Feeling a Little Like Fall on the Three Points – Mt. Waterman Loop

Rabbitbrush along the PCT east of Winston Peak.
Rabbitbrush along the PCT east of Winston Peak.

Even with the warm weather, it was beginning to feel a little like Fall in the San Gabriel Mountains. Yellow goldenrod and red California fuchsia bloomed along the trail,  and the canyon live oaks were covered in green acorns.

Mt. Pacifico (7124') from low on the Three Points - Mt. Waterman Trail.
Mt. Pacifico (7124′) from low on the Three Points – Mt. Waterman Trail.

I was back on the Three Points – Mt. Waterman Loop and having a better time of it than in June. The June run had been near the Summer Solstice, with in-the-sun temperatures reaching 100°F. Today’s run was a few days away from the Fall Equinox. Not only was the temperature about 10 degrees cooler, the sun was lower in the sky and less intense.

But much was the same as in June. There was still plenty of whitethorn on the first couple of miles of the Three Points – Mt. Waterman Trail — and a few prickly passages for anyone wearing shorts and short sleeves. Some trailwork had been done higher on the mountain, but a few fallen trees were still on the trail. Most of these were easy to step over, around, under, or through.

Late season Bigelow's sneezeweed at Waterman Meadow.
Late season Bigelow’s sneezeweed at Waterman Meadow.

There was very little monsoon rainfall this Summer, but consecutive wet rainy season and a tropical storm had already recharged the seeps and small creeks. The creeks were only slightly lower than in June, and the places that had been wet and muddy in June were still wet and muddy. At Waterman Meadow, a few late-season blooms of sneezeweed beamed yellow in the midst of the greens of the grass and ferns.

The high point of the Three Points – Mt. Waterman Trail is near the junction with the trail to the summit of Waterman and the trail that comes up from Highway 2. It’s at an elevation of about 7686′. Including detours to get around downed trees, the junction is a bit more  than 6 miles from Three Points. The junction marks the start of a nearly 2000′ descent over 4.7 miles to the PCT in Cooper Canyon.

A dazzling display of California fuchsia along the Burkhart Trail.
California fuchsia along the Burkhart Trail.

This morning, I encountered no one on the Three Points – Mt. Waterman Trail and only one pair of hikers on the normally busy Mt. Waterman Trail. Buckhorn Campground was nearly empty. I topped off my water at a convenient faucet at the campground and then started down the Burkhart Trail.

The creek in the canyon below the Burkhart Trail happily bubbled and gurgled, its water easily outpacing me as I descended to the PCT. Some work had been done on the trail to help those hiking to Cooper Canyon Falls cross the muddy seeps. Near one seep, a patch of dazzling red California fuchsia contrasted sharply with the coal black of a tree burned in the Bobcat Fire.

A black bear track on the Three Points - Mt. Waterman Trail.
Black bear track.

I wouldn’t say the trail has been abandoned, but it’s been quite a while since any trailwork has been done on the PCT between the Burkhart Trail and Cloudburst Summit. A mass of trees is still blocking the trail near the creek crossing at the bottom of Cooper Canyon. As expected following a fire, trees continue to fall on the trail. Parts of the trail along the creek or near seeps are overgrown with “Hey Bear!” willows.

The PCT in Cooper Canyon has been isolated by the 19-year closure to protect the critically endangered mountain yellow-legged frog. In December 2005, Angeles National Forest “temporarily” closed the Williamson Rock climbing area and the PCT between Eagle’s Roost and the Burkhart Trail. This Summer, the Forest Service extended the closure to at least December 31, 2026.

It’s difficult to accept that the Forest Service, conservation groups, and involved agencies have not agreed on a solution. Can’t the short stretch of the PCT that impacts frog habitat be rerouted? Only a few climbs at Williamson Rock directly impact the frog habitat. Does the entire climbing area need to be closed? Can’t bridges, walkways, and other structures be used to protect and even enhance frog habitat? There has to be solution. In 2005, I could not have imagined that 21 years later Williamson Rock would still be closed, and I might not have the opportunity to climb there again.

Goldenrod and California fuchsia cover a slope along the PCT in Cooper Canyon.
Goldenrod and California fuchsia along the PCT in Cooper Canyon.

On this run, it wasn’t necessary to stop at Cooper Camp to cool off. Although the temperature was in the 90s on the south-facing slopes traversed by the PCT, there was a bit of a cooling breeze. This and the lower sun angle made it far more pleasant than earlier in the year.

Continuing up the trail above Cooper Camp, I could see smoke from a flare-up on the north flank of the Bridge Fire. Closures related to the Bridge Fire will further isolate the Cooper Canyon segment of the PCT. Multi-year closures are common on the Angeles, and often the closures include popular trails that were not burned.

From Cloudburst Summit, it’s a little over five miles of (mostly) downhill to Three Points. Most of the running is on an old road bed. Although it can be tedious — especially when it’s hot — the segment is relatively fast-paced. Depending on the year, there are usually a couple of places to soak a hat and pour water over your head. But, as I learned one hot day, a rattlesnake may take exception to your intrusion!

