EISPIRATEN

There was a lot of gunfire this past Saturday heard from the trail up to Iron Mountain. The shots were coming from the canyons between Iron and Baldy. Couldn't tell exactly where they were coming from but it was close.

Is that normal these days?

Its been about a year since I hiked up to Iron, but I don't ever remember hearing gun shots like that before. It started around noon and was ongoing until 2:30 or so.

A little unsettling.

Ive never heard gunfire up that way, maybe Taco was up there.

But I did go running once in the hills above San Dimas near Johnstone Peak and I was fired on. The shooter was somewhere above me and across a drainage, and the fire seemed to be directed at me, not just out in my general direction. I hit the deck immediately and pulled out my whistle, during which two more rounds were fired. After I blew my whistle, I heard nothing, and I crawled lower into a drainage for cover and bailed out of there. this was in low light conditions and I was not wearing bright clothing. I reckon an illegal hunting mission mistook me for a buck, probably due to me bounding up the hillside with the grace and speed of a chiseled gazelle.

Out of curiosity, longcut, were you near the private property west of Sycamore Flat?

I heard once that the folks of Widman Ranch (just south of Iron) have something to do with the ammo business. Not surprised.

We're out of hunting season right? I regularly hear gun fire in hunting season.

One of the rifle ranges in the Angeles is kind of close-ish to Iron right? By like Shoemaker Canyon road? It's possible it just echo'd somehow, but that's still pretty far for you to be hearing it.

And, uh, longcut's story is horrifying...

Hunter's generally aren't the sharpest tools in the shed.

ODWAG.

Burro Canyon is just down the street on East Fork just after you cross the bridge.

PS: I only stab people nowadays, as ammo is too expensive. Listen for stabbing sounds.

I have heard gunshots on several Iron Mountain hikes over the years, apparently from Coldwater Canyon or somewhere in that direction from the Iron Mountain ridge that is the most popular "trail." I grew up in Azusa, so I figured that as long as nothing was whizziing by my head it was probably just a conversation.

Taco as Norman Bates has me nervous, though.

Hi Alan!

HikeUp wrote: ↑Hi Alan!

Hello and thanks for no stabbing noises.

Ha. Sure thing.

HE LIVES!

Probably doing 45 minute laps on Iron trying to keep up with Eric.

HikeUp wrote: ↑Probably doing 45 minute laps on Iron trying to keep up with Eric.

I have not been able to keep up with Eric for quite a while now. But I can still keep up with his niece.

Mike P, I cant recall where Sycamore Flat is. I was very close to the service road that runs from San Dimas Canyon to Johnstone Peak.

I once cut down Coldwater, and there were people back there staying in the cabins and they were "plinking".

HJ