EISPIRATEN

"CA: Hiking trip turns fatal
http://www.jocosarblog.org/jocosa...5/c ... fatal.html
"A Rancho Cucamonga man fell about 360 feet to his death this weekend while hiking in Cucamonga Canyon. San Bernardino County sheriff's search and rescue personnel on Sunday found Sean Davis, 26, about two miles north of Almond Street and Skyline Road.
Sheriff's Deputy Carlos Quezada described the area as "very rough, extremely steep and very rugged."Davis and his brother, Christopher Davis, 22, were hiking in the area at 10:15 a.m. when they both fell about 100 feet down the mountainside, officials said.Sean Davis did not stop falling and dropped another 260 feet. Search and rescue personnel found him when they rappelled down to the area. The county's Sheriff-Coroner Department pronounced Davis dead at the scene...."

Very sad to read.

Forest Service to Reopen 100-Plus Miles of Trails in May
http://altadena.patch.com/articles/fore ... ils-in-may
"...The Forest Service plans to have the trails open on Monday May 16, according to Sherry Rollman, a spokeswoman for the Angeles National Forest. She said the organization will be releasing a full detailed map of what areas will be opened and which will remained closed by the end of the week.....

* Upper Arroyo/Gabrielino - open, but only up to Paul Little Picnic Area, or down from Switzer's Canyon to the intersection with Bear Canyon trail.
* El Prieto Canyon - open, but only to the intersection with Brown Mountain Road.
* Brown Mountain Road - closed
* Sunset Ridge Trail - open"

MtWilsonTollRoad east of MtHastings
http://myown100hikes.blogspot.com/


Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team Rescue Log
http://www.sierramadrenews.net/?p=1454
"...Today we are pleased to debut a new monthly feature on the News Net, the rescue log of the world famous Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team. The log will appear on or about the first of the month each month..."

UFO at the Cobb Estate Sunday
http://www.altadenablog.com/2011/05/ufo ... unday.html
"....Paraglider "James" said it was the first time he had launched from Echo Mountain and was about 88.7% sure he was not breaking any laws. ..."

O/T:Day of the Condor, Tar Creek, 04/29/2011
http://davidstillman.blogspot.com/2011/ ... 92011.html

Federal Judge Acts To Protect 40 Endangered Species
http://www.care2.com/causes/federal-jud ... z1Qo7O5BpZ
"....Patel ordered the U.S. Forest Service to halt construction and public access in the vicinity of Williamson Rock and Little Rock Creek Road in the Angeles National Forest, popular hiking areas that are also home to endangered mountain yellow-legged frogs and arroyo toads...."

Mt.Baldy Moonlight hikes(second friday of the next 3 months)
http://www.shopbaldy.com/zIndex.lasso
"...Dinner is served from 7:00pm to 9:30pm....If you decide to wait until after sun set, be sure to bring a flash light as the moon will not completely light the canyon. Another option is to wait until the last chair ride down(after 9:30pm?) for a great view of the moon and lights of the valley in front of you as you descend...."

Road closures:
Upper Big Tujunga canyon road from AFH to ACH(long-term closure supposedly)

Glendora Mt Road - "GMR closed July 1st approx 10 am. Reopens on Tues July 5th. Just confirmed w ranger personnel. open to hikers and cyclists"
http://glendoramtnroad.blogspot.com/

3 Involved in Fiery Crash Near Glendora Mountain Road
http://glendora.patch.com/articles/3-in ... ntain-road
"The vehicle(Mini Cooper) carrying three passengers that went off of Glendora Ridge Road, seven miles west of Mt. Baldy Road, plunged between 400 and 600 feet before catching on fire and burning a half acre of brush early Thursday(June 23rd) morning....

Commentor:"...Then a black little car with a loud exhaust note, comes up..the driver telling us that a mini-cooper just went over the side, about 3 miles down the road.The towtruck driver, drives down the road to the next accident. Glen and I follow. We reach that site, and start yelling to see if anyone survived. As we listened, we see the yellow glow of fire. We hear faint yelling.hat tow driver..that man took a fire extinguisher, told us "I have to do something"..."I can't leave them there". I tell Glen I'm going back to Baldy to call 911. At that location..no cell phone service. I set my trip meter to zero, and ride. I get to where my cell gets out and make the call. I sit at the gate..and wait. Fire trucks..paramedics...show up, and I tell them it's 7.3 miles in. It's easily 2:30 AM. The crews start coming in, there's a helicopter in the night sky. Glen and I are there with our bikes parked at a lower turnout. The tow driver had got down there, used up his extinguisher, and was truly a hero. It was his quick action that saved lives that morning. I heard through Firemen, that the tow driver was over taken by the smoke"

Quiet Night(June 22nd - GMR)
http://glendoramtnroad.blogspot.com/201 ... night.html
"...nothing caught my eye until I saw the slew of emergency vehicles at the electronic sign. I stopped to take a picture then I saw a familiar figure amongst the police fire fighters and paramedics. Matt was walking around. I saw his bike parked in the guard rail. Man down! Ron and Matt had ridden together talking . Ron ran over the black base for the orange pilon. He nearly recovered from the unexpected bump but ended up crashing. He was in the ambulance. Around his nose was black and blue. Possibly collar bone and ribs broken. He requested to be taken to Pomona hospital....The fire fighters quizzed us on riding Glendora Mountain Road. Can' t you ride somewhere else?..."

