Category Archives: nature|wildfire

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Three Points to Mt. Waterman

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Waterman Meadow on the Three Points - Mt. Waterman Trail

There are a variety of trail runs that can be done from Three Points in the San Gabriel Mountains. The Pacific Crest Trail and Silver Moccasin Trail pass through Three Points, and the Three Points – Mt. Waterman Trail starts near Three Points. Additionally, several Forest Service roads in the area can be used to connect trails, extend routes, or explore the surrounding area.

Mt. Hillyer Trail near Mt. Hillyer (thumbnail)
Mt. Hillyer Trail near Mt. Hillyer

The previous weekend. I’d done a loop from Three Points that started on the Silver Moccasin Trail, ascended the Mt. Hillyer Trail, and then descended forest roads to the PCT. The PCT was followed back to Three Points.

It can get hot in the middle elevations of the San Gabriels, but on this run a thick layer of high clouds kept the temperature in the 60s and 70s. There was a steady stream of through-hikers on the PCT, and as usual, they were enthusiastic about being on the trail. Flannel bush was in full bloom, and paintbrush and lupine added patches of energizing color to the trails.

Deer brush along the Three Points - Mt. Waterman Trail (thumbnail)
Deer brush, low on the Three Points – Mt. Waterman Trail.

This weekend, I returned to Three Points to do one of my favorite trails in the San Gabriels — the Three Points – Mt. Waterman Trail (10W04). It is an out-of-the-way trail with a capricious character. On one run, I counted more than 40 trees and limbs across the trail, but on another, none. The trail is defined by use, and depending on the amount of use, some sections may be challenging to follow. All of that is part of the fun.

I usually do the Three Points – Mt. Waterman Trail as part of the Three Points Loop. Today, I opted to do the run as an out and back to the top of Mt. Waterman (8038′).

Large tree removed from the Three Points - Mt. Waterman Trail by the San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders (thumbnail)
Large tree removed from the trail by the San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders.

It was a good day to do that because the San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders had been hard at work, and the Three Points – Mt. Waterman Trail was in the best shape I’ve seen since May 2018. Several large trees had been cleared from the trail. I didn’t have to climb over or go around a single tree. Painful mountain whitethorn and other prickly bushes had also been trimmed. The trail was well-defined and generally easy to follow.

Waterman Meadow was bright green with newly unfurled fronds of bracken fern. Among the Spring wildflowers along the trail were golden yarrow, mountain phlox, southern mountain lupine, beardtongue penstemon, wallflower, and snow plant. Along lower elevations of the trail, deer brush was covered in flowers. There was still a little Poodle-dog bush here and there.

View east from Mt. Waterman (thumbnail)
View toward Mt. Baldy from the top of one of the crags on the top of Mt. Waterman.

Several granite crags are scattered across Mt. Waterman’s summit. Since I wasn’t doing the loop around Waterman, I had time to do a little bouldering. I didn’t recall exactly where the summit benchmark was, but eventually found it on one of the smaller crags.

It’s rare to encounter anyone on the Three Points – Mt. Waterman Trail, but the trail that ascends Mt. Waterman from Buckhorn is very popular. As I ran down from the summit, I began to wonder if I would see anyone when I encountered a small group of hikers coming up from Buckhorn. Those were the last hikers I saw until I was nearly back to Three Points.

Snow plant near the summit of Mt. Waterman (thumbnail)
Snow plant near the summit of Mt. Waterman

The hike to Twin Peaks from Buckhorn used to be another popular option. In 2020, the Bobcat Fire decimated the north face of Twin Peaks. Curious to see the impacts, I did Twin Peaks in 2022. Some stretches of the use trail escaped the fire and most of east summit was not burned. In 2022, there weren’t many fallen trees on the trail, but there are likely more now.

Except in wet years, there are no dependable water sources on the Three Points – Mt. Waterman Trail. There’s a spring partway down the Twin Peaks Trail, but I haven’t visited it enough times to know if it is reliable. It can be hot on this trail, even when there isn’t a heat wave. Although temperatures were relatively moderate today, I drank nearly all the water I had carried.

This high-resolution, interactive, 3D terrain view shows the Three Points Loop (yellow) along with the spur trail to the summit of Mt. Waterman (red). The out and back to the summit of Mt. Waterman is about 15 miles RT with about 3100′ of gain/loss. The Three Points Loop ranges from 20 to 25 miles, depending on the variation.

