Van Tassel Ridge Hike - February 15, 2014

See Van Tassel Ridge via Fish Canyon Trailhead Hike Description on Dan's Hiking Pages

Big changes are coming to Fish Canyon and Van Tassel Ridge. Since 1999, this “goat trail” up and over Van Tassel Ridge into the Fish Canyon to bypass the quarry operation has provided a grueling access to Fish Canyon Falls. Now hikes to the falls are entering a new era as Vulcan Materials is diligently working on the new access trail that runs directly through the quarry. And when Vulcan begins to quarry rock from Van Tassel Ridge, this trail over Van Tassel will no longer provide access to Fish Canyon.

As an outspoken stakeholder for the future of Fish Canyon, I was invited by Vulcan representatives to tour the construction of the new access trail through the quarry this morning. And I have to say that I am pleased with how it’s shaping up. The photo on the right (taken from the hike to follow) shows the new one-acre parking lot dedicated to Fish Canyon Trail (square area on the right). It will hold more than 50 cars. Vulcan will be planting some trees around the parking area. The access trail proceeds to the left from the top corner of the lot and follows the shoulder of the creek to begin. At about two thirds through the quarry the trail transitions to a riparian corridor for the final approach to the National Forest boundary, 0.6 mile from the start. It will be open seven days a week! The conditions of Vulcan’s permit require that the access trail be completed by August 2014, but they are optimistic that it will be sooner. I am eager to post an announcement of a ribbon cutting ceremony! After the tour of the new access trail, I decided it would be an opportune time to revisit Van Tassel Ridge.

11:30 AM - Begin hike from the trailhead on Encanto Parkway in Azusa (often mistaken for Duarte since it is west of the river). It’s somewhat warm and I’m not really in a hiking mood. Maybe I’ll just walk up the trail a few minutes. With our record-low rainfall, everything looks parched. I encounter a group of about eight with some younger kids coming down. They didn’t go far. Soon I’m past the equestrian area and begin my climb up the steep mountainside. The dry and thirsty vegetation makes it feel more like August than February. There is nothing in bloom. Feels desolate. Pleasant breezes feel good.

I meet a lady who is resting. She asks how far to the falls. I tell her 4 ½ miles and lot of elevation gain on a really steep trail. I don’t think she quite understands. Shortly I encounter a young man and women coming down; they didn’t go far either. I meet another young man and women and they went all the way to the forest boundary (3.8 miles round trip with 1,400 feet gain). They wanted to go to the falls but they had enough. It’s interesting that there are so few people on this trail compared to the throngs that used to be on nearby Garcia Trail before being closed by the recent Colby Fire. I wonder where they are all hiking now.

I’m pleasantly surprised that the trail is in reasonably good condition. Plants are not intruding into the trail and I am quite comfortable in shorts. But it’s steep and narrow and eroded in some places. And there spots that require climbing up rocks. Certainly a good portion of those who climb Garcia Trail would not be comfortable at all on this trail.

Thick haze mutes the views and joins the parched vegetation to give this hike a depressing feel. This hike today is not scoring high on the enjoyment scale, but I’m not wired to stop without achieving a destination. So I trudge on. There are not even flowers to photograph. As I round the south-facing slope, Van Tassel Road comes into view to the west. Nearing the top, I encounter a man and women who are coming down. They didn’t go far. (These would be my last encounter for the day.)

12:50 - Diamond Head ridge (1.3 miles from the start). I decide to continue over the ridge into the jungle area. It’s a little greener than the west and south slopes, but still pretty parched. The poison oak is mostly dormant and does not hinder my advance. I have a short descent and climb.

1:00 - Vulcan Fence. - What pressed me to reach this point is a desire to get a view across Fish Canyon to toward the reclamation work Vulcan is doing on the mountainside. The mining plan that was approved by Azusa voters requires that Vulcan turn the 40-foot “Mayan” benches into 12-inch micro benches. Most of the work at this point has been to carve into the sheer rock face to create an angle of repose to hold the soil and plant growth. A section at the very top has been micro-benched and hydroseeded. From this vantage point I can also see a section of the mountainside burned by the September 2013 Madre Fire.

