Tag: Adams’ Pack Station

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Camp News

Finally, a Historic Welcome in the Wilderness

Five TV Crews – Enough? 

Wednesday 6am, October 2, 2024, and the fire gate at the top of Santa Anita Avenue finally swung open to the public, and the media. With the burros honking in the background, Maggie Moran at Adams Pack Station was soon overrun with microphones in the face and plenty of questions about, well, EVERYTHING. In the end, all she could say was what said everything: “We’re open, we’re open, we’re open!” 

The Chantry Road fire gate finally swings open to all.

The same was true up at Camp, but no media and a little bit longer for the first two people to arrive: Camp volunteer Connor Jackson and pal Brian Bender, trail runners (of course.) They signed the new Hikers’ Register and were soon followed by others, a total of 18 the first day. The first weekend was similar, then the next – BOOM, over 100, mostly because of two large hiking groups. 

Coming into November, the patterns have taken shape: 20-30 each weekend day, typically folks who were frequent hikers before the fire and eager to get back in to see everything post-fire. Most are from within 25 miles of Chantry, with a typically strong showing from the South Bay (Long Beach, etc.) So far only a few who’ve been blocked out of the trails closed by the Bridge Fire – we empathize!

Early morning trail runners celebrate with a group selfie at their turn-around point.

Speaking of closed trails, the most common points of conversation are the Zion and Wilson loops: disbelief and disappointment they are still closed and “When will they be opened?” All have volunteer trail crews actively working on them, so it’s only a matter of time—and weather. 

Now through the end of the year holidays the Camp will be open to visitors on Saturdays and Sundays. C’mon up and sign the register, grab a cookie, and get back on the Big Swing: we’re OPEN! 

Click, Hike, Stay the Night

Starting January 2025, Sturtevant Camp will be open to overnight guests by reservations only. The on-line reservation system is available here, with all the detailed background information updated on the Camp’s website. 

Sample splash page of the new on-line reservation system. 

Although the Camp is entirely analog and off-line, to be in business means to be on-line; the new system is based on a national service that aggregates camping opportunities mostly for RV’ers, customized to the Camp’s very “unique” lodging and amenities. 

The Conservancy Board expects the usual start-up glitches and welcomes user feedback. All of it will be worthwhile, because it should streamline most of the nuts & bolts of reservations, taking a load off both the guest booking the reservation, and the volunteers managing the Camp’s use. 

Ideally, the system will also help guests to connect with their volunteer hosts: that’s the relationship that matters when you’re all up in the mountains together, four miles by boots from everything! 

WMS Birthday Party @ Camp

Saturday November 23rd is Wilbur M. Sturtevant’s 163rd birthday, and everyone is invited to bring their lunch up to Camp to celebrate with frosting, fire and a hearty round of Happy Birthday. Wilbur’s story will be told, original family photos will be on display, and never before seen heirlooms revealed. Easy-peasy, just gotta hike the beautiful Canyon and restored trail. See you there! 

Giving Tuesday and Holiday Giving

Both the Camp and its Conservancy run on all-volunteer hours, sweat, boots, ideas, skills— and a deep love for the Camp and Canyon. Yet there’s still money involved, because there is stuff to be bought: a replacement mini-fridge for the Retreat Cabin, new shingles for all the roofs, and whatever else will finally wear out or a bear will tear up and need to be fixed. 

Guest revenue is currently budgeted to cover utilities, packing and “regular” maintenance and repairs. But major damages or breakdowns, and any capital improvements or upgraded guest amenities depends on charitable contributions directly to the bottom line. 

December 3rd is national “Giving Tuesday” and the Conservancy is eligible for donations as a public 501(3)c non-profit. But really the whole month of December is about gratitude and giving, so we’re inviting everyone who is grateful for the Camp to support its future by giving now.  

For inspiration to give, here’s a sample from “Wilbur’s Holiday Wish List for 2025”

  • Three new doors with windows to replace doors on the Lodge, Retreat, and Managers’ cabins.
  • Funds to upgrade of Cabin-4 to “Family Cabin” status, with a kitchenette similar to the Retreat Cabin’s; including sink, stove, mini-fridge, plumbing, tables & chairs for 5, etc. 
  • Four sliding glass window sets for the front of the Lodge to match the rest of the Dining Hall windows (and finally keep the winter woodstove heat IN.) 
  • An “angel sponsor” or sponsors for the Honeymoon Cottage: the Cottage is the third truly historic building in Camp (after the Lodge and Ranger Cabin), and needs both dollars and skilled attention for a careful restoration. 
The historic Honeymoon Cottage after a another bear “attack”.
  • USFS-grade picnic tables, 2-3: there are two of these heavy-duty beasts heavily used in Camp, and a few more would be a big plus for welcoming both guests and day hikers. The cost is both in the heavy lumber and (heavy) packing. 
  • A new clothes drier for dealing with the guest linen service (sheets / pillowcases)—and a few strong bodies to pull it up to Camp on a hand truck!  

These are big-ticket items, but every gift moves us closer to making these repairs and improvements: thank you!

Dirt 411

As we go to press, a hiker missing for two weeks somewhere in/around the Big Santa Anita Canyon remains unfound. Multiple search and rescue teams from LA, Orange and San Bernardino Counties, China Lake and our local Sierra Madre crews have been tromping the trails and drainages. Talk has shifted from discovery to recovery.

Any hiker of any skill level can make a mistake and go off the slide of our steep, loose trails. It’s more on the hiker if they bypass posted closure signs. In Camp, we’ve been turning people back, and catching many trying to start up closed trails despite multiple signs. Mentioning the lost hiker barely dents some of their awareness and persistence. 

It has been rewarding to help the S&R crews with our intimate, current, on the ground / in the dirt knowledge of the trails and their status, especially for teams coming from outside our area. 

But it all still comes down to Respect the signs, and Hike within your ability!

Volunteers Brent Pepper, Lance Luciani and Kelly Davidson pause from clearing brush from the Heliport so the County chopper can drop in another Search & Rescue team.
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Camp News

USFSimon Says STOP, But We Also GO

Coming into the 4th anniversary of the Bobcat Fire and closure, there’s a lot of progress at Camp— but all is still on hold for opening. Here’s the latest news at the start of Summer 2024.

He Said / She Said

In January the USFS was confident that “barring a catastrophic event” (implication “weather”), the Big Santa Anita Canyon would have a soft opening in June. But at a public meeting in May, another USFS officer reported the opening would be delayed, at least in part due to construction delays on the Chantry Road. OK, we’re used to playing yo-yo with our hopes and expectations, and frankly, it gives us time to finish some of our own key projects. Such as:  

Volunteers hauling bags of cement mix from the Pack Train drop-off up to the water tanks worksite.

