Tag: Damage

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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

New Faces, Lost Hikers and Rockwork

Welcome New Board Member

Jennifer Berry

The Sturtevant Conservancy is pleased to welcome its newest member to the Board, Jennifer Berry. With her election, the Board now has its full complement of seven Directors; this will enable the Board to share the offices and work of the Conservancy more evenly and be more effective collectively.  Jennifer comes from a solid background in environmental advocacy work and residential camping:  she previously served as site Director for Sturtevant’s historic sister-camp in the San Gabriels, Colby Ranch. She currently works for the National Outdoor Leadership School. Watch for her profile to be added soon to the Who We Are page on the Camp’s website.

All the Leaves Are Down / And the Sky is Grey

All the Leaves

‘Tis the season – for raking! Along with all the trail-work getting done (see below), one task dominates this time every year: raking big yellow maple leaves. At approx. 3150ft elevation, Camp is in the eco-zone of the upper Big Santa Anita Canyon where most of the trees are coniferous or evergreen, like oaks and Bay trees. But the maples make up for it! Lovely as they are, it’s a fire hazard, so: we rake.

Added to the job are the oak trees’ acorns—big, fat rollie ones after this year’s abundant rainfall. They carpet the trails, making it hard to get traction going up, and too easy to slide/fall down, often right where you don’t want to lose your step! Second verse same as the first: we rake.

Volunteers Mike, Grace, Danny and Robert pause at the Big Swing after a long day of work
Volunteers break for lunch on a perfect autumn day-surrounded by raking yet to be done
Jose, Scott, and Rick shovel out Cabin 3
Robert works down a bypass trail ahead of winter waters yet to come

The EOY Season

The smell of roasting turkey is coming fast, followed quickly by the fresh smell of snowflakes – at least higher up. In other words, the End of the Year. We’ll be back here in early December to report on this year, look ahead to 2024 (re-opening?!)

And yes, of course, to invite your tax-deductible financial support before 2023 disappears like Thanksgiving’s gravy and mashed potatoes. Stay tuned!

Lost & Not So Lost Hikers

The Big Santa Anita Canyon

The Camp is very lucky to have hard-working volunteers helping to reclaim the Camp from the Bobcat fire. And sometimes they go way beyond the planned work. Several times over recent months, hikers have come down into Camp from Mt. Wilson—singles and couples who “somehow” didn’t know or ignored not only the trail-head closure signs, but also websites (USFS, ours), social media and trails-app info.

Typically, they’re pretty trashed. There’s a reason the Canyon remains closed: the trails are in nasty shape, often impassable. Yet somehow they pushed through, hoping not to have to turn around and go back UP. Or, they ‘had a plan’ for how they would shuttle back to the top.

Recently, two incidents in the same weekend occurred: a solo hiker one day and then a pair the next day found themselves down the Canyon near Camp and the sun disappearing. A Camp volunteer took pity on the first and hiked the person safely out in the dark AND drove them home (their car was stuck behind the now-closed gate on Wilson.) The next day, the Sierra Madre Search & Rescue Team located the duo and got them out in the dark, putting themselves at risk to do so.

Hikers and trail-runners spread the word: the Big Santa Anita Canyon is STILL CLOSED. Save yourself AND those who would have to bail you out at risk to themselves, and enjoy the mountains elsewhere—there’s plenty to go around!

Or, Don’t Go There Either

https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/travel-site-puts-san-gabriel-mountains-on-its-annual-no-list

Rock On – Rock Off: Progress @ the Ladder Gap

There’s a Trail In There
Scoops, Brenda, Kevin and Michael on the rocks
RLC’s Diana and Kevin chip the hard rock while Guy pulls down the looser stuff

All hail the stubborn Restoration Legacy Crew! Brenda Beck and Dave Baumgartner have led this quiet group of talented volunteers for years in restoring trails throughout the San Gabriels. Now they’re literally hammering one spot several times a week, for multiple weeks in a row: it’s the infamous rock-bound Ladder Gap on the main trail up to Camp. Until the rock is chiseled back and the tread seriously firmed up, the Adams Pack train can’t get through, and much repair work at Camp remains stalled waiting for materials and supplies. The RLC folks aren’t fancy, but they’re sure tough and relentless—that should be their new name: the Relentless Legacy Crew! When the Pack Train finally gets through, and the Camp can be fully restored, it will be because of the RLC: thank you in advance very much! Check them out on-line, and plan on sampling their work once the Canyon opens.

