by cliffs and waterfalls.There is only one legal way to enter this popular canyon -- through Big Tree Road, also known as Cucamonga Truck Trail. But many canyon visitors take short cuts through private property north of Turquoise Avenue or through the residential development west of Skyline Road.At a special meeting with the City Council and Cucamonga Valley Water District board on Tuesday, law enforcement officials said "no trespassing" signs will soon be posted and violators will be cited.San Bernardino County sheriff's Lt. Steve Smith said trespassers will be cited using the state Penal Code and prosecuted through the District Attorney's Office...."We may even film people being cited and post it on Facebook," Smith said.A public meeting on the issues of Cucamonga Canyon will take place at Stork Elementary on March 12 at 6:30 p.m."

Car plummets 600 feet on Angeles Crest Highway 2/28/12
http://maraudernews.blogspot.com/2012/0 ... geles.html
Early Tuesday morning, a grey Nissan Altima went careening off a cliff on Angeles Crest Highway.The unidentified driver was on his way to work in La Cañada Flintridge when the accident occurred. George Beltram, an employee of Pro Traffic Services, was the one who walked down the hill and called the incident in. He said the car fell 600 feet. “He was all the way down there.” Another eyewitness, who works for Par Electrical Contractors, said that cars continued to speed at “70 or 80 miles an hour” even after seeing the accident before. The car was flipped, with its roof crushed, trapping the driver inside. Members of the US Forest Service, LA County Fire Department 130 and the Department of Public Works arrived on the scene. The roof of the car was sawed off and the driver was eventually airlifted to Antelope Valley Hospital. Despite the fall, he remained conscious through the ordeal.
Angeles Crest Highway remained closed for over two hours as the wreckage was removed
Longboarding on the GMR: video
http://www.sunnysidelongboarding.net/20 ... n-lookout/
or a more "professional" look at the sport at non- San Gabriel locales(thanks to glendoramountainroad.com)

Water worries again....
Worries mount for Sierra, water supply
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ ... /203010329
"Stockton remains in danger of having its driest winter since 1975-76, depending on what March and April have to offer.
"It ain't over yet," said walnut farmer Tom McGurk, whose orchards may not have the soil moisture they need this summer if Mother Nature does not deliver. Stagnant, dry weather quadrupled the number of no-burn days in San Joaquin County this winter, from 7 days last winter to 29 days this winter, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District reported Wednesday. Inspectors wrote 88 citations for local residents who burned on no-burn days, compared with nine citations last winter. The restrictions are now over until next fall.
In 20 years of farming east of Linden, the least amount of rain McGurk ever got was 10 inches. The most was 21 inches.Right now he is at 4.5 inches, with time running out....There is still enough water stored in reservoirs to get Stockton through summer, but then we would have little left for the following year...."

AW~ · Post by **AW~** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 3:58 pm

O.C. forests turning fee-free
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/area ... orest.html
"....Huge chunks of land where the passes are required are being greatly reduced, making access, yes, free......The ruling left the timing and locales somewhat murky. But I talked to the feds and they explained that they are in the process of reviewing specific areas and will soon make changes based on certain amenities.

But they agreed to a preview: Huge parts of the Holy Jim area in Trabuco Canyon will become exempt as will nearly all of the Ortega Corridor......Forest Service officials tell me they are going along with the ruling and cite six things that all must have for a pass to be required.The six required amenities are: picnic table, trash receptacle, toilet, interpretive signing or display, parking, and security.The first five are concrete. But security? I asked Tamara Wilton, Region 5 recreation fee program manager, to explain.Like many things in the bureaucratic world, security is sort of vague. It might mean a daily or weekly patrol. It might mean something like a gate.But in areas where the amenities aren't in place, sometime around summer's end Adventure Pass will no longer be required.
Why not a firm date for the change to free access?First, the Forest Service needs to review its review of amenities. Then it needs to map specific boundaries. When those maps are available, I plan to publish them....."

blogroll:
http://hikingangelesforest.com/
general hiking trip reports that are organized

http://mavensphotoblog.com/
geologist trip reports mainly centering on the San Andreas Fault
example: http://mavensphotoblog.com/2012/03/18/f ... #more-3549
^aerial photos of Hwy39,Wrightwood,etc.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/03/1 ... n-Azusa-CA
Massive website dailykos begins reporting on socal hikes...I wonder how they will keep it up with so many photos per report.

