Trail Conditions Along Upper Bear Canyon

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Kyle Kuns

The phrase “the map is not the territory” came to mind on my hike through upper bear canyon on Friday. The trail needs a lot of work for most hikers to want to make the effort. However, for those who are up for it, there are many rewards.

A good portion of the trail is along a stream. (click to enlarge)

There are a number of things to contend with like downed trees and areas that are overgrown. The good news is that others have made their way through and marked the trail with ribbons or cairns and cut the poodle dog bush enough so that it is fairly easy to avoid making contact. There were numerous times when I got to a spot and wasn’t clear how to move forward until I spotted one of the ribbons or cairns. So, a large part of this 1.8 mile portion of trail is slow going. I’d allow double the amount of time to traverse it especially if your timing may have you chasing light.

Part of the trail through downed trees. Note the ribbons marking the trail and a way around the poodle dog bush.

One of the cairns along the trail.

Given the trail conditions, I’ve added numerous photos to the Upper Bear Canyon Photo Page. Fortunately there are also numerous stretches where the trail is easy to follow and enjoy even down by the stream where most of the challenges reside.

Easy stretch of trail near the stream.

One of the spots where the course of the water is mostly over boulders.

One of the easy stretches of trail heading down toward the stream from Tom Sloan Saddle. (click to enlarge)

View down Bear Canyon near Tom Sloan Saddle. (click to enlarge).

View up Bear Canyon looking toward Mt. Markham’s long flat peak with San Gabriel Peak and Mt. Disappointment to the left. (click to enlarge).

Nature Question #10: What Species Of Plant Is This?

Posted on March 2, 2013 by Kyle Kuns

My Nature Questions are about my asking for help from the blogosphere (and other internet users) to learn about species living in Angeles Forest and to share that learning with others.

The answer to the last question turned out to be an American Robin. As more information is shared, it will appear on the American Robin Forest Life Page where there are already links to more information.

Thanks to Sue from the blog Backyard Biology for identifying this bird.

This week nobody sent me any links to blog articles. I did see several photos using the WordPress Reader. I also noticed one interesting article About Robins from the blog iamabrahamlincoln that describes the order young Robins leave their nests.

If you notice this post and have written (or decide to write) a post on American Robins, send me a link and I will add a link to its forest page and create a reference page like the one for iamabrahamlincoln that links to your blog.

This Week’s Question: What species of plant is this? The photos in the gallery below were taken from the Lower Sam Merrill Trail. Click to see a larger image.

Gallery Update #10: Trails

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Kyle Kuns

My Gallery Updates are about sharing photos I’ve added to the gallery section of this site. The galleries are my way of creating a visual approach to searching for hikes by having collections of photos that link to information about hiking to where each photo was taken.

This week I added five photos to the Trails gallery.

February 2013

Above view from the Tom Sloan Saddle Trail.

November 2012

Above view from the Upper San Gabriel Peak Trail.

November 2011

Above view from the South Fork Trail.

October 2012

Above view from the Silver Moccasin Trail between Three Points and Bandito Campground

November 2012

Above view from the Valley Forge Trail.

Sunset And City Lights From The Sam Merrill Trail

Posted on February 17, 2013 by Kyle Kuns

I’ve finally started training again. I’ve been taking it too easy lately and have put on some of that weight I lost while training to hike to Mt. Whitney. Presently, I’m training to hike the Grand Canyon rim to rim and back in April.

My favorite hikes to train in winter are those departing from the Cobb Estate. I have three pragmatic reasons. First, with the shorter days I need to take advantage of the shorter drive time from my house. Second, even after 9 pm I’ve seen people going up the trail as I make my way down it. This makes me feel more comfortable hiking in the dark. Finally, there are numerous destinations that exceed a 15 mile round trip effort to reach. So, an entire winter season of weekly training can be of different hikes starting from the same place.

Last Friday I hiked from the Cobb Estate to Tom Sloan Saddle. On the way back I enjoyed another great sunset and views of city lights to finish off a long day of training. The Sam Merrill Trail has continuous unobstructed views west and south as far the Pacific Ocean often including a view of Catalina Island. This orientation has the practical benefit of providing natural light later in the day compared to other trails where the mountains block the setting sun. At its darkest, the view of city lights beyond provides something to look at outside the range of a headlamp. I find these two transitions are a wonderful way to end my day providing me with something else to fixate on other than my tired feet. Below are photos from last Friday’s sunset and views of city lights. Click on any of them to enlarge.

Snow Hiking In Los Angeles: Gabrieleno Trail

Posted on February 16, 2013 by Kyle Kuns

For awhile I’ve wanted to find more snow hikes that don’t have so much snow on the trail that snowshoes are required and aren’t so steep that microspikes or crampons are required. We had a short snow storm last week with snow levels getting down to around 2,500 feet yielding a great opportunity for me to find another one. So, last Saturday I went to Red Box and snow hiked the Gabrieleno Trail from Red Box to Valley Forge. This trail turned out to work so well to snow hike in just my waterproof trail runners that I snow hiked it again with a group of friends and family the following day. The San Gabriel River also runs next to this trail and crosses it at several points.

Red Box is at about 4,600 feet in altitude and Valley Forge is at about 3,500 feet. These elevations are important as they are high enough to receive snow several times a year and low enough for the snow to melt within around a week of clear skies with lingering patches on the north slopes a little longer. While the snow is pretty much gone right now, another storm is expected Tuesday and Wednesday with expected snow levels forecasted to once again get down into the 3,000 foot range. This is a great introductory snow hike especially for those just wanting to experience the snow without needing special equipment. Click on any image below to start a slideshow.