Annual Meeting & Beyond

Board members Kelly Davidson and Paul Witman

The Conservancy has set their Annual meeting for 2024 in January (California non-profits are required to hold at least one annual meeting.) The Board has met regularly during the year for administrative house-keeping that will set-up the annual meeting to focus on the future: what are the goals prior to re-opening the Camp? And what are the goals beyond that?

The vision beyond re-opening could stretch 20 years to 2043, which will be the 150th anniversary of Wilbur’s opening Sturtevant’s Camp to the public. It’s a ripe opportunity to imagine—and strategize for—a vital future. Come along for the hike by signing up for this newsletter here.

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Camp News

3 Years & Counting

Remnants of Cabin-1 destroyed by the Bobcat Fire.

September 6 marked the third anniversary of the start of the Bobcat Fire in 2020. On that Sunday, volunteer host and now Board member/manager Teah Vaughn-Piscopo smelled the smoke, then got the word by hand radio: take the guests and evacuate.

It has been a long, busy three years since then, with many volunteers working hard to recover basic access to the Camp, begin major repairs, and struggle to cope with the continuing aftereffects of record rains and wind damage.

While the U.S. Forest Service has re-opened most of the burned areas of the Angeles National Forest, the Big Santa Anita Canyon remains closed (see below). The Sturtevant Conservancy remains hard at work on repairs in Camp and on the trail, with the help of many generous volunteers— see following stories for new good news.

Volunteers Gary Keene, Ted Baumgartner, Sharon Miller, Paul Witman, and Maggie Moran (Adams Pack Station).

What He Said

The Daily News of Los Angeles published an extensive story on the post-Bobcat Fire closures in the Angeles National Forest (ANF). The detailed article by Steve Scauzillo draws on a wide variety of sources in and outside various government agencies and the public, including the Canyon’s own Glenn Owens, author of The History of the Big Santa Anita Canyon.

It notes that Chantry Flat is the “second most visited area” of the ANF, and “For decades, critics have blamed Congress for short-funding the management of the ANF, which in 2021 had more visitors than the Grand Canyon or Yosemite National Park. Damage from drought, fires and torrential rains may have exposed the lack of funding.”

Altogether it gives a good understanding of why re-opening the Canyon continues to be pushed off into the future, deepening the dilemma for Sturtevant Camp.

See the full article below:

Angeles National Forest plagued by closures from storms, fires, funding gaps

Surprise Summer Storms

You think you’ve seen everything – fires, mudslides, ‘atmospheric rivers’ – and then here comes the tail of a hurricane into the San Gabriels. The result? Winter-quantity rain in late summer! Suddenly grass is popping up on the trail like it’s May, and so are the ruby newts.

The August 20th tropical storm dumped 8.2 inches at the heliport, and Labor Day weekend dosed another .56 inches. Fortunately, the rain was steady, so no significant erosion or “relandscaping”. A few more trees down across the trail, but that’s the new normal. Good news is the quality trail work RLC (see below) and others have done is holding, a positive indicator for this coming winter’s real storms. Stay tuned!

USFS Back in the House (Cabin)

USFS personnel Estephany Campos & Rosa Sanchez in the historic Ranger Cabin

In late June, the U.S. Forest Service sent two staff persons to hike the Big Santa Anita and document needed trail work with photos and GPS locations. This was the key step in getting approval for a formal work agreement for wider volunteer participation in putting the trails in shape for the pack train and the public.