Uncovering San Dimas Canyon's Hidden History
http://www.kcet.org/updaily/the_back_fo ... story.html
"...Framing our route were the river-rock foundations of cabins that had housed upwards of ninety families on land leased from the Angeles National Forest. Vinca minor, an exotic vine with periwinkle-blue flowers, crawls over the gutted structures, cast-off kitchenware, and exposed nooks and crannies; climbing up the eastern and western slopes are sturdy clumps of cacti left to fend for themselves after the 2002 Williams Fire gutted these residences, a blaze that ultimately torched the entire watershed.
As for the road that had snaked along the San Dimas, it too had fallen victim to the conflagration: intense post-fire flooding and erosion has taken out most of its bed, and what remains is almost impassable; we had to clamber over alders, oaks, and pines that have dropped like Pick-Up-Sticks to block its meandering route.
A ghostly community: its silence shattered when a red-tailed hawk coasted overhead and let out a hoarse scream.
These communal artifacts, as haunting as the raptor's cry, were not the ones we were seeking. Instead our small party of three had set off from the Forest Service's San Dimas fire station hoping to relocate a memorial plaque erected in 1927 on an upstream hillside honoring Stuart J. Flintham....."

MSR Team Called Out; Robotics Competition Continues
http://www.crescentavalleyweekly.com/ne ... continues/

Montrose Search and Rescue Team members responded to a call of 12 stranded hikers at 11:08 a.m. this morning. The hikers started out of Chantry Flats earlier today, despite the impending storm, hoping to reach Mount Wilson.

“Four or five of the hikers got back to their car. The others were found and are being transported,” said CV Sheriff’s Station watch commander Lt. Debra Herman. They were found at 12:45 p.m. and were transported to their cars at the Chantry Flats area by the Montrose Search and Rescue Team and sheriff’s department vehicles.

In an interview on Friday, both MSR Team member Mike Leum and David Sweet, meteorologist with the National Weather Service, advised that no one go out into the storm if travel was not necessary.

The rain is predicted to continue throughout the day with snow levels dropping as low as 2,000 feet.

O/T: Project Yosemite
http://projectyose.com/
HD video of Yosemite with timelapse

Closer to home, and also in Vimeo, Sierra Descents checks in with some socal skiing...
http://www.sierradescents.com/video/201 ... eport.html
"....I mean, there was snow on I-10 in Beaumont! That’s 2500 feet above Sea Level, 35 miles from Palm Springs. On Secret Hidden Peak, Trevor and I found snow so deep it was hard to move—even headed downhill. Luckily, we got things figured out and had one of those mind-blowing days that stays with you forever. "

California Art Club
http://www.californiaartclub.org/exhibi ... hibitions/
Artists like Karen Winters...
http://www.karenwinters.com/pasadenapai ... index.html

Crystal Lake entry in their annual competition

Santa Anita canyon from a currently running LA exhibition

AW~ · Post by **AW~** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 4:24 pm

Station Fire closure to be extended past July1st?

Replanting Failed Seedlings in Angeles Forest Will Have to Wait Till Next Year
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local ... 48555.html
"A significant portion of the seedling trees planted last year in the Station Fire burn zone have not survived, according to officials involved in the project, though the Angeles National Forest has yet to release an official count.

The 2009 blaze--largest in L.A. County history--scorched more than 165,000 acres and while the chaparral, grass and sage have come back quickly on their own,the effort to restore 4,300 acres of pines and firs is proving more difficult than projected......"

The Chaparral Institute Blog defends chaparral and basically the trees being planted are not natural to some areas.
http://californiachaparral.org/wordpress1/
".....The following statement in the article (which likely came from one of the interviewed US Forest Service sources) is a classic example of the pervasive misconceptions that continue to influence land management policy: “Soil on the 11,000 acres chosen for reforestation was burned too deep for natural regeneration. Without rapid intervention, chaparral would probably choke off any new trees.”...."

04/08/2012 15:23 Cliff Rescue Search & Rescue Eaton Canyon

After multiple injuries and rescues, officials plan Eaton Canyon mountain safety meeting
http://www.burbankleader.com/the818now/ ... 1946.story

After a busy season of injuries and rescues near Eaton Canyon Falls and other trails in the San Gabriel Mountains, local public safety agencies are hosting a press conference Tuesday to explain the dangers of the area and offer safety tips.

Representatives of the U.S. Forest Service, Pasadena Fire Department and Los Angeles County Fire, Sheriff’s and Public Works departments will be present.

The event takes place at 3 p.m. Tuesday 4/17/12 at the Eaton Canyon Park and Nature Center, 1750 N. Altadena Dr. Pasadena.

