Fish Canyon Falls Trail Restoration - January 17, 2015

On December 17, heavy rains caused a major slide covering Fish Canyon Trail prompting the Forest Service to close the trail until it could be repaired. The San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders got the assignment to restore the trail and scheduled the workday for January 17. When I got notice, I was eager to lend a hand.

We gather at the Vulcan Materials gate in Azusa at 8:30 and connect with Jeff Cameron from Vulcan. He opens the gate for us and escorts our caravan of three vehicles through the quarry to the beginning of the trail at the bridge. This saved us a half-mile walk with our equipment. There are eight of us, including Fred, Bryan, Bob, Alan, Roland, Jason, Adam, and me (and Jeff and his son accompanied us to the slide location). We distribute tools, which includes shovels, pick-mattocks, McLeods, gloves, and hard hats.

8:58 - Begin hike. The creek is flowing nicely. It’s brisk in shade and I put on my long sleeves. Just around the bend we encounter the first issue where the creek had overflowed and caused considerable damage to the trail. It’s passible but will take some work. There is some also minor damage along the trail. The canyon is green and fresh since the last time I was here on October.

9:08 - Arrive at the slide. This is a portion of trial where it transverses an extremely steep section of mountainside. The trail is completely covered with rock and earth and is impassible. We decide that there is only enough space for a few guys to work here since the trail is so narrow. We divide into several groups to work on different portions of the trail. I am assigned to hike with Jason all the way to the falls to make sure the whole trail is in passable condition, which I am more than happy to do. We retrace our steps a short distance back and find a place to climb down to the creek. We then scrabbled up the creek to bypass the slide area, then climb back up to the trail.

9:30 - Jason and I leave the slide and head up trail. Shortly we arrive in the sun and the long sleeves come off. This is Jason’s first time out with the Trailbuilders and we enjoy getting to know each other as we soak in the beauty of the canyon. The deciduous trees, like white alder and big-leaf maple, are mostly bare of leaves. The only things in bloom are a few occurrences of wild cucumber, oxalis, vinca, everlasting, milkmaids, and Douglas nightshade. Virtually all the poison oak is dormant expect for a few small leaves on several plants. We stop numerous times along the way to remove branches and debris from the trail.

10:28 - Cross the creek and begin our climb along the east canyon wall. Shortly Alan catches up and the three of us head to the falls.

10:44 - Fish Canyon Falls. It’s flowing and beautiful. This is Jason’s first time here and Alan hasn’t been here in 20 years. We have the falls all to ourselves…a rare treat. On a previous workday, the Trailbuilders were able to mitigate the graffiti that had defaced the rocks around the pool, which had disheartened me in October. The black willow, which dominates the pool area, is covered with yellow leaves and adds wonderful color to the setting. Alan heads back while we do some clean-up work on around the falls area. I love this setting. So many memories here.

11:20 - Leave falls. We enjoy the beauty of the canyon in full sun. We cross the creek at 11:34. A side jaunt to Darlin’ Donna Falls reveals it flowing nicely. We arrive at Old Cheezer Mine site (the location of the Matilija poppy/Dudleya densiflora interpretive sign) and see that Alan has done an amazing job of cutting and clearing the fallen tree that has blocked the trail and caused a detour. After a bite to eat, we finish clearing the trunk and limbs and restoring the trail tread. Looks great!

12:57 - Arrive at the slide site. I’m elated to see that the crew completely cleared and restored the trail. As we continue walking, there are several other places where crews did good work. When we arrive at bend with the washout, the crew is working on it and has made good progress. We jump in and join the task and in a little while the trail looks great.

Before

After

1:53 - Arrive back at the bridge and cars for our 2:00 end time. We put away the tools and enjoy chatting.

A group of one man, two women, and two young children arrives coming up the access trail. We ask if they knew the trail was closed. They say they did; they had jumped the fence unto Vulcan property. We remind them that the reason for the closure is that the trail was damaged and impassable. They just shrug us off, cross the bridge, and continue up the trail (and not knowing we had restored the trail). We are sad and angered to see these adults modeling lawless and dangerous behavior to the children.

The security guard from Vulcan arrives to relock the gates and to escort us back through the quarry.

Epilog - What a productive and enjoyable day! I love Fish Canyon. I had resigned myself to just working on the slide all day without really venturing far up canyon. So to be able to hike all the way to my beloved falls and be useful along the way was a treat. It is disconcerting to me that the Forest Service is quick to close trails yet seems so lethargic in getting them open. But I am thankful for the army of volunteers in various organizations throughout the Angeles who give countless hours in maintaining trails and facilities, patrolling, picking up trash, manning visitor centers and campgrounds, searching and rescuing, and much more. A hearty thank you to volunteers!