Alleged Angeles Crest Road Rage Incident Involves Cyclists
http://arcadia.patch.com/articles/alleg ... cyclists-4
"...At 9:45 a.m. June 18 while deputies were responding to a separate call, they were flagged down by a group of cyclists riding along the Angeles Crest Highway. The cyclists alleged that a driver in a Nissan Xterra had driven next to them while they were cycling, slowed down and cursed at them....A witness alleged that he had seen the same driver move his car dangerously close to (other)cyclists while yelling at them....When deputies questioned Cox, he said that he was driving to work when he approached a pair of cyclists who he believed were in his lane and not being considerate of drivers. Cox said that he drove close to the right shoulder and yelled at them, and then encountered two more cyclists and attempted to confront them about their cycling manners, according to the report.Cox told deputies he stopped his car directly in front of the cyclists....Cox was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and booked at the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station."

Truck narrowly avoids tumble on Crest
"....A spokesperson for the L.A. Department of Water and Power said the truck was on its way to perform maintenance on department telecommunications equipment when part of the (fireroad, not ACH)road gave way while it maneuvered a turn. No one was hurt, and DWP crews used a bulldozer to put the truck back on the road..."


Reefer Madness: Our National Forests Going To Pot
http://www.kcet.org/updaily/socal_focus ... 34616.html
"...By June, 2010 they already had pulled out and destroyed upwards of 96,000 plants, a cash crop worth an estimated $192 million. Then, in early July, US Department of Drug Enforcement agents teamed up with local forces on two major busts in the vicinity of Fish Canyon and Knapp Ranch. With police helicopters whirling overhead, the eradication teams weeded out more than 11,000 plants valued at $22 million. As with other such efforts, they also cleaned out almost a ton of trash, irrigation pipes, herbicides and chemical fertilizers, tools and other material the growers had used to manage their illegal crop.

Later that same month, the task force once again hit paydirt: after getting reports from hikers of suspicious activities in the forest, it sent three teams up a series of ridgelines and creekbeds, discovering 41 sites which were home to nearly 17,500 plants (street value: $35 million)...."

Map of Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Mountains, 1915
http://www.bigmapblog.com/2011/map-of-l ... ains-1915/
Auto club map of Los Angeles

Concerns raised over proposed Assembly district
http://articles.lacanadaonline.com/2011 ... ra-olhasso
"A proposal by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission to include La Cañada Flintridge and neighboring Foothills communities in a new state Assembly District that would stretch all the way to San Bernardino County has sparked concerns....The proposed future San Gabriel Mountain Foothills District, which includes much of the Angeles National Forest, stretches much further east. In that district, La Cañada and La Crescenta would share representation with communities that include Altadena, Sierra Madre, Duarte, Azusa, Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne and two San Bernardino County cities — Upland and Rancho Cucamonga, some 40 miles away.."

Hwy39 wins July 4th wildcad.net ANF award since it wouldnt be July 4th without parking violations from overcrowding, dozens of illegal BBQs, and of course....

07/03/2011 19:30 Man With Large Knife No ID

Hiker Injured In Angeles National Forest Released - July 1
http://arcadia.patch.com/articles/hiker ... nal-forest
" A female hiker who was injured earlier today has been released by paramedics following an examination of injuries sustained at Hermit Falls in the Angeles National Forest. According to Captain Gary Sens of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the woman injured her arm while diving into the water at the popular swimming spot and was unable to pull herself from the water due to her injury....."

Reopened Angeles Crest Highway gets safety review after 3 deaths
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2 ... eview.html
"State transportation officials have launched an investigation into the deaths of three motorists who killed in separate incidents within weeks of the reopening of the lower portion of Angeles Crest Highway in June....The investigation — which will also include a look at the highway’s signage, traffic volume and enforcement — could take up to two months, Raptis said, after which officials will determine whether changes can be made to improve the safety on the twisting mountain highway which reopened last month after storm and fire damage closed it...."

(Still) Open – and Ready for Business
http://www.crescentavalleyweekly.com/ne ... -business/
"Whether by car or motorcycle, the drive up Angeles Crest Highway to Newcomb’s Ranch Bar & Restaurant from La Cañada is 27 miles of steep, winding road......Since April of last year, Newcomb’s has been open, but business hadn’t been booming. There had been an alternate route open from Sunland-Tujunga, but aside from the presence of die-hard riders like Ralph Fox and John Katis, the place had an empty feeling.“We were depressed,” said Fox. “We would come in here and there wouldn’t be anyone here.”Rundall said they cut the menu from four pages to two, and laid off workers. The business was down by half.
“A lot of people have been working here for years. It was very hard for the owner,” Rundall said....Newcomb’s even had to run on generators for 13 months because Southern California Edison didn’t supply them with electricity.But now summer has come, and with it the reopening of the ’Crest....."

Our View: Storing water
http://www.losangeleswater.org/2011/06/ ... ing-water/
"...We have more water in reserves than we ever had in the history of the district,” said Bob Muir, MWD spokesman...Buying up excess water and having it percolate in ponds along the 605 and 210 freeways would bring the levels of ground water within the San Gabriel Basin – the Valley’s underground aquifer – to well above normal.This marks a substantial recovery from only two years ago when the “key well” in Baldwin Park was measured at one of the lowest levels in Valley history. “Now, just two years later, we will be up toward the top end of our operating range,” Chapman said.The basin is an excellent place to store water because underground water does not evaporate, unlike water in a reservoir...."

From PCTNews.com
"National Snow Analyses 3D Interface"
http://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/earth/
Ability to combine Google Earth and NWS regularly updated data for snow coverage.
Sierra snapshot:http://www.pctnews.com/wp-content/uploa ... w_7_04.jpg

Dynamite sparks evacuation in Wrightwood
http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/wright ... parks.html
"WRIGHTWOOD • Authorities evacuated several businesses Thursday night after discovering dynamite in a truck. The driver of the truck found the explosives in the open desert in Pinon Hills Thursday evening and thought they were road flares, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s officials said in a press release. Around 7:45 p.m. a witness called 911, and San Bernardino County Fire confirmed that the devices were dynamite....."

