| Archive for San Gabriel Mountains Discussion Forum Open discussion board for activities in the San Gabriel Mountains in Southern California |
| AW |
misc news10Fire
source: http://glendoramtnroad.blogspot.c...8/morris-fire-azusa-glendora.html Viewed from San Pedro? 
GMR-closed..but for how long? http://www.fireengineering.com/di..._National_Forest_Continue_to_Rage "It started around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday next to Highway 39, near a "No Trespassing" sign, between mile markers 20 and 21. .... Officials haven't estimated the cost to fight the fire, but the blaze will have long-lasting effects......It could be months before portions of the region are reopened, officials said." Someone was apparently told by a road crew that the minimum will be until the end of this year. Other places nearby have closures for unknown amount of time: Monrovia canyon park closed temporarily http://www.gemcityimages.com/2009...nyon-park-closed-temporarily.html Angeles Crest Fire photo set http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawk59/sets/72157622156153442/ Wills Wing U2 160 Demo Flight http://nmerider.blogspot.com/2009...ills-wing-u2-160-demo-flight.html Paragliding tr w/ photos from Little Tujunga area Altadena blog starts tracking critter sightings around local area(Rubio canyon area) http://www.altadenablog.com/2009/08/critter-map-update.html Historical:THE HISTORY OF LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE http://pasadenaluxuryhomes.blogsp...tory-of-la-canada-flintridge.html "It was Don Jose Maria Verdugo who first claimed ownership over the area, which was granted to him after asking the governor of California for a piece of land for him to retire at and to raise cattle after having served the King of Spain. Ignacio Coronel, who was granted a portion of the Verdugo family’s land in 1843, named La Canada, meaning “a glen between the mountains”. The section of Verdugo’s land that Coronel was granted extended from Tujunga all the way across from the northern tip of Glendale to the Arroyo Seco and it was this entire area that made up what was Rancho La Canada." |
||||
| AW |
Hidden Springs Cafe razed by flames
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/l...springs-cafe-razed-by-flames.html "Hidden Springs Cafe, a haven to bikers, a coffee stop for commuters and a home to owner Jim Lewis and his family, has been consumed by the wildfire raging through the Angeles National Forest, authorities confirmed Tuesday" Caltrans workers angered at loss of their homes near Mt. Wilson http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/l...y-fire-losses-near-mt-wilson.html "The California Department of Transportation employees who lived at the remote location known as Chilao were deeply embittered by having been, as they put it, abandoned by firefighting crews as flames bore down on them Monday afternoon.....Some were too angry to talk about it. But equipment operator Robert Torres, whose home was the only residence spared, offered a few comments on their behalf" 
source: http://twitpic.com/g4ozk 
source: http://www.nbcwashington.com/news...ire-Photos-Aug-2009-55888312.html |
||||
| AW |
Angeles Forest organizational chart:
DEPT OF AGRICULTURE - Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwel RANDY MOORE Regional Forester - Pacific Southwest Region -ED HOLLENSHEAD Director of Fire and Aviation Management JODY NOIRON Angeles Forest Supervisor -Marty Dumpis Deputy Forest Supervisor -Dave Conklin Fire Management Officer source:https://hcm.gdcii.com/directory/R5.htm Job descriptions are available on http://www.usajobs.org/loc/+Nationwide,%20US.html However, for fighting fires an interagency approach is used.... http://gacc.nifc.gov/oscc/index.htm commanders: Dietrich, Mike &McGowan, Jerry &Molumby, Bill 8/26/09 rotation : http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/fire/management/team_info/type_1_rotations.pdf Basic primer on fire fighting in the Pacific Southwest division: http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/podcasts/episode2/transcript2.php "A lot of people talk about a “let it burn” policy. Do we actually have a “let it burn” policy? Are we letting fires burn?" Station fire photos: http://www.latimes.com/news/local...igpicturefire,0,5985825.htmlstory Wildlife Waystation in Angeles National Forest (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times / September 1, 2009) 
Watching the hills burn(Sunland) (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times / September 1, 2009) 
|
||||
| AW |
Mouth of Rubio Canyon becomes public land