 Like Fish Canyon Falls Facebook Page

See Fish Canyon Falls Hike Description at Dan's Hiking Pages
(including a link list for my other blog posts for Fish Canyon)

Visit the San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders website

 See Waterfalls of The San Gabriels at Dan's Hiking Pages

NEXT > Fish Canyon Falls Plants Hike - March 13, 2015
PREVIOUS > Fish Canyon Falls Hike - October 25, 2014

Islip Ridge Trail Work with the Trailbuilders - August 17, 2013

I’ve not been out on the trail much this summer as I’ve been focused on a project at the house. So when the email came announcing this Saturday’s projects with the San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders, I decided to take a break from the house renovation and head for the high country. There is to be two crews for today. A chainsaw crew would leave early and head up to remove deadfalls above Little Jimmy Trail Camp and on Big Cienega Trail. The other crew would meet at the regular 8 a.m. time and do some tasks at Rincon and then up to Crystal Lake. I opted for the early group.

Since I live a few blocks from Hwy 39 in Azusa, I made arrangements to be picked up at the corner of Hwy 39 and Ninth Street. At 6:25 a.m. I climb into Jonathan’s big red pickup truck and we head up San Gabriel Canyon to Rincon Ranger Station to pick up equipment. We rendezvous with Fred, Brian, Bob, Alan, and George. Alan decides to drive up to Crystal Lake to work on Big Cienega Trail from the lower end. The other six of us pile into the crew cab and head up the highway. A key and permission from the Forest Service allows us to drive on the closed section of Hwy 39 to reach Hwy 2 at Islip Saddle (6670’), saving a long drive up the Angeles Crest from La Canada. A few minutes east on Hwy 2 brings us to a locked gate and forest service road leading to Little Jimmy Trail Camp. A key and permission save us a bunch of extra hiking to get to our work site.

8:15 a.m. - Arrive at Little Jimmy Trial Camp (7450’). There is only one group here today: a Boy Scout troop from Corona. I’m always amazed that such a splendid campground can be so sparely used on a fare-weather weekend. After we gear up, Fred drives the truck back to Crystal Lake as we five hit the trail.

8:35 - Leave little Jimmy on the Pacific Crest Trail heading southeast 0.3 mile to Windy Gap. It’s a beautiful day with clear skies, mild temps, pleasant breezes, and the sweet aromas of the forest. I love this high country and am thankful that the gallant fire-fighting efforts kept the 2002 Curve Fire from coming over the ridge from the Crystal Lake Basin and destroying this forest too. Majestic pine, cedar, and fir reach into the deep blue sky.

8:49 - Windy Gap (7588’). It’s windy here, as always. Jonathan and Brian admire their handiwork, having carved some fine log benches last year. I reflect on being here on September 3, 2012 on the tenth anniversary of the Curve Fire. On that day I was surrounded by thick, acrid smoke from the Williams Fire 2012, which started the day before (read about my adventure here: Hawkins Ridge Hike - September 2-3, 2012). Today, however, the air is clear and the vistas are superb. We linger about 10 minutes then proceed about 200 yards up the trail heading west to Mt. Islip to tackle our first project for the day.

9:00 - Deadfall. Our task is to remove a large white fir which was fallen across the trail. Jonathan, Brian, and Bob are certified with the U.S. Forest Service as chainsaw operators. George and I are along to help carry equipment, swamping (clearing branches and debris as the crew saws), and general trail repair. After assessing the task, the sawyers make quick work of cutting off limbs, cutting through the trunk, and clearing the trail. We complete the task in 45 minutes and proceed up the trial toward Mt. Islp.

I am thoroughly enjoying the beauty of this high country. Wildflowers grace the landscape while towering ridges rut into the sky. It’s quiet and peaceful here. I look across the vast heart of the rugged San Gabriels and familiar mountain peaks elicit memories of many adventures. The distant Los Angeles basin filling the southern panorama is muted by marine haze.

10:38 - Junction on the southern flank of Mt. Islip (8080’) To the right the trial proceeds 0.1 mile to the summit of Mt. Islip. To the left (southwest), Islip Ridge Trail descends the ridge 0.8 mile to Big Cienega Trail junction and then another 3.9 miles to Crystal Lake. We rest here for a few minutes. A party of several hikers passes by on their way to the summit. These are the only ones we’ve encountered on the trail so far. Again, I am amazed at how few people are partaking of these fine trails and specular scenery on this gorgeous Saturday. It’s a striking contrast to the many hundreds who will be swarming the trails of Mt. Baldy and Icehouse Canyon today.