Sierra Madre rescue log for March
http://arcadia.patch.com/articles/searc ... s-50ba4980

The only one with detail was 'Lost and Injured for 58 Hours in Millard Canyon '
http://sierramadre.patch.com/articles/l ... n-193a70f9
"Akiva Estersohn went out for a hike on a Friday morning and expected to be gone for little more than an hour. Fifty-eight hours later he was found by local search and rescue teams with a gash in his head, sitting in the middle of a stream bed above the Millard Canyon Falls not far from the Sunset Ridge hiking trail....." it goes into detail and explains that he got lost because he misremembered in a big way the area's terrain after going off-trail, thus committing to ascend Millard Canyon.
After getting above the falls, he started climbing steep cliffs where..."The soil was loose and he kept slipping, falling and sliding. His pants began to rip to shreds from all the scraping against brush and the ground. At this point, it was late afternoon on Friday and Estersohn was not sure if he would be able to find a way out. Then things got much worse: Estersohn, on a slope he described as ‘near vertical’ was trying to move to a place where things were less steep. Suddenly, the loose soil gave way and Estersohn fell backwards, tumbling and turning.He hit his head hard on rock.“I might have lost consciousness for a moment. I found myself on all fours on an unstable position. I was stunned, I was terrified,” Estersohn said. “I could not believe a human being could sustain that kind of impact.”He lay there, dazed. And then he realized the gravity of his injury.“There was a lot of blood. There was blood all over my shirt. And I looked at it and thought I better get up,” Estersohn said....As it got dark, Estersohn decided to find shelter. He was more prepared than most casual day hikers: he had an emergency space blanket which would help keep him warm. He found an outcropping under a ledge and managed to pull the space blanket taught around it to seal in warm air.....Much of the second day passed like the first, climbing searching for a signal, and trying to get up to the fire road....“I could hear car doors slamming, people laughing,” Estersohn said.
He used an emergency whistle to try to signal ‘SOS’. He used a mirror in his compass to try to flash a signal to anyone who might be looking below. And then, he began to yell. He yelled for help, both in English and Spanish. He yelled for as long as he could. ...
By the time he was done yelling, it was again getting later in the day. Estersohn felt extremely dehydrated. He was worried he would have to camp again. He wanted badly to get back down to the stream where he could drink. He had left his space blanket behind where he camped the first night, thinking there was no way he would get stuck for another.
So he gave up trying to get out, and went back down into the canyon to camp. He used the space blanket pieces and sheltered as best he could for a second night in the wilderness.
It was not an easy night – Estersohn was woken up by loud howling. He wondered if it was a mountain lion. Perhaps it was a coyote. Whatever it was, it was close..."

AW~ · Post by **AW~** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 10:20 am

2012 run/bike/walk schedule

May 19th - Amgen Tour Stage 7 Ontario to Baldy
May 26th - MtWilson run 7am - full
July 21,22 - AC100 - full
Sept 3rd - MtBaldy Run to the Top

Gorgeous Gorge
http://gourmetsportsman.blogspot.com/20 ... gorge.html
Fishing in a nice clear stream with an encounter with some rock climbers...
video text:"Unfortunately at the end of our day we saw some A-hole in the parking lot scoping our truck to break into it."

Cryptic species in our own backyards!
http://www.daysedgeproductions.com/blog ... -backyard/
"A few weeks ago Dr. Catherine Newman, a biologist at Louisiana State University, published a paper describing a new frog species, previously unknown to science....The new frogs described described by Newman live in one of the most urbanized places in the world – New York City. The idea that an unknown frog was living virtually in the shadows of New York’s skyscrapers made this story an instant classic, and news outlets around the world announced the finding to great fanfare.....Coincidentally, I recently learned that Los Angeles has its own enigmatic amphibian. But unlike the familiar-but-incognito leopard frogs described in New York, ours lived completely undetected until just a few years ago.

The San Gabriel Slender Salamander (Batrachoseps gabrieli) has only been observed at a handful of sites in the San Gabriel Mountains, northeast of LA. The first specimens weren’t collected until 1985, and even then, it took until 1996 for Dr. David Wake to examine the museum specimens carefully and realize that this species was quite distinct from any of its known relatives – not just genetically distinct, but visibly different from any other species in its genus. Genetic evidence suggested that this species had split from its nearest relatives something like 10 million years ago!........

After about an hour, I spotted what looked like a fat earthworm under a large rock… It turned out to be the tail of a retreating Ensatina eschscholtzii – a big, rubbery, dull-pink salamander that’s found in mountainous areas all over California. I was re-invigorated – there were salamanders here!

