EISPIRATEN

Another delayed report... (getting there...)

Rode the bikes to San Olene Dec 29. Nice day.


I think they repainted "Santa Anita Ridge" on the water tank in the Mt. Wilson fire ops. (I'll put a closeup in the triangle marker thread).

The firebreak got redone all the way down to San Olene, as the operations map had suggested.




The llamas at Chantry had some nice festive holiday decorations up.

Almost forgot! There was an ammo box at the foot of the water tank on the uphill side. Inside was a bottle of Jack Daniels. I didn't partake.

Cool updates. Keep the TR's a coming!!!

My hike up there from 9+ years ago...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/hikeup_pa ... 968816864/

https://flic.kr/p/5NMrAb (water tank pic 1 - zoom in and you can see the triangle post listing severly to the south; you can also see the old writings on the tank too)

https://flic.kr/p/5NMsfS (water tank pic 2)

Has anyone been on the firebreak from Manzanita Ridge down to the water tank at San Olene recently? If so, how is it? Up Winter Creek and back down that ridge looks like it might be a nice little loop.

Uncle Rico wrote: Has anyone been on the firebreak from Manzanita Ridge down to the water tank at San Olene recently? If so, how is it? Up Winter Creek and back down that ridge looks like it might be a nice little loop.

No new recon, but it does make a nice loop. Consider going clockwise - do the exposed to the sun part early and the shady Upper Winter Creek part later.

Oh yeah, good idear Beer Man. Thanks.?

I went up the firebreak a month or so ago to Mt. Wilson. It has been completely cleared of brush probably after the small Mt. Wilson fire. There is one steep climb that had a brushy switchback to help you up and that has also been cleared.

David R wrote:There is one steep climb that had a brushy switchback to help you up and that has also been cleared.

Was the switchback or the break cleared, or both?

I went up the ridge yesterday for a look. As David observes, the ridge has been graded all the way from the water tank to the bench on Manzanita Ridge where the Winter Creek and Mt. Wilson Trails converge. The trees and shrubs along the edges of the firebreak have even recently been trimmed back. The dirt is loose but easily manageable and the firebreak is steep in places.

The ridge behind the heliport has also been cleared. It looks and feels like that was more recent as the ground was much less compacted.

Here's a couple of cruddy pics from my mobile. The first 2 are of the firebreak leading up from behind the heliport.

Did you empty the bottle of Jack?

Nice update Uncle Rico.

Slowest_Hiker wrote: Did you empty the bottle of Jack?

I saw what I thought was a bottle under the lip of the tank to which I paid no attention, but I'd forgotten you had said it was Jack. Probably best. Jack and me on that ridge wouldn't have been pretty.

HikeUp wrote: Nice update Uncle Rico.

Thanks. I can see why those bow hunters from your prior trip were up on that ridge. There were a crap-ton of deer tracks up there. And no people.