We were privileged to guide the hike and welcome USFS personnel Estephany Campos and Rosa Sanchez into Camp, who made the first official USFS visit in many years to “their” cabin—the Ranger Cabin. Often assumed to be part of the Camp, in fact the Cabin belongs to the federal government (although Camp volunteers keep it cleaned and open for the public). Built in 1903, the Cabin is the oldest federal ranger cabin on its original foundation in the nation.

Thanks to Estephany and Rosa’s enthusiastic and persistent work, volunteer work on the trail has jumped forward. With many more boots on the trail and hands on shovels, the trail should be up to spec soon (see “The Acronyms We Need” below).

Peter’s Game

“Old” Camp volunteer and New Game Warden Peter Witman

Camp-Family news: there a several “kids” who have grown up at Sturtevant, and none more active as a youth and young adult volunteer than Peter Witman, son of Board member/manager Paul Witman and Barb Witman. After a long and arduous process (that included getting tasered), Peter was recently sworn in as a California State Game Warden – hurrah!

The Board, volunteers, and Canyon community all join in celebrating Peter’s achievement, and following an internship period, look forward to his posting back to Southern California, where we trust he’ll re-join the work crews on the trail and at Camp!

The Acronyms We Need

RLC volunteers Marilyn Chang and Scoops Adamczyk pause their trail work – briefly.

For everyone who loves the BSAC (Big Santa Anita Canyon) and is eager to see it re-opened, here’s an important new acronym: SGTWPG. That’s the San Gabriel Trails and Wilderness Preservation Group, a new non-profit established by Maggie Moran (owner/operator of Adams Pack Station).

Its purpose is “to restore and maintain the trails within the Chantry Flat trail system,” so everyone – and every critter, starting with burros! – can safely use the trails into the backcountry of the ANF (you know, Angeles National Forest). Check it out here.

Even more importantly, the Group now has its VSA from the USFS: that’s a Volunteer Service Agreement from the United States Forest Service. That agreement opens up supervised trail work to a much wider variety of volunteers. First up has been the RLC (Restoration Legacy Crew), who have committed to hiking in to work every Sunday and Tuesday: thanks to them there is already significant progress on the pack trail coming up out of Fern Lodge (see photo essay below of RLC crew members Lauren Ballas, Scoops Adamczyk, Marilyn Chang, supervisor Brenda Beck plus Guy Webster at work.) Click here to sign-up for news and work sponsored by SGTWPG.

See you on the trails!

Behind The Scenes of Trail Restoration with the RLC:
L: The trail crossing before the RLC crew started work.
C: Teamwork + tools + sweat + persistence.
R: Marilyn & Lauren wrap up a big job done well.

Keeping the Community Strong (and Well-Fed)

Campers chowing down at the summer Canyon potluck.

The Conservancy is a volunteer member of the Big Santa Anita Canyon Permitee’s Association (BSACPA). Traditionally, the Association was a friendly collection of folks with a shared interest in their cabins in the Canyon.

But following the Bobcat Fire, the Association quickly came together in a much more urgent and active role to advocate for cabin owners, many of whom lost their cabins to the fire or experienced damages.

To nurture that community and keep the connections strong, the Association recently renewed its annual progressive dinner; the Sturtevant Conservancy partnered to provide the main course at Ruth and John Woods’ cabin, hiking in potato and fruit salads, and grilling up burgers and brats.

It was a warm time together with folks who share a deep love and intimate knowledge of the Canyon. In an era of limited funding for the Forest Service and its responsibility for the Canyon, the Association and Camp share in the much needed hands-on stewardship of the Canyon to the public’s benefit. A la’famiglia!

Scott Wilson, Danny Armanino, Paul Witman, Teah Vaughn-Piscopo, and Brent Pepper.

A Notable Passing – Again

One hundred thirteen years ago this week, our founder Wilbur Sturtevant passed away at the Veteran’s Home in Sawtelle/Los Angeles (September 10, 1910). Check this link for an interesting snapshot of his life and work, especially the establishment of “Sturtevant’s Camp”.