I photographed the Ensatina, returned it to its home, and continued searching for my real target. Finally, after another hour or two of methodical searching, I lifted a big, flat rock in a well-shaded section of the talus slope and saw a tiny, curved shape among the roots and pebbles – the San Gabriel Slender Salamander! It was smaller than its name, mostly black, but with beautiful golden speckles down its back...."

Ensatina -not too rare

San Gabriel salamander -rare

Post by **Taco** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 2:02 pm

That's cool!

AW~ · Post by **AW~** » Mon Jun 11, 2012 10:47 am

Hiker rescued after fall into Eaton Canyon ravine('Coyote canyon') 6/9/12
Note: Coyote canyon is listed as the drainage east of walnut canyon(aka the horse trail) that goes to the toll road
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2 ... scued.html

A 53-year-old man with diabetes suffered a possible punctured lung Saturday when he fell into a ravine while hiking with his family in Eaton Canyon above Pasadena, authorities said.

According to the Pasadena Fire Department, the man tumbled off the side of a canyon and into the ravine, making it difficult for a search and rescue team to find him.

Firefighters said they were notified about the fall at 10:40 a.m. Rescuers found the hiker about 50 minutes later. Authorities, who at first reported that the hiker was a teenager, said the injured man was able to talk to dispatchers on his cellphone, which helped guide searchers to his location.

Somewhat typical news coverage of the San Gabriels on the internet-

( Raul Roa/Staff Photographer / June 4, 2012 )
http://www.lacanadaonline.com/news/tn-6 ... 1905.photo

Historical: The Buckhorn at MtBaldy
http://www.pablostories.com/ClubReviewDetails.aspx?id=4
".....Most visitors to San Antonio Canyon pass the restaurant now known as The Buckhorn located at the head of Baldy Village, without knowing the story behind this historic building. It was the major building of Curry’s Camp Baldy, ‘The Yosemite of the South,’ from 1929 through 1938...

Foster Curry, the son of David and Jennie Curry and the owners of Yosemite’s famous Camp Curry resort, purchased Camp Baldy in 1928. How [Foster] became Camp Baldy’s owner is not a pleasant story. [His father] David passed away in 1917 and Foster became the heir apparent of the famous resort. For several years he did an outstanding job taking his father’s place.

However, Foster had a drinking problem that led to his banishment from the ‘Incomparable Valley’ which he loved so dearly. Despite this love, Foster vowed never to return to Yosemite and set off with his second wife Ruth, who must have helped him to overcome his problem, to find other opportunities.

Following two failed hotel ventures, Foster and Ruth purchased Camp Baldy and, with Foster’s excellent resort management experience and Ruth’s vivacious personality, set out to make it the canyon’s and the San Gabriel Mountains’ premier resort using Yosemite’s Camp Curry as inspiration...

By 1932, Curry’s Camp Baldy, as the resort was now known, boasted fine dining facilities and 84 shaded cabins along musical San Antonio Creek. . . . Then tragedy struck. Foster Curry died rather suddenly in November 1932 of leukemia ... In 1933, Edmund Burns who appeared as a leading man in silent movies with famous actresses such as Gloria Swanson, Constance Talmadge, and Leatrice Joy ... met Ruth and they were married in 1934.

These halcyon days of Curry’s Camp Baldy hit a snag when the casino, located across the street from today’s Buckhorn Restaurant, burned to the ground in 1936. However, Edmund and Ruth Curry Burns began work on a new and much larger building called the Wagon Wheel Casino. The new casino opened less than a year after the fire.

The beautiful, rustic building included a 7,000 square-foot dance pavilion, a stage large enough for band and entertainers, and a sizable dining room that extended over San Antonio Creek. Part of the floor was glass and diners and dancers could view the creek below...

Then disaster struck. On March 1 and 2, 1938, following several days of ground soaking rain, Southern California and the San Gabriel Mountains were hit by the worst storm in the area’s history. The violence was nowhere worse than in San Antonio Canyon ... Gone were the casino, the swimming pool, part of the hotel, and all but ten of the 84 cabins...

Oh, yes. Remember that Foster Curry vowed never to return to his beloved Yosemite? He did. In June 1933, an airplane flew over Yosemite Valley with Ruth Curry as the passenger. Foster’s ashes were distributed as the plane flew above a cloud. Foster finally returned to his beloved home...."

AW~ · Post by **AW~** » Mon Aug 27, 2012 2:07 pm

Dead Body Discovered Below Bridge To Nowhere 8/23/12
http://monrovia.patch.com/articles/dead ... e-02e2f984
"A hiker up at the Bridge to Nowhere reportedly discovered a dead body Thursday evening.