They Delivered & So Did We

The burros of the Adams Pack Train finally got the chance to prove their mettle and delivered all the materials for rebuilding the water system. But it was still on volunteers to hand-carry the 60lb bags of cement up the final steep incline to job site. Then the six steel panels, carried by hand all the way up the Canyon over two years ago and patiently waiting since, also made the trip—thanks to Super-Teah, who was tired of waiting and did it herself! (See her photo below).  

Volunteer Bob Laird provides a resting place for weary bees while he works on the tanks’ foundations.
Volunteers Lance Luciani, Scott Wilson and Paul Witman work to level the bases of the water tanks: water will go in a flexible plastic liner resting on flat-packed earth.

Panels Up, Wrenches Go, Flies Bite

With the tank panels finally on site, it was time for a whole lot of nuts, bolts, drills, sockets and screw drivers to hold it all together. Nothing too tricky, other than fending off the swarms of bees attracted to the volunteers’ sweat, until they were displaced by the spring crop of biting deer flies. Hopefully those will die out on their own by the time volunteers return for the final assembly of the tank liners and top caps. Then it will be time to turn on the spigot and fill ‘em up with water—that will be a BIG day of celebrating!

Board Member Jennifer Berry pauses between the tank panels, now in place and almost ready to take in a few thousand gallons of water.

Getting Good at This

The Conservancy made a commitment two years ago to Maggie Moran / Adams Pack Station to help get all that water tank stuff packed in, and the fire debris out. That promise has been kept, mostly because it turns out some of our volunteers really like working with burros. 

“Better than the people I work for at my job” said one volunteer never on the record. 

Scott Wilson and Lance Luciani after yet another successful delivery AND pick-up at Camp.

A skilled team has emerged led by Scott Wilson (VOY’23), along with Lance Luciani and Shane King-Furgala. Other volunteers also join in, but it’s the Burro Boys who have been hitting the trail every Friday, usually with Scott leading under Maggie’s blessing—and a lot of instruction (can’t forget that re-cinch prior to heading back down the Canyon.) They’ve worked their way up from three burros to run the full six, and now have very unique additions to their Linked-In profiles. Thanks y’all!  

Out of Camp & Into the $ausage Factory

Not everyone who likes sausage wants to see how it’s made, and not everyone who enjoys Camp cares about the internal workings—but some do, and we have some, so this is for you who do. 

With four years closed, the Camp’s fiscal activity has been near zero. But now as we ramp up for guests with a new reservations system to integrate into banking services, we took some time ‘down-Canyon’ at our home desks to work on a detailed “Fiscal Plan, Policy and Procedures” for the Conservancy and Camp. 

The draft version states at the top, “Purpose: To establish the funding structure and accompanying policy and procedures for the fiduciary management of the Conservancy’s finances, including specific and transparent processes for all transactions and accounting.” 

Especially as a non-profit with only volunteers to manage the work, the procedures are designed for maximum transparency, accountability, and shareability—that is, back-up so nothing is dependent on any one person. 

One of the key safety features is that, just like we are “wi-fi free” at Camp, our fiscal system is “cash-free”. Fortunately, that’s the way most everything is already going, but integrating all the versions such as PayPal and Venmo with other on-line systems (reservations, banking) demands close attention and SO many authentications, passwords, etc.

All of which makes getting our boots back on the trail very appealing! We look forward to everyone leaving their desks behind and getting together at Camp soon. Speaking of which…    

The Bobcat Fire burning through the San Gabriel front range, September 2020.

4th Anniversary and More

By the fourth anniversary of the Bobcat Fire September 8, 2024, we plan to be open, including a re-opening celebration for everyone who has supported the Camp through these difficult years, and everyone who wants to put their boots to the Canyon’s now happy trails. 

Rare group photo of many regular volunteers and Board members who all happened to be in Camp for work on the same weekend.

You First / Help Wanted

To welcome the first wave of hikers into Camp, the Conservancy needs ‘docents’ or volunteer teachers about the Camp to greet people, answer questions, point them in the right direction, and hand out information about Sturtevant. 

Could that be you? Yes, it could! There will be training and orientation so that you’ll both feel and be competent to guide people’s experience at Camp. Docents will be screened, trained, and scheduled to serve on a Saturday or Sunday, or both, staying overnight in Camp. 

Teah Vaughn-Piscopo is a member of the Board of the Sturtevant Conservancy and Manager, Guests & Hospitality for the Camp; she’s in charge of everything to do with both guests and their Hosts.

Interested in being a HOST when the Camp opens to guests? START by being a docent: we’ll use that time and experience to screen and train for Hosts. Interested in either or both? Email NOW to Teah at HostManager@SturtevantCamp.com. See you in the Canyon and at Camp soon!

Recent dinner show just outside the Manager’s Cabin.

For weekly news as it happens at Camp and in the Canyon, friend Wilbur Sturtevant on Facebook; catch the same updates on Instagram, and share the news around to help build the Camp’s network. 

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Camp News

Hike Faster – They’re Coming

Spring wildflowers, burros, and (maybe?) the hiking public are coming to Camp soon. Here’s the latest news from the Conservancy for Spring 2024.

Teah and Kelly hug the first burro into Camp after more than 2 years.

Hurray! There’s Poop on the Trail!

That would be burro poop near Spruce Grove campground (as opposed to bear poop—different story.) Hikers would typically be annoyed at this boot hazard, but for the Sturtevant crew, fresh burro poop four miles up the trail is proof that after more than two years, the Adams Pack Train can finally go to Camp: Hurray!

Restoration Legacy Crew members (R-L) Brenda Beck, Dave Baumgartner, Marilyn Chang-Ruiz with USFS staff Kevin Hunt.

Any burro-poop celebrations start with congratulations and thanks to the Restoration Legacy Crew, especially leaders Brenda Beck and Dave Baumgartner. Their crew has done (and are still doing) the grunty-detail work of transforming the Camp-volunteers’ original rough access work into a wide, even path up the Canyon. That includes last year’s near miracle of solving the Ladder Gap with serious labor and hardware, then doing it again with different hardware tricks at another rock-and-water point blocked above the Cascade crossing.

The first full pack train delivery into Camp, reloaded with 4-year-empty propane tanks to go out. L-R Maggie Moran/Adams Pack Train, Board members and volunteers Paul Witman, Kelly Davidson, Lance Luciani and Scott Wilson.

The results are simple but vital: now the critical delivery of water system parts and materials has begun, and the old burn debris is being ferried out, all just in time before the next dose of crucial news (see below). 

Exciting for those in the know: first delivery of cement for the replacement water system.

First Group – First Test

The volunteer crews since the Bobcat Fire were never more than 8 people, due to limits set by the USFS. But at the end of March, the Conservancy hosted nearly 20 volunteers from the non-profit We Explore Earth, a green active-advocacy group that organizes people for adventure work trips. Founder and director William Vasquez brought his ‘positive passion’ and 18 equally eager volunteers to the Camp for a weekend of both work and learning about backpacking. Everyone is looking forward to amplifying this relationship of like minds and hearts into the future.