Our sawyers head down Islip Ridge Trail as George and I linger for a while and enjoy good conversation and the beauty of the setting. As we descend I reflect on the great hike I had coming up this ridge a year ago July and my encounter with a herd of bighorn sheep. No sheep today…just hoof prints and scat. I look northwest toward Will Thrall Peak and Pallett Mt. and think about my plans to climb them before the season turns. I love the beauty of this breathtaking scenery. I stop occasionally and my use my McLeod (half rake/half hoe) to do light trial work.

12:10 - Big Cienega Trail junction. From here we turn northeast to follow the trail as it descends into the upper reaches of the Crystal Lake Basin. Devastation from the 2002 Curve Fire abounds. Most of the forest around us here is dominate by dead tree trunks rutting into sky and laying on the ground.

12:16 - Work site. A jumble of several large tree trunks blocks the path. The chainsaw gang has already begun work. It takes some training and experience in assessing the best plan of attack in dismantling this tangle of timber. Piece by piece we cut and clear and are able to complete the chainsaw work by 1 p.m. (the time set by the Forest Service to cease use of chainsaws). We finish muscling the remaining logs off the path then break for lunch. Fred arrives and appreciates our work.

Before

After

1:45 - Leave the site and head down the trail. Soon we reach Alan, who has done an amazing job working a substantial section of trail. We continue down the trail through varied landscape and surround by towering ridges and rugged beauty.

2:52 - Arrive at the truck that Fred parked on the South Mt. Hawkins Road. We are hot, tired, and dirty, but the satisfaction of a job well done makes it worth it. We are eager to pile into the truck and leave. Soon we rendezvous with our leader, Ben White, and others who came up later. An ice chest of cold drinks is so welcome!

Epilog - What a productive and fulfilling day! Beautiful weather, meaningful work, hearty exercise, spectacular scenery, rewarding four-mile hike, and great camaraderie swapping stories and just enjoying the companionship of good folks who love the outdoors. If you’d like to get in on the fun, come out and spend a day with the San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders. Everyone is welcome. Workdays are on the first, third, and fifth Saturdays of each month. Visit the San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders website to learn more.

• See Mt. Islip Trail description at Dan’s Hiking Pages
• See Big Cienega Trail description at Dan’s Hiking Pages
• See Windy Gap Trail description at Dan’s Hiking Pages

Hawkins Ridge Trail Work with the Trailbuilders - Oct. 6, 2012

One month ago when I hiked South Mount Hawkins and Hawkins Ridge, I had no idea when I’d get to return. When I saw the email this week from the San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders announcing that the October 6 work day was planned for Hawkins Ridge, I was elated and knew I had to be a part of it. I had reported to the group that a section of the trail south of Sadie Hawkins had completely disappeared. I figured, however, that it would be unlikely to get trail crews up there since South Mt. Hawkins Road was washed out with no plans by the Forest Service to restore it. But during the Williams Fire 2012, which begun on Sept. 2, FS officials took advantage of dozers on hand and ordered that So. Mt. Hawkins Road be graded. So the Trailbuilders took advantage of the restored access and decided to head to Hawkins Ridge Trail. The Trailbuilders built the trail in the 1990s but the trail hasn’t had formal maintenance in at least 10 years since So. Mt. Hawkins Road was closed as a result of the 2002 Curve Fire.

8:03 AM - Leave from the San Gabriel Canyon Gateway Center in Azusa and drive up Highway 39 to Rincon Fire Station to load the equipment. There are 22 of us today, including some students from Mt. San Antonio Collage. We load up the equipment: shovels, McLeods, pick-mattoxes, loppers, rock bars, chainsaws, etc. After the drive up to Crystal Lake Campground, we stop at Deer Flats and transfer those in cars to the high-clearance trucks and SUVs.

9:30 - Begin our drive up South Mt. Hawkins Road in a caravan of six. I’m in the second vehicle. The road is really rough even though it had been recently graded. We stop occasionally and I clear large rocks from the road, which the super high-clearance truck in front of us had no problems with. We stop briefly at the saddle. Our leader, Ben White, tells us to continue the drive up the South Mt. Hawkins so that the group can experience the site of the historic fire lookout. This is a rare opportunity to be here in vehicles.

10:27 - South Mount Hawkins (7783’). Everyone piles out of the vehicles and lingers about the site enjoying the panorama. The views of surrounding mountains are pretty good today while the lowlands are shrouded with a layer of clouds. I reflect on my experience being here last month watching the Williams Fire grow. We leave the summit at 10:41 and head back to the saddle as the staging area for our work. Ben leads a safety meeting on the use of tools and guidelines for a safe day.

