El Encanto Trail Hike - March 7, 2015

This short walk along the San Gabriel River in Azusa makes a pleasant venue for a causal saunter. It’s one of my nearby scrappy hikes that I can enjoy when I don’t have much time available and just need to get into the outdoors. The “trail” is actually the Old San Gabriel Canyon Road, which was a main artery into the mountains before Morris Dam was built upstream and occasioned the construction of Highway 39 high on the canyon’s west wall. The old canyon road starts at the El Encanto Azusa River Wilderness Park and follows the canyon wall above the winding river and ends in a mile just past an old gauging station at river level.

The park closed after the January 2014 Colby Fire because of landslides onto the old road. My objective today is fourfold: Enjoy the outdoors, survey the blooming plants, check out the route conditions, and gather data to build a trail guide on Dan’s Hiking Pages.

I pull into the large parking lot and am surprised to see about 20 cars. Typically I like to start hikes early in the morning, but today I decided on a midday hike so that I could capture the scene in full sunlight.

11:25 - Begin hike. The temperature is pleasant and the warm sun feels good. The chaparral and weedy grasses are greening up nicely after some recent rain. Leaves are returning to the sycamores and poison oak. There are still some puddles in the road, which I think are primarily from seeps. The berm along the outside edge of the road is evidence of heavy road grading. At the beginning, about the only things in bloom are weeds like oxalis, filaree, dandelion, mustard, tree tobacco, and caster bean. There is also periwinkle (Vinca spp.), which is an escaped landscape plant. But as I wander along, native blooms begin to appear too: wild cucumber, hollyleaf cherry, oak, ceanothus, elderberry, phacelia, sunflower, blue dicks, wild morning glory, miner's lettuce, and mule fat.

The rushing river below provides a pleasing soundtrack. The noisy voices of hikers behind me are not so pleasing. I stop and let them pass. I am thankful that the fire damage on this side of the ridge was minimal. The trail ascends gently for about a half mile, then it begins a gentle descent as it follows the bend of the river. I encounter several parties of trail users as they return. Some are pushing strollers. My pace is relaxed as I photograph plants and soak in the beauty of the canyon. Vehicle noise from Hwy 39 across the canyon is muffled aside from an occasional motorcycle.

12:06 - Gauging station. A concrete dam juts into the river forcing the water to flow through a narrow channel. A group of about a half dozen young adults clade in beachwear are basking in the sun and enjoying the river. The party of noisy voices is here too. After lingering for a few minutes, I continue past the gauging station about 150 yards to where the wide road ends and the route becomes a rustic path. It’s not bad at first but then it gets pretty rough. But the payoff is a beautiful natural river scene. Soon the narrow path climbs high on the bank crossing a landslide to circumvent obstacles at water’s edge.



The climb down is a little precarious but I press on. I then carefully negotiate a scree slide with large jagged rocks.

Just before reaching the riverbed, I encounter a lone occurrence of the rare Dudleya densiflora. According to the interpretive sign in Fish Canyon, this member of the Stonecrop family apparently grows only in three places in the front range canyons of the San Gabriels: Fish, Roberts, and San Gabriel. I’m delighted to find this plant here. I know there is a large population of the rare plant along the first portion of the road, but I did not notice it today.

I cross over to the wide flat area at the sharp bend of the river (where the river bends north). This is as far as I’ve gone on a previous outing and it’s where I’ll turn around today. I’ve contemplated the doability of continuing up river but it will take some planning, and it might not yield anything making it worthwhile.

12:40 - Head back. I retrace my steps and arrive back at the gauging station at 1:00. There is no one left here. I enjoy an easy-going saunter back and do not encounter anyone else. As I round the bend to the last quarter mile, I am carefully scanning the steep, rocky face looking for the Dudleya densiflora. And there it is. Most of it is above eye level, so one would need to be looking for it to spot it. There is quite a robust population of the rare plant between here and about 150 yards from the beginning of the trail. It really does live up to its Stonecrop family name as it grows right out of the sheer rock face.

1:34 - End hike. There are only two cars left in the lot, and those might be associated with the conservancy.

Epilog - What nice outing! Blue sky, warm sun, pleasant temperatures, a rushing river. I love the mountains as we emerge from winter into spring. There is a freshness of beauty as plants come to life. This is not a grand trail by any means, but it certainly provides a causal walk for nearby residents who want to get out and enjoy the outdoors and a riverside setting.

PREVIOUS > El Encanto Trail Hike - June 12, 2011 - Featuring plant photos

Other El Encanto Hikes:

• Black Friday Walk on El Encanto Trail - Facebook photo album, November 27, 2015
• El Encanto Azusa River Wilderness Park at Dan's Hiking Pages - Photo gallery, July 15, 2007

 

El Encanto Trail Hike - June 12, 2011

Old San Gabriel Canyon Road

As the weekend approached I knew I would not be able to go hiking since I had a plate full of household tasks. But as Sunday afternoon wore on, I had a window for a walk, so I headed over to El Encanto Trail (AKA Old San Gabriel Canyon Road) at Azusa River Wilderness Park. This is the site of the former El Encanto Restaurant and now operated as a park by San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy (RMC). Actually it’s still not much more than a large parking lot overlooking the river, but they have big plans for the site.