Some related posts:
Bridge Fire Perimeter and Some Area Trails
Facing a Future of Runaway Wildfires in Southern California
Hot Weather on the Three Points Loop
Williamson Rock

Were Changes in a Pool on Upper Las Virgenes Creek a Precursor to the September 2024 Malibu Earthquake?

Much-diminished pool on Las Virgenes Creek on September 11, 2024, the day before the 4.7 Malibu earthquake.
Much-diminished pool on Las Virgenes Creek on September 11, 2024, the day before the 4.7 Malibu earthquake.

It was very odd. After persisting in Upper Las Virgenes Canyon for 18 months, the pool on Las Virgenes Creek had unexpectedly receded.

When I’d run past the pool on September 6, it had been full. Just five days later — the day before the 4.7 Malibu earthquake — it had shrunk to a small puddle.

Anyone that hikes, runs, or rides in Upper Las Virgenes Canyon would be familiar with the pool — it’s where the fire road crosses the creek, about a quarter-mile south (downstream) of the pipeline monitoring station and 0.7 mile from the Las Virgenes Trailhead. A use trail has evolved to the east of the road to bypass the pool.

Pool on Las Virgenes Creek on September 17, 2024, five days after 4.7 Malibu earthquake.
Pool on Las Virgenes Creek five days after 4.7 Malibu earthquake.

The earthquake occurred on September 12, 2024, at 07:28:21 PDT. That afternoon I ran out to Upper Las Virgenes Canyon and checked the pool again. It was already refilling. Five days later it was nearly back to its normal level.

Was the change in the pool level a precursor to the Malibu earthquake?

The pool is about 11 miles from the earthquake’s epicenter. Water level changes in wells miles from an event have preceded earthquakes similar in size to the Malibu quake. It’s something to wonder about.

Facing a Future of Runaway Wildfires in Southern California

A group of Jeffrey pines on Mt. Waterman killed by the Bobcat Fire with smoke from the Bridge Fire in the distance.

It was a sobering sight. I had stopped at a point on Mt. Waterman burned by the Station Fire in 2009 and the Bobcat Fire in 2020.

To the east, smoke from the Bridge Fire filled the canyons and clung to the ridges between Mt. Baldy and the East Fork San Gabriel River. A group of skeletal Jeffrey pines, once full and green, stood starkly in the foreground.

Another devastating fire had stormed through the San Gabriel Mountains, destroying homes and ravaging the forest and all that lives within. Not far away, the Line and Airport Fires were also burning, the extent of the three fires totaling over 117,500 acres.

Conventional methods of land and fire management usually do not prevent the rapid spread of a fire when forest or weather conditions are extreme — and extreme conditions are now the norm.

Incremental changes to long-established policies will not be enough to prevent runaway wildfires. Novel approaches must be considered, researched and evaluated. New tools and technology, including AI, need to be more widely applied. The hesitancy to spend money proactively must be overcome.

Today, it is difficult to do a hike or run of more than a few miles in the foothills or mountains of Southern California without passing through an area that has been burned in the past 25 years. In 50, 100, or 200 years what will the outdoor experience be? Will conifers only exist in widely scattered stands? Will the ecology be forever compromised?

Every effort must be made to mitigate the impacts of runaway wildfires and preserve the nature and ecology of our open space areas and wildlands.

Some related posts:
Bridge Fire Perimeter and Some Area Trails
After the Bobcat and Station Fires: Three Points Loop Around Mt. Waterman
After the Station Fire: Pine Seedling Along the Mt. Waterman Trail
Waterman Mountain: Fallen Trees, Forest and Ferns
After the Station Fire: Three Points – Mt. Waterman Loop

Bridge Fire Perimeter and Some Area Trails

2024 Bridge Fire Perimeter and some trails in the area

Updated 09/23/24 to perimeter with poly_DateCurrent of Mon, 23 Sep 2024 02:44:56 GMT.

For official information see the Bridge Fire incident page on Inciweb, the Angeles National Forest updates on Facebook, and the Angeles National Forest website.

The perimeters are from the Wildland Fire Interagency Geospatial Services (WFIGS) Group and National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) website. The timestamp for the perimeter is the poly_DateCurrent specified with the perimeter data.

GPS tracks of some trails in the area are also shown. Placename and trail locations are approximate and may be incorrect.

Following are several 3D terrain views of the Bridge Fire perimeter from various perspectives:

Overview of the Bridge Fire perimeter

View of the Bridge Fire perimeter zoomed in on the Wrightwood area.

View of the Bridge Fire perimeter zoomed in on the Mt. Baldy area.

View of the Bridge Fire perimeter zoomed in on the Mt. Baden-Powell area.

The initial view can be changed using the control on the upper right side of the screen, the CTRL key and your mouse, or touch gestures.