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_13263392 "ALTADENA - In its first major land acquisition the Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy has closed escrow on a pristine 20-acre parcel at the mouth of Rubio Canyon, ensuring permanent public access to a prime trail into the Angeles National Forest.....In addition to its historical importance - part of the Mt. Lowe Railway is on the property" Station fire: part of 9/4/09 transcript from Sierra Madre town hall meeting Speaker - Jody Noiron "...The forest is gonna have to be closed for awhile....needs to stay closed until we get through this first season of rains...it may be [closed] for a long while". http://www.sierramadrenews.net/ ....audio file Fire break carved out from Altadena to Monrovia http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_13255940?source=rss "A crew of about 100 firefighters gathered at the top of Lake Avenue and cut a 3,000-foot fire line west toward Sierra Madre to create defensible space......" Note: the firebreak actually starts at Loma Alta Drive(Rubio Canyon)...includes picture http://altadenahiker.blogspot.com...e-view-from-altadena-weekend.html 44th Annual, Mt Baldy run to the top Mon 9/7/09 Jonathan Toker of Newbury Park wins in 1:12:11 --thats a little more than 4 mintues slower than the 2008 winner MtBaldy events http://www.mtbaldy.com/index.htm the Sept 8 "snow" report... http://www.mtbaldy.com/snow-report.htm "...Due to fire hazards we will not be open this Saturday September 5th or Sunday September 6th. However we will be open Monday, Labor Day September 7th and hopefully return to our our normal operating schedule after that" |
||||
| Rumpled |
Is this really public land? What uses will be allowed? I find these arrangements with conservancies very troubling. Most of them use the "keep everyone out to preserve the land" or the "docent led only hikes and such" models. One recently in OC bought a tract of land for $17 million dollars of public money. $6 mil from USFWS and $11 mil from CA DF&G (or vice versa). The public is totally locked out - $17 million of public dollars given to a private conservancy to keep the public out. And it never even made the news that I saw. If they are going to use public money to buy some land; make it actually owned by a public agency. Also, very recently in OC, The Irvine Company is proposing to donate 20,000 acres to county parks. TIC does nothing without a huge profit motive. They'll be building thousands of houses nearby. Most of the gifted land is unbuildable. I also have a problem with OC Parks. They can have som pretty restrictive rules also. Much of this land is adjacent to and might be better suited to go to the CNF - but USFS doesn't issue thousands of building permits. |
||||
| AW |
Well the news title is off, because it will be owned by the conservancy. Typically a hiker on a standard short trek up Rubio canyon might think they are on Angeles Forest land once they start past the houses, but actually they hike through LA county land, then private property(now bought), and then eventually Angeles Forest. This conservancy is dedicated to substaining the area for public access, more specifically, the Altadena Crest Trail(ACT). The following was submitted from the conservancy..... "Dear Friends, Neighbors & Trail Users, Thank you for your calls and congratulations regarding the Pasadena Star News article below... The Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy, formerly Altadena Foothills Conservancy (still AFC!) has worked with local landowner Sameer Etman to protect 20 acres of trail, wildlife habitat (including a segment of Rubio Creek) and Mt. Lowe history at the mouth of Rubio Canyon. Best of all, the biodiverse property did NOT burn in the fire! More details about this exciting acquisition will be forthcoming from AFC; however, a dollop of good news amidst all the destruction of the fire might be welcome this morning! http://www.arroyosfoothills.org Thanks to Nancy Steele, AFC President, and the AFC Board. We have long worked with Sameer, who wished to protect his land in perpetuity for all future generations. Thanks also to Paul Ayers, Rubio Canyon trail historian and caretaker. He forwarded the article below to me. This 20 acres and surrounding undeveloped lands are of even greater importance now, as refuge for birds and other wildlife displaced by the fire. The Forest will begin healing as the seeds and life on remaining wild lands help restore adjacent burned areas. Lori L. Paul Vice President Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy (AFC)" |
||||
| AW |
Clarification of MtBaldy's status:
Runners fight their way to the top of Mt. Baldy for 44th annual marathon http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_13287467 "The Angeles National Forest was closed due to the Station Fire, but since the run has been happening for 44 years now, the runners were still allowed to go through, Mitchell said......The race is expected to bring in about $30,000, which will go to fund the Mt. Baldy Fire Department, Mt. Baldy Search and Rescue, West Valley Search and Rescue, and scholarships for students.The departments are all volunteers and not funded by taxpayers. The run is the only fundraiser Mt. Baldy town hall does all year. " Burn area http://watershednews.blogspot.com/2009/09/burn-area.html "Hazard technicians plan today to start field-checking images they received from the earth-observing LANDSAT satellite on Tuesday(Sept 8th), and they hope to have a final report and map ready for public safety agencies by next week, Cannon said." Observations from trip into the Angeles National Forest http://www.insidesocal.com/pasade...servations-from-trip-into-th.html "Hiking trails off Big Tujunga Canyon Road will be useless. The trail up to Strawberry Peak that starts near Mt. Wilson is burned. The backside of Mt. Wilson is one of the few exceptions in the area. Firefighters did an amazing job protecting the area, and hiking trails down in the canyon next to it could still be intact. Another bright spot is Switzer Falls, an extremely popular picnic area low in the park. Though the fire burned hillsides on either side of the canyon it sits in, the canyon itself is still mostly intact, especially right in the picnic area. The hiking trails in the area may not be open for a while, though, as trees and boulders have rolled down the hills into the canyon. Further up in the forest is a different story. Firefighters are still battling the blazes up there. One side of Mt. Waterman is burning, but the fire does not appear to be out of control. Higher peaks are still outside of the burn area. The area below Waterman is a mixed bag. In the Devil's Canyon area, where there are several popular campgrounds, there are some trees left standing, and some burn areas..." Altadena: Chaney trail/Sunset ridge pics http://www.alicewessen.com/alice_sarkisian_wessen/ -photo gallery of post-Station fire while it lasts, also has a wildlife gallery(not Station fire) not everyone happy with the forest service blog: http://sgmountains.blogspot.com short historical video : MtLowe railway http://sgmountains.blogspot.com/2009/09/mount-lowe-railway.html youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yc_lqdHyNNs LAFD Fail in the Station Fire http://donnabarstow.com/park_blog...02/lafd-fail-in-the-station-fire/ fighterfighter writes back:"While everyone is entitled to their opinion – and some of yours are quite valid, I do hope that someday I can adequately convey that ‘Wings & Wheels’ don’t extinguish fires like these, firefighters do.  ...."
California Fire Victims Complain of Favoritism http://cms.firehouse.com/content/...cle.jsp?id=65317§ionId=46 "Voorhees, who was allowed to speak during the governor's news conference, and other neighbors whose homes were destroyed described watching small fires hover far up the canyon on Aug. 26 and 27 before they halved the distance by Aug. 28. Then midday Saturday, Aug. 29, a wall of flame 100 feet high raced down Big Tujunga, leaving barely enough time for residents to flee. They said there had been no firefighters or firefighting aircraft in sight. And they questioned whether some "congressional district" may have pressured firefighters to direct resources away from protecting homes valued upwards of $400,000 to instead safeguard houses valued in the millions(Palos Verde fire#1)." |
||||
| AW |
$25 million authorized to repair fire damage in Los Angeles County(entire article quoted)
http://www.whittierdailynews.com/news/ci_13298401?source=rss "The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously authorized the Department of Public Works to spend $25 million to repair damage from the Station Fire, Tuesday. The money is intended to repair roadways and other infrastructure damaged in the Station Fire, according to a press release issued by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. "This action allows the County to fast-track repairs and minimize the risk of potential mudslides and floods in the aftermath of the fire," Spervisor Micheal Antonovich is quoted as saying in the press release. According to the release, some 760 trees must be cleared, at least 95 guardrails need to be repaired and a construction site at Big Tujunga Dam seismic rehabilitation project needs minor work." current conditions(photos) MtWaterman http://www.mtwaterman.org/images/mt-waterman-fire-images/index.htm Brown Mtn/Altadena http://www.facebook.com/album.php...amp;id=538416086&l=05d8d1daf1 Upper Big Tujunga(incl Mt.Pacifico), Josephine's peak , couple MtWaterman-ish pics http://www.advrider.com/forums/sh...php?p=10843861&postcount=9023 A Giant Outdoor Hydrologic Lab(San Dimas Experimental Forest) pages 11-12 http://www.fs.fed.us/fstoday/2009/090717/04Looking_Back/part_2.pdf "As it turned out, it doesn’t—steepness of slope and intensity of rainfall make more of a difference in whether a slide will occur than the type of vegetation growing on the ground...A more promising treatment(erosion) is stream-channel barriers made of prefabricated log sections placed every 9–15 meters (30–50 feet) along a channel. “We found they worked great,” says Wohlgemuth. “They reduced erosion down at the debris basin tremendously, and eventually they’ll biodegrade" Search still on for attackers of Forest Service worker