El Encanto is only minutes from my house and sits just inside the mouth of the San Gabriel River. I’ve driven past it numerous times over the years, as has anyone who has driven up Hwy 39 into the mountains, but I’ve only hiked the trail once.

The trail is an old service road (Old San Gabriel Canyon Road) that begins at the south end of the parking lot and follows the canyon wall high above the winding river and ends a mile later just past an old gauging station. I figured it would be a good chance to see what plants might lend themselves to be photographed.

4:13 p.m. - Begin walk. The sun feels good after an overcast and cool weekend. The plants in bloom are typical of what I’ve been seeing in recent weeks...California buckwheat, golden yarrow, sunflower, mustard, bush monkeyflower, scarlet larkspur, Botta’s clarkia (farewell to spring), white sage, yucca, tree tobacco, morning glory, everlasting, thistle, etc. But then I saw a dudleya that I’ve only read about. I know it may sound silly to get excited over a plant, but I found myself delighted by this serendipitous discovery. Below is my “rare” find along with some other plants I captured on the walk.


Globe gilia (Gilia capitata) / Phlox family (Polemoniaceae)
Native / Annual herb / Blooms April to July


Mediterranean mustard or shortpod mustard (Hirschfeldia incana) / Mustard family (Brassicaceae)
Non-native / Biennial or perennial herb / Blooms April to October


San Gabriel Mountains dudleya (Dudleya densiflora) / Stonecrop family (Crassulaceae)
Native / Perennial herb / Blooms June to July
According to the interpretive sign in Fish Canyon, Dudleya deniflora was first verified in 1919 in Fish Canyon. This is a rare species that apparently only grows in three places in the front range canyons of the San Gabriels. It generally is found in steep, rocky, granitic cliff and canyon walls from 800-2000 feet in elevation.


San Gabriel Mountains dudleya (Dudleya densiflora) / Stonecrop family (Crassulaceae)
According to Cliff and Gabi McLean, there are five species of Dudleya in the San Gabriel foothills and canyons. Canyon dudleya (Dudleya cymosa) and lanceleaf dudleya (Dudleya lanceolata) are the most common. Dudleya densiflora is rare.


Red valerian (Centranthus rubber) / Valerian family (Valerianaceae)
Non-native / Perennial herb or subshrub / Blooms April to August
This popular garden plant is grown for its ornamental flowers. It escaped and ended up here. There is quite a bit of it in this section of trail.


Poison oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum) / Sumac family (Anacardiaceae)
Native / Perennial shrub or vine / Blooms February to May (small whitish flowers)
The leaves usually turn colorful in autumn and fall off for a leafless winter, but sometimes some of the leaves get confused with what season it is, seen here 9 days before summer begins. Contact with the plant causes rash or worse for most people, usually starting one to three days after contact. See my Poison oak page for detailed plant description and photos.


Castor bean (Ricinus communis) / Spurg family (Euphorbiaceane)
Non-native (invasive) / Shrub / Blooms most of year
Note that it has both red (female) and white (male) flowers. Neither have petals, only sepals.


Castor bean (Ricinus communis) / Spurg family (Euphorbiaceane)
Non-native (invasive) / Shrub / Blooms most of year
A closer look at the white (male) flowers. The seeds are extremely poisonous.


Dodder (Cuscuta spp.) / Dodder family (Cuscutaceae)
Native / annual herb or vine / Blooms May to November
It is widespread in the San Gabriels and beyond. Dodder is a leafless parasite that takes its food supply from a host plant.


Blue elderberry or Mexican elderberry (Sambucus mexicana) / Honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae)
Native / Deciduous tree or shrub. Blooms March to September


Blue elderberry or Mexican elderberry (Sambucus mexicana) / Honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae)
Native / Deciduous tree or shrub. Blooms March to September
Ripe elderberry fruit is used to make pies, jellies, and wine. The green fruit is poisonous.


Wishbone bush (Mirabilis californica) / Four O’clock family (Nyctaginaceae)
Native / Perennial herb / Blooms March to July

5:24 - While shooting the wishbone bush my battery dies. I reach into my pocket to get the backup battery and it’s not there. I thought for sure I put it there. So I sauntered along cameraless just enjoying the setting. After passing the gauging station I went another 150 yards to where the trial disappears into a jumble of boulders. At 5:42 I turn around and enjoy a brisk walk back.

6:01 - Finish hike. What a nice outing to cap the weekend. Not much distance (about 2 miles r.t.) but taking the time to focus on plants is satisfying. I am always thankful that we live so close to such wonderful natural resources.

See Plants and Wildflowers in the San Gabriel Mountains at Dan's Hiking Pages

NEXT BLOG POST > El Encanto Trail Hike - March 7, 2015

Other El Encanto Hikes:

• Black Friday Walk on El Encanto Trail - Facebook photo album, November 27, 2015
• El Encanto Azusa River Wilderness Park at Dan's Hiking Pages - Photo gallery, July 15, 2007