Millard canyon Rose Bowl 4th of July fireworks 2018

[Rudy Rodriguez]

Monday I figured it would be nice to watch the Rose Bowl July 4th fireworks show from Millard canyon/Chaney trail. I was on the ridge near the water tanks beside the Mt Lowe road. There was maybe 15 people there. The fireworks were incredible at that distance. I felt good about watching an event like this in the sky. I bet folks in the Rose Bowl coliseum paid too much to sit in a ball of smoke while trying to see the explosions. From where I was the marching bands could be heard even! Man the whole city looked crazy with explosions absolutely everywhere. I imagined the scene looked like an alien invaders' assault on Los Angeles. The entire city very quickly created an orange, all-to-familiar, smoke layer. I see this every July 4th. At one point there was a huge ball of smoke that completely covered the coliseum and it's parking area! It really looked like a small nuke went off! I'm not exaggerating, it was awesome! If you've never seen this, then you must do so, I say! I even thought about taking along a small bottle of booze. I rarely drink, but it was quite the occasion! I spent the day before and this night at Millard campground. I know everyone on this site is hardcore and Millard canyon is only a few measly couple hundred yards from a pkg. lot, but I've been going to that campground since the 70s with family. We always went there. I love that little canyon. As the decades passed I got to see erosion effect the cliffs with rain, the trees change, while other trees have been there, long before the 1970s. Those Oaks are the same oaks I played around as a kid. Ate countless meals with family members young and old. I can listen to the frogs and hear how they sounded back then. I'm sorry to say the average water flow of the stream is less than half of what used to be the norm, 40 yrs ago. As a kid I remember the rangers scaring off a bear with a shotgun. As an adult I've seen a mtn lion in camp. So as close to the city it maybe, it is still very wild in some ways.