Hike 2014.054 -- Brand Park -- Miss America Green Cross and Library Trail Loop

Hiked Sunday, October 19. Having taken a hike in the Verdugo Hills just a few days previous, and armed with my Tom Harrison map, I intended to visit a new trail to take me up to the Crest of the Verdugos, once more. However, as is often the case, I assumed finding the trailhead would be easier than it was.

Finding the park was easy enough--after all, I had my Tom Harrison map! So I drove from I-5 to Western Avenue, and took that to the northeast, towards the mountains. The park itself is quite large, with lots of roads and parking areas, so it took a while to decide where to park.

Not knowing any better, I parked near the big white building. Because, after all, it was a BIG WHITE BUILDING! And what is this big white building? Why, it's the Glendale Public Library. Yep, their library has got some sweet digs.

Apparently, the "Mr. Brand" for whom the park and the street are named used to live in this building. When he died, he gave the land and the mansion to the City of Glendale, with the proviso that it become a park and library. So I guess that makes him sort of the Glendale equivalent of Griffith J. Griffith, minus the interest in astronomy, and, probably, minus a fair number of dollars.

It's an impressive house (with an expansion, to house the full library, apparent-ly). I mean on the outside--I didn't go inside. It doesn't have the same level of refinement of the structures at the Huntington. Then again, I'm sure there was much less money involved. For an actual, free, public library, it's very nice.

I spent some time photographing the building, and, even by itself, that made the trip worthwhile. But I was looking for the hiking trail. My real plan was to walk up to the crest of the Verdugos, but from this different direction. However, as time later ran out on me (also, after backtracking back and forth around the park, looking for the trailhead), I ended up cutting it short, and just doing a short loop.

Turns out, there are multiple trails on the ground that were not on the Tom Harrison map.

In particular, the two trails nearest the library (the Miss America Green Cross and the Library trail) are not on the map. They're very steep tracks up two different ridges that run down towards this library. By contrast, my Tom Harrison map just showed the large dirt road trail that headed up from the debris/detention basin.

Tricky part here is that the library trail was unsigned. I thought it was a use trail, so I didn't immediately head up that way. Instead, I wandered around. Incidentally, there's *another* debris basin immediately behind the library. This is NOT a trail. You quickly run into a fenced "Do Not Enter" place, if you try going up that way.

But I saw people hiking on the ridges above me, so I figured there must be a way up there.

Eventually, I wandered over to the funny statue of what turned out to be "Miss America Green Cross." This was a recreation of an original piece of environmental art, and is supposed to relate somehow to the preservation of forests. I didn't spend too much time reading the material by the statue, because, by now, I was getting impatient to get started on my hike.

However, for those interested, there is a kiosk board with a map of these new trails and a plaque about the statue. You can read that at your leisure. If you're passing to the left (northwest) of the library, the statue is back and to the left. I guess I assumed it was the entrance to a church or something, and so NOT a trailhead, so I didn't head there, initially. But, no, it's not a church--it's "art." It's also a trailhead.

From there, it's a steep climb up to the ridge. The trail itself is sometimes hard to follow, with may cuts in the trail. Chains are placed to try to keep you on the path, but obviously many do not stay on the trail.

Once clear of the trees, you can see the large detention basin in the next canyon, and where the trail that's on the Tom Harrison map would start. The other trail loops up the canyon, then switchbacks up to join where this Green Cross trail ends, near an overlook. The Green Cross (and Library) trails, by contrast, head right up the ridge. Each is roughly a mile long, and merge an overlook, with benches and signs. From the overlook, I had expansive views to the south, west, and northwest. Nice views of Griffith Park, downtown L.A., Glendale and Burbank. The Verdugo Mountains were at my back.

Once at the overlook, I debated going further, then decided to turn around. That means it was only about two miles of hiking on that segment. But between my repeated criss-crosses looking for the trailhead, and the walk around the library a few times, and the wrong turn up the debris basin, I figure I made my third mile there. So three miles for the day. Short hike, but somewhat strenuous going up. This was also another new trail for me.

Hike 2014.056A -- Hole in the Wall and Mojave Star Party

The bi-annual Mojave National Preserve star party was last Saturday. I drove out of the L.A. area on Saturday morning. Many clouds were around. Snow covered the high peaks of the San Gabriel Mountains. It was probably not going to be a very good star party, I figured, but I was committed to showing up, so, if the clouds did clear, those who did come to see the stars would not be disappointed.