We Explore Earth volunteers gather up for a departure selfie; William Vasquez far right, Board member Teah Vaughn-Piscopo far left.

Hike Faster – They’re Coming

During the annual meeting of the Big Santa Anita Cabin Owners Association, acting USFS District Ranger Aaron Ash joined by video-call to share news about the Angeles National Forest and take questions. The first question led to a clear answer: if there are no “catastrophic circumstances” (disastrous weather), when the post-fire closure order expires May 31st, then the Forest Service will allow a “soft-opening” of the Canyon to the public for the first time since September 2020.  

HURRAY! – kind of. Certainly the Conservancy is eager to get back to business fulfilling its purpose of providing “a historic welcome in the wilderness” at Sturtevant Camp. But can we be ready in time? And what does “ready” mean?

Ready, Set—

At first, “ready” will be less about the Camp and more about the people: everyone expects the Canyon will be quickly and heavily visited. The Chantry Road will soon be parked down to the Dam, and not hundreds but thousands—similar to the early phase of the pandemic in spring 2020—will hike in, eager to see the Canyon after the Bobcat fire.

READY will mean having volunteers ready to welcome people into Camp (see volunteer invite below.) The Camp will also up and running with fresh water at the water fountain in front of the Lodge, and we want to be ‘first impression’ presentable—maybe not all fresh paint, but some!

What we will NOT be ready to do is host overnight guests. Several key systems, including the on-line reservations system, need to be carefully developed, implemented, and tested. The goal is to start taking reservations in June or July for guests to come and stay starting in August. 

4th Anniversary

By the fourth anniversary of the Bobcat Fire in early September 2024, we aim to be fully open, including a re-opening celebration for everyone who has supported the Camp through these difficult years, and everyone who wants to put their boots to the Canyon’s now happy trails.

Conservancy members meet on-line to organize projects ahead of the estimated June opening. L-R / top/bottom: Sarah Barron, Kelly Davidson, Paul Witman, Jennifer Berry, Teah Vaughn-Piscopo (with an unfortunate arrow-pointer to the head) and daughter Ripley, and Brent Pepper; plus Gary Keene tucked in the corner.

You First / Help Wanted

To welcome the first wave of hikers into Camp, the Conservancy needs ‘docents’ or volunteer teachers about the Camp to greet people, answer questions, point them in the right direction, and hand out information about Sturtevant.

Could that be you? Yes, it could! There will be training and orientation so that you’ll both feel and be competent to guide people’s experience at Camp. Docents will be screened, trained, and scheduled starting with the summer months (June, July, August.) You can serve on a Saturday or Sunday, or both, staying overnight in Camp.

Interested in being a Host when the Camp opens to guests? Start by being a docent: we’ll use that time and experience to screen and train for hosts. Interested in either or both? Email NOW to Teah at HostManager@SturtevantCamp.com. See you in the Canyon at Camp soon!

Yes, yes we DID take a photo of actual burro poop on the actual trail, because, you know, proof.

For weekly news as it happens at Camp and in the Canyon, friend Wilbur Sturtevant on Facebook; catch the same updates on Instagram, and share the news around to help build the Camp’s network.

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Camp News

2024 Annual Meeting & Crystal Balling

Even hikers have meetings, so here’s the news from the Conservancy’s annual meeting, including the “Six Eras of Sturtevant” and speculations about re-opening in 2024.

The Quick-Hike Version

The Conservancy’s seven directors met Jan.28th at the Adams Pack Station to elect officers, look into the future, and figure out what to do next. Easily the biggest item on the agenda was “if the Forest Service opens the Canyon in 2024, how do we open for guests?”

Since the 2020 fire, the main job has been on-site repair and recovery. But being shut down also paused online functions like reservations and accounting systems. That created an opportunity to re-think and rebuild those services. With opening on the horizon, that work has moved up on the To-Do list.

Still, the trail is at the top of the list: thanks to the superheroes of Restoration Legacy Crew, the path is almost clear for the burros to get to Camp.  When they do, the final parts and materials will start arriving for rebuilding the water system, and water will be the top priority for opening to the public.

So pretty much everything both in-Camp and on-line has jumped to the top of the Must-Do-Right-Away-Now list: time to lace up all boots!

The Six Eras of Sturtevant   

There’s so much to be done almost immediately that the Board’s “get’er done” Directors were tempted to jump in boots first. Instead, the annual meeting started with a bigger picture of where are we, and where are we going? Taking a cue from Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour”, here are the Six Eras of Sturtevant.

  1. 1893 – 1910 The Founding Era: Wilbur establishes the Camp and builds it to national renown; after a stroke levels him, he later passes at LA’s Veteran’s Home in 1910. 
  2. 1911-1946 Transition Era-I: The Camp passes through several hands and often stands empty and for sale for many years. After the last private owner is arrested for misconduct, the Forest Service seizes the property and puts it up for sale under a public permit.
  3. 1947-2015 The Methodist Era: Riding the wave of post-WWII growth, the regional Methodist Church buys the Camp. They build up the Camp with a commercial kitchen, bathhouse and bunkhouses, and for nearly seventy years sustain year-round operations for private and public use.
  4. 2011-2020 Transition Era-II: With the mutual decline in youth camping and mainline denominations, the Church moves to close and sell the Camp. A volunteer Boot Squad steps up to sustain the Camp until the Friends of the San Gabriels purchases the Camp in 2015; in 2016 the Sturtevant Conservancy is formed to take on stewardship of the Camp as a public non-profit.  
  5. Fall 2020 – Spring 2024 Fire & Rain & Recovery Era: a time marked decisively by the Bobcat Fire and subsequent weather impacts that equaled if not exceeded the damages and complications of the Fire.

The Sixth Era – Renaissance: 2025 – 2043

Once Sturtevant re-opens, the Conservancy is aiming for a renaissance of the Founding Era, renewing the Camp to be the uniquely historic center of wilderness appreciation, education and inspiration in the San Gabriels for greater Los Angeles.

The Renaissance Era will culminate in 2043, when everyone joins in celebrating the 150th anniversary of Wilbur setting up tents near the running waters of the upper Big Santa Anita, and welcoming sturdy hikers for many more generations to come.

Officers Elected, Classes Filled

Board members around the table at the Pack Station.

In 2023, the Board adopted an amplified set of Bylaws; these are the map and compass for the Board’s navigation of its duties. During the 2024 Annual Meeting, the Board started to enact the details of those Bylaws.