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/friendsoftheangeles/
This forum is dedicated to discussions of the formation of a Friends of the Angeles National Forest group, the group's potential roles and functions and how we might structure such a group

AW wrote: ↑Dynamite sparks evacuation in Wrightwood
http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/wright ... parks.html
"WRIGHTWOOD • Authorities evacuated several businesses Thursday night after discovering dynamite in a truck. The driver of the truck found the explosives in the open desert in Pinon Hills Thursday evening and thought they were road flares, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s officials said in a press release. Around 7:45 p.m. a witness called 911, and San Bernardino County Fire confirmed that the devices were dynamite....."

Holy crap, he sure would have gotten a surprise if he ever lit them.

Got timed out...arrgh...but a search of the internet

Altadena Search and Rescue has several incidents thus far this month.
http://altadenarescue.blogspot.com/
Noted 11 at Hermit Falls thus far this year.
Youtube video of Rubio canyon rescue
Deaf hiker separated from group and rescued from Malibu canyon
Jetskier killed by boater on Pyramid Lake
Crashed plane from the 70s found and hiked to at elev 2900, Upland CA
blog:http://opadventureteam.com/
Youtube videos of a trip from Vincent Gap to Heaton
Youtube video of a daytrip to Iron Fork campsite(a CROWDED bridge to nowhere and excellent footage of bighorns)
Big Tujuna Dam retrofit completed, with elected officals celebration
Historical East Fork stuff such as
https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/scribd/desert-magazine-1964-july_compress.pdf
(page 11-13)

A man falls to his death in Eaton Canyon:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2 ... trail.html

I've never been to the actual falls, I always go up the toll road instead, but I thought the only danger on that hike was if you try and use the use trail to go up to the other falls.

greg_fs wrote: ↑ I've never been to the actual falls, I always go up the toll road instead, but I thought the only danger on that hike was if you try and use the use trail to go up to the other falls.

This hiker was on his way back from the second waterfall, on the dangerous "trail" you're thinking of. You'd have to work pretty hard to get hurt hiking to the first waterfall.

hehehe...lost another big post

topics:

Yosemite gal falls from going down half dome cables(death)
Angeles Crest driver found guilty of involuntary manslaughter(not 2nd degree murder)
LA County set to vote on banning big rigs from AFH&BigT
Eaton rescue from same spot of previous death
Dog rescued from Bridge to Nowhere trail(Rescue called for tired dog by owners)
Hiker rescued from 40ft fall into Ravine(Glendale)
3 rescued from MtBaldy(at Bear Canyon)
300lb 'out of it' dude falls into East Fork SG river and is rescued
LA County Sheriffs release hiking form
Several medical aid incidents
History of Cobb Estate sale
Results of AC100
small Hazmat incident on Glendora Mountain Road
Storm chaser success at monsoonal storm along NE side of the SGs

AW, the site is sluggish lately. Gotta 'select all' and 'copy' your post prior to posting so you don't lose it. My apologies if you already do that.

Taco wrote: ↑AW, the site is sluggish lately. Gotta 'select all' and 'copy' your post prior to posting so you don't lose it. My apologies if you already do that.

Yeah, I have forgotten on occasion to do that and thats what got to me the time before last. This one was I had some tabs open on my firefox and before closed the one about the AC100 and of course, viola...everything gone....oops.

Since Im at it, heres the sheriffs hiking form(thanks to Altadenablog)....maybe it will come in handy to use for someone. I think we should have it as a sticky in the plans/partners section.
http://file.lacounty.gov/lasd/cms1_163961.pdf

Bingo!

AW, Please tell me there's some footage of this hoisting

http://www.sgvtribune.com/crime/ci_18554654

Man rescued from San Gabriel River near East Fork Road
Posted: 07/27/2011 08:59:36 AM PDT

ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST - Officials and friends resuscitated and rescued a man from the San Gabriel River after he jumped or fell in and landed on a rock, authorities said Tuesday.

Officials received a call just after 5 p.m. Monday that a 46-year-old man, who had been drinking alcohol with friends near East Fork Road, "had either fallen or dove into the rushing water of the San Gabriel River," Los Angeles County sheriff's Capt. Mike Parker said in a written statement. "He struck a rock and was unresponsive and laying face down in the water."

"Witnesses moved him a short distance, but were hampered in their efforts due to it being a very treacherous area of the river and that it was difficult to move the man as he weighed well over 300 pounds," Parker said.

The friends began performing CPR and called 9-1-1.

U.S. Forest Service officials and a sheriff's rescue helicopter happened to be in the area and arrived to help within minutes, Parker said.

Sheriff's paramedics were lowered from the helicopter and were able to resuscitate the victim, hoist him up into the aircraft and take him to a hospital, officials said. He was listed in stable condition Tuesday.

Hiker deaths in Angeles National Forest prompt warning
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2 ... orest.html
"The deaths of two hikers in the last week, including one Saturday, in the popular Eaton Canyon section of Angeles National Forest have prompted a warning from officials.People often underestimate the power of Mother Nature, L.A. Sheriff's Sgt. Debra Herman said, hiking on trails well beyond their skill level. County emergency personnel have been responding daily to incidents in Eaton Canyon, Herman said.
“The only day this week we did not have a rescue was Tuesday,” she said....."

Hermit Falls not far behind....
08/04/2011 13:21 Back injury Chantry Flats Campground at Hermit Falls
08/03/2011 17:39 Back Injury Chantry Flat and Hermit Falls

Climber With Broken Legs Airlifted from Angeles Forest
http://lacanadaflintridge.patch.com/art ... s-forest-2
"The climber was in a popular rock climbing area near the Horse Flats campground off the Angeles Crest Highway....A rock climber was airlifted to the Huntington Memorial Hospital around 4:45 p.m. after suffering two broken legs from a fall in the Angeles National Forest, according to Sgt. Randy Tuinstra of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Crescenta Valley Station....."