Some related posts:
– Twin Peaks East, Plus Mt. Waterman
– Feeling a Little Like Fall on the Three Points – Mt. Waterman Loop
– Hot Weather on the Three Points Loop
– Three Points Loop Adventure – July 2020
– After the Bobcat and Station Fires: Three Points Loop Around Mt. Waterman

adventures, backbone trail, landscape, nature, nature|weather, nature|wildfire, nature|wildflowers, photography, photography|landscape, running, running|adventures, southern california, topanga state park, trails, trails|topanga state park, weather, weather, weather|southern california, wildfire, wildflowers, wildflowers, wildlife

Hondo Canyon Out and Back Trail Run

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Wood fern along the Hondo Canyon segment of the Backbone Trail
Wood fern along the Hondo Canyon segment of the Backbone Trail

Update October 25, 2025. The Fossil Ridge segment of the Backbone Trail APPEARS to have reopened. The orange tape across the trail at the top of the Hondo Canyon Trail and the CLOSED sign at its western end, near the Lois Ewen Overlook, have been removed. There is a stunning display of fire followers along the trail, including thousands of purple, large-flowered Phacelias.

When the updated restrictions for Topanga State Park were announced on March 21, 2025, one of the open trails that caught my eye was the Hondo Canyon segment of the Backbone Trail.

I’d run the Hondo Canyon Trail as part of point-to-point runs from Will Rogers and the Top of Reseda, but never as an out-and-back run from the trailhead on Old Topanga Road. Done this way, the segment is about 8 miles round-trip, with an elevation gain/loss of around 1700 feet.

When the Fossil Ridge/Saddle Peak segment of the Backbone Trail reopens, extending the route to Saddle Peak will add a bit more than three miles (round trip) to the route.

The turnout for the trailhead is on the southwest side of Old Topanga Canyon Road, about 0.4 mile from N. Topanga Canyon Blvd. Please note there is fire hydrant in the turnout that must remain clear and accessible.

Purple and white Chinese house along the Hondo Canyon Trail. (thumbnail)
Purple and white Chinese house along the Hondo Canyon Trail.

The number of flowers and amount of plant growth along the trail were much more than would be expected in a “dry” Rain Year . Part of the reason, is that the previous two Rain Years were very wet. Another reason is the timing of the rain this Winter. The area received almost no rain until the end of January. Thanks to a wetter than normal February, and normal March, Los Angeles rainfall has been about normal since January 25. When it finally started to rain, it was at a time that was especially beneficial to the chaparral plants.

Here is an interactive, high resolution, 3-D terrain view of the Palisades burn area, zoomed in on the area of Hondo Canyon, Topanga Lookout, and Saddle Peak.

And here are a few photos and notes from the run.

Some related posts:
– Red Rock Canyon – Hondo Canyon – Saddle Peak Loop
– July Fourth Trail Run to Trippet Ranch, Hondo Canyon and Saddle Peak

adventures, birds, drought, malibu creek state park, nature, nature|trees, nature|wildfire, old trees, photography, photography|wildflowers, running, running|adventures, santa monica mountains, trails, trails|malibu creek state park, trees, trees, wildfire, wildflowers, wildflowers

A Trail That Doesn’t Go Anywhere

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Coast redwood in Malibu Creek State Park scorched by the 2018 Woolsey Fire
Coast redwood scorched by the 2018 Woolsey Fire

Jogging east on the Forest Trail, I stopped to take in the sights and sounds of the early morning. A chorus of bird songs filled the canyon, oblivious to the roar of a passing jet. There was the familiar “honking” of Canada geese and the happy improvisations of a spotted towhee, but also several other birds I could not identify.

Curious to see what Merlin Bird ID would find, I started the app and watched as it matched the songs of a red-winged blackbird, yellow warbler, ash-throated flycatcher, northern house wren, and yellow-breasted chat.

Continuing along the trail, I rounded a corner where some fallen trees had been cleared and was surprised to see someone else hiking toward me.

“You know this trail doesn’t go anywhere,” He commented.

I told him I knew, but I just liked being on the trail.

Bush poppy along the Lake Vista Trail in Malibu Creek State Park. (thumbnail)
Bush poppy along the Lake Vista Trail

That’s the thing, a trail doesn’t have to “go somewhere.” If you are open to what it tells you, a trail can take you on a journey beyond its start and end. On a trail, you can explore and experience the wonders of Nature and all that is around you.