http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_13308703 "LYTLE CREEK - Sheriff's investigators are looking for two men who beat a 63-year-old U.S. Forest Service employee unconscious when he wrote them a warning citation at a Lytle Creek campground.....The incident occurred Aug. 31 at the Applewhite picnic area and campground in Lytle Creek, about three to five miles north on Lytle Creek Road from the 15 Freeway.The victim, who was patrolling the area, came to the campground and saw a Nissan Altima parked illegally. The employee approached Moratalla and began to issue a warning citation when Moratalla punched him, sheriff's officials said. The victim fell to the ground and was punched and kicked by Moratalla and two other men. The employee lost consciousness during the attack, but a family who was at the campground saw the men roll over the victim and go through his pockets....." |
||||
| TacoDelRio |
Awesome photos.
"Newcombs still standing mother fucker!" Hell yeah! |
||||
| AW |
San Gabriel Watershed and Mountains Special Resource Study
http://www.corbamtb.com/issues/Misc/SanGabrielWatershedStudy.shtml Concerned off-road bicyclists summary of NPS/Angeles Forest inital meeting "There is a comment period on the current presentation through October 30th. At the above web site, click on "Newsletter 4" then click on the "Comment on Document" link on the left side of the screen" Eaton Canyon is open http://www.altadenablog.com/2009/09/eaton-canyon-is-open.html "The National Forest area remains closed. ......Fire crews have stopped accessing Park trails and staging at the Park." historical :Hwy39 and GMR car racing or as its techincal term "touge" note: Glendora Mountain Ridge road blogspot reports 17 deaths, 100 accidents on the road this year. Canyon drivers test their luck-2003 http://zilvia.net/f/off-topic-chat/40167-touge-spot-newspaper.html "By Diana L. Roemer Staff Writer ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST -- "Run, run, run in the canyon we run' is the platform of car lovers who zip around canyon roads under moonlit skies.....Police say they know canyon racing goes on and monitor it as best they can, said Art Acevedo, California Highway Patrol assistant chief." Glendora Mountain Road (GMR) - County Gonna Close It Again? -also 2003 http://www.labusas.org/forum/archive/index.php/t-34662.html "ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST -- The county is considering closing Glendora Mountain Road following a recent traffic fatality, officials said. Supervisor Michael Antonovich opened an investigation into accidents and deaths on the 15-mile-long mountain road, after 17-year-old Johnny Diaz of Azusa was killed Sept. 21. ‘‘When the supervisor has all the information and recommendations, he will make a decision in the interest of public safety,'' said Tony Bell, Antonovich's communications director. Diaz was a passenger in a Honda driven by another 17-year-old when the car veered off the road and plunged 380 feet down a canyon 9.8 miles above the Valley around midnight. Since about 1980, at least 13 deaths and more than 60 accidents have been reported on the road, which travels north into the Angeles National Forest from Sierra Madre Boulevard near Valley Center Avenue in Glendora. In the past two months, four cars have gone off the road, said David Smail, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Search and Rescue coordinator. The road has been closed at least twice before, once in 1986 due to complaints of reckless driving and during repairs after the September 2002 Curve Fire. Bell said county public works and law enforcement are assessing the road to determine what could contribute to a high level of accidents on it. Diaz's mother, Lourdes Diaz, said the road should be closed on weekends to protect teens who want to drive it. ‘‘That will be the least that we would want, if not close it permanently,'' she said. California Highway Patrol Sgt. Mark Worthington said the CHP would accommodate the county's investigation. ‘‘Obviously, the Highway Patrol is concerned with the engineering of our highways to make sure they are as safe as possible for the motoring public,'' Worthington said. CHP officials have said any problems on Glendora Mountain Road are typically the result of poor driver behavior, not the road, and such problems happen on all mountainous, curved roads. But Glendora resident Ed Knapp calls the road a veritable raceway. Knapp, who runs with the Glendora Ridge Runners club, said motorcyclists ‘‘buzz'' the group and often speed along. Nearly 200 motorcycles flooded the road the first day it was reopened in August, he said. ‘‘We were really, really scared. We have seen so much carnage up there -- kids down on motorcycles ... skid marks ... it's pathetic. On weekends, it's a three-ring circus up there,'' Knapp said. Diana L. Roemer can be reached at (626) 962-8811, Ext. 2105, or by e-mail at diana.roemer@sgvn.com" |
||||
| TacoDelRio |
I remember that article from 2003.