This included electing the following officers: Gary Keene, President/CEO and Chair of the Board; Sarah Barron, Vice-President and CFO; and Kelly Davidson, Recording Secretary. The Board also assigned the titles and work of Treasurer to Jennifer Berry, and of Bookkeeper to Kelly Davidson. In addition, members were distributed into classes with successive 3-year terms of service.

The Board members are also organized internally around the key managerial functions: site/operations, administration/finance, guests/hospitality and general supervision. This spreads the work equitably among the Directors as a team. For a closer look, go to https://www.sturtevantcamp.com/who-we-are/

Stuff to Figure Out & Look Forward To   

Volunteers ready to hike after a day’s work in Camp.

The Camp is a registered non-profit, and a business that needs to generate income. What business is that? Sturtevant is basically a “hostelry”, a ‘place of lodging in the country’. But what a place! There’s really no equivalent for comparison, especially when you consider the Camp’s wilderness proximity to people—downtown Los Angeles is 23 miles from the Chantry Flats trailhead.

That means it is available to millions close by, except for that 4.2 mile hike in and out! Which is also how everything comes and goes: via the trail, carried on the backs of a people and burros.

So what should be the price for maintaining a hot shower at the end of such a trail? And a flush toilet? And built roof and walls above and around, plus wall heaters, mattresses, pillows, and OBTW a full kitchen, refrigerators, potable water and more (how about that Big Swing?)

Sleeping in the wilderness looks comfy in the Retreat Cabin.

All that said, staying at Sturtevant is not glamping: no hot tub or chocolates on those pillows (the mice would get them first anyway.) Camp is historic, which is to say rustic, and even with all the planned improvements, it will stay rustic; not only because of its location, but because that is essential to its authenticity and charm.

Bottom line, the Board has set aside a smaller group to analyze what would be reasonable rates to cover costs and plan for the future, and then how to market all of it effectively. Public feedback is totally welcome here in the comments, so speak up and help the Camp find and serve the next generation of guests.

NEXT BIGCONESPRUCE BLOG

Maybe? Scenes of the Adams Pack Train burros hauling into Camp!

Sturtevant Camp is owned and operated as a non-profit for the benefit of the public by the Sturtevant Conservancy Board (https://www.sturtevantcamp.com/who-we-are/).

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Camp News Camp Operations Reports

Annual Meeting, New Members, President’s Promises

Greetings from the Board of the Sturtevant Conservancy, and a belated Happy New Year.

There’s a wise saying that ‘If you would make God laugh, make a plan.’ Oh, we’ve made such plans, and God—or at least Mother Nature must be chuckling mightily. Part of the plan was to deliver an Annual Report for 2022 here in January; instead, we’ve been soaking our boots, scrambling over rocks, shoveling mud, and otherwise coping with 2023’s “atmospheric streams” that delivered 18.75 inches of unexpected but much needed rain to the Camp and Canyon.

It’s all good, just not what WE planned! With a little grace, we do ‘plan’ to deliver that fancy number-crunched annual report a bit later. If you’ve been following the updates on the Camp website and Wilbur’s Facebook page, you have a pretty good idea of the Camp’s on-going status: still closed with the Canyon’s closure, and still busy with volunteers struggling to get the water system in place—and that after doing a rocky boot-dance up and down the trail. For sure our volunteers are committed and won’t say quit.

Annual Meeting

We did fulfill one part of our planning by gathering for an official annual meeting of the Board in mid-January. This was a rare ‘down the hill’ and face to face meeting, that is, no hiking or other work involving carrying large objects or tools or digging. It was a special delight to reconnect with member Teah Vaughn-Piscopo after a long gap imposed by her becoming a mom this past summer, and extra-special that she brought new baby Ripley with her for introductions and toe-squeezing all around the group.

Among a wide-ranging agenda, early up was the election of two new members to the Board: it is with real pleasure that we welcome Kelly Davidson and Brent Pepper as directors/members at large to the Board (read their profiles below and later on the website.) Their addition expands the Conservancy slightly and definitely strengthens it.


Looking Forward

In time, the goal is to add 1-2 more members, along with a semi-formal circle of allies and advisors to address specific needs. In that mode, we were fortunate to have Adams’ Pack Station owner/operator Maggie Moran participate in the whole meeting: the Camp/Pack Station relationship is obviously symbiotic and crucial, and we look forward to working more closely, especially to integrate on-line guest reservations and packing needs.

Although we are entering a third year of shut-down with no business revenue and an uncertain re-opening date, what inspires confidence is how strong the Board is as a team, and the many volunteers who keep up their support by hiking, working, and sustaining their donations to the Camp’s future. And, frankly, although the big rains have added to our work and uncertainty, to see and especially hear the Big Santa Anita running loud and clear again is wonderful. No wonder we all keep coming back, and we’ll stay on track to welcome everyone back to Sturtevant as soon as possible – Mother Nature willing!

For the Board of Directors

  • Gary M. Keene, President / General Manager
  • Sarah Barron, Secretary of Record-Treasurer / Manager, Administration and Finance
  • Paul Witman, Manager, Site and Operations
  • Teah Vaughn-Piscopo, Manager, Guests and Hospitality
  • Kelly Davidson, Member at Large
  • Brent Pepper, Member at Large

Kelly Davidson

Since childhood, Kelly grew up spending every weekend or available time hiking around Big Santa Anita Canyon. Her passion for being in the canyon led to a volunteer position at Adams’ Pack Station, where she helped with store operations for nine years. Kelly currently works in the demanding field of property management, and brings those skills to the work of the Board and Camp operations. When she’s not in the Canyon, she spends her spare time as an avid VW/Audi enthusiast at automotive events such as Cars & Coffee and at the race track; she also enjoys gardening, reading a good book and relaxing on the beach. But hiking is her favorite activity because it leaves her with a clear mind and full cup of appreciation after spending time in nature. She is excited to continue volunteering and help give back the Camp as a special historical place that feels like a home for so many.

Brent Pepper

As a Mountain Ultra Trail runner, it’s only fitting that Brent’s first introduction to camp was during a training run. He soon joined the Camp’s volunteer ranks during the water-tank-hauling campaign of Fall 2021 and keeps coming back for more. Well-skilled in the use of a McCleod, Brent also brings a load of talent in digital media development and management to the Camp’s business needs. He sees the time serving on the Board and in Camp as his way of paying forward the opportunity for others to come into the canyon, make that four-plus mile trek to Camp, and enjoy the beauty and the solitude of the mountains. If he’s not in the Canyon, you can find him volunteering at endurance running events across Southern California, at work for his family’s furniture business, enjoying trails throughout the Angeles National Forest, or at home with his wife, son, and daughter in Ventura County.

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Camp News Camp Operations Reports

Burros, Valves, Mariachis & More

Burros and Their (Extra) Baggage

Trusty and curious burros from Adams’ Pack Station. Photo by David Nickeloff.

