Back on the Trail With Ted

Oh it was a sweet Christmas surprise to run into Ted on the trail! The three of us hiked up to Falling Sign Junction together and then parted ways. It was an incredible morning following the first rain since Spring. We made super loose plans to “get together again sometime soon and hike somewhere.” We’ll be looking forward to it!

Before and After

Thank you Steve Burns for these shots of the Zion trail before and after the Trail Crew!

Carolina Californicus

I had intended to meet the Zion Trail Group for trail work this week. I didn't make it for no good reason. Now I feel like a heel and I have absolutely nothing to report.

Pumpkins On Fire

All we know is "you just had to be there" and "Joe had too many martinis."

The Lovely Macaroon

I’ve taken to walking to work on Thursdays. Why Thursdays? Because that seems to be the time during the week when I begin to come undone. The trip is six miles each way and not exactly a safari or a walk in the park. The challenges of concrete, smog and noise render the journey unsuitable for the foolhardy and/or the bashful among us.

This evening as I made my return passage I stopped at one of the biggest and busiest intersections in Westwood. I waited for my crossing signal as I recapped the day’s events. One of the pleasures of this peregrination is the time I have to myself. Time to roll around my thoughts like those tiny marbles in a Chinese puzzle. Each marble looking for its own personal little hole. Some don’t have holes maybe and those can be cast away exiting through the ears perhaps I don’t know.

Finally the walking man appeared on the signal post accompanied by flashing numbers which start at 22 and count down. This 22 seconds is the time one has to haul ones ass across the intersection and I’m here to tell you this is no small task. I’m pretty fast and it takes me the entire allotment. What if I were elderly or short-legged? Motorists in the city at rush hour are not the most compassionate people on earth. What if I tripped? As I made my way across I recalled a recent walk during my lunch hour. I had just secured myself a sandwich along with a macaroon to soothe my spirit later in the afternoon. It was a big baseball sized macaroon from Whole Foods with chocolate covering on one side. Exquisite. With booty in one hand I was faced with one such crossing. In Brentwood they don’t have the timers but they do have little islands in the middle and they expect you to cross in halves and therefore twice the waiting. I usually try to pick up the pace and dash across having it all in one go. Unfortunately, my toe caught the island curb and I was cast hands and knees onto the pavement sliding about four feet as if the street was frozen. The traffic progressed as usual as my lunch escaped its brown paper sac. Not one driver or pedestrian showed any sign of rescuing me or my macaroon as it bounced down San Vicente Boulevard like a brand new puppy. I hobbled the rest of the way back to the office, my swollen knee bleeding beneath a hole in my new pants. My humiliation was tempered only by the coconut cookie I had saved from certain ruin several car lengths away. It had been exposed and the wrapping was tattered but hey… the inside was still good.

Tonight as I successfully reached the south side of Wilshire Boulevard I thought about that macaroon. I was so shamed by that experience I hadn’t purchased one since. Maybe I was ready for another one. This much walking really inspires the appetite.

Say Hello to Ranger Chamley!

Helllloooooooo Tina!

At Home With Steve

Or should we say: At home-away-from-home with Steve. We had the pleasure of visiting with Steve and were treated to a personal tour complete with a history of this cabin. I think this cabin is one of my favorites and the location is superb! This is a cabin where one can really feel private and isolate. Not far off the seldom used Manzanita Ridge Trail and not terribly visible. Look to the North and you have chaparral; to the south and you have shaded woodland perfect for the deer which Steve reports make two stops each day. And where there’s prey… there’s predator, as pointed out to us by our friend John Woodburn, who we also ran into on our way by his cabin, as he was out sweeping the druid throne. We learned that John has spotted mountain lion THREE times. Did I say three times. Yes I did.

Mountain Lion Madness

The clouds overhead this morning were a welcome relief from the hot summer and we felt like autumn was at last arriving. With the cool air to keep our spirits up as well as our pace, we decided to resume our search for the Mountain Lion.

