Photos of Switzer and Bear Canyon

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Thu Apr 15, 2010 8:21 am

Just cross posting a report from a trail work group last weekend. (I wasn't there)

It's not pretty:

http://www.outdoorsclub.org/event.php?event_id=19006

AW~ · Post by **AW~** » Thu Apr 15, 2010 11:53 am

I didnt get what was dangerous...because there was no trail? What kind of reason is that to keep something closed? I thought dangerous meant like the whole trail is going to slide of the cliff if you walk on it.

I can understand why some are still in the grief stage of it all...but for me, the recovery has been way faster and better than I expected. Islip canyon is starting to look ugly again(and thus no one including me will know where it is or care), Eaton is pooling up,etc...I was kind of thinking boulders were going to fall into the canyons but if its just going to be some dirt/sand then its no big deal.

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Thu Apr 15, 2010 12:15 pm

AW wrote:I didnt get what was dangerous...because there was no trail? What kind of reason is that to keep something closed?

Amen to that! I guess we're just used to off trail travel. To me, it's all just ...mountain...when you get down to it.

I grew up in upstate NY, where everything was fenced off and "don't go here" "don't go there" etc. Moved to Arizona after college, where it was still the wild west - do whatever you want! I loved it. California seems somewhere in the middle.

As for 'recovery', yes, the vegetation is rebounding well (better than I expected too). But I'm worried that the filled-in pools will just be masses of weeds come summer. Not sure how soon they get scooped out again. I think the aquatic life in these places are done for. (Unless they wait 10 years, then re-introduce everything?)

Ze Hiker · Post by **Ze Hiker** » Thu Apr 15, 2010 12:23 pm

cougarmagic wrote: I grew up in upstate NY, where everything was fenced off and "don't go here" "don't go there" etc

recent suicides indicate that the gorges in Ithaca are not fenced off enough

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Thu Apr 15, 2010 12:56 pm

Zé wrote:recent suicides indicate that the gorges in Ithaca are not fenced off enough

I went to Ithaca College. That bridge was famous back then, too.

Em Tae · Post by **Em Tae** » Fri Apr 16, 2010 2:55 pm

cougarmagic wrote:Just cross posting a report from a trail work group last weekend. (I wasn't there)

I was there, so just a slight correction....

It was not a "trail work group". We were allowed in to the closed area, accompanied by a FS rep, to recon the damage to the Bear Canyon Trail, and we carried in small handsaws to cut branches from fallen trees when we had to go under them.

AW wrote:I didnt get what was dangerous...because there was no trail? What kind of reason is that to keep something closed? I thought dangerous meant like the whole trail is going to slide of the cliff if you walk on it.

I guess this is a case of "you had to be there" because the pictures do not do justice to the amount of damage on the Bear Canyon Trail, as well as the Gabrielano Trail which we could see before dropping into Bear Canyon. Numerous sections of both are no longer there due to slides and new gullies, and that's why many of the pictures were taken in the watercourse rather than on the actual trail.

I'm sure most people on this Forum - as well as those of us who were on the recon hike - are capable of handling the lack of trails, but where the trails had washed away, we had to exercise much care in traversing around the slides as we were 100'+ above the canyon bottom with little growth below the trail to arrest a fall.

I don't think you would want to see the great unwashed masses from LA try to navigate these damaged areas since this would likely result in many more rescues and/or body recoveries.

Hmmm? In the latter case, maybe this wouldn't be such a bad idea!

I believe the closure will have to remain in affect because it is for "the greatest good for the greatest number".

AW wrote:I was kind of thinking boulders were going to fall into the canyons but if its just going to be some dirt/sand then its no big deal.

Many boulders, as well as several landslides and huge burned trees, have fallen into Bear Canyon as a result of the fire, and we even heard some rock fall while hiking. Our recon hike resulted in much scrambling and boulder hopping, turning a normally easy 3-hour, 8-mile round trip hike into a 5-hour slog.

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Fri Apr 16, 2010 4:50 pm

Thanks Em. I'm interested in any other observations or photos you have. I know it must have been rough to see that place changed so much.

The log wedged in the bridge was really amazing. I've been hiking that trail for years, and I had to really work at recognizing some of the spots. Sad to see that beautiful emerald green water replaced with chocolate milk. But it looked like many of the trees in the canyon bottom survived, so that's good.

You'd think the average person could see a washed out trail or cliff, and say...hey, maybe I shouldn't go that way... Too bad that's not reality. It's just frustrating - like, some people get into car accidents, so no one should be allowed to drive?

Anyway, thanks for the post and if you get to see more places, I'd love to hear about it.