The clouds thinned a bit as I reached Mojave National Preserve (exit at Essex Road, which is signed for both the Preserve and for Providence Mountains State Park), and headed north, then turned right at Black Rock Canyon Road.

I arrived at Hole in the Wall around 4:30pm, then took a very short walk to see the petroglyphs there (just south of the visitor center, on the outer part of the Rings Trail Loop). I wanted to get in a little walking immediately because, quite frankly, I was pretty sure the "star" part of the star party would be a cloud out, and I'd just leave after dinner for Las Vegas.

Hadn't walked this segment of trail in a while. Normally, when I'm here, I make a loop of the Barber Peak trail and the inner part of the Rings Trail (although, apparently, I also sometimes do include loop the outside part of the Rings Trail).

Been a while since I saw the petro-glyphs, so that was my goal--just a 10 or 15 walk, before getting back to my car and heading over the group campground across the road, for the star party.

I was the first of the main group of astronomers (which, was a small group this party--conflicting appointments, illness, and other issues prevented most of the Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers from making this trip). Being first, I was worried for a while that perhaps the others had been so deterred the cloudy forecast as to have begged off and cancelled. But, before long, the others I expected did arrive.

Though, even before they did, I started setting up my telescope. I was so impressed with the nice banners and posters made for this event, and the turnout of potential viewers was so great that I didn't want to disappoint them, in case the skies did clear, even briefly.

As I waited for dark, the clouds continued to dominate the skies. That made for some pretty clouds and nice sunset colors, but did not do anything for my lack of confidence in actually being able to show anyone the sky. So I clicked pretty sunset pictures, and waited.

As I waited, I reflected on the fact that this was probably my tenth or so time supporting a Mojave National Preserve Conservancy's star party.

This year's was part of the twentieth anniversary celebration of the California Desert Protection Act, which created the Mojave National Preserve, and also expanded and "upgraded" Joshua Tree and Death Valley from national monuments to national parks.

The Preserve super-intendent and the regional director of the National Park Service were there, as were numerous other NPS and Conservancy employees and volunteers. So I probably also reflected on the idea that my doctoral dissertation was on the subject of park expansion, and that, in an earlier life, I would have tried to spend more time talking to both the Park Service and Conservancy folks about environmental and political issues related to created and managing these parks.

However, in my current incarna-tion, I was a sidewalk astrono-mer, which meant I stayed with my telescope and waited for the clouds to part, so I could talk about the moon.

As dinner time ap-proached, we finally got a few short peeks at the moon. The first probably 90 minutes of dark was more of this intermittent moon viewing.

With occasional views of the moon but no telescope visitors, I sneaked in a few quick shots of the moon with my dslr.

As the evening wore on, we had longer and better chances to view the night sky. Of course, with the large gibbous moon, deep sky objects were less impressive than they would normally be from such a dark sky location. Still, you could see more here with a large moon than you could see back home with no moon, at all.

With no real deep sky agenda, I mostly just showed the typical highlights of a mid-fall sky: Alberio, a famous double star, with a yellow and a blue-white component, the Double Cluster in Perseus, the Andromeda Galaxy, the Pleiades (Seven Sisters, another open cluster), the Ring Nebula, and the Dumbbell Nebula (two planetary nebula, the remnants of old stars like our sun, nearing the end of their lives).

I also pointed out the stars of the Summer Triangle and said a few things about those stars, and Cassiopeia, Perseus and Andromeda, and the Greek mythology associated with them.

By 10:30pm, it was getting dark. And, with no prepared sky tour agenda, I had pretty much show everyone what I could easily find. So I started breaking down my telescope around then. With the temperature dropping and Las Vegas (Henderson, actually) just a bit more than two hours away, my wife and I decided to leave the star party that night (unusual for us) and make it to place with actual beds and running water. So ended my Fall 2014 Mojave National Preserve star party experience.

Next start party will be in the spring. I'll try to provide advance notice of the date when I know that bit of information.

Hike-wise, this wasn't really much of a hike. But I linked it here because of the star party, and as a lead in for my previous post, on the new directions to the Sloan Canyon trailhead, in Henderson.

Hike 2014.056B -- Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area, NV -- New Directions to the Trailhead

Because construc-tion has restarted on the "Inspirada" develop-ment in Henderson, new roads and home sites are being graded and added, which means access to the Sloan Canyon site from Bicentennial Parkway may likely change repeatedly in the months (and years) to come. I make no guarantees as to if this is the easiest, safest, or most legal access; this is just how I got there earlier in the month.

