EISPIRATEN

My last report regarding Bichota Canyon was in May. The rain was pouring down and the North Fork of the San Gabriel was uncrossable. Last Sunday, however, was perfect for another attempt at Trip #72 from Robinson and Christiansen's Trails of the Angeles.
(If Messrs Christiansen or Robinson are reading this trip report: Seriously consider removing this trip from the book...)
We parked 2.5 miles north of the rapidly-filling diaper alley section of Hwy 39. Our trip started at 7:30. Pass this gate to get onto the road leading into the first tract of Curve Fire-destroyed cabins.



We easily crossed the North Fork of the San Gabriel River and then found the old bridge from the east side.



The river has switched course since the Curve Fire and left the old concrete bridge high and dry. The description on the Angeles book is NOTHING like what is currently in the field. The old wooden bridge to cross Bichota Creek was nowhere to be found. In fact, the trail is nowhere to be found. Mother Nature has done her best to make Bichota impenetrable. The poison oak, wildrose, and blackberry vines were formidable. Even Bichota Creek was overgrown.





We eventually opted to primarily walk the stream for the next 1.75 miles.


This is the only section of old trail that we could find:


Route-finding was slow and tedious. It took us ~ 2 hours to travel 2 miles! After a quick break for snacks we headed back to hwy 39. We just happened to look up the canyon where Ma bear was keeping a close eye on us while her two cubs romped around her (I will get a link up to a larger picture):


We returned to our car with the strong smell of smoke from a fire in Burro Cyn (on the south side of the ridge.) The spotter planes and their tankers were making low passes over us. That was cool. Overall, the trip was quite a fun adventure. This trail is NOT for the meek. Bichota Canyon has definitely reverted to its wild state.

I would gladly second the removal of this canyon from a recommended trips book. I was eyeing the firebreak from S Hawkins ridge and a well-kept trail below Pidgeon Ridge wondering...why?

The Bichota Canyon Trail is 5.7 miles long. It begins at Bichota Canyon and ends at Rattlesnake Peak. The trail is open for the following uses: Hiking

LOL. http://law.justia.com/cases/california/ ... 3/163.html

While talking on the telephone, defendant Reid said that he had been hunting in the canyon(Bichota), had shot two or three times, had fired at something which was moving in the brush, had gone over and found a man lying in the stream, had removed a watch, money and wallet from the body, and had gone through an automobile, and had broken into several other automobiles in the San Gabriel mountains that day.

or http://articles.latimes.com/1993-09-09/ ... ray-bullet

Investigators say a U.S. Forest Service intern shot in the back in a canyon eight miles north of Glendora most likely was hit by a stray bullet from a nearby target-shooting range.

College student Raymon Torres, 22, who teaches fire prevention, was wounded Saturday afternoon while patrolling Bichota Canyon in the Angeles National Forest.

Oh great.

Also, you'd have to do some wacky stuff to get hit by a 'stray bullet' from Burro Canyon. I can't imagine the calculations required to even begin to speculate that someone IN Bichota Canyon would be able to get hit by a bullet fired from within the Burro Cyn range. Having shot there many times before and spent a great deal of time in Bichota Canyon and also the ridge that separates the two, this sounds completely halfass.

I'm sorry to go off-topic on your post, Mike.

Taco wrote: ↑I'm sorry to go off-topic on your post, Mike.

No problem, Taco. Been gone for five days in Fairbanks, AK. There's been a lot of activity on the boards!

On topic: bad guys don't want to work that hard to get inside the canyon. Now if you want to talk about activity by nimrods in the burned-out cabins before the dense brush in Bichota....

Anything new with the cabin foundations? Last time I went there, there was trash, but not much. I always refer to the place as "Chimneyville", as that's all that's left. Upper Chimneyville is the section at the mouth of Bichota Canyon, and Lower Chimneyville is the large section near the road.

Taco wrote: ↑Anything new with the cabin foundations? Last time I went there, there was trash, but not much. I always refer to the place as "Chimneyville", as that's all that's left. Upper Chimneyville is the section at the mouth of Bichota Canyon, and Lower Chimneyville is the large section near the road.

Sure, lower Chimneyville is normal looking and fairly clean. Upper Chimneyville is where the trash, fire circles, and used condoms reside. Someone tried putting a branch roof over one of the gutted rooms.

Oh great. Gonna hafta rename it Condomville or Trojantown.

The last time I tried to do Bichota Canyon, I swore that if I really wanted to kill myself that bad, I'd just buy a gun.

Those who have picked up Robinson's mantle are not doing all that great of a job. Trail? Ha!

HJ