The deceased was described as a male white heavily submerged in the San Gabriel River below the bridge, in the mountains above Azusa and Glendora. The body was discovered around 5:45 p.m., according to scanner reports. Los Angeles County fire fighters, along with San Dimas Search and Rescue traversed the terrain to confirm the hikers report just after 6 p.m...."

Deputies Bust $4 Mil. Pot Farm North of Santa Clarita
Part of a state-wide operations
http://scvnews.com/?p=18897
"....Deputy Alex Radovic said members of the sheriff’s Marijuana Enforcement Bureau were airlifted Monday into the Poison Oak Canyon area of the Angeles National Forest where they found 2,719 marijuana plants that were approximately 24 weeks old.With help from the sheriff’s Aero Bureau, narcotics officers confiscated the plants together with camping gear, irrigation equipment, pesticides and several thousand pounds of fertilizer, Radovic said......."

Angeles Crest Highway: motorcycle on fire, LA Sheriff Rescue 5 helicopter 8/26/2012

Duet for Saw and Coyotes

Substitute a saw for a violin and attract coyotes(not shown).

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Mon Aug 27, 2012 2:13 pm

"Heavily" submerged? As opposed to lightly submerged no doubt.

HJ

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Mon Aug 27, 2012 9:46 pm

AW wrote: ↑were airlifted Monday into the Poison Oak Canyon area of the Angeles National Forest

Sounds like a delightful place. Must visit one of these days.

Post by **Taco** » Tue Aug 28, 2012 9:30 am

Hahahahahha what the hell is happening?! Poison Oak Canyon? Heavily submerged?

AW~ · Post by **AW~** » Tue Aug 28, 2012 9:36 am

cougarmagic wrote: ↑
AW wrote: ↑were airlifted Monday into the Poison Oak Canyon area of the Angeles National Forest
Sounds like a delightful place. Must visit one of these days.

Yes, the canyon is a high priority first descent that will be perfect for the fall season with plenty of red color

Just as a note for the thread, I got scammed again by the news source. It was actually 9/14/2011, not this year. There was a regional effort, but no local news this year.

AW~ · Post by **AW~** » Tue Aug 28, 2012 9:57 am

Rock climbers rescued in MtBaldy*actually Icehouse canyon*
7/5/12

Sheriff's personnel rescued two rock climbers Tuesday evening in Mt. Baldy after they became stuck on a near-vertical rock face about 200 feet from the bottom of a canyon. San Bernardino County sheriff's dispatchers received a call at 6:13 p.m. from someone who heard a pair of climbers scream in the Ice House Canyon area. The caller thought the pair might be injured. Deputies in a helicopter found Andrew Clyde Ealum, 21, of Defuniak Springs, Fla. and Delley Marie Monahan, 32, of Rancho Cucamonga in about 20 minutes. Sheriff's officials said they were clinging to a shrub on the rock face and needed to be rescued. Using a hoist and night-vision goggles, deputies were able to hoist both victims out of the canyon. Officials said they were both in good health and declined medical treatment

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Tue Aug 28, 2012 7:01 pm

Were they rock climbers or were they just two guys out climbing rocks?

HJ

T McPherson · Post by **T McPherson** » Tue Aug 28, 2012 8:32 pm

Hi there,

For those who might get out into this neck of the woods.

Sheep Creek Rd. (3N31) is open from Lytle Creek Rd. to the base of Gobblers Knob. The road is in great condition. It had been closed since the Sheep fire around 2008. The Sheep fire also closed that length of the PCT coming up from Swarthout Cyn. I don't know yet if the gate is open at the Lone Pine Cyn. end of the road near Clyde Ranch.

Other good news in the area of accessibility is that the upper portion of Lytle Creek Rd. (3N06) is open, at least to Stockton Flats. The road had been barricaded near the public shooting concession since heavy runoff washed several portions of the road away in early 2011. The road (3N33) ascending between 3N06 and 3N31 is also in great condition.
Lytle Creek Rd. from the shooting range to the Stockton Flats area, although freshly graded, is very rocky.

And finally, San Sevaine Rd. (1N34) is scheduled to open after Labor Day just in case you want to enjoy a hop up to the wilderness trail head.. Please remember to call the Lytle Creek Ranger Station to inquire about the gate at the head of 1N34 before you make the trip. Enjoy.

Tim

Post by **HikeUp** » Tue Aug 28, 2012 9:08 pm

Awesome beta doood! Thanks!