I first visited this site in March 2013. I returned twice more. But the approach I took on those previous three trips is no longer possible. The access I used off of Bicentennial Parkway is now a construction entrance.

However, most of the directions still apply. As of early November 2014, I could still take St. Rose Parkway to Executive Airport Drive. It still eventually turns into Bicentennial Parkway. However, as just noted, when I got to "my" turn, I encountered the Construction Entrance sign.

So I continued east just a hundred yards or so and found a paved road heading due south. I took that road to near its end, at which point a right turn with a "No Construction Entrance" sign was posted. I understood this to mean that this was the access to the Sloan Canyon area.

However, with all the grading, I was completely disorient-ed. At this point, I would suggest, locating the large concrete overflow to the debris and detention basin, to the southeast of Inspirada. Find the line of silver-colored powerline towers that run north to south. Observe where they intersect with the brown-colored powerline towers that run east to west. Count two brown towers west from the silver tower line. Then go about 1/3 of the distance further west. That's your destination; the Sloan Canyon Road intersects the power line access road there. My third and fourth pictures in this post show the view from the south. You'll be approaching from the north, of course.

The road from the access road that parallels the brown towers heads due south from that point. There's a faint road that goes to that point from the north, and directly connects with the Sloan Canyon Road. However, the actual road and the approach to it is really only for high clearance vehicles, so if you're in a passenger vehicle, park in the large flat area a few hundred yards north of the powerline road, near the point where Sloan Canyon Road will intersect with the access road.

As this may be an active construction zone when you visit, take special care when driving, and, of course, follow the directions of construction personnel if they direct you away from the area. I don't know if there's a construction conditional use requirement for continued access to Sloan Canyon. I hope there is, but I don't know.

Hike 2014.028 -- Wildwood Canyon State Park, Yucaipa, CA

Hiked Sunday, May 25. One of my older hikes still to be blogged. Thought I'd go back to this one because of the name: I just hiked and blogged a hike in Wildwood Canyon Park in Burbank. Obviously, this one, in Yucaipa is nowhere near the other one. What they did have in common is that they are places I had not hiked previously.

Also, up until maybe six months ago, I had never heard of either.

This Wildwood Canyon is a state park; the associated state park webpage is here. At the time I hiked it, it was listed as an undeveloped park; it no longer has that notation. I found it just by searching for state parks by county, and seeing this one as one of several that were within driving distance that I had not yet visited.

Although no longer listed as "undeveloped," there still isn't much in the way of significant facilities--some picnic tables, porta-potties, and some trails. No visitor center and no camping facilities here.

But there are trails, for both people and horses. It being almost six months since I walked, I am not 100% sure of the trails I took.

I definitely began by walking up the dirt road where the gate blocks off what appears to be the main entrance. This is the Water Canyon Trail. Behind the gate is a bulletin board-looking structure, but there were no maps or announcements or any other information on that bulletin board. So, if you plan on visiting, you might want to print out your own map before going.

Immediat-ely after the gate is a trail that breaks to the right--the Oak Tree Loop. I'm pretty sure I turned on that trail (because it was hot, and this looked more shaded than the alternative).

I'm pretty sure I then went on to the Hi Up road, which practically collides with the Oak Tree Loop. I followed that past the upper branch of the McCullouch Loop, and reached the High Up House. (Yeah, these names are pretty lame).

Once I got to this High Up House, I saw no obvious trail leading away from the house. I wound up backtracking, then taking the upper part of the McCullough Loop towards the mountains. I suspect I then took the Stetson Trail, because I did cross a ravine (no water, though) before beginning a pretty steep ascent. Somewhere along the way, I lost the actual trail, because I wound up going up a ridge, with no obvious actual trail heading back around like the trails on the map indicate (I don't remember if I had this map available when I was hiking or not, either).

Eventually, I was forced to backtrack, back down to the ravine, then probably rejoining the lower part of the McCullough Loop, then the Oak Tree Loop. But before I got back, I wound up on a lower route, with a water spigot and what looked like horse watering areas.

Basically, my hike makes little sense compared to where the trails are supposed to be. I assume this means I got diverted by use trails. Or perhaps the trails weren't all signed.

In any event, I got to get some walking this day, and cover some new ground. The ground itself was not intrinsically very interesting: More chaparral, which, after all, is what most of southern California at middling altitudes is going to be.