1:17 - Start back. As I traverse the jungle I am aware that many acres of this mature chaparral will be removed as “overburden” when Vulcan prepares to quarry the high-grade aggregate rock, which will be used in construction throughout the L.A. basin. Thankfully, much of this mining will be out of view from the human sprawl to the south.

Back at the ridge I follow the path east toward Diamond Head, but as I’ve observed before, the path ends in about 100 yards. I am hopeful that once the trail is cut off from proceeding over Vulcan property and into Fish Canyon, the trail to this point can be improved and maintain to provide a hike to Diamond Head. We’ll see.

Hiking down the steep, slippery trial is tedious as careful steps are required to keep my feet under me. Over on Van Tassel Road, I can see and hear heavy equipment being used by Edison for their project to construct new power towers. I can’t comprehend why trail users toss their plastic bottle down the slope. What pigs! I have solitude the entire way down. Some wild cucumber, a few tiny mustard flowers, and a single occurrence of wishbone bush provide some flowers after all, but far overshadowed by the parched vegetation of an extremely dry winter. And almost to the trailhead, some Douglas nightshade, tree tobacco, elderberry, mule fat, and golden currant provide some flowers to end the hike.

2:32 - End hike. There are four cars in the parking lot (there were eight when I started). Perhaps these belong to folks who have taken the long slog to Fish Canyon Falls.

Epilog - Not the greatest hike but good to revisit the trail and to update my hike description. And it was good to get a perspective on the progress Vulcan is making. I was thankful that the route was mostly brush free and that my feet stayed under me on the tedious downhill. I encountered only about 15 people in five parties; that’s pretty sparse. And three miles round trip with 900 feet in evaluation gain; that’s good exercise.

See my blog post Van Tassel Ridge Hike - March 31, 2012

See Van Tassel Ridge via Fish Canyon Trailhead Hike Description on Dan's Hiking Pages

See Fish Canyon Falls Hike Description on Dan's Hiking Pages
 

Van Tassel Ridge Hike - March 31, 2012

See Van Tassel Ridge via Fish Canyon Trailhead Hike Description on Dan's Hiking Pages

March is one of my favor months of the year to hike. But for some reason, I was only on the trail once this month. Compelled by a calendar showing it to be the last day of the month, I had to get another hike in. With my wife’s need for the car and a forecast of gloom and drizzle, I figured I’d do a scrappy hike nearby. Van Tassel Ridge seemed ideal, just a few minutes from my house.

The trail was dedicated in 1999 as an attempt to provide an alternative route to Fish Canyon Falls since access is restricted by the quarry operation in the month of the canyon. I’ve never used this route to access the falls (a ridiculous 8.5-mile round trip with 3,200 in elevation gain), but it makes a good hike up Van Tassel Ridge when I need something short and close.

6:55 - Begin Hike. It’s 55 degrees and there are three cars in the parking lot. The thick gloom shrouds my designation on the ridge top. Within a couple minutes I pass the trailhead signboard. I’m intrigued by the sign: “Fish Canyon Trail is maintained and operated by the City of Duarte.” I would suggest more accurate language, such as, “...is poorly maintained by the City of Duarte...” or “...is occasionally maintained...”! By the way, the trail is entirely within the city limits of Azusa!

As I wander along the path I enjoy the rich aroma of damp chaparral. For a moment it brings back childhood memories of horseback riding along the Santa Ana River. Soon the trail begins winding and zigzagging up the steep mountainside. The trail condition is not bad. There are a few places where the trial has slid away, but it is still quite passable. Occasionally I have to climb rocks. It’s a little brushy in places, particularly with mustard. My pant legs are getting wet. Ticks like to perch on the tips of twigs and transfer themselves unto passing creatures. One of the reasons I wear light-colored pants is that it makes it easy to spot ticks. In the course of today’s outing I flick off a couple dozen or so.

Views are obscured by a thick marine layer. It’s cool, but with the steep climb and high humidity, I’m sweating pretty well. In spite of the muffled drone of the 210 freeway a mile and a half away, it’s really quite peaceful here. It’s disappointed to see all the graffiti along the trail. Come on, Duarte, live up to your maintenance claim!!