Our information suggests that there have been multiple and dependable sightings on this particular ridge. According to http://www.cougarfund.org/, Cougars live in low-densities on the land, meaning that a single cougar requires from a minimum of 50 to 100 square miles to breed, raise young, hunt, and survive. I wonder what that means for our little ridge loop and I make a note to bring a map up to Chris so he can help me put this information into context.

We have a wonderful hike despite the lack of wildlife and other than actually seeing a lion, only rain, which we haven’t seen in four months, would make the day more pleasurable. The trail is dusty and dry and the shrubs are brittle and thirsty so Sharon and I believe a rain dance is in order. On top of the Ridge we lifted our feet and swayed our bodies in rhythm. We danced for the rain … we danced for the Mountain Lions … we danced for ourselves.

Meet Bill Chu and Yale Chen!

Bill and Yale recognized Sharon coming down the trail and we all stopped for introductions and to catch up. Sharon and Bill had met each other nearly two years previous in Monrovia's Canyon Park. At that time Bill had explained he had discovered hiking as a way to combat his high cholesterol. Not only did he lower his cholesterol without medication but he lowered his blood sugar and gained a sense of solace one can only achieve while communing with nature. Now Bill gets out on the trail on a regular basis and I'm sure we'll all run into each other again!

Forever Keko

My brother Erik and his fiancee Cindy visited this past weekend and we kept a full schedule which culminated in the Winter Creek Loop. In case anyone should be disbelieving of me and my brother actually hiking together or that we were able to get up the morning after our evening with Willie Nelson at the Hollywood Bowl, we have this photo to memorialize the event. This was a fine ending to a weekend which began at the Magic Castle where I was dubbed "Keko" by none other than Shoot Ogawa, one of Erik's favorite magicians, and to whose close up show I was elected assistant for the evening. I only hope I was worthy.

Say Hello to Ranger Kevin!

If you run into Ranger Kevin stop and say hello!

Felis Concolor Californicus

Sharon and I are determined to spot a mountain lion. We have taken a careful inventory of those who have spotted and those who have not. Armed with information about where and when the most sightings have occurred we felt secure in starting out. The "right time" however, is a little inconvenient for both our schedules so this past Sunday morning would just have to do. We agreed we could consider this a reconnaissance mission and so we began our journey which would take us about four miles up, up and up a rugged trail which shall remain unnamed for security purposes.

We started out at 6:30am and arrived at the trailhead at about 7:00. The hikersizers were there and some chatting with old friends kept us about 20 minutes. When we finally got on the trail, we immediately took to whispering and stepping softly as the importance of the day began to affect us both simultaneously. This strategy, of course, does nothing to fool the wildcats but helps us to feel active in our mission. We carefully examined each pile of poo for evidence and scanned the terrain for anything unusual as we made our way to what we will call Mountain Lion Ridge. When we first noticed the pawprints in the sand, I personally became a little excited but as we hovered over a second set I admit I became a little bit frightened. These tracks must certainly have been laid recently. I turned to Sharon for reassurance. Sharon reminded me we had already chosen our memorial bench spots. We continued. My enthusiasm reached new heights and I began to fantasize that we were Peter Matthiessen and George Schaller just beginning our hunt for the Snow Leopard.

We enjoyed multiple deer sightings on our way and considered this to be a very good sign as this is the lions favorite prey. I'm always puzzled by how long a deer will stand not several yards before you and stand perfectly still for some six full minutes. I pulled out my camera and the deer did not even seem concerned by the whining as my lens pulled itself into place. How is it that hunting is a sport? This does not seem sporting and I even felt a little guilty for disturbing so gentle a creature and put my camera away again.