This being back in May, there were still some wild-flowers to be seen. Also, this was back when my 70-300 zoom was new, which also explains why I took so many flower pictures (most of which I didn't resize and post, obviously).

Because of what I mention above, this park doesn't strike me as one you'd normally take a long drive specifically to visit. However, if you're already in the area, either because you live here or are visiting something nearby, it's another alternative for getting some exercise. In my case, visiting here was in conjunction with a trip to Oak Glen, my favorite apple season place in southern California.

Getting to the park took a few tries, because all I had was a map of the area, but no certainty as to what (if any) facilities (including parking facilities) and access I would find.

My suggested route, which minimizes the number of turns, but is not necessarily the shortest or quickest route: from I-10, and exit at Calimesa Road (three exits east of Yucaipa Blvd; four, if you count the rest area, or two exits west of Cherry Valley Blvd); there's a Bob's Big Boy at this exit, if you're coming from the west. Head east (right, if you're coming from the east, left, if you're coming from the west), and your road will turn into Fifth Street (watch which lane you're in).

Head north about a mile and a half, passing County Line Road (which also hits the freeway). County Line Road is about half the distance to Wildwood Canyon Road. When you reach Wildwood Canyon Road, make a right. Travel about two miles on this road. When you pass a green, developed municipal park on your right, you're almost there. A large wooden sign for Wildwood Canyon State Park ought to appear on your left, very shortly after passing the municipal park. Turn left at the sign. The road will dead-end shortly. There's parking in the large area adjacent to the right side of the road here. The second picture of this post shows what the parking area looks like. It was one of my last drives in the old Saturn to a hiking destination.

Hike 2014.053 -- Wildwood Canyon Park, Burbank

Not to be confused with Wildwood Canyon State Park, blogged here. Hiked Tuesday, October 15. Got to do a rare weekday hike, because I had a training day in Burbank that ended at 3pm. So the day before, I googled around and and also checked out Tom Harrison's Verdugo Hills map. Found a likely candidate and doubled checked on directions to the trailhead.

The trailhead was at Wildwood Canyon Park, in Burbank. From the Golden State Freeway (I-5), I took the Olive Avenue east, to Sunset Canyon Drive. I made at left at Sunset, and traveled to Harvard Road. I took Harvard to the end of the road and parked there.

At the end of the road, there's a gate. I walked past the gate and began my ascent. After a brief walk, the trail doubled back over itself and gave me nice views both up and down canyon. As I reached a bit of a pass, a small, steep trail headed back into the hills. Having not been here before, I wrongly assumed that was the trail.

In real-life, I should have continued over the crest a bit, to the actual trail, with a sign showing the trails in the area. That would have been slightly longer, but obviously less steep.

I was now pretty much running along another ridge, and the actual trail here is quite steep.

About a half-mile in front of you, you can see some radio towers that dot the crest of the Verdugo Hills.

I have only hiked in the Verdugos once before, but I also reached the crest then, too. It would have been in the winter, so it was greener. But, no matter what, this area is never too green.

It's chaparral, so it pretty much looks like Griffith Park or the lower altitudes of the San Gabriel Mountains. It's smaller than Griffith Park however, and, as far as I know, there is no permanent natural surface water. The drainage is too small to support any perennial water. I assume, then, that what ever wildlife resides in these hills must come down to the developed parks and homes for water.

It's a steep roughly one mile from the park to the crest of the Verdugo Hills. Once at the top, there's a wide dirt road that links the various peaks, many with small clusters of radio towers.

The view from up top can be nice, depending on the clarity. To the north and east are the San Gabriel Mountains. Deukmejian Park is also visible across the way. Parts of Glendale sit between you and those mountains.

There is also at least one of these nifty-looking reclining seats to relax on here at the ridge.

Looking the other way, it's Burbank and Glendale (again). The LA River is also visible, as is Silver Lake and Griffith Park.

From the crest of the Verdugos, I headed southeast a bit (1/2 mile or so), to reach Verdugo Peak. At 3126', it's the highest point in the range. It doesn't look much taller from the other peaks along the way, but, once on Verdugo Peak, you do know you're higher than everyone else.

I then backtracked my steps, covering about three miles for the day. It was a nice bonus: A weekday hike. I enjoyed the break from my workday. Even more of a bonus, it was a trail I had never covered before. Yes, even after nearly five years of at least moderately frequent hiking based in the San Gabriel Valley, I am still covering a number of new trails this year.