Photo Notes

I rode my MTB up Sta Anita Cyn Rd into Chantry Flats in the Angeles NF on January 15. I humped over 2 huge slides that had buried the roadbed. There was access, as a trail has been established over the settled slide remains. Most of the roadbed is marked in one place or another by rock fragments, silt, sand, and punched out retaining walls left by bouncing boulders.

The first slide is about 3/4mile up from the locked gate. The second is immediately before the parking lots. The rock and mud came down, burying the roadbed to a depth of at least 20' in places. The trail over this slide has been marked with salvaged Botts Dots from the roadbed.

From Chantry Flats I claimed my title as the World's 2nd-most Incompetent MTB Rider, giving my worthy bike a good hard pushing all the way up to Sturtevant Camp. When it wasn't being pushed it got carried, with no complaints.

The water moving thru the canyons are spectacular. I shot at Sturtevant Falls, and along the canyons.

Water is normally low. However due to post-storm conditions, the flows were swift, and knee-high at most water crossings. All the trails have washouts in places, with periodic downed trees. Since the storms the canyons look 19th century--very few people on the trails at all.

When I rode out there was a notice on the locked gate above Sierra Madre announcing that the road was closed. It looked home-made [color laser printer], as there were no official logos etc on it. If this is for real then its likely there will be a Sierra Madre patrol car on duty soon.

On January 17 I went into the Arroyo with the intent of going up as far as possible to photograph. I got as far as somewhere between the Nino and Paul Little Picnic Areas. With the stream-bed in high water, 5' deep and 20' across in places, and my kayak and machete elsewhere, I shot the Arroyo shots at a bend in the canyon. I can only imagine what its like further in canyon.