Since the Bobcat Fire two years ago, the two big projects for Camp have been repairing the water system and getting the trail “pack-train worthy”. This is so the burros can bring in the rest of the materials for the water project, and everything else needed at Camp, especially once the Canyon opens to the public.

“Pack-worthy” means a clear trail, a stable tread, AND side to side clearance for the loaded panniers or saddlebags. Given the damage to the trail after the Bobcat fire, there are several places where the tread needs fortification, and for sure where passage is ‘skinny’ at best.

Which is a problem: it seems the burros have put on their own “pandemic-20” and then some. With no long hauls up to Camp (4.2 miles one way), but plenty of yummy feed at the Pack Station, the burros have bulked up like a bunch of football players after a two-year party cruise to Ensenada!

“Adjustments” will be made along the trail, and Maggie promises to start working the beasties back into shape; if you’d like to help coax/coach the burros on one of their training/delivery runs, give us a call.

Mariachi on the Mountain – Fundraiser October 30th

Maggie Moran with Moonshine.

Come up to the Mt. Wilson Observatory for a fundraising concert for Adams’ Pack Station, featuring our own mariachi/packer Maggie Moran! The talented Mariachi Lindas Mexicanas perform inside of the historic 100 inch telescope dome Sunday, October 30th at 3 & 5pm. Guests are invited to observe Dia de Los Muertos for the concert of traditional Mexican music echoing beautifully inside the Observatory dome. Space is limited, so please get your tickets quickly: go to https://adamspackstation.com/fundraising

Click for details

Hurrah for Valves

Paul testing a new water valve.

Sometimes something simple can cause a shout of joy: first-time hikers arriving in Camp often give a holler and a yell—finally there! So much effort, so many steps, it’s great to see the Lodge and just sit down!

It was the same for a simple gush of water from a half-inch pipe: so much digging through rocks, so many pipes carried so many miles, such intricate valves and connections, and finally Paul the Plumber turned a valve handle, and fresh wild water spurted out the side of the new valve box – Hurrah! Success!

While the new water tank panels have been in the spotlight for over a year, those wouldn’t have any work to do without a LOT of fresh plumbing. Conservancy Board member and Site/Operations Manager Paul Witman led the effort and engineered the plumbing, especially the new control-valve set-up.

Sturtevant’s water begins in a surface collection pond, moves through pipes and several basic filters to take out the sand and gravel, and then accumulates in the storage tanks; old metal #1 survived the fire, and the new #2 and #3 (metal) tanks are poised to be built. Once the water is stored, it is treated then filtered one more time on its way into Camp.

Paul, Scott, Emily, and Elizabeth

Because the water system is typically used by different volunteers every week, designing the control-valve system was the perfect chance to improve and especially simplify the system: where different valves used to be spread between the 3 different tanks in 3 different locations, now they are all together in one control box that it is easier to hike to, and sits at waist level so the sequence of flush and control valves are easy to see and use.

Next up: assembling the new tanks, connecting the plumbing, and finally turning those valves on – expect to hear some serious Yahoo-ing once we hear the sound of water running into the tanks!

Trees Been Coming Down For-Evah

Photo of the bathhouse after a tree bisected the roof in 1964. Image courtesy of the family of Rev. John Knox.

Much as we love the Canyon and its forest, it is an active environment, often hostile to our “improvements”. Indeed, every time we hike into Camp, the first thing is to scan the buildings for tree-fall. Back in 1964, Camp volunteers found this new and unwelcome project. Today, the stump of the tree that fell is still visible next to the lower water filter box by the bathhouse.

About the photo: Camp Board member Paul Witman reached out to fellow preacher’s kid Karen Garrett, daughter of Rev. John Knox who recently passed away; she’s going through her dad’s photo archives and found the image. Rev. Knox was a key early volunteer and leader for the Camp, and likely had a hand in building the bathhouse, which would have been relatively new at the time. Thanks Paul & Karen!

4x Better Than a Crank

Remains of a crank phone burned by wildfire.

Sounds small, but recently the Camp was gifted with two new hand radios, with a third on the way = four total. The Canyon radio system was developed several years ago by the cabin owners’ association and Friends of the San Gabriels for fire safety; it provides a live connection between Chantry Flats, cabins up Winter Creek and the Big Santa Anita, all the way to Sturtevant.

Back in the day – WAAAY back– the crank phone system was the only way to communicate up and down the canyons (it even ran all the way to Mt. Wilson.) Voices were often distant and scratchy, and the copper lines required constant maintenance – and now the Bobcat Fire has wiped out most of it.

In contrast, the radios are pretty reliable. They help Canyon regulars keep up with what’s going on in the Canyon and are especially useful when there’s trouble: when the Bobcat fire started, the host in Camp was able to give and receive real-time information with the Pack Station, and get the guests on the trail ahead of the fire.

Canyon patrol radios.

For Camp volunteers, multiple radios will make for quick communication on the way to and from Camp, and especially between work projects spread in and around the Canyon. This is no small thing: many volunteers have burned many calories and much time hiking back and forth between the projects for tools, help, and guidance. It also – frankly – provides quick consensus on lunch time!

In the future, if you’re in Camp or on the trail or at Chantry and hear “Patrol 15”, that’s Sturtevant talking.

Coming in November

The Becky Page story, the road opens (maybe?), year-end wrap-up and prep for 2023.

Categories
Camp News Camp Operations Volunteer

Hot Summer News

What’s Boring?

Paul with plumbing parts

Frankly, the news from Camp is boring, for now. A lot of detail work on valves and pipes, and a lot of grunt-work doing fire clearance in & around Camp, plus brushwork on the trail. That’s cutting back all that tall green grass from this winter that’s gone brown. Also, many of the toasted and burned chaparral and smaller trees are finally sagging into and over the trail, and have to be clipped/cut back so the pack train can get through. That will be exciting news (the pack train delivering) but, later! Check back here in August for the latest.

Arbutus Comes Home

Meet Arbutus

After many years in hibernation elsewhere, ‘Arbutus, the electric green mule’ has finally come back home to Sturtevant. Designed to hand-truck propane tanks to and from the Camp using an electric bicycle wheel, its conception and journey parallels the recent history of the Canyon and the Camp.

Back in 2005, the Chantry Road was closed, similar to now, but because of a complete wash-out of one section, and an avalanche of rocky dirt on another. Although guests could (and did) hike down from Mt. Wilson, getting propane into Camp was “a problem”. With the road impassable, there was no way to get tanks filled and to the Pack Station for the burros to carry in. And without propane, there’d be no cooking, no heat in the cabins – and no happy campers!