The ridge was just as I had imagined it and it was an awesome feeling to be so high above everything. Certainly a wildcat would consider this to be the perfect vantage point. The short, thick, thorny brush provided ample hiding spots and I could imagine the cat slipping in and out where no one could follow. The ridge trail rose steeply and dropped again over several large hills. Sharon will always want to climb "just this next one." Does she just want a new perspective? Or can't she stand not knowing what might be there? I gladly followed Sharon as she generally has good ideas and is up for anything. Besides, who among us would not take an opportunity for a butt lifting activity so effective such as this? We picked a spot on top where we could see into the distance in all directions. And we waited.

This waiting seems troublesome but is entirely necessary when one is looking for something so specific and so elusive. One must be determined and tenacity is the key to success. Jane Goodall waited for hours each day for days on end waiting for the chimpanzees to appear. In fact she waited on a peak with a view of Gombe Valley much like the peak we were sitting on! We felt we were in the perfect mountain lion habitat and if there would be a sighting today, it would be right here. So we waited.

Well certainly one must eventually move on and as we are on a limited time schedule as anyone is we just don't have forever to sit here. After all, Jane Goodall didn't have to get up in the morning for work, as her work was the waiting. So we moved on.

We carefully made our way down the trail which was much trickier than it was coming up. I'm not ashamed to say I made a portion of the decent on my behind. At the junction we noticed a mountain biker taking a break. He looked like a regular so we quizzed him on lions in the area. He indulged that he had been riding this trail for fifteen years but he has only once in that time seen a mountain lion. I felt the possibilities slipping away and our 3.5 miles back was uneventful except for a snake which crossed our path and one or two bikers making their way up in the late morning heat.

We shared a cold water at the bottom with a few friends as we told of our adventure. In my opinion I think we couldn't have expected to see one the first time out of the gate. This is something we'll have to work for. We'll be back.

Al & Young

It was fun to run into Al and Young on the trail this past Sunday. They are planning to climb Mt. Whitney in August 2008.

The Eleven Mile Solution

As temperatures soared in the city there was no place to go but up.  Mt. Wilson might have seemed like a bad idea to some and, in fact, it must have been a bad idea to most.  We saw not one other person on the trail from Red Box joining with the Kenyon-Devore trail to climb Mt. Wilson on one of the hottest days of the year.  Who would have thought that we would be met with a glorious cloud cover and a gentle, caressing breeze to urge us on.  It was the perfect day to be out especially if one could get above 5,000 ft.  This is the magic of Southern California. 

 

 

The Canyon Salamanders

You've gotta get out there...

Our good friend Natalie joined us this time!

Sharon in a respite from the heat this past Sunday during our 11 mile loop.

Welcome to Chantry Flat

The road has been opened.  It's a little tricky and if you're not concerned about that big hole over to the right you can drive right up to the trailhead.  Beware: with easier access comes increased activity.  Arrive by 7:30 if you want to park.  While on the trail by foot stay to the right.  Don't tailgate.  Use caution and sensitivity when passing.  Angry owners and their dogs should be attached to each other with a 4ft leash.  If only all the bikers would wear bells.  Let's all get along.

 

Peace.

all the way to Devore

miles = 12
bear = 0
deer = 0
mountain lion = 0
rattlesnakes = 1
deer flies = 12
mosquitos = 4,572,326

And as a final note, could we please not forget that this trail is uphill all the way back.

With a little help from my friends...

Last week Sharon and Rick were kind enough to join me in my battle against the Manzanita Ridge Trail up Mt. Wilson. I think they were secretly sick of hearing me go on about it. "I've just got to try again" I whined "I have a new hydration plan!" So it was that we all found ourselves back on the trail.

This time, with Rick and Sharon in the lead, we paced ourselves. We made several stops on the way up and took time to listen to the woodpeckers. We drank lots of water and enjoyed snack bars and sandwiches. In the end we popped out at the top feeling fantastic! We did high kicks and danced shamelessly beneath the blue sky without a care in the world!