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Camp News Reports Volunteer

Storm Report, Thanks to Deb, and Sturde’s Ask

Graphic camp map.

Rain and Relandscaping

What 5″ of rain in 12 hours looks like going over the check dam behind the Main Lodge.

“Be careful of what you wish for.” True that! Water in the Canyon and at Camp has been in long-term short supply. But recent winter storms have deluged our wishes for rain, relandscaping the streambed (again), and creating new projects throughout the Camp. Most importantly, the rain is forcing not only more shoveling, but new strategies for capturing and delivering water into the Camp’s system. Stay tuned for news through the winter season and check the Camp’s and Wilbur’s Facebook pages for work-weekend updates.

Deb’s Long Run

Snapshot of Deb on video giving a tour of the Camp.

The winter of 2011 was grey with uncertainty; after nearly 70 years of owning the Camp, the regional United Methodist Church moved to shutter and sell the historic buildings and operations. Volunteers struggled to keep the Camp open, and after four years, the best option became real: Deb Burgess, a cabin owner and trail runner who had already stepped up to successfully build up the Pack Station, organized the Friends of the San Gabriels to fundraise and purchase the Camp. After lengthy – emphasize lengthy! – negotiations with the Forest Service and denomination, the keys were transferred in 2015.

Along with her mother Sue Burgess, Deb moved quickly to put the Camp on its own feet operationally and legally, filing to create the Sturtevant Conservancy. As President of the tiny board and ‘chief operating officer / packer / repair technician / etc.’, she almost single-handedly worked to bring the Camp into a new era of outreach and hospitality. Using her business savvy and a wide range of skills, from plumbing to crafts to advertising to decorating, all fueled by an endless dynamism that left others sucking wind to keep up, she upgraded and stabilized the Camp to serve its original purpose; welcoming people to a boot-based experience of the wilderness.

In time, running both the Pack Station and Camp, along with life’s many changes, began to wear heavy even on this mountain trail runner. As the Conservancy’s volunteer support base grew, Deb sold the Pack Station and moved up north to the Sierra foothills. After the Bobcat Fire destroyed her cabin in 2020, she stepped down as President/CEO of the Conservancy to focus on her own rebuilding efforts while continuing as an officer on the Board.

Deb on the old zip-line, as usual moving faster than anyone can keep up!

Earlier this year, Deb tried to resign to make room for new members, but that was immediately tabled! Many operational threads remained to be unwound and rewoven with new hands. With most of that work done, the Board has now acted to formally name Deb Burgess as “Founding President and Member Emeritus of the Board of the Sturtevant Conservancy”. This keeps her in an ex-officio/non-voting relationship to the Board, with the freedom to give the benefit of her experience and opinion any time she darn well pleases.

The Camp – and the public it serves – are indebted to Deb for taking on the huge task of transitioning the Camp at a darkly crucial time and putting it on a good path to the future. The Board, on behalf of the Canyon community and the hiking public, offers their gratitude, best wishes, and yes – happy trails. Thanks Deb!

Sturde’s Holiday Ask

Sturtevant Camp runs on two things: Desire and Dollars. Desire is what draws both hiker-guests and hiker-volunteers up the Canyon for the unique experience of ‘camping indoors’ at Sturtevant. Without desire, no boot hits the trail, no hot chocolate awaits in the Lodge, and no doors or pipes or anything gets fixed at Camp.

If desire is the Top Line of the Camp’s purpose, there is also a Bottom Line— the Dollars. The Camp doesn’t run on the free firewood laying around: there’s propane for stoves and fridges, filters and pipes for water and waste systems, and shingles on roofs keeping beds with pillows dry inside and so much more—SO much! All of it demands constant maintenance, repairs, and ideally, improvement.