11:11 - Begin hike heading north up the road toward the trail. In a few minutes we reach a gentle saddle just north of a helespot clearing. This is the beginning of Hawkins Ridge Trail and our first task for the day: clearing a large deadfall that blocks the trail. The chainsaw gang attacks the tree while volunteers with McLeods and shovels begin to give definition to the faint path. Trail veterans give instructions to the new comers.

I hike ahead with Alan to where the trail vanishes in a meadow-like area. We carefully scan the area for traces of the old trail and use orange ribbons to flag the route for the hand crews to follow. I can see why I could not find the trail last month since it disappears into a jumble of fallen trees. Alan, a veteran trail boss, flags the original route through a couple hundred yards of the woody obstacles. The route arrives at a clear spot on the ridge offering views west. We take a break for lunch.

From here the route would have cut back northeast taking a tangent across the broad, undulating ridge. We can’t find any semblance of the trail. Alan forges ahead and locates the clear trail that picks up on the southeast flank of Sadie Hawkins. Between that point and the clearing where we had lunch, we crisscross back and forth but still are unable to identify the old trail. Alan flags a route that seems to reasonably match his recollections of the trail from his helping build it years ago. I head back down to see how the rest of the crew is doing.

The group has arrived at the jumble of trees. The three chain sawyers had leaped-frogged their way to here clearing the deadfalls while the other volunteers graded a fine trail. We now have a discussion as to whether we should reroute the trail above the tons of tree trunks and branches, or if we should carve our way through them. Since the FS policy is to always maintain the original trail route whenever possible, we decide to cut through the fallen forest. I wander back down the trial further to join the rest of the crew and assist in reestablishing a route.

I then head back up the trail past the jumble to the upper work section. I am pleased to find that the volunteers had roughed out the route we had blazed and a clear path is now established for hikers. Ben tells us that we’ve got six minutes before heading back at 2:30. I walk along the new route to where it joins the established trail which traverses along the east flank of Sadie Hawkins. In my hike last month I had gone up the ridge to the summit and so did not tread on this section of trail. I’m a little sad about that since it’s hard to write a reliable trail description without having hiked the whole trail. So I press on ahead and figure I can catch up with the others who were heading down.

The trail is in great shape as it gently ascends north along the eastern slope of the summit. It’s remarkable how nicely a well-built trail in certain conditions holds up without maintenance. I’m feeling a little angst because I would hate to have the whole group be waiting for me back at the vehicles, but on the other hand, I’d kick myself if I didn’t take the opportunity to explore further only to find the others lingering before heading down. I press on. I reach a point at which the trail begins its descent to the saddle north of Sadie Hawkins. I’m satisfied with having a visual of that couple hundred yards of trail, so I turn west and head straight up the steep, barren slope to the summit. When I achieve the top I find that I am north of Sadie Hawkins summit and near the point at which the use path drops steeply north to the saddle. I turn south, walk through a slight dip and climb the final steep pitch.

2:37 - Sadie Hawkins (8047’). A month ago I had no idea I’d be standing here again so soon. This time the southern sky is not filled with billowing smoke. I don’t linger as I leave the summit and head south on a route that looks like it was cleared by a dozer many years ago. Soon I veer left, climb down a steep section, and rejoin the newly reestablished trail. When I arrive at what used to be a jumble of timber, I am quite surprised to find that the chainsaw gang had made huge progress and the route was nearly clear except for about three last deadfalls. And I am happy to see the three sawyers still here getting ready to leave. So I won’t be the last one off the mountain! I proceed down on a beautifully restored trail. I’m greatly satisfied that the crew was able to accomplish so much today. I catch up with Ben at the point near the beginning of the trail and we walk down together as the sawyers catch up.

3:08 - Arrive back at the vehicles. An ice chest full of cold Gatorade and bottled water is welcome by all. We load the tools and begin the bumpy, 4.7-mile ride down the road to Deer Flats and then continue down. At Rincon Fire Station we unload the tools and call it a day.

Epilog - What an excellent day! I am so pleased that we were able to reestablish the missing section of this splendid Hawkins Ridge Trail. The crew worked hard and the weather was perfect. And for the group to visit the ruins of the historic South Hawkins Fire Lookout was a real treat. We encountered only one party of two hikers today who were coming down the ridge, having started from Hwy 2. Since the distances to hike here are long, this trail naturally won’t get a large amount of foot traffic. But it is one of the finest trails in the San Gabriels and offers the intrepid hiker a wonderful high-country experience. If you want to enjoy some rewarding work, come out and spend a day with the San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders. Workdays are on the first, third, and fifth Saturdays of each month. Visit the San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders website to learn more.

