Part 99: An Angeles Crest Highway Fourth of July – Nature and Humanity on the Edge

Published July 9, 2024

Photo of motorists gather along Angeles Crest Highway for the final sunset of the Fourth of July weekend by author (GoPro Hero 11 Black).

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By Zachary Ellison, Independent Journalist

At first, I didn’t believe it; the car coming from the closed section of Angeles Crest Highway seemed unusual. I had even checked the Caltrans District 7 website before going into the rugged San Gabriel Mountains to make sure that I still had to take the long detour down Angeles Forest Highway and around Upper Big Tujunga Canyon Road to reach the high country above 5000 feet, where cool winds flow and the air pollution of Los Angeles abates. It was the Fourth of July weekend, the perfect time to escape the sounds of explosions and choking metallics in the airstream below the sprawling Los Angeles Basin in a heat wave.

No one quite knows who the first average person was to traverse the newly reopened stretch from Red Box, where the turnoff to Mount Wilson and its observatories exists, to look up at the stars. Whoever it was, surely they had quite the blast, because the following day, when we returned, the excitement was palpable in our hearts. The large gash that had been created by storms resulting in closure in March 2023 had been repaired through the engineering marvels that have conquered the lightly traveled transverse (East to West) range coated in chapparal and pine forest. The San Gabriel Mountains can be unforgiving to the unprepared. The detour route has simultaneously seemingly kept many unsure of their route to higher elevations from reaching its splendor.

Rebuilt asphalt, retaining walls, and netting to keep rocks from plunging down on unsuspecting motorists were a welcome sight. The day before, we had gone to Cooper Canyon Falls past the bustling Buckhorn Campground, where some of the finest and perhaps last trout swam in the emerald pool deep enough for a swimmer to paddle. My prior spring trip to this premiere destination had more cold water, chilly enough to leave you shaking after a palliative dip. Fishermen had followed my immersion under the snowmelt waters, quickly snaring the rainbow fish with their lures and whooping with excitement: “Look at this big motherfucker.” I had asked them softly if they would release their catch, and they told me that there would be no take with a disappointed grin.

The winter before, I had climbed piney Mount Waterman above after the first good snowfall, where the ski lifts were silent. The family-owned location had not opened until mid-March, when enough powder existed to entice people to the once-vaunted destination. Now that Mount Waterman is up for sale, its website is dormant. The location operates under a special permit from the U.S. Forest Service, having first opened in 1939 under operation by the Newcomb family. The companion namesake rest stop below along the highway at Chilao recently sold after being closed for quite a few years. The location of a regular car meetup, the Good Vibes Club. The sale price is unknown, even as the new buyer produced a celebratory YouTube video and is now seeking a jukebox for reopening at a date to be determined.

For these most remote businesses in Los Angeles County, keeping the 66-mile highway, State Route 2, open is essential. The route running from La Cañada Flintridge to Wrightwood remains closed at Islip Saddle, where crumbling State Route 39, San Gabriel Canyon Road, meets the Crest. That weekend, though, after meeting a group of young people communing with nature and eachother on a camping trip at Cooper Canyon Falls—a few who bravely ventured into the cool waters—we headed back up to catch the sunset only to encounter a locked gate at Kratka Ridge, where another ski lift exists with a keepers house that provides a lonely source of light at night in the otherwise dark skies above the mixed pine forest. Soon, a blue Corvette arrived again with foreign-looking license plates, only to have to turn around. Another man arrived, having missed the single-lane campground entrance, and I gave him directions to turn around and look for the signage.

Forest users would report having been locked in the day before, forced to request assistance from the California Highway Patrol by stroke of luck with cell phone service after calling 911 for help. After checking with both CalTrans and the Forest Service, it’s still not known who improvised the gate closure over the holiday weekend; perhaps they were seeking to mitigate fire risk in the burn-scarred forest. Other locations, such as Glendora Mountain Road and the Chaney Trail to Millard Campground, are closed for preventative reasons. Perhaps this was a wise move, as within days the 1000+ acre Vista Fire would force the closure of the Mount Baldy area, the highest peak in the range, topping out above 10,000 feet. The Vista Fire is currently 0% contained and threatening mountain communities with flames, smoke, and falling ash.

In fact, there is still a large area closed because of this blaze in the Santa Anita Canyon along the West Fork, where the now-open section overlooks a most majestic watershed. Cooper Canyon buffers another closed area, the South Fork of Littlerock Creek, where trout spawn and endangered Mountain Yellow-Legged Frogs live beneath Williamson Rock, once the premiere climbing destination in the forest. The closure forces Pacific Crest Trail hikers to detour along their route from Mexico to Canada, with perhaps a few slipping through the hidden wilderness. The U.S. Forest Service has proposed increasing camping fees at 11 sites throughout the Angeles National Forest, raising the nightly price from $12 to $20 sometime in 2025. The U.S. Forest Service says that this is needed to “provide quality recreation opportunities that meet the modern expectations of visitors and create a more financially sustainable recreation program for future generations.”