How to bring tanks in and out from another trailhead? Doodling on a napkin, manager Chris Kasten and previous manager Gary Keene spit-balled a design for a tank carrier running on a car-battery powered electric bicycle wheel. Working with gravity, the carrier would roll a full tank down the Mt. Wilson trail, then turn around and boost an empty tank back to the top. They took the design to a bike shop that did the custom welding, and Chris named the contraption Arbutus (look it up!) Story continues below.

People, Who Need People

The crunch in summer air travel is mostly pegged to a shortage of staff—cabin stewards, gate personnel, etc. Those ‘front facing staff’ are the key to making the travel experience a positive one, while the mechanics and pilots work behind the scenes to actually deliver.

That’s similar to Camp: while the Conservancy works to get the water system working and the Camp ready for re-opening, it will be the Hosts who actually greet guests and help make their time at Camp a positive one. Those people (guests) need those people (hosts)!

The best hosts are ‘people people’ who know that “a pleasure shared is a pleasure doubled”. It’s true that Hosts also manage a lot of the house-keeping, and Camp being the nearly 130 years old, they often have to step in to make repairs and keep things safe over the weekend. So hosting isn’t coasting through a weekend at Camp.

But in return, Hosts become part of a special team with customized access to the Camp and Canyon. The job criteria are simple: are you a people person who appreciates the Camp and wants to share that? Are you available to commit to a few weekends in Camp (on your own schedule) over the course of a year? Oh, and do you love to hike?! An updated job description and orientation program will be available this fall to get ready for the Camp’s re-opening. If you have been a host before or want to be considered, visit sturtevantcamp.com/volunteer and/or send an email stating your interest — we’re interested in you!

Bun Definitely in the Oven

Teah and Gary

If ever there was a “bun in the oven”, Ripley Vaughn-Piscopo was it! With her birthday coming VERY soon, a baby shower for her mom (and Conservancy Board member) Teah was in order. Maggie Moran offered her home and its expanded porch at Adams Pack Station as the location, so in the scorching heat of an early summer Sunday, immediate family and friends gathered on the deck with the burros braying in the background. Teah was (as always) the life of the party, accompanied by husband and future dad Graham (sweating not the delivery but the heat, along with everyone else!)

Maggie and guests

Maggie was Hostess with the mostest and emceed the party, which included cold beverages, tasty snacks, and some fun games (including real horseshoes). NO tails were pinned on any actual donkeys, but most guests did visit the pack train in the corral to meet Teah’s “extended family.”

Thanks to Maggie for providing a great place to celebrate (plus her custom cupcakes!), and to board members Sarah Barron and Gary Keene for organizing and refreshments. Thanks also to Patrick Kelly and Dave Nickoloff of the Canyon Patrol for staffing the gate to get all the guests in on time. News of Ripley’s arrival will be posted on Wilbur’s Facebook page. Stay tuned!

Arbutus Continued

Arbutus headed back home

The shop finished Arbutus right when Chris was scheduled to be away for a rare vacation, so Gary picked it up for the test run. Rolling the loaded rig down from the summit of Mt. Wilson while feathering the brake was a breeze. The next morning, he turned around with an empty tank loaded and headed up: a small lever actuated the battery supply, and the ‘mule’ pulled the tank up the trail about 20 yards— and died.

Whaaaat?! After a few moments, the green light came back on: power on, roll forward and up – and dead. In between pushing and dragging, this on/off pattern repeated for another 3/4s of a mile or so, then stayed dead. Gary reported, “What was usually an hour hike to the summit took over 3 hours and was the toughest I’ve ever done—Mt. Rainier included!”

Turns out back then there were two kinds of electric wheel: one to help you get going, and a different model that you pedaled first, then it would assist. Arbutus had the first one, although it is doubtful any version could conquer Mt. Wilson. As usual, Chris figured it out, swapped out the wheel, and switched the delivery route over to Newcomb’s Pass (driving the tanks on the F.S. road to the drop-off/pick-up point for a most downhill run in.)

Arbutus fulfilled its purpose, carrying propane and groceries and repair supplies into Camp until the Chantry Road was repaired and re-opened. Then it got moved over to another Methodist camp in Wrightwood, where it languished for many years. With the closure of the Chantry road for a new bridge this season, Gary (as current General Manager) got to wondering where the it had gone to hibernate.

The green mule was recovered and turned over to John “JT” Thompson, the Camp’s ex-officio electrical wizard (who also happens to be a cyclist.) He renovated Arbutus, giving it two ‘tiny but mighty’ nicad batteries in place of the old car battery. Fourth of July weekend, a work team delivered Arbutus up the trail—or rather, chased it up the Canyon: with no load (this time!), the tire was skipping and pulling fast over rocks and roots, tossing dust and mud in the face of the drivers.

Next it will be tested for carrying various supplies in and out of Camp; eventually it will stay in Camp and help volunteers move propane tanks around the cabins, bathhouse and dining hall. No carrots, but regular re-charging should keep it in service for many years to come – check it out when you finally get back to Camp!

Binocular Report

While the Canyon is closed this summer, the Conservancy’s “backpack” is full of work: installing the filter and valve system for the water tanks, getting the pack train up to Camp, recruiting a new cadre of hosts, developing marketing before the Forest opens, plenty of repairs and maintenance on site – in other words, we’re keeping our boots laced up and ask you to do the same with a visit to sturtevantcamp.com/support

Categories
Camp News Reports Volunteer

More Hiking & More Digging

Not Quite a Valentine

February 14 was the first official day of the planned eight-month closure of Chantry Road for the construction of an all-new bridge. By June, it will be physically impossible for any vehicle to cross the gap where the bridge is being built. But the project will maintain a pedestrian walkway, so that people can cross from both directions: this will allow Adam’s Pack Station owner Maggie Moran and her family, plus the USFS residents of Chantry Flat, to get in and out—and for our volunteers to stay on the job of prepping the camp for eventual re-opening. The walk-around will add about a half-mile to the work-day distance total, guaranteeing that everyone gets their “steps” in, with or without carrying pipes and parts!

Unfinished Business

Weekend work-team lunch break; standing L-R are Scott Wilson, Brent Pepper, Maureen Nally; seated are Kelly Davidson, Board members Teah Vaughn-Piscopo and Sarah Barron.

Most fundraisers offer thank-you incentives and souvenirs to donors — T-shirts, tote bags, etc. There are a few of those for last season’s Quench campaign to fund the new water tanks, but we also promised something special to many donors: thank-you luncheons and experiences at Chantry Flat and at Sturtevant Camp.

However, the closure of the Chantry Flat road has put a very real roadblock on those plans, compounded by continuing concerns over Covid exposure. Therefore, the board has chosen to put a hold on everything until we can do those events right — on site, safely and fully inclusive. Before then, we’ll ask for your feedback on the best, most accessible versions of the events, so please watch your email in-box for customized messages, and reply with your preferences.