This has been true since Wilbur “Sturde” Sturtevant built the Camp, but it is urgent this season. The Canyon has been closed for two years now with no revenue, and it’s unknown when the USFS will allow us to re-open for business. In the meantime, volunteers have been hustling to make critical repairs to the Camp following the Bobcat fire, but these are repairs, not the regular maintenance the Camp needs.

Fundraising for the big repairs has covered most of those costs, and now we need to make up for the absence of guest income to tackle the basic maintenance needed to re-open the Camp. We still have extensive bear damage to repair, deferred maintenance on the Lodge floor and ceiling, etc. The irony is that the closure gives our volunteers a window of opportunity to get that done – IF we have the dollars for materials and supplies, including lumber, paint, and more.

So, this is Sturde’s two-point holiday “ask”: first, your DESIRE to see the Camp sustained, improved, and readied for re-opening, and secondly DOLLARS to help make that happen. You can do the dollars at sturtevantcamp.com/support

And if some of your desire includes hiking to Camp and joining in the work got to sturtevantcamp.com/volunteer.

Thanks in advance for your generosity!

Road Open, Gate Closed

The first week of December, Chantry residents got word that the road construction crew would finish their work the following Tuesday. Residents and cabin owners hustled to deliver a tasty taco lunch and offer thanks to the remaining workers on their last day. Everyone enjoyed that gratifying sense of a (big) job finally done.

Which does not mean the road is open: the Canyon remains closed under the USFS order. But it will mean that Camp volunteers can come all the way up to Chantry Flats and start hiking (and hauling supplies) from there. For some residents, it will mean a return to full-time living at home, and for Maggie Moran and the Pack Station, a very big step toward re-opening for business. Stay tuned for breaking news!

Safety Stocking Stuffers for You & Yours

Check out this list from REI sporting goods…

https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/ten-essentials.html

Looking Ahead to 2023

Our Annual Report, fresh faces on the Conservancy Board and at the USFS, and – you know – the latest on winter conditions in the Canyon and at Camp. Until then, Happy Holidays!

The Sturtevant Conservancy – Gary, Sarah, Paul, and Teah.

Categories
Camp News Reports Volunteer

Naming Names & Shoveling Gravel Soup

Recent volunteer sampler

Thanks by the Names & Numbers

The Sturtevant Conservancy is an all-volunteer operation, and we now have the numbers to show just how grateful we can be—and are indeed! Although we’re not hard-core bean-counters, there is some real data to analyze, estimate and extrapolate*. Here’s the picture based on what we have so far this year:

55 volunteers have signed waivers to work in the Canyon/at Camp; 32 have showed up for one or more workdays. Using static data (distance to Camp, elevation gain, etc.) and average data (time hiking in/out and hours in Camp), as of Nov.17th, we get 495 total volunteer hours of hiking and working combined. That’s 62 days at 8 hours a day – even though most days were 6:30am at the gate, back out at 4:30pm = ten hours.

In terms of hiking, we also calculate 495 total miles, not including all the schlepping back and forth in Camp while working which can add up to way more than a mile. The total elevation gain is nearly 582,000 feet, equal to climbing the height of Mt. Wilson 102 times, or Mt. Everest 20 times.

But that’s the numbers; here are the names of all those who put boots to dirt to move Sturtevant into the future:

Volunteered at least one full workday in 2022: Susan Stahl, Taylor Crisp, Aaron Blanco, Peter Vance, Charie Contreras, Sandra Sanchez, Todd Williamson, Fred Tanis, Sharon Miller, Ted Baumgartner, Avery Arauz, James Krist, Alex Barron, Elizabeth Sturdevant, John Butta, John Binninger, Reg Willson, Ty Oehrtman, and Jim Oberman = Thank You!

Volunteered more than once: Dave Baumgartener, Andrew Bousfield, Anna Binney, Maureen Nally, Kelly Davidson, John Peel, Emily Sawicki, Peter Witman, Patrick Gorman, and Patrick Kelly. (Special call out that several of these folks were even more active in 2021, back when we weren’t trying to track the particulars.) Double-Thank-You!!