The Forest Trail is one of the special trails of Malibu Creek State Park. I often include it when doing more well-known and popular routes, such as the Bulldog Loop and Phantom Loop.

Earlier, I’d used the Cistern, Lookout, and Yearling Trails to run through Reagan Ranch to the parking area near Mulholland Hwy and Lake Vista Drive. Frost covered the grass near the top of the Cage Creek Trail. I’d dressed for what the temperature would be later in the morning, and my hands complained of the cold.

From the parking area off Lake Vista Drive, an indistinct trail leads south along a fence line and private property to a steep SCE service road. The dirt road can be followed to the western trailhead of the Lake Vista Trail. Once on the trail, it’s about a tenth of a mile up to a pretty overlook of Malibou Lake.

Parry's Phacelia along the Lake Vista Trail in Malibu Creek State Park. (thumbnail)
Parry’s Phacelia along the Lake Vista Trail

From the overlook, the Lake Vista Trail winds in and out of ravines on the north side of “Lake Vista Butte” as it descends to the Deer Leg Trail. This stretch of trail is home to one of the largest populations of hummingbird sage I have seen on a local trail. The aromatic, distinctly-colored, large-flowered member of the Mint Family stands out along the trail. Also blooming on the Lake Vista Trail were bush poppy, stinging lupine, and Parry’s Phacelia.

Back on the Forest Trail, I continued to count the coast redwoods that survived the 2011-2015 drought and the 2018 Woolsey Fire. In July 2016, I counted about sixteen redwoods, some of which were multi-trunked. At that time only one tree appeared to be dead. Today, I counted six surviving redwoods.

There are three solitary trees and three multi-trunked clusters of trees. Two of the solitary trees appear to be those originally planted in the Century Lake area more than 100 years ago. One old redwood is on the Crags Road Trail, near the start of the Forest Trail, and the other is on the north side of the Forest Trail, as it nears Century Lake.

A very young, naturally germinated redwood is found near the east end of the Forest Trail. The three multi-trunked family groups appear to be intermediate in age and could also be naturally germinated.

Some related posts:
– Forest Run
– Lake Vista Ridge, the Forest Trail, and September Wildflowers
– Redwoods, Raptors, and the Phantom Loop
– Malibu Creek State Park Redwoods: Fighting the Drought
– The Malibu Creek State Park Redwoods Are Dying

ahmanson ranch, green, landscape, los angeles, nature, nature|weather, nature|wildfire, photography, photography|landscape, running, smmc open space, southern california, trails, upper las virgenes canyon open space preserve, weather, weather, weather|southern california, wildfire

After the Kenneth Fire: The Theme is Green

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Green hills in Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (Ahmanson Ranch), nearly two months after the Kenneth Fire.

The theme is green in Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (Ahmanson Ranch), nearly two months after the Kenneth Fire.

This photo contrasts unburned and burned terrain along a firebreak and containment line in East Las Virgenes Canyon.

Some related posts:
– Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (Ahmanson Ranch) After the 2025 Kenneth Fire
– Mountain Lion Tracks in Upper Las Virgenes Canyon
– 2025 Kenneth Fire Perimeter and Some Area Trails

ahmanson ranch, climate change, drought, los angeles, nature, nature|trees, nature|weather, nature|wildfire, photography, photography|landscape, smmc open space, southern california, trails, trails|smmc open space, trees, trees, upper las virgenes canyon open space preserve, weather, weather, wildfire

Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (Ahmanson Ranch) After the 2025 Kenneth Fire

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Ahmanson Ranch after the 2025 Kenneth Fire

The Kenneth Fire started at about 2:30 PM on January 9, 2025, near the Victory Trailhead of Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (Ahmanson Ranch). The Los Angeles Fire Department issued an alert about the Kenneth Fire at 2:39 PM.

According to the CAL FIRE Kenneth Fire Incident Page, the fire burned 1,052 acres, and was contained on January 12, 2025. The Kenneth Fire is the third significant fire to affect this area in the last 20 years — the other two being the 2005 Topanga Fire and 2018 Woolsey Fire.

At about the time the fire started, a personal weather station near the Victory Trailhead recorded the wind from the ENE at about 11 mph, gusting to 22 mph. At this station, the wind moderated somewhat over the course of the afternoon and early evening, but picked back up overnight.

The vegetation within the burn area is oak savanna — a plant community characterized by grassland and scattered oaks. In the case of Ahmanson Ranch the oaks are valley oaks and coast live oaks. The last known blue oak in the Preserve died in the Winter of 2022-23.