Southland woman thanks live-saving good Samaritans
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?secti ... id=8287931
" A Southland woman gets to thank the good Samaritans(CalTrans) who rescued her when she was caught in heavy snow months ago in the San Gabriel Mountains.....Cooley says she'll never forget the frigid night of April 19. She had run out of gas along Highway 2. When she got out she started walking east, but she went past a road-closed sign into a snow drift. That's when she slipped and fell down an icy ravine.
"Oh it was freezing," said Cooley. "I kept moving my arms; you know trying to keep as much as I could, trying to move my fingers because they were starting to become frostbitten as well."
The next morning she struggled up to the top of the hill, but because the road was closed she was all alone.
That is, until she saw a Caltrans work crew off in the distance trying to clear the snow......"

State of the San Gabriels Rivers Watershed Symposium
http://wp.cwea.org/?p=4495
"Biological communities in the San Gabriel Mountains had the highest IBI scores indicated that their populations were relatively undisturbed. In contrast, the biological communities in the highly urbanized lower watershed and main channel were much more disturbed as indicated by lower IBI scores.....

Unexpectedly, water toxicity was most frequently observed in the high biologically performing upper watershed locations(35% occurrence of toxicity) and was never observed in the highly urbanized main stem....Nearly every chemical constituent, including nutrients, metals and organics that was assessed against a water quality standard was within the Basin Plan thresholds regarded as safe for human and aquatic life....
E. coli concentrations were lower below the effluent discharges compared to upstream, where concentrations were routinely greater than California standards.....The watershed includes 48 cities and three counties. Precipitation throughout the watershed is variable from 27 inches in the mountainous areas to 12 inches observed in the coastal areas in an average year. Gary provided the extreme occurrence of 0.65 inches recorded in one minute at a gauging station in the mountains. ....The SGRRMP initiated a bacteria monitoring program in the summer of 2007 to specifically assess swimming safety. Eight popular swimming locations in the upper watershed were monitored for E. coli during the water spring and summer months from May through September when the density of swimmers is greatest. E. coli levels during 2007-2009 were typically below California standards indicating that it is safe to swim. Occasionally these standards were exceeded on weekends or holidays when recreational use was high....

Historical:Hugo Reid Adobe
http://landmarkadventures.blogspot.com/ ... adobe.html
"Henry Dalton was born in England in 1803, and in 1820 sailed to Lima Peru and became a merchant eventually commanding a small fleet of merchant vessels. By 1841 he had become a prominent figure in California coastal trade. Dalton chose Rancho El Susa as his home renaming it Azusa de Dalton.....So who was Hugo Reid? According to the 1953 book “Arcadia, City of the Santa Anita,” by Gordon S. Eberly, he was a tall, good-looking fellow with keen blue eyes. After an unhappy love affair he left Scotland and his family at the age of 18 and sailed to the port of San Pedro and made a trip to Mission San Gabriel. He was so taken with the beauty of the San Gabriel Valley that he moved permanently to Los Angeles in the summer of 1834....Reid, by then called Don Perfecto Hugo Reid at the age of 27....The Reids(Hugo Reid, a Scotsman, petitioned the government of Mexico to grant him Rancho Santa Anita. His claim strengthened by his marriage to Victoria, a native Indian of the San Gabriel Mission) became widely known for entertaining with lavish meals and relaxing ranch life at the Rancho Santa Anita...Only two years after obtaining full title on the Rancho Santa Anita property in 1845, they sold it to Reid’s former business associate Henry Dalton in 1847 for $2,700 (about 20-cents per acre!)
......

Motorist Plunges Off(fatality) San Gabriel Canyon Road
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local ... 83908.html
"...A witness at the Coldbrook Campground in the Angeles National Forest north of Azusa reported seeing a vehicle go off the road near Mile Marker 32 shortly after 2 a.m., according to CHP Officer Anthony Martin and information posted on the agency's web page."

Another fatality from Hwy2 as well...not much info though

Pot raid yields 11,000 plants in Angeles National Forest
http://www.scpr.org/news/2011/08/12/282 ... onal-fore/
"....The raid brings to 16 the number of grow sites uncovered in the Angeles National Forest this year. Sheriffs and federal officers have eradicated nearly 89,000 plants. Pilots have helicotered out two and a half tons of debris found at campsites where farmers stay for months to monitor a crop"

Excellent look into operations of ANF pot raids
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?secti ... le-8304458

Helicopter rescues injured woman near Eaton Canyon waterfall 8/14/11
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_18682099
"ALTADENA - A 59-year-old woman fell near the first waterfall at Eaton Canyon on Sunday and had to be taken by helicopter to Huntington Memorial Hospital, officials said......"

Above is one more to add to:
http://altadena.patch.com/articles/this ... ues-so-far

Hermit Falls not to be outdone...
08/14/2011 11:22 Possible Fx Leg Search & Rescue Chantry Flats by Hermit Falls 1st Water Trail

Hermit Falls youtube: "Sin jumping Hermit Falls"

"Sin jumping a 50ft cliff and landing on his butt and back. Respect for a guy who doesn't know how to swim. Wilson came to his rescue but nearly drowned as well lol."

Eaton continues...

Hikers Stuck in Eaton Canyon Wash Overnight
http://altadena.patch.com/articles/hike ... -overnight
".....The hikers who were airlifted were exhausted but uninjured, according to Jacobs, but were taken to the hospital to be examined.
The group had taken off on Saturday with the intention of rappeling down the falls and walking out through Eaton Canyon - they brought the necessary equipment with them, according to Jacobs.
However, they did not get down on Saturday night, and on Sunday morning one of the family members called the station, she said....."