After driving the newly opened section and stopping for a few photographs, the 97-degree heat relented with a shaded descent into Devils Canyon in the San Gabriel Wilderness section, where a volunteer trail crew had recently cleared fallen logs from the narrow pathway into what might be the most inaccessible section of the forest. After breezing down into the side canyon, the path ahead was too choked with poison oak and fallen logs to proceed like before to the remote creek and primitive campground. At a certain point, it becomes difficult to navigate, and having gotten turned around at the same point before, the mission ended with a scenic climb back to the highway just in time for sunset as shadows cast across Waterman and the much more remote Twin Peaks. Features reached only after a long and winding hike, where I had previously encountered a forest service sawyer crew at work slicing away blackened lumber.

Fire in San Gabriel’s is nothing new; it’s supposed to happen, but the question of climate change and whether nature can rebound remains vexing. The Forest Service estimates that regrowth will take 3-5+ years, and they now plan to reopen the remaining closed section starting October 1, 2024, including Sturtevant Falls past historic cabins. Recently, Los Angeles Times journalist Lila Seidman highlighted that the Forest Service has yet to replace the restrooms at the location. Reportedly, there are fears of contamination as the masses trek to the 50-foot waterfall that I once visited as a youth with my father, encountering a large rattlesnake along the trail where clear water flows. Some cabins destroyed in the Bobcat fire have yet to be rebuilt, and “cabin dwellers in the area currently pull water from the nearby creek to filter and drink.”

The threat of contaminated waterways in San Gabriel’s is nothing new. For many years, talk of the trashing of the East Fork of the San Gabriel River and the Arroyo Seco has dominated headlines. On a recent trip to the East Fork, sightings of the “Bridge to Nowhere” and the tucked-away Devils Gulch waterfall revealed much improvement from a prior trip where improvised campsites and once-legal gold panning predominated. The river hike accessed from Azusa/Glendora can be extremely dangerous, with one hiker sadly still missing, and as I returned from the waterfall, I too almost became a victim, losing my step in the cool flowing waters and thankfully managing to recover after soaking without a loss of gear. The Fourth of July weekend was again problematic, with Nathan Nunez of Canyon City Environmental Project telling Fox 11 News: “These piles are getting bigger and bigger and difficult for the forestry and other agencies to take care of and resolve. It's becoming a big issue. It's beyond capacity.”

The same was true at Switzer’s Picnic Area along the Arroyo Seco above Altadena. The heavily used site with a splendid hike to a nearby waterfall along the river featured numerous illegally parked vehicles with fresh tickets from the Forest Service law enforcement, “a small unit,” the receptionist at Angeles National Forest headquarters assured me. Luckily, I found parking. I rapidly collected several water bottles along the trail and a lost plastic bag to stuff the waste into before reaching the pristine swimming holes in Bear Canyon to find solitude. Returning, I soon plucked an abandoned plastic champaign glass out of the Arroyo Seco (dry river), only to quickly come across another bottle labeled “Harmless Coconut Water” filled with what appeared to be Kool-Aid. This year, it seems unlikely that the waterway will dry out, but as we returned to the parking area to deposit my trash, the overflowing dumpsters were a shocking sight.

I can only hope that if the Forest Service increased fees, they would upscale staffing to prevent littering and increase trash removal at these popular sights. A birder had greeted us in the parking lot, telling of a non-native parrot rarely seen in the forest in the area with joy. A reminder that in the 21^st century, the movement of invasive species will only grow more frequent, even as the natural habitat for the native rainbow trout. A species only recently reintroduced into the waterway will struggle to subsist. The City of Pasadena and non-profit groups are hard at work on a plan to transform the lower Arroyo, but in order for that to work ecologically, it’s essential to protect the entire waterway, which flows through a remote section known as the “Royal Gorge” that is largely untouched by humanity. On several occasions, I’ve attempted this trek, as have others, only to fail to reach the remote Royal Pool within its confines. I’d like to think that there are fish still there, wild and free, below the speeding cars on Angeles Crest Highway.

I hope that there will be no more accidents on Angeles Crest Highway. Thankfully, this year, I’ve only encountered one accident. The motorway is so lethal that it’s been seriously nicknamed the “Angeles Death Highway.” Mistakes on the Crest are no joke, with many flocking to its turnouts to celebrate motor culture before racing back down to the basin. Recently, I sat and watched as young men did burnouts at the recently re-opened Angeles Crest Turnout #3, where Caltrans had for much of the year staged road equipment to the chagrin of such troublemakers. Many detest the racers who zoom dangerously along the motorway, passing over the double line and leaving black marks on the pavement, but I’m less sure they’re the true evil of the highway, much less the forest. Rather, it’s indifference to the very idea that such a place should be celebrated, much less ever closed, as a sign of a lack of freedom.