The Recovery Business

The two storms at the end of 2021 were a real set-back on the water system project, but thanks to the skill and tenacity of our board members, and the many new and returning volunteers, we are back on track. Volunteers have done so much shoveling — so much — and Site & Operations Manager Paul Witman has been hands-on/in the dirt and mud to guide the recovery and rebuilding of the essential plumbing. Soon the focus will shift to installing the new water tanks after we solve the cement delivery dilemma.

Our volunteers have proven themselves to be reliably sturdy, but we won’t ask them to haul 60lb bags of concrete up the trail— that’s what burros are for! Cement is needed for the base of the water tanks, but the main trail is not yet passable to the pack train; there is serious technical work to be done in several key spots, as well as miles worth of basic shoveling. As a temporary alternative, pack train owner Maggie Moran has explored the original Sturtevant Trail down from Mount Wilson to camp as an alternative. That would also require some work, plus complicated logistics, including staging the pack train at the observatory for a week or so. We’ll have an update in the next Bigcone blog on how the dilemma is resolved.

Big improvement added to the ropes — a crevasse ladder! Board member Gary Keene tests a donated and carried in 15ft extension ladder.

The Nut$ & Bolt$ of Business Closure

The guest welcome board in the dining hall, unchanged since the group evacuated from the Bobcat fire in September 2020.

Not being open for business is obviously bad for business, but the Board is working hard to not go out of business and get ready to do business—when the time comes! We are fortunate that we do not have the daily-demand costs of Adams’ Pack Station, whose burros don’t care about road and Forest closures—just bring on the feed!  That’s why we encourage everyone to support Maggie’s on-line fundraisers at adamspackstation.com.

But we do have on-going expenses: more than just insurance and fees, the demand for basic repair and preventive maintenance is constant. As much as we enjoy the forest wilderness, it is a hostile environment to the camp’s buildings and infrastructure, requiring steady attention and investment.

With the road’s construction closure through October, combined with the USFS closure of the canyon until further notice, we do not anticipate guest revenue until maybe the 4th quarter of 2022, and that is very hopeful. It does give us time to tackle both major repair projects from the fire, as well as long-sought improvement projects. For example, the 1897 dining hall has serious termite damage to repair, and the roof is due for replacement; the shut-down is an ideal time to get these kinds of projects done.

Thanks to the Quench campaign and the cash balance of business income before the fire, the camp has its fiscal head above the financial waters—make that its nose! Project-focused fundraisers are on the horizon, and in next month’s blog, we’ll outline the historic and projected fiscal ecosystem of the camp as we plan to go forward.

Until then, your financial support strengthens our ability to use this closure to improve the future of the camp’s service to the public: sturtevantcamp.com/support Thanks in advance for doing so!

Green & Black, Flowers & Scat

Coming into February, our volunteers are seeing plenty of green sprouting in the canyon; while the Bobcat fire likely burned out some of the familiar invasive species, it has also given opportunity to many of the indigenous plants of the San Gabriel Mountains to take their rightful place in the sun. Right now, white blossoms of the climbing wild cucumber are all over, lightly scenting the air.

There’s also good news for some of the fauna: horticulturist and board member (and bear-whisperer!) Teah Vaughn-Piscopo identified several recent doses of scat on the trail as bear-poop which were very black and dense. This indicates a diet unusually heavy in meat; whatever the unfortunate source, at least the bears have not been back into our kitchen and buildings (knock on wood).

Next Month’s Bigcone Blog

News from the U.S.F.S. for the canyon, a snapshot of the camp’s fiscal ecosystem, updates from the cabin owner’s association annual meeting, and whatever else happens between now and then.

Categories
Camp News Camp Operations Reports

Good News & Other News for 2022

After a day of sketchy post-storm hiking and in-camp shoveling, volunteers Brent Pepper and Dave Baumgartner with Board member Sarah Barron pause at the Manager’s Cabin as they pack up for the hike back down the canyon.

Last Year’s News for 2022

The work crew putting the safety line to good use across the Slide Rock Gap: L-R board members Paul Witman and Sarah Barron (rock climber and rope-slinger), with Brent Pepper and Scott Wilson. All made it safely across.

It never rains in California, until it does. Then it really does! The end of year holiday rain and snowfall made the national news and has been the intense focus of everyone in Big Santa Anita Canyon.

Since the Bobcat fire, Sturtevant Camp volunteers have been double-tasking: working on recovery in camp and shoveling a lot of rock and gravel just to get into camp.

Now the rains have done real damage and reshaped most of the canyon stream bed. The damage includes complete loss of sections of the trail to sharp, often steep washouts. Side canyons became roaring torrents filled with gravel that quickly carved through anything not solid rock. Some of the cuts are deep or wide or both, making for difficult crossings. But some are also “exposed” with a steep drop-off threatening a misstep.

Those are points of individual danger but the more serious threat is that until these cut-outs/drop-offs are repaired the pack train can’t get through. This is bad for business on both ends, the pack station and the camp.

The Sturtevant Conservancy board is working with Maggie Moran, owner of Adams’ Pack Station, to solve the problem and get on with the continuing work of preparing for when the canyon re-opens. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for a full-body workout, otherwise known as trail work, click here to volunteer!

New Year’s Tough News

L.A. County technical drawing of the section of Chantry Flat road to be removed and replaced with a bridge. First the entire side of the canyon above this will be ‘rock-scaled’, which means scraping off/bringing down as much of the loose surface rock and dirt as possible.

We previously reported on the 2022 Chantry Flat road project to construct a new bridge, spanning 240 feet at mile marker 2.95, near the top of the road. Chantry Flat will be cut off with no vehicles allowed or even able to pass through for the duration of the work (proof of which is that Los Angeles County is paying for rental cars for those living at Chantry Flat.)

That’s the project, but not the news, which is the schedule. Work is to begin mid-February (weather permitting) with official completion targeted for mid-October of this year. But with an allowance for weather and supply delays plus corrections the road may not reopen until February, 2023.

Together with the Bobcat fire closure plus damaged trails, this means no public access to the Big Santa Anita Canyon via Chantry Flat from September, 2020 to around Christmas, 2022. That would be nearly two and a half years of shut down.

The impact on the camp and pack station are of course significant. Any creative work-arounds will be complicated. Hypothetically, the canyon could be opened to the public before the road project is finished; this would allow hikers to enter from Mt. Wilson and the back country, which could also be an opportunity for the camp to open to guests, and to engage the pack station for packing. Of course, that would still be complicated.

Stay tuned for head-scratching, brainstorming, and hopefully a few miracles.

One Way to Add Campers

The brightest smile in the canyon just got brighter: Board member Teah Vaugh-Piscopo looks forward to becoming a first-time mom in July. Congratualtions!