AW~ · Post by **AW~** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 6:55 pm

Endangered mountain yellow-legged frogs might get a hoppy ending
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me ... 2145.story
"....When Backlin and Gallegos visited recently, several hundred adult frogs shared the knee-deep pools with hundreds of wiggling tadpoles and dime-sized babies.
"Whoa!" Backlin shouted, diving head first into a tangle of branches shading a small patch of water boiling with frogs. With one sweep of the net, he pulled out half a dozen. In less than three hours, the biologists captured 71 adults of the species scientists know as Rana muscosa. Fifty-two had been tagged during previous forays into the canyon. But 19 were new frogs.
Two years ago, this 1.5-mile stretch of spring water and ice melt was thought to hold about five...."

The Least Among Us: The Story of the Yucca Moth
http://brockbajer.blogspot.com/2012/09/ ... -moth.html
"....This stately plant owes its entire existence to one small inconspicuous insect: the yucca moth. And the moth in turn would perish forever without the relationship it has forged with the yucca. In the absence of either one of these species, the other would quickly become extinct. ...The yucca moth never eats during her short lifespan. Dowden continues, “No one knows what started such a habit or how the moth’s curious body developed. But the partnership must be very old, since species of yucca have evolved and each has a species of Tegeticula moth that evolved with it. The yucca depends entirely on its little moth.This year in the canyon(Big Tujunga), plant rustlers chopped hundreds of blooming yucca ‘trees’ down and stole them. I believe they were gathering the fertilized seed. The real crime is they stole the yucca moth larvae before they could complete their generous cycle. There will be fewer yuccas next year not only because these plant thieves stole thousands of seeds but because they destroyed so many of the yucca’s only pollinator...."

Industry scoops up 100 acres in mountains north of Azusa
http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_21469 ... orth-azusa
"..Industry, which has 219 residents, bought a secluded 100-acre camp in the mountains north of Azusa.
While city officials say they plan to use the property as open space, others in the region have been left scratching their heads on why a city more than 20 miles away would take on the investment of a camp.
...."Right now, we're just kind of cleaning it up," City Manager Kevin Radecki said. "The city bought it for recreation and open space. The council hasn't made a final determination of exactly what to do with it. There's going to be some long-range planning that goes on. It was available."The 26 parcels of land are another addition to massive land holdings that include dozens of properties in Industry and 5,700 acres outside the city in the Tonner Canyon area near Diamond Bar.
The city paid $5.25 million for Follows Camp, which was previously owned by Follows Camp LLC, a company controlled by Rowland Heights investor Garry Tsaur and a business partner.....Broker Brion Costa in 2006 represented Flochal Inc., the company that owned the land before Tsaur. A flood in early 2005 had wiped out an access bridge and destroyed structures at the camp. At the time of the flood, about 200 residents were living at the camp. The county began fining Flochal because Follows was permitted only for two weeks of camping, not for long-term residential uses. Flochal sold the property to Tsaur the next year. "Garry bought it really for his own personal use after learning there was not a whole lot that could be done up there," Costa said. "The entryway over the river needed to be reconstructed. There were a number of issues." Costa called it the most complex transaction he had ever handled.

"That was one hell of a nightmare sell," he said. "We had to work with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the California Department of Fish and Game, Caltrans. Virtually everyone in the state is involved with that sale."..."

A call for a stranted female hiker ends in a successfull rescue of a four-legged victim - September 1, 2012 Altadena - Dawn Mine trail
http://www.amrt.org/index.php/blog/entr ... ber-1-2012
"....Turns out the German Shepherd spotted a deer and took off, breaking free from his leash. While attempting to retrieve him, the victims became stuck, prompting the rescue. "

August Rescue Log, Sierra Madre Search And Rescue
http://www.sierramadrenews.net/?p=10666
"....Overdue Hikers, between Fish Canyon and Switzer Falls: SMSR joined other Los Angeles County Sheriff’s search and rescue teams in the search for 2 hikers overdue from a hike to take pictures of a “waterfall” in the local mountains. A coordinated plan was developed and search teams dispatched to trailheads at Fish Canyon on the east to Switzer’s picnic area on the west. Attempts to reach the subjects via text message were ultimately successful and the subjects were located near Switzer Falls.

Searches often involve coordinated use of multiple tactics and technologies to locate missing hikers, but the job of Search and Rescue teams is greatly simplified by letting someone know where you are going and when you’ll be back. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Hiker Plan is a good way to document your plans."

09/16/2012 08:35 Vehicle Break In Lower Big T Cyn & Falls Creek Rd (3n27)

blog: canyoncartography.com
Chantry Flats to Mt. Wilson X-Country via the Winter Creek
http://www.canyoncartography.com/chantr ... ter-creek/
Trip report of MtWilson via Winter Creek(starting from upstream of Hoegees camp). No rappels or waterfalls noted.

