Monthly Archives: March 2009

kayaking, kayaking|southern california, photography, photography|kayaking

Wild & Scenic Piru Creek!

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Gary Gunder paddling in Falls Gorge on Piru Creek.

Gary Gunder Paddling in Falls Gorge on Piru Creek

Today President Barack Obama signed the Omnibus Public Lands Act, extending federal protection to more than 2 million acres and 86 rivers in nine states. Included in the Act are provisions to create new wilderness areas and expand existing wilderness areas in California, and to extend Wild & Scenic protection to eight rivers in California, including 7.25 miles of Piru Creek downstream of Pyramid Lake. Piru Creek is the first stream in Los Angeles County to be protected by inclusion in the National Wild & Scenic Rivers System.

The following segments of Piru Creek have been added to the National Wild & Scenic Rivers System:

(A) The 3-mile segment of Piru Creek from 0.5 miles downstream of Pyramid Dam at the first bridge crossing to the boundary of the Sespe Wilderness, as a recreational river.

(B) The 4.25-mile segment from the boundary of the Sespe Wilderness to the boundary between Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, as a wild river.

The reach of Piru Creek downstream of the Ventura County line — which includes spectacular “Falls Gorge” — was not addressed in the 2009 legislation. This section is within the congressional district of Rep. Elton Gallegly, and hopefully will be extended Wild & Scenic status in future legislation. In the meantime, a large part of the reach is within the Sespe Wilderness and is afforded the protection that the wilderness designation and having a Wild & Scenic section upstream, provides.

The photograph of Gary Gunder paddling in “Falls Gorge” on Piru Creek is from March 2005. More photos of Piru Creek can be found on my Southern California Creeking page Piru Creek – Frenchmans Flat Campground to Lake Piru.

adventures, backbone trail, nature, photography, running, topanga state park, trails, wildflowers, wildflowers

Spring on the Bent Arrow Trail

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Encelia Along the Bent Arrow Trail
Encelia Along the Bent Arrow Trail

I usually do the 21 mile Will Rogers – Temescal loop once or twice a year, and that’s just long enough to forget the difficulty of the strenuous climbs, and remember the outstanding downhill on the Backbone trail, great views of the city, and lush growth in Temescal Canyon.

If the day is warm the return from the coast can be particularly brutal. Today it was cloudy and cool for much of the run, and it wasn’t until the final mile on the Bent Arrow Trail that the sun broke through.

nature, nature|clouds, nature|trees, photography, photography|landscape, photography|quirky

Sugar Pine & Clouds

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Sugar pine on Kratka Ridge, in the San Gabriel Mountains, near Los Angeles

After a nostalgic hike to the bottom of Switzer Falls, drove to Islip Saddle to check out the snow conditions. Clouds ahead of Sunday’s storm prompted a short run along Kratka Ridge to photograph some of the stunted sugar pines. Here’s the unaltered version of the title image.

photography, photography|landscape, trails, trails|smmc open space

Lower Stagecoach – Hummingbird Loop

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Hummingbird Trail in Rocky Peak Park

Hummingbird Trail

 The Lower Stagecoach – Hummingbird loop is a shorter, somewhat less strenuous alternative to the Chumash – Hummingbird and Chumash – Las Llajas loops. Approximately 6 miles long, about a mile of the route is on pavement, with the remainder on single track trail and fire road. The elevation gain/loss on the loop is about 1300 ft.


https://photographyontherun.com/content/binary/LowerStagecoachGoogleEarth.jpg
I usually start the loop at Santa Susana Pass and pick up the Lower Stagecoach Trail a short distance west of the pass down Santa Susana Pass Rd. The route climbs out of the canyon before descending to Corriganville Park. It does not follow the old road bed (with a lot of poison oak) down the canyon, or cross the Metro Link railroad tracks.

As discussed in the post Chumash – Hummingbird Loop, the area on Kuehner Dr. near the start of the Hummingbird Trail is being developed, but it appears that development has been suspended. The Hummingbird trailhead is located at the end of Kuehner Dr., near the entrance to Hummingbird Ranch. Trail signs have been placed indicating the route of the trail over park district property. Here’s a Google Earth image and Google Earth KMZ file of a GPS trace of the loop.

Some related posts: Chumash – Hummingbird Loop, Chumash – Las Llajas Loop, Old Santa Susana Stage Road

nature, photography, photography|landscape

Being There

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Tiered Falls Downstream of Switzer Falls, in the San Gabriel Mountains

Tiered Falls Downstream of Switzer Falls

I have a passion for the outdoors, exploration, and adventure. I’m always looking for a reason to be outside, and this has inevitably led me to activities such as climbing, kayaking, skiing, hang gliding and running. The common thread in these pursuits isn’t necessarily the challenge, or the adrenalin, or attaining a particular goal, but is the pure joy of being in the mountain environment and relishing what it has to offer.

To feel the sun and imagine the clouds. To listen to the wind on the pines, and the song of a stream. To savor the taste of a wild herb, or the sweet smell of a wildflower. To revel in the purity of untouched snow, or the green of a mountain meadow. To run from a thunderstorm, or feel the relief of a good handhold. Climbing to airy summits. Hiking to heart-pounding passes. Descending “impassable” canyons. Experiencing cold bivouacs and star filled nights. Simply to be there.

The photograph of the tiered falls is from today’s hike to the plunge pool at the bottom of Switzer Falls in the San Gabriel Mountains, near Los Angeles. Gary Gunder and I kayaked the double falls when we paddled Arroyo Seco creek from Switzer Picnic Area to the JPL in Pasadena in 1998.

Related link: Kayaking Arroyo Seco from Switzer Falls to Bear Creek