Taking into account their respective populations, the percentage of valley oaks destroyed by the Kenneth Fire far exceeded the percentage of coast live oaks. As the climate has warmed, the mortality rate of valley oaks in the southern part of their range has been increasing and their range retreating northward.

Although the wind was not as strong as it was on January 7-8, it was exceptionally dry. Prior to January 2025, Downtown Los Angeles only recorded 0.16 inch or rain for the Rain Year starting July 1 and  Water Year beginning October 1. As of January 9, the period July 1, 2024 to January 9, 2025 was tied with 1962-63 as the driest on record.

Here are some photos and notes from recent runs in Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (Ahmanson Ranch) following the 2025 Kenneth Fire.

Some related posts:
– 2025 Kenneth Fire Perimeter and Some Area Trails
– Very Dry Start to the Downtown Los Angeles 2024-2025 Rain Year
– After the Woolsey Fire: Ahmanson Ranch
– The Topanga Fire, Part I: Rain, Wind and Fire

nature, nature|wildfire, san gabriel mountains, trails, wildfire

Eaton Fire Perimeter, Approximate Closure Boundary, and Some Area Trails

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Eaton Fire Perimeter, Approximate Closure Boundary, and Some Area Trails

The information in this post may be incorrect or out of date. For official information see the Eaton Fire incident page on Inciweb, the Angeles National Forest updates on Facebook, and the Angeles National Forest website. The perimeter is from the Wildland Fire Interagency Geospatial Services (WFIGS) Group and National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC).

This interactive, 3D terrain viewer shows the Eaton Fire perimeter, along with GPS tracks of some trails in the area. Also shown is the approximate closure boundary (magenta) as described and depicted in Angeles National Forest Order No. 05-01-25-05 (Jan 29, 2025). 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.

Due to inconsistencies in the CLOSED AREA DESCRIPTION in the order, and the boundary shown on the Forest Service closure maps, the eastern boundary of the closure area could not be determined.  For example, the CLOSED AREA DESCRIPTION describes the boundary continuing “south along the Winter Creek Trail” and then “south along the Upper Winter Creek Trail to Chantry Flat Road.” The closure maps published by the Forest Service do not show this.

The Gabrielino Trail in Santa Anita Canyon appears to better match the border depicted in the Forest Service maps. However, because of the low resolution of the Forest Service maps, it is impossible to be sure. There are other inconsistencies as well. For example, in the Forest Service’s overview map of the closure, the Sturtevant Trail is shown as open (green), but in the order, it is one of the trails listed as closed.

It looks like the area that didn’t burn within the Eaton Fire Closure Area may be larger than the area that did burn. When there is a plausible, atypical threat to public safety from the fire, such closures may make sense. However, the trails in these unburned areas often remain part of a long-term closure. Popular trails outside of the Bridge Fire Burn Area, such as the Devil’s Backbone, Ski Hut/Baldy Bowl, South Hawkins, and Hawkins Ridge Trails, are still listed as closed for the remainder of 2025!

The following trails are listed as closed in Forest Order No. 05-01-25-05. Several of these trails are entirely outside of the Eaton Fire Burn Area.

Mount Wilson Trail
Winter Creek Trail (Upper)**
Winter Creek Trail (Lower)**
Idlehour Trail
Castle Canyon Trail
Sam Merrill Trail (Lower)
Sam Merrill Trail (Middle)
Sam Merrill Trail (Upper)
Echo Mountain Trail
Mount Lowe West Trail
Mount Lowe Trail (East)
Tom Sloane Trail
Gabrielino National Recreation Trail**
Bear Canyon Trail**
Ken Burton Trail**
Mount Zion Trail**
Sturtevant Trail**
Sturtevant Loop**

**Outside of Eaton Fire Burn Area. The Winter Creek Trail above Hoegee’s passes through a 60 yd. stretch of the Burn Area at one point.

Trails aren’t just lines on a map. Each and every trail is a valued resource that shouldn’t be closed for years under the guise of public safety, or because the trail happens to be on the wrong side of a section line, road, or other feature that is convenient to use as a closure border.

Hopefully, the Eaton Fire Closure Order will be modified when the Forest Service determines that the threat from the Eaton Fire  has passed.

Related post: Bridge Fire Perimeter, Approximate Closure Boundary, and Some Area Trails