Scott Wilson, Brent Pepper, and Nate Bousfield volunteered five times or more for a collective total of at least 135 miles hiked and 158,625 ft of upward trail. No counting of all the parts carried, shovels-flung and dirt inhaled; a mountain-sized THANKS to each of you!!!

There simply would be no real progress on recovery from the Bobcat Fire, much less conserving the Camp’s long-term condition for future use without all these boots, miles, hands and hearts: thank you all so very much! We’ll have year-end totals after the holidays, a snapshot of the Board member data, and next year we should ‘count calories consumed’—that should be an outstanding number. If you want to get in on the action, sign up to volunteer sturtevantcamp.com/volunteer.

*Board members are not included so as to not skew the data.

Raindrops Keep Fallin’ — and Moving Stuff

The early November storm that smacked southern California did a real number on the San Gabriels. Despite the dramatic changes of the 2020 Bobcat Fire and the subsequent storms at the start of 2021, this one seemed to do even worse. Winter Creek* was especially hard hit, with the familiar green bridge at Roberts Camp ripped from its foundations, along with all the forest cover at the junction with the Big Santa Anita stream. The view is simply devastating.

Up-canyon, the water did some more re-landscaping, and more trees were down, thankfully none in Camp. The heliport rain gauge measured 6.9 inches from the storm, and that plus the volume of surface gravel yet again wiped out the Camp’s rebuilt collection pond, along with much of the hardware. Volunteers have already shoveled a LOT of soupy gravel to locate what was left, and rebuilding is underway. As posted on Wilbur’s Facebook page, certainly Mother Nature bats last, but thanks to our volunteers, we’re still in the game!

*Winter Creek is so named because that’s when and where Wilbur paused building a new trail (the one we know as the Zion Trail) from Sierra Madre up to the Camp. It was his second trail into the Big Santa Anita, after guests complained about the difficulty of his first one. Speaking of which…

Happy 130th Birthday Sturtevant Trail!

1899 ad for camp from a Los Angeles magazine called “The Land of Sunshine”

Wilbur Sturtevant opened his trail resort in 1893, the first in the Big Santa Anita Canyon, and now the last in the San Gabriels. The country was in the midst of a severe economic depression, and his chief financial asset was the string of 23 pack animals he had built up and brought west from Colorado. While there was money in packing for local projects such as the Mt. Wilson toll road and construction of the Observatory, he was a bit of a loner and likely preferred to work for himself.

Wilbur observed the success of Martin’s and then Strain’s camps on Mt. Wilson and figured he could do even better; a camp would create guest revenue and a steady demand for packing (just like the money in selling printers is really in replacement toner cartridges!) Scouting the front range, “he first laid eyes on the gently sloping wide spot by the upper Big Santa Anita creek…”* With its steady water supply, majestic trees and a good dose of sunlight, it proved to be an ideal setting for a trail camp. But how to get there?

Anyone who has hiked the San Gabriels, and especially those who have done trail work, know how difficult the conditions are. Yet Sturtevant set to carving a steep trail down from the summit of Mt. Wilson to his new camp. It would prove to be 2.8 miles over 2800 feet of elevation – drop and the gain on the return, the same rate as the infamous Chilkoot Pass on Alaska’s Klondike Trail. Everyone who has hiked Wilbur’s trail knows it is a ‘butt-kicker’, ideal for training AND great views across to Mt. Baldy.

The Sturtevant story is the trail resort opened in 1893, likely summertime; that would put starting the construction of the trail into at least 1892. So, as we wrap up 2022, here’s Happy Birthday to the Sturtevant Trail, now 130 years old!

*G. Owens, “The Heritage of the Big Santa Anita”, pg. 4

Coming in December

The road re-opens (probably?), the Becky Page story, looking into the new year, Board changes and more. Until then, have a gravylicious Thanksgiving!

Categories
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.