Ahhhh what a difference a day makes (+ a few extra quarts of water) I am happy to report we all returned home feeling pleasingly pummelled.

Meet John Woodburn!

John Woodburn, Esq. enjoying the comfort of his canyon office.

Meet Hal & Stephie!

Hal is one of the crazy people who participate in the annual Angeles Crest 100 Mile Endurance Run. This past Sunday Hal flew by us with his faithful running partner Stephie. With this year's event quickly approaching, we are guessing they were out for a short 25 mile training run. We've seen Hal and Stephie before but today we stopped them in their tracks, spoiled their momentum and forced them to pose for a photo. We'd love to get to know them better but they always seem to be in such a hurry!

As I'm writing this, I can't help but wonder what it would be like to be able to run 100 miles.

Good luck, Hal! We'll be with you in spirit!

Manzanita Ridge

We had yet to ascend Mt. Wilson by the Manzanita Ridge Trail, otherwise known as the Upper Winter Creek Trail, otherwise unnamed and simply written as yet another "Mt. Wilson Trail" on the trail sign which has caused so much confusion for me at least. But what better way to understand it than to just climb up and see what's there?

So we descended by the Sturtevant Trail and dropped into the camp just missing the "Old Guys Club" which had spent the night. I was looking forward to meeting them and possibly interviewing one or more for the blog, but as it was they were early risers and had just left. So, we finished up their breakfast of strawberries and fresh melon and had a great visit with Chris, Joan and Joe. We got the latest on what's going on, as well as learning about all the latest technologies available to the consumer (i.e. very small cameras and iPods).

As I finished up my third cup of coffee that morning, Chris inquired about our route back up the mountain. Sharon and Rick may have been a little disturbed to find that I could not recall our route nor could I express how we were to get to the trailhead. Thankfully, Chris sorted through the chaos which is my mind and discovered my plan to climb Manzanita Ridge. He was a little surprised and told us it was a tough one. "Only 8 miles?" I said... "piece o' cake!"

May I take this moment to say it is humbling indeed to watch ones friends growing smaller and smaller, climbing higher and higher into the distance and finally disappearing, while one falls further and further behind. Of course they wouldn't just leave me here, would they? One can never be too certain. And in the stumbling and gasping which was my sole burden, as I lifted each foot and put it down again with all the determination I could muster only to learn my pace was still not quick enough, I did begin to consider alternate methods of transportation to West Hollywood. Of course that was just the dizzied confusion of my mind playing tricks on me! Sharon has assured me I can vomit in her garden whenever and wherever I need. A true friend to the last!

Well, no questions left about that trail. I don't know what Sharon thinks of it, but in my opinion it's much more difficult than the Mt. Wilson Trail we're used to and the very one we were avoiding.

Back here in the safety of my cubicle, kept at a consistent 72° complete with swivel chair, betta-in-a-bowl and double-cappuccino well within reach, I’m thinking back on that trail as a worthy opponent and I’m looking forward to a rematch.

Joe - if you're checking in. HELLOOOOOO!

See you in a couple of weeks!

Carolyn at the West Fork.

Organic Chicken Cafe

Sharon's neighbor, Rick, joined us for a lovely eleven miles in Santa Anita Canyon. Our original plan was to make a loop from the top of Mt. Wilson but sometimes plans change.

I woke up on to a new 5:30am which used to be light and now was dark. Only the mockingbird was awake singing a happy song, ever hopeful, and unaware that it was too damn early and too damn cold.

Sharon was only too happy to accommodate when I suggested changing the plan to drop us about 2000 ft in elevation where the air is just a little bit warmer.

We finished up at the Organic Chicken Cafe where we all had a late lunch.

Arroyo Seco

Ted and Sharon look over the Arroyo Seco

Micro Hydro 101

"Don't come near me with that *&^%*! tape recorder!"

Huh, maybe he's just not a morning person.