FWIW, 'Touge' is a Japanese word that literally means "Mountain Pass". Baldy Notch is a Touge, so is Cow Canyon Saddle, Icehouse Saddle, etc. The word more or less does equate to these roads, but it's used far too heavilly, and people use it as a verb, etc. Also, driving in the mountains costs gas. A track day (one day) can cost several hundred dollars, plus tires, and gas, and whatever else happens. Rich man's sport. Not many rich men run. 
Argh on the rest. |
||||
| AW |
Above: Deukmejian Wilderness Park (Glendale)...remains closed for now http://www.ci.glendale.ca.us/Parks/deukmejian_wilderness_park.asp misc news Station fire video awards 
first place) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H68uxWIDrnQ Station Fire Compilation - August 28-30, 2009 9mins+ second place) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Vv-jitx9Ns Los Angeles Wild Fire September 2009 Station Fire(compliation of video and photos) 5 mins+ honorable mention) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1exKb4_8VmA Station Fire(I think this is actually defending the Big Tujunga dam area structures,not the entrance to the canyon as labeled) 6 mins+ How will the L.A. Wildfires affect the San Gabriel Mountain Wilderness? http://blogs.discovery.com/animal...-gabriel-mountain-wilderness.html "Despite being so close to LA, the San Gabriel mountains support some of the greatest biodiversity in the USA,” says Raphael Mazor, a biologist in Southern California currently studying fire impacts on water quality. Four wilderness areas exist in the region, with the San Gabriel Wilderness in the Angeles National Forest most directly affected by this blaze. “[There are] tons of micro-endemic plants up there. As for animals: California red-legged frog, Santa Ana sucker, arroyo chub, bighorn sheep, two-lined garter snake, San Gabriel Mountains slender salamander, and I'm sure several rodents and bat species.”.....In fact it's a common misconception that the frequent fires occurring in the region help clear out the brush. Even the Angeles National Forest forest supervisor Jody Noiron said on a Los Angeles NBC affiliate last Sunday that the chaparral needed to burn every 10 to 15 years, which is simply wrong. Intense fires like this would historically burn once every 50 to 100 years. " |
||||
| Hikin_Jim |
Oak trees, Big Cone Douglas Firs, etc. aren't going to grow in an area that burns every 10 - 15 years. Fire is a natural part of the life cycle of this area, but over centuries not decades. It takes hundreds of years for an area of chaparral to go through a full cycle. More frequent fires are very destructive and will result in the loss of animal and plant species. |
||||
| AW |
I hope they had that quote wrong...its unbelievable almost...well put another way, if its a correct quote, then why hasnt the Angeles been burning up the chapparal? One subject that I have been digging for info is phos-chex...specifically, will it be safe to filter water in the burn area? The manufacturer's website said it was environmentally friendly but also that it affects life in the ecosystem.....the LA county website says "the chemical retardant (Phos-Chek) is up to ten times more toxic,depending upon the grade, than the herbicides used in the flood control infastrctue vegetation management program." source: http://file.lacounty.gov/bos/supdocs/37170.pdf Call me paranoid, but if it ever opens again, I think I'll just drink bottled water. As far as reopening, speculators can follow along at http://forums.mammothmountain.com...1&t=3372&start=810#p61718 with a possible reopening of the Angeles Crest to the AFH(all the way to Palmdale) 4-6 weeks away.... |
||||
| Hikin_Jim |
|
||||