Larry Wilson: The push to 'close' Eaton Canyon Falls
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci ... z1VoPiatUR
"....Because, in fact, until the early 1970s, it was "closed." That is, in a grand folly driven by monumental optimism about the efficacy of chain-link, the Pasadena Department of Water & Power fenced off the mouth of the upper canyon below the Mount Wilson Toll Road bridge for decades.
And, right, those were the years we kids went up there. See, it's impossible to fence off a canyon, dozens of yards wide, with a rough, rocky bottom. When there's enough of a prize up top, folks will slip underneath it....."

blog: http://serpicorabbit.info/
including waterfalls East Etiwanda and Devils Gulch

Rescued Frogs Dying at the Zoo
http://www.ksee24.com/news/local/Rescue ... 82783.html
"... About two years ago, more than 100 were rescued after a fire in the Angeles National Forest destroyed their home. Today there are only two left. Zoo staff say the frogs' dying during their change from tadpole to adult frog, which is a very stressful period in the animal's life cycle...."

Remembering Eaton Canyon Hiker (Guest Column)
http://altadena.patch.com/articles/reme ... est-column
".....The female friend, who accompanied John the day of the incident, stated that she and John climbed to the top of the cliff and walked through a narrow, steep ridge. When John felt it was unsafe, they both turned around to walk back towards the entrance they had climbed.
However, as they were walking back, she says that either John slipped or the ground crumbled under him, causing him to slide off the cliff to his death......"

08/25/2011 14:03 ANF-4320 CA-SNF-002119 MOTOR Resource Order SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST
^Yosemite news: Motor Fire
http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/08/26/251 ... tting.html
"......Highway 140(&El Portal) is closed east of Mariposa because of the Motor Fire.Air tankers, helicopters, bulldozers and hotshot crews are joining the firefighting effort, the U.S. Forest Service said.
Fresno County Fire spokeswoman Brenda McCants said there are now 1,152 firefighting personnel on scene.
The extent of the road closure is unknown. The highway leads to one of the main entrances to Yosemite National Park. Officials say there is a "significant" chance that the fire will grow from its current 1,000 acres....."

AW wrote: ↑Yosemite news: Motor Fire

It's a bad year for Yosemite - 17 visitors dead so far! (not from the fire)

AW wrote: ↑Remembering Eaton Canyon Hiker (Guest Column)
http://altadena.patch.com/articles/reme ... est-column

When non-hikers write about hiking!

Cathryn De Guzman wrote:At the canyon, we were able to find a hiker who was there at the time John fell, and she showed us where John had fallen from and how to enter that trail. Unfortunately, it was too easy for us to find Internet forums on “How to Enter Razorback trail at Eaton Canyon” and “How to Get to Eaton Canyon’s Second Waterfall” through our smart phones and reviews that past hikers post on networking sites such as Yelp.

Many of the reviews are helpful and warn about the dangers of entering the trail, but others make hiking the trail sound like they are entering Disneyland and that the hike and risks are well worth the waterfall at the end.

Perhaps Cathryn De Guzman isn't aware that people have died at Disneyland, too.

http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_18831463

"A bill gathering steam in Congress would remove protections from more than 43 million acres of wildlands - including 48 acres in the Angeles National Forest - and could start a modern gold rush in the Eastern Sierra ghost town of Bodie...

...Likewise, environmental groups protective of the Angeles National Forest say McCarthy's bill opens up areas of the West Fork of the San Gabriel River, the upper Arroyo Seco above La Ca ada Flintridge and Pasadena, the Sheep Mountain and Cucamonga wilderness areas above Claremont and Upland, and Strawberry Peak in the back country near Mount Wilson, to development forces. However, there are no known plans to log or mine these remote Angeles forest lands."

Late-Night Hikers Rescued
http://altadena.patch.com/articles/late ... rs-rescued
"Six hikers were escorted to safety after getting lost on a late-night excursion in the Angeles National Forest around 1 a.m. Saturday, according to officers at the Altadena Sheriff’s Station.
Four young men and two young women called for help about 2:30 a.m. Saturday to report they had become lost while hiking on Sunset Ridge Trail...."

Sheriff's Search and Rescue find missing hikers
from:http://sheriff.lacounty.gov/
"AUGUST 30th, 2011

Three hikers were reported missing in the Angeles National Forest at 10:45PM Monday night, and were found by Sheriff's Search and Rescue teams at 8:40AM Tuesday morning. Family members notified Crescenta Valley Sheriff's Station deputies that the men were supposed to return by 6:00PM Monday night, but were missing. The hikers are male residents of Los Angeles and Torrance, ages 32, 45, and 50.

The men began their hike at 9:00 A.M. Monday morning and planned on completing it by 6:00 P.M. The Montrose Search and Rescue team and Sierra Madre Search and Rescue team of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department were activated at 11:00 P.M. Monday night, and immediately began their foot search of the area in the dark. Reserve sheriff's deputies and civilian volunteers compromise most of the team members, volunteering their time on a moment's notice, using their mountaineering experience and skills, as well as their personal time to help strangers in harm's way. Search & Rescue team members found one of the hiker’s vehicles in the Mount Waterman area and a second was found at the Devil’s Canyon Trail head near Mile Marker 50.50 on Angeles Crest Highway. The hikers had possibly intended to hike a one-way, 15-mile day hike from one vehicle to the other and had not taken gear to stay overnight.