Learning About Strength of Spirit (or, Just One of My Fire-Fightin' War Stories?) - by Bill Neal
http://elkwhistlebillneal.blogspot.com/
"....But, here's my story - as a wildland firefighter for the U.S. Forest Service, I learned that strength of spirit meant much more that physical strength....On another night, we were doing structure protection in Icehouse Canyon on Mt. Baldy, up on the roofs of the cabins trying to keep them from burning. Earlier, we had gotten a hot meal at the Ice House Lodge, a beautiful old building with county firemen laying all over the floor sleeping - in the middle of our meal we had to run outside and cut a line around the lodge to keep it from burning (it finally burned to the ground in another fire several years later).
Icehouse Canyon was aptly named - a narrow, steep canyon with a year-round stream of snow-melt run-off - it was cold! It was approaching Thanksgiving by this point so we were freezing, but we were in the middle of a fire-storm powered by Santa Ana winds with fire blowing everywhere. It was getting pretty miserable. Then the ante went up - the burning vegetation on the steep canyon-sides above us was no longer holding back boulders, allowing them to roll loose - they were bounding and crashing down the canyon-side in the dark, right on top of us, like cannonballs. We could hear them coming but we couldn't see them in the dark until they were already there. We were totally exposed on the rooftops with no way to protect ourselves. That's when the football player started crying. By that time, it was all that the slight little archeologist and I could do to keep the crew together and functioning. She was mothering everybody, even though she was probably still only in her 20's, and, at 36, I was being Papa Bear. She really did impress me with the strength of her spirit. It was a life lesson for me in one of those situations that absolutely tests the limits of your endurance, your physical condition, and your spirit - one of those "when the chips are down" situations..."

Post by **HikeUp** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 10:11 pm

AW wrote: ↑blog: canyoncartography.com
Chantry Flats to Mt. Wilson X-Country via the Winter Creek
http://www.canyoncartography.com/chantr ... ter-creek/
Trip report of MtWilson via Winter Creek(starting from upstream of Hoegees camp). No rappels or waterfalls noted.

Yet another "I wonder if..." mystery solved.

AW~ · Post by **AW~** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 11:58 am

HikeUp wrote: ↑ Yet another "I wonder if..." mystery solved.

Yup, but the San Gabriels are getting a lot smaller in that regard.
I also wanted to add this picture from West LA Hiking and Mountaineering meetup group...has the fire on San Antonio ridge 9/1/12 as seen from Ross Mountain....that and the north ridge to Iron Mtn:lol:

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 3:36 pm

Cool that the frogs are rebounding. Maybe they'll re-open the closed section of the PCT between Eagle's Roost and Cooper Canyon. Right now the official detour goes by way of Devils Punchbowl.

Nice write up on Winter Creek. The guy has a gift for writing. I wonder which branch of Winter Creek he took?

Radical photo of San Antonio Ridge etc.

HJ

AW~ · Post by **AW~** » Fri Sep 21, 2012 3:54 pm

More and more typical under-reported news:

Wildcad: 09/19/2012 18:48 Cardiac Arrest Medical Aid 1960 San Gabriel Avenue/between Ranch

Body found in Azusa Canyon 9/19/12
http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_21587714/h ... -from-tree

ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST - A man's body was found by a motorist in the Angeles National Forest at 4:35 a.m. on Wednesday.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies responded to a call about the body found 3 1/2 miles north of city limits in Azusa Canyon.
A person driving along the canyon saw someone lying on the side of the road and thought they were dead, sheriff's officials said.
"There was no immediate sign of foul play, but there are some indications of a suicide," Lt. Andy Berg said.
The body found is described as male; no further details are available.
Homicide and coroner are currently investigating at the scene.

And this also reported...
Hiker finds body hanging from tree 9/20/12
http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_21587714/h ... -from-tree

AZUSA - A man was discovered hanging from a tree near the riverbed Wednesday(9/19/12) night.
Azusa Police Sgt. John Madaloni said a hiker who was in the riverbed adjacent to the 1900 block of Azusa Avenue/San Gabriel Canyon Road reported finding the body. Police were notified at 6:43 p.m.
"Initial investigation by officers and detectives revealed there was no evidence of foul play. And it appears to be a suicide," Madaloni said.

