EISPIRATEN

Ever since I first started looking up hikes a few years ago I read about the ridiculous trail that bypasses quarry mining restrictions to Fish Canyon Falls.

John Robinson has it in his book but does not recommend the trail, saying it is terribly design, steep and loose, etc... Needless to say I am intrigued!

Anyone ever take it?

Ze, I've not done the whole trail as once a year the "Gravel Company" opens their gates to the public, they give hikers rides across the property to the second half of the trail (easy section) and it took me 20 minutes to reach the falls from there.

You are better off doing the whole hike on your own as when I went I was the first one to reach the falls (caught the first shuttle to the other side of the Gravel Pit/Rock Quarry, but within 30 minutes it was a "Zoo" from all the people who would never attempt that hike from the trailhead but did it because it was easy with the ride thru the "Gravel Pit" to the other side.

It's a nice set of falls and there is a way up to the left of the falls to climb the "Headwall" to get above the falls - right up your alley.

theres some info on simpsoncity.com.
Starts from monrovia i think?

hey Ze, i actually did this hike when i first got into hiking. its actually a good little quad burner, back then it was. it goes up, goes down, goes up and down again, then its a nice walk along the stream to the falls. the thing is when you return you have to hike back up and down again then up and down. Yes, there is loose gravel and i am sure by now a lot of overgrown shrubs. be careful by the falls, there are ticks, but we went when it was hot.

lol, somewhat random. is there a lot of poison oak that's hard to avoid?!!!

LOL, i thought you would like that description, this is why i don't really write up trip reports.
Yes, there is along the stream leading up to the falls. if you are wearing pants you are fine.

Ze, did you every manage to try out the Van Tassel Ridge trail? If so, how was it?

It was described here as not dangerous and not unmaintained:
http://nobodyhikesinla.com/2010/06/05/f ... yon-falls/

nice! never made it out, i'm easily deterred by mention of poison oak. sounds much better now!

Might be prudent to try out the Van Tassel Ridge soon. This Sierra Club letter references its potential destruction for mining purposes:
http://www.accessduarte.com/content/Gen ... a-0706.pdf

Oh, wait, maybe it's no longer a potentiality:
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_15462876

Sure wish it wasn't so oppressively hot right now...

lilbitmo wrote:Ze, I've not done the whole trail as once a year the "Gravel Company" opens their gates to the public...

They're actually doing it a lot more than once a year now, although I think they've closed it off for the summer (at least I don't see any dates beyond July).

HJ

Has anyone hiked the public (not through Vulcan mining quarry/shuttle service) route to Fish Canyon recently? What can you tell me about the quality of the trail? Is it still overgrown with poison oak?

I went in late June and there was some poison oak intruding into the trail, mostly on the other side of the ridge while descending into Fish Canyon. It wasn't completely overgrown, but I suggest long pants.

Here is my trip report from June:
http://ironhiker.blogspot.com/2013/06/f ... ridge.html

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind!

http://www.azusarock.com/
"The City of Azusa Access Trail gives hikers access to Fish Canyon Falls by allowing hikers to walk through a mine quarry using a fenced trail. To ensure your safety through the quarry, all hikers must abide by all trail rules."

Interesting. I guess they got tired of running the vans up there.

HJ

That was fast. I thought they were going to build a new trail. Instead, it sounds like they just created a fenced off pathway on the road through the quarry.

More fun to go over the Van Tassel Ridge the old fashioned way, but is less pleasant coming back that way. Plus, there probably won't be any falls until, well, Fall.

tekewin wrote: ↑That was fast. I thought they were going to build a new trail. Instead, it sounds like they just created a fenced off pathway on the road through the quarry.

More fun to go over the Van Tassel Ridge the old fashioned way, but is less pleasant coming back that way. Plus, there probably won't be any falls until, well, Fall.

The old-fashioned way is actually through the canyon. The "new" path is the Van Tassel Ridge route - which is a POS trail.

The Fish Canyon trail, subject of much controversy over public access during the last 30 years or so, reopened with great fanfare last summer only to be closed again by Vulcan in December. Vulcan reported that the December rain had created a landslide and the trail would be closed indefinitely. Some phone calls and emails were made and the San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders repaired the trail this past Saturday, reporting that it only took about 30 minutes to repair what had kept the trail closed for over a month.

Now it's just up to the Forest Service, Vulcan, and the City of Azusa to officially reopen the trail.