The search teams began their search near Mount Waterman and inserted a second rescue team into the Devil’s Canyon area at 3:00 A.M. Crescenta Valley Sheriff's Station patrol deputies and a Sheriff's Aero Bureau patrol helicopter are assisted with the search. Family members said one of the three hikers has extensive survival and backpacking experience, the group has a compass, and that each man was equipped with a backpack. Two of the men are not experienced hikers. "It's a very rugged area," said Sheriff's Montrose Search and Rescue Team member Steve Goldsworthy. "In some places there is no trail, it's just slate and rock." Ground crews and helicopters found the men in Devils' Canyon at 8:40AM Tuesday...."

Lightning, weather cut short Mt. Baldy's Run to the Top for the first time in history
http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_18831765
"MT. BALDY - For the first time in race history, lightning and inclement weather interrupted the Run to the Top race on Monday.
Most of the participants in the 46th annual event were stopped at the halfway point, about four miles in, at the top of the notch where the restaurant sits.
"I'm sure there were a lot of disappointed runners, but I think they all understand," said Augie Medina, a 64-year-old South Pasadena runner. "You don't mess with lightning."
In addition to the lightning, officials were worried about the weather - it was in the 30s at the top of the mountain, sparking fears of hypothermia - and the rain.
The race directors, Cary and Jennifer Mitchell, were told to stop the race after rescue officials deemed it unsafe for runners to continue to the top.
They called the race about 8:45 a.m....."

Mountain Lions Spotted(or not spotted IMO) in Burbank, Prompting Warnings
http://northhollywood.patch.com/article ... g-warnings
"...A particular large cat has wandered the hills above Burbank and frightened some residents. Some people can only hear the bone-chilling screech of the cat, but others have seen it in backyards and even crossing the streets late at night.
Half a dozen joggers and bikers have reported seeing big cats, especially around the country club in the foothills of the Verdugos on Country Club Drive. Residents have also seen bobcats, which are smaller, spotted and not a threat to humans......"

Mountain Lion Killed on Freeway
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local ... 55663.html
"A 15-month-old mountain lion was killed while trying to cross the San Diego (405) Freeway in the Sepulveda Pass, authorities said Wednesday.
The puma, fatally struck by a vehicle near Getty Center Drive on Tuesday, was one of a handful in the Santa Monica Mountains that were being studied by naturalists, according to Woody Smeck, superintendent of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area......"

Children Playing with Fireworks Spark Sun Valley Wildfire
http://laist.com/2011/09/06/children_pl ... ldfire.php
"...Responding by ground and air, firefighters from the L.A. County Fire Department, Burbank Fire Department and Angeles National Forest joined forces to successfully combat the blaze in the Verdugo Mountains. Their efforts protected nearby homes as the fire scorched approximately ten acres of the hillside...."

Mystery Photo Blog
http://www.altadenahistoricalsociety.org/blog.htm
Up to extremely difficult where is this photos.

Shattered Window, Stolen Items
http://lacanadaflintridge.patch.com/art ... ult-rifles

Five men in two cars reported that someone smashed their windows and broke into their vehicles parked in the Angeles National Forest at mile marker 18.87. Stolen during the Aug. 20 incident were items worth $2,500, including cell phones, cash and a wallet

Three Hikers Rescued from Cliff at Eaton Canyon
http://altadena.patch.com/articles/thre ... nyon-video
"Three hikers were airlifted out of Eaton Canyon after they were found clinging on to a cliff 100 feet off the ground, according to Capt. Mike Parker of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.....The hikers were uninjured and were airlifted and dropped off in a landing area just below the Pinecrest Gate..."

DUI suspected after injury crash on Glendora Mountain Road
http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_18868756
http://glendoramtnroad.blogspot.com/201 ... today.html
"A man was suspected of drunken driving Saturday after his car plummeted 500 feet over the side Glendora Mountain Road, injuring himself and two passengers, authorities said. The crash was reported just before 5:30 a.m. on Glendora Mountain Road, near Glendora Ridge Road, in the forest north of Glendora, according to California Highway Patrol logs...."At the time, the visibility was approximately 20 to 30 feet because of the fog up there," the officer said.
The Mustang went over the side of the road and finally came to a rest about 500 feet down a steep embankment, Jolin said....."

Hikers' Cars Burglarized
http://montrose.patch.com/articles/crim ... urglarized

Three vehicles parked off the Angeles Crest Highway in the Switzer Picnic area parking lot were burglarized between 11:30 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 26. The three victims had been hiking in the area. All reported a front window smashed on each car and property taken from inside. Among the items reported stolen were an iPhone, Garmin GPS, wallet containing a license and $100 cash, backpack, make-up bag and flip phone.

Leftover Labor Day Trash, Feces May Taint LA Water Supply
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011/09/ ... er-supply/
"...As much as 30,000 pounds of refuse was found in just one canyon of the Angeles National Forest in the wake of the holiday weekend, according to park officials....

Bear makes a mess of residents' trash(Verdugo Mtns)
http://articles.glendalenewspress.com/2 ... -residents
"Several Briggs Terrace residents were frightened Tuesday(Sep 6) after a black bear dug into their trash cans in search of a late-night snack, officials said.Residents notified sheriff’s deputies of the wandering bear about 10 p.m. after it was knocking down their trash cans and scouring for food, said Deputy Steve Toly of the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station. The large bear terrified residents, he added..."


O/T: Missing hiker found safe(San Gorgonio)
http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_18862888
"...The hiker, Bryan Gutierrez, was located by San Bernardino County search and rescue personnel at about 1:30 p.m(the day after missing).
Gutierrez was found in Falls Creek Canyon and was hoisted out of the area by the sheriff's air rescue helicopter....

It was the latest in a number of emergency incidents that have occurred in the mountain community in the past few months.
Taylor Vejar, 11, of Rancho Cucamonga died in a rock slide Sept. 5 while on a hiking trip with three friends.
Two other people not in Taylor's group were injured in the rock slide.
Giovani Rodriguez, 16, of Rialto slipped on a rock and fell 50 feet to his death in the Big Falls area of Forest Falls in June."