Memorial Signs for LACoFD Fallen Firefighters on Antelope Valley Freeway (SR-14) near Lancaster 9/20/12
http://caltransd7info.blogspot.com/2012 ... allen.html

Yesterday, a Caltrans Sign Crew from the Mission Hills Maintenance Station installed memorial signs on the northbound and southbound Antelope Valley Freeway (SR-14) for two of the Los Angeles County Fire Department’s fallen firefighters, Captain Ted Hall and Engineer Arnie Quinones.
Hall and Quinones were killed in line of duty while battling the Station Fire in August 2009 in the Angeles National Forest. The Station Fire was the largest fire in LA County history.
This sign was originally requested by Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, and the California State Legislature has designated the SR-14/SR-138 Interchange as the Los Angeles County Fire Captain Ted Hall & Engineer Arnie Quinones Memorial Interchange.

Note: Actually, the Angeles Forest highway was supposed to be named after the firefighters as covered in misc news some time ago. At least there is a conclusion to this.

La Cañada High students get an up close Endeavour flyby
http://www.lacanadaonline.com/news/tn-g ... 3080.story
I didnt see any reports of this from the mountains, but there was a picture from Griffith Park - Los Angeles Hiking Group

La Cañada Council signs off on 'ultimate' deal
http://www.lacanadaonline.com/community ... 5807.story
"....The La Cañada Flintridge City Council voted 5-0 Monday night to approve the proposal(2 'bubbler' water fountains, 1 for horses and 1 for hikers' and move forward with construction on the condition that the project is no longer called the Ultimate Destination Pocket Park. Several residents said they oppose building a park in the canyon.

The Ultimate Destination, part of the 12-mile loop trail that encircles the city, is a wide spot in the Cherry Canyon trail offering views of the San Gabriel Valley, San Gabriel Mountains and La Cañada Flintridge. Blackwelder donated $35,000 to the city in 2009 to provide water for trail users....But the idea brought opposition from neighbors.
Anne Karayan told the council on Monday that a park in Cherry Canyon would draw cigarette-smoking teenagers and other loiterers. Fire risk and litter would follow, she said.....The project, which was kick-started by Blackwelder’s donation of $35,000, will cost $136,000. The city is responsible for $41,650, with grants and donations from the Trails Council, private citizens, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and Los Angeles County covering the rest...."

Forest Service Goes Off-Grid... in the Suburbs
http://www.kcet.org/news/rewire/governm ... burbs.html
".....As of September 19, the USFS's San Dimas Technology Development Center will be powered entirely by solar panels set up on one and a half acres of the grounds. The site's 1,288 new solar panels will not only generate enough electricity to run the San Dimas center, but will sell enough extra power to help offset electric bills at the Angeles National Forest Supervisor's Office in Arcadia.

The panels were installed with the help of a little over $1 million in stimulus funding, and will save considerably more than that over the lifetime of the project -- about $100,000 each year in avoided electric bills. In addition, the USFS embarked on an aggressive energy conservation plan at the facility with the help of California Conservation Corps workers, including weatherizing buildings, upgrading air conditioning and lighting, and installing occupancy sensors in rooms....."

Post by **HikeUp** » Fri Sep 21, 2012 9:49 pm

From my office in Glendale I wish I had my camera with a telephoto lense to get a picture of Endeavor flying over the hills and silhouetted against Mt. Lowe. All I managed to do was watch it with my binoculars. Quite spectacluar.

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Mon Sep 24, 2012 2:06 pm

Hiker finds body hanging from tree 9/20/12

Yeesh! That's a heck of a thing to find on a hike.

HJ

AW~ · Post by **AW~** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 4:45 pm

Hikin_Jim wrote: ↑
Hiker finds body hanging from tree 9/20/12
Yeesh! That's a heck of a thing to find on a hike.

HJ

updated...

AZUSA - A man discovered hanging from a tree near a riverbed earlier this week killed himself, authorities said.

An autopsy was conducted Friday on the body of the 45-year-old Arcadia man and coroner's officials ruled the death a suicide.

Azusa police said a hiker discovered the body near the 1900 block of Azusa Avenue/San Gabriel Canyon Road at 6:43 p.m. Wednesday.

It was the second body found hanging from a tree that day.

At 4:35 a.m., a driver spotted a body of a man by mile marker 21.91 at Highway 39 in the Angeles National Forest.

Initial information from the sheriff's department erroneously said the driver saw someone lying on the road.

Sheriff's Lt. David Vega said the body was hanging from a tree.

The Los Angeles County Department of Coroner identified the man as a 25-year-old El Monte resident. An autopsy is pending.

The two cases are not linked, according to Coroner's Lt. David Smith.

Post by **HikeUp** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 5:18 pm

Aren't there trees much closer to home?

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 6:23 pm

Well, yes, but the views are much better in the mountains.

And besides:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... oaktW-Lu38

HJ