The Sturtevant Conservancy is expanding unexpectedly and joyfully. At our recent meeting, board member Teah Vaughn-Piscopo shared her good news that she and her husband Graham Piscopo will welcome their first child in July. Teah was quick to say that won’t keep her from the trail, and not even the typical dose of shoveling along the way, but lifting heavy stuff will be out since she’ll already be doing increasingly heavy lifting 24/7!

Along with everyone who has enjoyed her enthusiastic welcome into camp (and her yummy cookies), the board joins in wishing Teah and her family good health and progress; we’ve already signed up to take turns carrying the kid up to camp until Teah can lace-up some tiny hiking boots on the new munchkin!

New Year’s Goals FYI*

During the early phase of the pandemic shutdown, many people took the opportunity to clean out closets, organize photo files, and otherwise catch-up on deferred maintenance. With 2022 shaping up to be closed for the canyon and the camp, the board is likewise aiming to catch-up on a long list of to-do items, and to make some improvements. But not all of those are building fix-its and upgrades.

For example, once camp re-opens, the volunteer hosts will need a new operating manual based on changes caused from the Bobcat fire, including changes in the water system (draft title: “How to Make Happy Campers”). There are new insurance requirements for the guests’ safety orientation and there will be new kitchen and housekeeping protocols to prevent further bear damage. And, of course, there are many new stories to show-and-tell about the camp after the fire.

*For Your Invitation: the pool of camp hosts will need to be re-recruited, expanded and trained! If you’re interested, visit the Volunteer page.

Shoes Found

The flooded stream unearthed some antiques: this jumble of horse, mule and burro shoes was found at the high-water mark behind the generator shed. Likely they had been salvaged for use in craft projects back when children’s camps made souvenir plaques of their week at camp, and mounted them the dining hall rafters.

Ever-Changing Stream Beds

Looking at the trail crossing between the Honeymoon Cottage and the Mt. Zion & Mt. Wilson trails junction. The first storm filled in the stream bed with sand and gravel, and second storm carved it all out.

Crossing The Gap

Upper right, Paul Witman adjusts the safety rope for crossing above a missing and very exposed gap in the trail while Gary Keene ponders the drop-off from the edge of the exposure.

Upper right, Paul Witman adjusts the safety rope for crossing above a missing and very exposed gap in the trail, while Gary Keene ponders the drop-off from the edge of the exposure.

Categories
Camp News Fire Reports Quench Campaign Support Volunteer

Welcome To The New Bigcone Blog

Bigcone Douglas Fir with cones
Bigcone Douglas Fir, a.k.a. Bigcone Spruce

Thanks to the team we are up & running with this blog to post the latest news from Sturtevant Camp. You can sign-up for our newsletter to receive email updates and bookmark sturtevantcamp.com/news for quick reference.

During last fall’s Bobcat Fire, staying connected on-line was the best way to find, give, and receive crucial up the minute information. Coming up on one year after the fire, even though Big Santa Anita Canyon and Sturtevant Camp remain closed to the public, between the heat, the bears, and our damaged water tanks there is a lot going on up here. Stay tuned here for the latest, including the earliest news on when everyone can get back to camp.

Why The Bigcone Blog?

There are a lot of blogs out there but only Sturtevant Camp is shaded by the largest untouched stand of Bigcone Spruce in the San Gabriel Mountains. And those trees drop huge seed cones. If you’ve ever had one conk you on the head, you’ll agree! So, we’ll claim that distinction for this blog: dropping big fresh news all the time!

Our Quench Campaign Is a Waterfall

Sturtevant Falls
Sturtevant Falls in Big Santa Anita Canyon

Thanks to more than thirty new donors plus two generous foundations, our Quench Campaign for potable water at camp has already filled two of three water tanks, and we gave less than 350 gallons to go to top off all three.

The campaign set out to fund the restoration and improvement of the camp’s water system after two of three tanks were destroyed in the Bobcat Fire last year. The big investment is two new fireproof tanks; the third “tank” represents all the replacement pipes and re-plumbing needed for a better collection and distribution system to guests and hikers in camp. We have set up an FAQ page to read details about the project.

Thank You To Our Donors

A big, wet, splashy thank you to everyone who has given so far!

Looking at donations for the new tanks, 20% of new donors gave on average 110 gallons each, or about $670 each. Gifts to the next tank averaged about 11 gallons each, or $65 each, but then two gifts from family foundations jumped the overall total to 3,947 gallons — just $2,112 short of full to the brim.

To fully Quench the campaign, visit sturtevantcamp.com/quench to donate as many gallons as you wish.

Breaking News

Last week we got word that the two new tanks are being readied for shipping all the way from Texas. Those will come to Chantry Flat in early September (after we’ve paid the second invoice with your support) where the materials will be staged for packing and delivery into camp.

Current plans are for the smaller parts to go up on the Adams’ Pack Station pack train but the main panels of the tanks will likely be moved to the top of Mount Wilson then hand-carried down the original Sturtevant Trail into camp for assembly.

Can You Help?

Are you interested in stretching your arms or otherwise helping out? Visit sturtevantcamp.com/volunteer to sign-up for a variety of tasks and projects to ready the camp for our re-opening. When will that be? Stay tuned here for early notifications!

Bears In the House

The latest volunteer work crew arrived in camp recently and started to unlock the manager’s cabin only to hear banging around inside, followed by a bear poking his head out of a hole she had ripped into the side wall of the cabin! She scooted out and up the hillside, followed by her cub tumbling out of the laundry room.

Bear damage in the Ranger Cabin
A bear got into the Ranger Cabin and left it looking like the morning after a frat party

The hot summer on top of the burned terrain is forcing many animals to forage for food. Many cabin owners are reporting repeated break-ins, with this mamma bear plus cub becoming increasingly bold and often destructive in their pursuit of food. We know it’s the same bear because she has a bum leg and we have named her Peggy (as in peg-legged).

Sturtevant Camp has been hit by the bears a few times, the hardest being right after the Bobcat Fire when the evacuation left lots of food in the kitchen. We still have refrigerator doors to replace, lots of window screens and door trim, and now a hole in the cabin, with siding ripped off and other buildings’ doors pulled off as well. Thankfully it’s “just” more carpentry repairs.

History Snapshot

William "Wilbur" Sturtevant's grave at Sawtelle federal cemetery.
William “Wilbur” Sturtevant’s grave at Los Angeles National Veteran’s Cemetery.

Wednesday, September 8th 2021 will mark the 111th anniversary of the passing of our founder, Wilbur M. Sturtevant. He was an infantry Lieutenant in the Union Army, serving in the Civil War, and is buried at the Los Angeles National Veteran’s Cemetery in Sawtelle, section 18, row E, site 8. There’s loose talk about pouring a dose of Big Santa Anita Canyon stream water on his grave on that Wednesday. Are you interested in joining in? Send us an email or message him on his Facebook page.

News In Pictures