Spring wildflowers add a splash of color. In bloom this morning are mule fat (white), sunflower (yellow), mustard (yellow), elderberry (white), everlasting (pearly white), deerweed (yellow/orange), brittlebush (yellow), wishbone bush (purple), showy penstemon (purple), blue dicks (blue), wild Canterbury bells (purple), thistle (purple), chia (blue), buckwheat (cream), morning glory (white), poison oak (white), black sage (lavender), mountain lilac (purple/lavender), bush monkeyflower (orange), Douglas nightshade (white), virgin bower/clematis (white), golden yarrow (yellow), chemise (white), and tree tobacco (yellow). See Plants of the San Gabriels at Dan's Hiking Pages.

7:43 - Diamond Head ridge. According to the map and trail description that I picked up at the trailhead signboard, I have climbed 890 feet in 1.3 miles to this point. A trail cuts to the right (east) toward Diamond Head summit, but in the past I have found that it dead ends before getting there. I continue straight (north) as the trail begins to gently descend into what I call “the jungle” on the north-facing slope. I immediately encounter the shinny green leaves of poison oak, coming back to life after its winter dormancy. There is a lot of it along this stretch of trail, some of which is blocking the route. In the car on the way over I realized I forgot my gloves and pruners...now I’m regretting it. Using a stick, I carefully weave my way threw the poison oak. I’m tempted to turn back but keep pressing through. I’m unsuccessful in keeping the poison oak from touching my paints and shirt sleeves, so I will need to carefully avoiding touching or spreading the toxic oil.

Past the jungle, I now walk along the fence that separates the trail from the quarry operation. In a few minutes the fence ends and the route veers left (northwest) and begins its climb up the dozer cut. At about 100 yards a trails cuts left and looks passable, but I continue up the road. It gets crazy steep...butt steep! I just take my time and slowly climb. The fog is thicker up here.

8:28 - National Forest boundary (2080’). This is my destination, high up on Van Tassel Ridge, two miles from the start and 1,400 feet in elevation gain. The trail passes through an opening in the chain link fence that separates the quarry property from Angeles National Forest. I linger for a few minutes on the forest side. No cell reception, so can’t upload a pic to FB.

8:41 - Start back down. I arrive at a flat spot just before a really steep descent and decide to bear right to see if the old trail is passable. It is and makes a nice route to circumvent the crazy steep dozer cut. Back at the fence I take an alternate route to climb up and over the summit of Diamond Head to avoid the poison oak.

9:05 - Diamond Head (1603’) - This is my first time on top of this summit, which from the east, looks similar to the iconic Diamond Head crater at Waikiki, Oahu. The view from here would be great on a clear day. I upload a pic to FB. When Vulcan begins to mine Van Tassel Ridge, the trail beyond here will be closed. So this summit would make a nice destination. Overhaul the trail and stick a bench up here, and it could be an alternative hike to Garcia Trial for locals.

As I continue west from the Diamond Head summit I can’t find a passable route. I thrash through thick brush. Finally, after about 15 minutes of arduous bushwhacking, I find a path and walk the final minute to join the main trail. The roughness of this trail is more apparent going down as I climb over rocks in steep sections. It’s still foggy and cool and I’m still flicking ticks. The solitude of this hike is a striking contrast to the hoards of people on Garcia Trail last week. I really should consider coming over here more often...just need long pants and sturdy boots.

As I near the bottom of the mountain I finally encounter another person...an older gentleman heading up. A minute later a group of about six young adults pass me. They’re heading all the way to Fish Canyon Falls. They don’t really look dressed for hiking and I wonder if they’re up to the whole enchilada. I mention the poison oak to them and they don’t seem phased. But with bear legs, unless they have a secret weapon, they’re going to get poisoned oaked for sure, not to mention the ticks.

10:07 - End hike.

Epilog - This has been a fun outing. Peaceful. Solitude. Some adventure. Cool is certainly better than hot. I’ll know in a couple days if the poison oak got me.

See Van Tassel Ridge via Fish Canyon Trailhead Hike Description on Dan's Hiking Pages (Archive Page)

The trail up Van Tassel Ridge was closed upon the opening of the new Fish Canyon access trail on June 21, 2014.

Read about it here: Fish Canyon Falls - A New Era - June 21, 2014