Sometimes closures are necessary, so I hope that even as the Forest Service moves to protect nature, CalTrans works to re-open the full highway, and the California Highway Patrol and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department patrol in an attempt to crack down on illegal behavior and protect lives, we can work together to make the Crest and indeed the larger forest safe, clean, and green for both humans and nature. Volunteer efforts are clearly on the rise, and the increased collaboration between user groups and government agencies is clearly progressing in both protecting and restoring the forest. Social media has perhaps been the greatest tool in moving these efforts forward, allowing for rapid organization and wider messaging.

Once, the forest had become a sort of backwater. The expansion of the San Gabriel National Monument in May by President Joseph Biden to cover all of the San Gabriel range was a step forward from a future planning perspective. The Sierra Pelona range north of Santa Clarita remains the only part of the Angeles National Forest not under this designation. Vice President Kamala Harris said on the monumental occasion:

“Thanks to President Biden’s leadership and the dedicated organizing of advocates throughout my home state, we are making that a reality by protecting an additional 120,000 acres of lands that are culturally, ecologically, and historically important to California and our nation. These expansions will increase access to nature, boost our outdoor economy, and honor areas of significance to tribal nations and Indigenous peoples as we continue to safeguard our public lands for all Americans and for generations to come.”

The growing outdoor economy of the Angeles National Forest, supported by the proliferation of online shopping and brick-and-mortar outlets such as Big 5 and REI, continues to provide outdoor gear for the masses. Perhaps the biggest issue is buying the recreation pass needed to park in the forest! A requirement that is often maligned, with one hiker even scoffing to me once that her pass had expired and not been replaced without consequence. No one wants to see people ticketed or forced to pay fees above what they can afford, but clearly funding is needed to back this designation and ensure that support for both recreation and environmental protection is available.

The expansion, although not as big as some prior proposals, is a solid step forward. There are many reasons to be positive about San Gabriel's, even as the threat of climate change and prevailing usage issues remain. Will the range ever return to its historic glory when grizzly bears once roamed? Unlikely, but the progress that can be made should happen in our lifetimes! There are undoubtedly societal benefits to cherishing the forest rather than treating it as a backwater. The more people who are invested in its health and wellbeing, the fewer problems will arise that need to be addressed. It’s not just up to the authorities to make this happen, but rather to the average user to take that next step, to improve environmental literacy, and to understand the complex historical forces that have supplanted indigenous culture and the forces of nature well into the 21^st century. Can the forest be essentially “decolonized” and returned to its historic glory? Is it just a dream?

In the land of dreamers, the State of California, these mountains that form the backdrop to Los Angeles are growing in importance as people realize their essential vitality. More popular than ever, it’s essential that we do more to expose young people to the splendor of nature, to get them off their couches and cellphones and into the wilds. Perhaps the greatest challenge today is simply getting to the trailhead—the fear factor of navigating the winding highways that penetrate its depths with modern convenience. No one wants to see the forest turned into a site for mass tourism, but rather a place that can support the educational and cultural goals of society. Along with providing for active, conscious stewardship in harmony with nature and with all of the user groups who take to its rugged vistas with increasing peace of mind. Truth be told, the San Gabriel Mountains might even be the best part of Los Angeles County!

Link: After years of rumors and wondering, a historic Calif. ski area goes up for sale

Link: the Perfect road, good vibes , cars , & people make for the perfect driving club

Link: Camping at this California recreation site could cost more in 2025

Link: UPDATED Closure: Small Section of the Forest Still Closed due to Bobcat Fire

Link: Fecal fears pile up as an L.A. hiking mecca reopens — without half its bathrooms

Link: 4th of July partiers trash the San Gabriel Mountains

Link: A dead-in-the-water study of Arroyo Seco river in LA and Pasadena is revived

Link: Pasadena set to break ground on major Arroyo Seco trails restoration

Link: USDA celebrates President Biden’s 105,919-acre Expansion of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument

Please support my work with your subscription or for direct aid use Venmo

Zachary Ellison is an Independent Journalist and Whistleblower in the Los Angeles area. Zach was most recently employed by the University of Southern California, Office of the Provost from October 2015 to August 2022 as an Executive Secretary and Administrative Assistant supporting the Vice Provost for Academic Operations and the Vice Provost and Senior Advisor to the Provost among others. Zach holds a Master’s in Public Administration and a Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Policy and Planning from the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy. While a student at USC, he worked for the USC Good Neighbors Campaign including on their newsletter distributed university-wide. Zach completed his B.A. in History at Reed College, in Portland, Oregon and was a writer, editor, and photographer for the Pasadena High School Chronicle. He was Barack Obama’s one-millionth online campaign contributor in 2008. Zach is a former AmeriCorps intern for Hawaii State Parks and worked for the City of Manhattan Beach Parks and Recreation. He is a trained civil process server, and enjoys weekends in the great outdoors.