Micro Hydro 101

Upon hearing that the Micro Hydro-Electric Project had been completed, we stopped by to turn on a bunch of stuff; we danced beneath the power of electric light and marveled at the miracle of the modern clothes dryer. It took me back to the days when I got my first very-own washer/dryer stacked combo (not so long ago) and how I often stood in awe at my new life now severed from the mini-mall Laundromat. No longer would I face the challenge of pilfered panties and odd socks. Never again would I delay between washings. I had left the world of the quarter-rolls behind me for good and now, just for a moment, within the trance of the spin cycle, I smiled on those simpler times… but enough about me.

Chris, can you explain to us how this damn thing got started?

Here's the deal on the Micro Hydro System at Sturtevant Camp. The project began in June of 2004 at the height of the draught and it began initially as a way of diverting water to our tank because our spring had dried up which is the primary source for drinking water at the camp.

We began by putting in one and one-quarter inch diameter schedule 80 PVC pipe. This was a real labor of love. A number of people were involved in it (Sharon and Carolyn to name just a couple) there were probably a dozen people involved with it all along. Basically what happened was 980 feet of pipe was either bored through a dam or buried so it’s a very stealthy system.

Can you tell us in simple terms how this system generates electricity?

Sure. In those 980 feet, the pipe drops 130 feet in elevation to the location of the turbine and that's what provides the power for the turbine to operate. What that means is those 130 feet of drop is basically 57 pounds of pressure at all times when the water column is not moving. That's called static pressure. When the pipe is flowing that pressure drops down to 40.5 PSI and that water is shooting through a quarter inch diameter nozzle and it uses about 12 gallons per minute to do that. It turns the turbine at approximately 1800 RPM and it's generating about 110 watts of energy at 24 volts. That energy is transported underground through six gauge wire up to the generator shed which is about 95 feet away then that power is stored in deep cycle gel cel batteries which are sealed.

So you can store this energy in batteries to be used later?

Yes, there are about 324 amp hours of storage in these batteries. It's six batteries all wired up in parallel and in series. It's a 424 volt system. That power goes through a charge controller, a C40 Xantrex power controller and what that does is that controller makes a determination of how much power goes into the batteries. And when the batteries are filled or 'float charged' as the term is, the power has to be diverted somewhere so it goes to what is called a diversion load and in this case it’s a resistance heater that turns electrical energy into heat. So it creates a little bit of warmth when the batteries are full. From the batteries the power goes through an inverter and its inverted from DC form into AC or 'alternating current' form and feeds the camp.

So how much electricity are you generating?

We're basically generating 2.8 kw a day and what means is we can probably put out about 2.5 a day or if we miss a day and we don’t use any appliances (for example on a day I'm gone) we bank that power and now I can use 5 kw the next day and on and on. So there are some advantages to being gone a few days because now we have much more power than we ever used to have at one time.

That sounds so simple!

Well, yes kids, that's it. The system ended up costing about $7,500. $4,000 of which was raised through personal donations. The balance of the funding came from the Capital Asset Fund within the Annual Conference that owns the camp.

Would you like to mention a few of the benefits created by this cleaner system?

I would love to. Without the generator running you can use the lights at any time of day if you need them without a hiker coming through having to listen to the generator and without us here in camp having to listen to it either. It also, of course, results in air quality improvement as we're not burning any fuel. The water pressure creates the power needed to turn the turbine. In addition, the expenses of this system are nearly non-extent in comparison to the generator. Generators have numerous moving parts which need to be constantly maintained. In contrast, the turbine has only one moving part which would need maintenance approximately once every three years. Also it's a huge improvement in terms of the camp's fire safety. We no longer have an issue with spark arresters because there are no sparks! Naturally, every ounce of water we use goes back into the stream bed.

It's been so much fun talking to you, Chris! Hey... we'll see you soon!