See Hawkins Ridge Hike - September 2-3, 2012 at Dan’s Hiking Blog

See Windy Gap Trail hike description at Dan’s Hiking Pages

Windy Gap Trail Work with the Trailbuilders - Sept. 29, 2012

See Windy Gap Trail hike description at Dan’s Hiking Pages

Since June 2003, I’ve enjoyed volunteering with the San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders. This group of dedicated men and women have been building and maintaining trails since 1984. We primarily focus our efforts in the San Gabriel River District of the Angeles National Forest, with much of that in the Crystal Lake basin. The project for today is Windy Gap Trail. I hiked down the trail a month ago and it was in pretty good condition, but since then, there was a big rain storm that caused some damage.

8:00 AM - Leave from the San Gabriel Canyon Gateway Center in Azusa and head up Highway 39 to Rincon Fire Station to load the equipment. There are 25 of us today, including seven Boy Scouts from troop 90 of Newport Beach and their leaders. With equipment loaded, we continue the drive up to Chrystal Lake basin. Once at the campground, our keys allow us to pass through locked gates and to drive along South Hawkins Road through Deer Flats and arrive at the location where Windy Gap Trail crosses the road for the second time.

10:10 - After a safety meeting, we begin up the trail. Two chain saw crews take the lead since they will be going on ahead to remove deadfalls higher on the trail. The rest of group breaks into several parties and attacks various damaged areas along the route. Experienced Trailbuilders patiently provide instruction and oversight for the young scouts.

The weather is great today. Scattered high clouds mute the sun. A pleasant breeze is refreshing. My tool of choice today is a McLeod: half rake, half hoe. It was originally a firefighting tool invented in 1905 by Malcom McLeod (pronounced “McCoud”). It’s a ideal tool for spreading soil and grading trail tread.

After accomplishing some light trail clean up, I catch up with Lou, Buddy, and Alan, three veteran Trailbuilders who are working on a spot where the trail crosses a ravine and is significantly damaged. I’m always amazed to see the kind of destruction that rushing water can do. We chisel away at the dried mud mixed with rocks that is heaped on the trail on both side of the ravine. Lou leads the effort in rebuilding a rock retaining wall to support the trail crossing the narrow wash. We wrestle heavy rocks to move them into place.

12:05 - Take a break for lunch. After the break we continue on the project. We dislodge a huge rock that was perched precipitously above the trail. As we anticipated, the rock came to rest right in the middle of the trail. Three of us laying on our backs and using our legs are able to roll the rock over the edge.

1:20 - Finish the project. I continue up the trail to see what else I can help with. I pass over several sections which have been freshly restored by our crews today. It’s very easy to take for grant it a good trial. I round a bend and find the main group of our volunteers laboring on a large washout. Debris from the sheer cliffs above has obliterated the Sutter walls (wooden retaining barriers) and buried the trail. The task today is to clear a temporary route over the rubble. I lend a hand. Shortly the chain saw crews arrive from the upper trail. They removed four deadfalls today, which was everything to Windy Gap.

2:00 - End the work at the designated time. We gather our equipment and head down the trail. We’re dirty and tired. Views toward the valleys beyond are muted by haze. I think about my hike down this trial on Sept. 3 when smoke from the Williams Fire completely obscured visibility. I look west across the bowl toward Islip Ridge and Mt. Islip and reflect upon my thoroughly enjoyable hike there back in July. Along the trail I admire the work our crews have accomplished today.

2:32 - Arrive back at the vehicles. An ice chest full of cold Gatorade and bottled water is a hit. We load the tools. A group picture caps the day. Back at Rincon Fire Station we unload the tools and say our goodbye to one and all.

Epilog - A very rewarding day of hard work surrounded by breathtaking scenery. I always enjoy the camaraderie. And it’s good to have Boy Scouts join us. For the entire day, we encountered only three parties of hikers using the trail. Maybe eight years of closure due to the 2002 Curve Fire caused people to forget about Crystal Lake as a great hiking venue. I implore hikers to take a break from the crowd-infested places like Mt. Baldy and Icehouse Canyon and enjoy the grand scenery, splendid trails, and majestic peaks of the Crystal Lake basin. And if you would like to serve those who love the outdoors, come out and spend a day with the San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders. Workdays are on the first, third, and fifth Saturdays of each month. Visit the San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders website to learn more.

See Windy Gap Trail hike description at Dan’s Hiking Pages