EISPIRATEN

It's been awhile since I've done an early morning scramble in the Chantry area. Do they really lock the gates up every night and open them in the morning? Can someone please tell me the earliest I can venture up the road? I forgot. Want to be moving before the sun comes up.... 6:30AM

Thanks!

found my answer on the Adam's Pack Station site. One question though; Do they stick close to those times:

"The road to Chantry Flat is open from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM. All the Chantry hiking trails and camp sites are open"

Yeah, they're quite good about opening on time, unless there is a red flag day or a slight chance of a slight rain or a dead squirrel in the road. Sierra Madre Police Department opens and closes the gate. If you want to check the status of the controversial gate, check with SMPD at 626-355-1414.

By the way, I voiced my uninfluential opinion in opposition to closing the gate at 8:00pm, two hours earlier than the historical 10:00pm closing time. 10-6 is the traditional "quiet time" in the forest and so it should be, in my opinion, if it be closed at all, with that or any other gate. Besides, 8 o'clock is way to early in the summer time - it's still light! This was a revenue generating proposition, unfortunately backed by the cabin owners of Big Santa Ainta Canyon.

Thanks Packer Greg - So what if someone gets locked behind those gates @ 8:15PM? Call SMPD and they unlock it? sleep in the car?

Ahh, therein lies the rub!...

The upper two miles of the road are LA County and the parking lot is Forest Service, neither of which close under normal circumstances. But the first mile of road alternates between Sierra Madre city limits and Arcadia city limits (you can see a delineation painted on the road with an S on one side and an A on the other). So even though the county road doesn't close, and the forest doesn't close, Sierra Madre owns the gate at the top of Santa Anita Avenue. Now, all the entities are in cahoots over road closures, but the one that makes out is Sierra Madre...

In case you get locked behind the gate, they have attached a sign with the SMPD phone number to call for someone (a cop) to let you out. What they don't tell you is that they will issue a $35 ticket. This also gives them an opportunity to scrutinize the the drivers and vehicles for other violations. And if you miss the cop that closes the gate by just a few minutes, he won't turn around to let you out when he gets the call. He will wait until there is a line of people waiting to get out before responding.

Please note that I no longer work at Adams' Pack Station and do not, as always, speak for them.

Did anyone else get cited on Sunday for being at Chantry Flats?

I came down the mountain to find the gate locked at 7:45pm. When the police arrived AN HOUR LATER, they cited all vehicles for being on the road after 8pm. Apparently, the gate should have been locked all day due to the condition of the road. (A landslide had covered a lane of traffic AFTER I had driven up the road at 7:30am.) Never mind the fact that the couple in front of us waiting to get out arrived at Chantry at 6pm, everyone who drove up the road was apparently breaking the law. So what was the plan of action for the Sierra Madre Police Department? Lock everyone in the forest and come by every hour to cite those who are waiting to get out.

The citation was a warning (Officer: "It's no big deal.") and did not require a payment, but I argued with him for ten minutes on how a) there wasn't any visible postings at 7:30am when I drove in stating that the road was closed and b) I was at this gate at 7:45pm trying to get out, which was during the posted open hours.

The whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth. Anyone else have a similar situation yesterday?

You got screwed Hike Guy. Must have been fun sitting around behind that gate for an hour
Did you follow up with a complaint to SMPD?