Above and Beyond: CV Sheriffs Honored
http://www.crescentavalleyweekly.com/ne ... s-honored/
"Among the 38 extraordinary men and women who were honored were those who serve at Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station.
Meritorious Conduct Gold Medals were awarded to Deputy Jeff Martin, Reserve Chief Michael Leum, Reserve Capt. Janet Henderson, Reserve Sgt. Bruce Parker, Reserve Sgt. John McKently, Reserve Deputy Doug Cramoline, Reserve Deputy Fred Koegler and Reserve Deputy Fred Wenzel.
All are members of the Montrose Search and Rescue Team that responded with other deputies and search and rescue members to a call for support at Fire Camp 16 deep in the Angeles National Forest, the area where two Los Angeles County Firefighters lost their lives while fighting the Station Fire......
The team members were briefed on the life-threatening circumstances of the mission and all were offered the chance to opt out. None did. They were told to remove their bulletproof vest to help deal with dehydration and intense heat from the fire.....We stood in a line as the [men’s bodies] moved down the line and onto a fire [vehicle],” Cramoline added...."

AW wrote: ↑O/T: Missing hiker found safe(San Gorgonio)
http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_18862888
"...The hiker, Bryan Gutierrez, was located by San Bernardino County search and rescue personnel at about 1:30 p.m(the day after missing).
Gutierrez was found in Falls Creek Canyon and was hoisted out of the area by the sheriff's air rescue helicopter....

"Gutierrez, 30, was hiking Vivian Creek Trail to San Gorgonio Peak when he disappeared, Miller said. He was with about 100 people from a church."

WTF? How do you get 100 people on a Wilderness Permit?

Name and shame the damned church.

O/T: Missing hiker found safe(San Gorgonio)
WTF? How do you get 100 people on a Wilderness Permit?

20 at a time

More importantly how do you loose someone with that many hikers together?

If I had a group of 100 hikers in front of me on a trail, I think I'd just turn around. It's hard enough to get by a group of 8 people, but 100 just wouldn't be possible.

greg_fs wrote: ↑If I had a group of 100 hikers in front of me on a trail, I think I'd just turn around. It's hard enough to get by a group of 8 people, but 100 just wouldn't be possible.

Avoid Winter Creek on weekends, it's like navigating a mall at Christmas.

simonov wrote: ↑Name and shame the damned church.

no source ever did say....

Wild L.A.: Mountain Lions, Grizzly Bears & the Land that Once Was
http://www.kcet.org/updaily/socal_focus ... -land.html
'before the cities' what it was like.

Video of previous Eaton Canyon rescue released


09/18/2011 16:05 fall injury @Hermit Falls (not that Im keeping score of Eaton vs Hermit)

Monkey Canyon Cliff Jumper Tells Tale
http://montrose.patch.com/articles/monk ... tells-tale
"...The 30-year-old web designer fractured his left heel and shattered his right heel cliff jumping into shallow water at Monkey Canyon in Tujunga, prompting a helicopter rescue by the Montrose Search and Rescue Team. ...After the jump and injuries, he doesn't need surgery but Perrett has to be in a wheel chair for several weeks...."

After the Station Fire: Ten Miles - Four Peaks
http://www.photographyontherun.com/Afte ... Peaks.aspx
"... It had been a while since I'd done San Gabriel Peak, Mt. Markham, and Mt. Lowe; and although I'd run within a quarter-mile of the summit of Mt. Disappointment several times, I'd never done the last bit up to the peak. All four of these peaks can be done in a (round trip) run/hike of less than ten miles, with a cumulative elevation gain/loss of around 3000'....Turricula was present virtually everywhere along the route that had been burned, and could not entirely be avoided. It was especially prevalent on the path to summit of Mt. Markham from the Markham-Lowe Saddle..."

Three T's (Timber, Telegraph, and Thunder) 9/11/11
http://whiskeyandthemidnightsky.blogspot.com/
"...You can't call yourself a Los Angeles peakbagger until you've done the 3 T's.."

Closed Portion of Highway 39, Angeles National Forest, Sept. 18, 2011
http://www.1000wordsphotos.com/39Sept11/
"...Some of the locals on both sides have told me they believe it will never open again. From the pace of the work I would say that one more bad winter and they should give up trying..."


http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/forum/in ... pic=391.75

Eaton Canyon Falls by ~RandySprout on deviantART

Sierra Madre Residents on Alert After Two Mountain Lions Spotted at House(includes nice video)
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/131043153.html
"A public safety alert will be put out to residents in Sierra Madre Tuesday after two large mountain lions were spotted overnight, said police.
The two big cats were camped out in the front yard of a residence in the 600 block of Camillo Street at around 12:30 a.m.
“The two mountain lions stayed in the area for about 15 minutes until our officers ran them back up into the hills,” said Sgt. Joe Ortiz, of the Sierra Madre Police Department.
The animals were very large, and probably each weighed around 200 pounds, according to officers. The homeowners, who have lived at the home for nearly 20 years, said they've seen bears and bobcats, but nothing like these cats....."

Santa Monica Mountain's Lions Face Extinction
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/0 ... 90572.html
"...Of the group of 21 lions that have been collared over the years in the Santa Monica Mountains few have survived. Only one male is known to have come from the outside, from the Simi Hills across the 101 freeway into the Santa Monicas, this in 2009, bringing fresh genes with him. Biologists estimate there are currently about 10 of the big cats in the encircled zone...."