Do not feed or touch the horses

We heard it was snowing in the mountains, but we weren't there.  Instead we took the trail from Temescal Canyon to Will Rogers Park and I must say it was a beautiful day to appreciate a view all the way to Catalina.  And for my part, I wasn't sorry to be missing the freezing cold. 

 

We were early, the trail was empty and the park was quiet.  We startled one doe out for a stroll and we stood frozen in the trail as she watched us. 

 

And the end of a brisk five miles, we visited with the most enormous horse I've ever seen.  Sharon says maybe it was a Clydesdale.  Of course there was no camera but take my word for it, the horse was huge and he was king of the corral.  We watched a bit while he bullied his mates for the tastiest bits of breakfast and none of them put up a fight.  The sign said no touching but I couldn't resist and so we broke the law as well.  What is the punishment for touching the horse, I wonder?

 

 

这是很好的见面 Sam !

Sharon and I ran into Sam at Hogee's Camp. He asked us where we were going and said he'd never been to Sturtevant. We convinced him to come with us and see the Camp and even subjected him to a tour of the Micro Hydro Electric project. Still not finished with him, we dragged him around the entire Mt. Zion loop. It was a beautiful day though and we only wonder how he manages to look so tidy after nearly 15 miles.

我们后会有期 Sam!

Let It Snow!

Ahhhhh.  It was snowing this past weekend (Feb 19th).  Full-on snowfall at 3,000 ft.  Chris' Irises looked beautiful, if not slightly surprised poking out of the ground to find themselves covered in a soft white blanket.  Not quite enough to build a snowman but cold enough to be inspired.

 

Chris gave us the latest on the micro-hydro-electric project which seems to be progressing nicely.  I can't say how the whole thing works really, but what I understand is that the entire camp will run on electricity generated by the power of rushing water.  The energy will be harnassed and stored in batteries and the batteries will be used to power things like lights, radios, power tools, washing machines and of course the occassional hairdryer!  Sturtevant Camp will be powered solely by renewable energy and its all been made possible by Chris' unending enthusiasm and ferocious tenacity (and little help from his friends).

 

 

Am I Dreaming?

These faces look so familiar.

Spell Be Broken

Just like that.

The past two weeks Sharon and I have been in some kind of Twilight Zone. Our intentions have been good but we've been sent back from the trail by one thing or another. Demons among us or just a few bad days who can tell.

Cormac McCarthy says "You never know what worse luck your bad luck has saved you from." My husband reminds me that he also said "Don't chew on what's eatin' ya."

Ok. So not to be outdone, we gave it one more go and alas, this past Sunday we finally completed the Zion Loop free of pitfalls. We were rewarded with a suprise visit from Canyon Dave who appeared out of the early morning shadows to greet us midtrail. Its always a pleasure to see Dave and especially so now that he is clean-shaven. We had a nice chat before heading on.

See you there.

Oooouuuuuuchhhhh

The Gods of the Stream may have woken up on the wrong side of the bed this Sunday morning. Unfortunately for us we may have been the first to cross them and they toyed with us, finding amusement in our dancing back and forth with a fear of getting our feet wet. The cold water may have provided a cushion if not for the ice covered boulder which rose up to meet the knee of one unsuspecting Sharon. Sharon has a small knee. Much smaller than the angry rock which bit it. She fell hard but will recover and we'll be back.

Until then.

Ya Gotta Get Out There

This past Sunday Sharon and I took on eighteen fabulous (and butt-lifting) miles through the Angeles. It was fantastic! We got to the trailhead by 6:30am and watched the sun rise as we started our loop. I believe it was one of the most beautiful mornings on the trail. We passed a few groups of mountain bikers and it was reasurring to know there are some polite bikers out there that will actually let hikers pass instead of just running them over. We finished up about six+ hours later and I don't know about Sharon but I slept the rest of the day. It was a marvelous way to start 2006!

No Horses or Bigfoots

Our good friend Ted was hiking recently and got this amazing shot.

Bigfoot on the Trail