San Bernardino Sheriff's Department issues bear advisory(includes video)
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?secti ... id=8366355
"RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. (KABC) -- A large bear has been seen in residential areas on the north end of Rancho Cucamonga and residents were reportedly trying to get close and take pictures with the bear.
The Rancho Cucamonga neighborhood at the north end of Burrell Street is right up against the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, so a bear sighting isn't totally unexpected.
However, sheriff's deputies are concerned that some people aren't taking these sighting seriously enough so they've issued an advisory.
A picture of the bear taken just a couple of days ago showed it going through a trashcan that was knocked over outside a home at Burrell Street. ....."

Missing Father Ate Bugs and Leaves for Six Day Before Being Recued by Three Adult Children
http://sanfrancisco.ibtimes.com/article ... -lavau.htm
"David Lavau, 68, who had been reported missing on Sept. 23, was rescued last Thursday by his three adult children from the bottom of a rugged ravine located at Angeles National Forest(Lake Hughes Road, Castaic area), approximately 50 miles north of Los Angeles, authorities have confirmed.
According to Capt. Mike Paker, a spokesman of the Sheriff's Department, that three adult children of Lavau rescued their father Thursday after searching along the highway between their father’s home in northern Los Angeles County and Ventrra County. They had carefully examined treacherous drop-offs calling out for their father.
Lavau survived after falling six days in the ravine, eating bugs, leaves and drinking creek water. According to Parker, the location was confirmed through Lavau’s bank and cellphone records before the children commenced the search...."

Skeletal Remains Found in Angeles National Forest
http://sierramadre.patch.com/articles/s ... nal-forest

Hikers discovered the skeletal remains of a man in Angeles National Forest on Sunday, but his identity still remains unknown, according to coroner’s officials.
Crescenta Valley sheriff’s deputies arrived at the Big Tujunga area on Sunday night and called the coroners at 11 p.m. Sunday, Capt. John Kades of the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office told Patch.

Missing mountain-biking brothers found in Angeles Forest
http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_18985488

ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST -- Sheriff's search and rescue teams located two mountain bikers Monday who had gone missing during a night ride in the Angeles National Forest.
The bikers, who are brothers, aged 42 and 45, set out with two other bikers from the Switzer picnic area just before 11 p.m. Sunday, said Deputy Mark Pope of the Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau. They were planning to ride to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena -- a distance of about nine miles.
After the brothers fell behind three miles south of Switzer's, their companions reported that they were lost and search and rescue teams from Altadena, Montrose and Sierra Madre were activated, Pope said.
The brothers were located at 5:15 a.m. in good condition. One of them is overweight with high blood pressure and possibly diabetic.

http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-i ... 1025.story
"...U.S. Forestry personnel reported that they found the man just after 1:50 p.m. at the bottom of the canyon bottom off Angeles Crest Highway. They found the hiker unconscious and bleeding from the ears, officials said.Sheriff's rescue helicopter Air-5 flew to the area and the crew began searching the canyon bottom. They found the hiker lying in shallow in water a remote area about five miles from Angeles Crest Highway....."

Life on the Crest(Jerry Schad)
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2011 ... ife-crest/
"Jerry Schad died on Thursday, September 22, 2011. He wrote the Roam-O-Rama outdoors column for the Reader from 1993 to 2011. This is the first part of a story originally published in the Reader's pages on April 2, 1987; next week, the second, final part details the Trailmaster's roots....


Stars above the San Gabriel Mountains
http://blog.hodomania.com/stars-above-t ... mountains/

"The other night, me, my tripod and my camera sat by the side of the road on Angeles Forest Highway, in the San Gabriel Mountains, above Los Angeles."[/i]

AW wrote: ↑ Sierra Madre Residents on Alert After Two Mountain Lions Spotted at House(includes nice video)
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/131043153.html
"A public safety alert will be put out to residents in Sierra Madre Tuesday after two large mountain lions were spotted overnight, said police.
The two big cats were camped out in the front yard of a residence in the 600 block of Camillo Street at around 12:30 a.m.
“The two mountain lions stayed in the area for about 15 minutes until our officers ran them back up into the hills,” said Sgt. Joe Ortiz, of the Sierra Madre Police Department.
The animals were very large, and probably each weighed around 200 pounds, according to officers. The homeowners, who have lived at the home for nearly 20 years, said they've seen bears and bobcats, but nothing like these cats....."

What gender are these cats? Any other info?

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

Couldnt find anything...there was a suggestion that if they did indeed weigh around 200 pounds each, they are both male.

There was another article about bobcats though
Mountain Lion Spotted on Skyland Drive(includes 2 pictures)
http://sierramadre.patch.com/articles/m ... land-drive

A number of mountain lion sightings in recent weeks have put foothill residents on high alert for the safety of themselves and their pets. Last Friday, Sept. 30, Patch Blogger, Library Trustee and Canyon Dweller Catherine Addé spotted this mountain lion near her home on Skyland Drive in the upper Sierra Madre Canyon.
Just last month, another Sierra Madre resident reported seeing a large mountain lion in the area of W. Mira Monte Avenue. Only three days later, Monrovia Patch reported that a local house cat had been killed by a mountain lion.

And just to add a news item I missed...
Rubio Cañon Land & Water Association missed required water quality tests
http://www.altadenablog.com/2011/10/rub ... tests.html
"The Rubio Cañon Land & Water Assn. sent out a letter to shareholders last week saying it failed to monitor drinking water standards for uranium as required by the state health department during two quarters of 2010.....The three water sources, which include a well, a tunnel, and the stream in Rubio Canyon, come from a place with natural uranium, and are mingled with other sources in the treatment plant. The three sources are supposed to be tested quarterly, and samples are taken by a water company employee. Wood said that the uranium from the canyon water sources is usually so small, and so diluted when it leaves the treatment plant, that it doesn't present a problem....."