Author: Greg Sweet

Categories
Camp News

Risk, Beauty, and Bylaws

Bigcone Spruce blown down in March storm, blocking both trails to the Chapel.

Old News Is No News: Closed

The U.S. Forest Service has extended the Bobcat Fire closure for the Big Santa Anita Canyon. After the fire in September 2020, the original closure went into effect through April 1, 2021, when it was renewed for another year—when it was renewed again.

That put all eyes on this April 1, 2023 as the latest possibility for a change. Most other areas of the closure in the Angeles National Forest have re-opened, but the deep recesses of the Big Santa Anita have not recovered from the on-going after-effects of the fire, especially the record-breaking 2022-23 “atmospheric rivers”. Most of the trails remain inhospitable to public use, ranging from annoying to hazardous to impassable. Because the Canyon connects so many of those, closing the Canyon is the most effective way to maintain safety for now.

So, the USFS has extended the closure order – but this time by one month, and again for another month to allow time for further assessment. If extended again on June 1st for another month, that could become the pattern, or it could be extended through another season of winter rains all the way to spring of 2024. This would match the original estimates of a 3-5 year period of recovery.

The Trail Ahead

Family hiking down the Canyon back into ‘real life’ (pre-2020).

In the judgement of the Conservancy’s Board, keeping the Canyon closed to the general public is best – for now: the trails are truly not safe for typical day hikers, nor is the pack trail passable for the burros above Fern Lodge to Sturtevant Camp. But everyone is partnering to fix that as soon as possible.

Instead, the real concern is how the eventual re-opening will be managed. A preview of what that could look like was the first wave of the Covid pandemic in the spring-summer of 2020, when the Canyon was overwhelmed by people seeking to get outdoors. Whenever the Chantry Flat Road gate re-opens, the Canyon and Camp will need to brace for a similar onslaught of post-fire curiosity-seekers and wilderness-lovers eager to reconnect with one of the most accessible and popular trail networks of the San Gabriels.

Between now and then, the Conservancy will press forward on two tracks: repairing and renewing the Camp to host the public, and partnering in getting the trails up to spec for the burros—because if the (main) trail is good enough for the pack train, it’s good enough for the people!

To that end, the Conservancy will host a few overnight work weekends this summer: to sign-up to volunteer and get information got to sturtevantcamp.com/volunteer; to donate toward materials and repairs, go to sturtevantcamp.com/support.

And to stay up to date, check back here plus tag into our pages on Facebook, both the Sturtevant Camp and Wilbur Sturtevant.

Purpose: A Place for People

The annual meeting of the Board in January included adoption of freshly detailed Bylaws. Those familiar with such documents would recognize the usual lingo for an organization, like setting the officers and electing members. But all of it rests upon the second Article, “Purpose of the Conservancy”. In other words, what is our legal reason for existing? Our answer:

“The purpose of the Sturtevant Conservancy (“The Conservancy”) is to provide stewardship of historic Sturtevant Camp (“The Camp”), located in the wilderness of the Angeles National Forest, and to operate it under a federal permit as a nonprofit hostelry for the sole benefit of the public through effective management and development for the future.”

Volunteers hiking in very tall, very thick spring grasses (check for ticks!)

There are several crucial words here: in the past, there was confusion about who the Camp was for (most trail guides perpetuated the idea it was only for church groups.) In fact, the Camp has always been under a public use permit from the U.S. Forest Service. Even when ol’ Wilbur first put up some tents, the Camp was and is on public land.

So, the purpose identifies who ‘receives the benefit’ or results of the Conservancy’s work, which is the Public!

In this same mode, “stewardship” is a vitally important word; as members of the Board, we collectively and individually understand ourselves to be only temporary caretakers of the Camp for the generations hiking now, and those to come long after we any one of us have laced up our boots for the last time.

Of course, there are many more layers of meaning and motivation beyond the legal purpose statement – but those are for another newsletter another day!

Commentary: Risk, Liability, and Generations

By Gary Keene, President /General Manager

There was an interesting convergence in my reading this past week: first was a string of emails moving toward a new general liability insurance policy for the Conservancy/Camp. Like every other engagement with the ‘world down the Canyon’, there was a lot of explaining to people who simply could not grasp that there’s a place that people go where there’s no road, no wi-fi, and a nearly nine-mile round-trip hike—that you would do on purpose!

The question of insurance itself, of “risk management” amplified the disconnect: one of the questions was, “Are there trees near the buildings?” DUH. “What are the principal hazards of the campground?” Umm, rocks, roots, snakes, bears, cougers—and other campers!

From the perspective of insurance, all of these are negatives, hazards to be mitigated. Yet from the perspective of potential hikers and guests, these are not only attractions, they are also essential to the experience of being in the wilderness. Take away the trees, rocks, stream and critters and you might as well hike in a parking lot.

But that would be very safe, which has become a high priority for many. As David Brooks writes, “Gen Z-ers grew up with hypercautious parenting that exaggerates the dangers in life,” with the result that kids are more fearful and less adventurous. (“What Our Toxic Culture Does to the Young”. May 4, 2023, New York Times.)

He quotes from Dr. Jean Twenge’s new book “Generations”, which piles up research about the distinctive characteristics of Boomers, Millenials, Gen Z, etc. Coincidentally, I had just finished reading an extensive article by her coinciding with this new book, and Brooks and Twenge together reminded me of the Richard Louv’s groundbreaking 2005 book, “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder”.

That title says everything there is to know about the contents, and it also makes the case for the inherent purpose of the Sturtevant Conservancy: Camp is the antidote to both fear and the ‘nature-deficit disorder’.

While our legally stated non-profit purpose names the Camp, the Camp is only a tool for the deeper purpose of giving people a place in the outdoors to experience true wilderness. This is especially true for families of all kinds and their kids. When the Camp was acquired by the Methodist Church in 1947, it was envisioned as an introduction to real wilderness for elementary youth and teens. The bathhouse sinks were set low for kids, and every summer there were hiking camps that prepped youngsters for more serious backpacking in the Sierras once they were in high school.

Wilbur Sturtevant knew intimately the virtues of wilderness back in 1893 and built a business serving others who also appreciated those virtues and wanted that experience. The Conservancy continues on that path, with a special interest in giving kids direct (risky!) exposure to the very real and non-virtual, wi-fi free environment of the National Forest.

We’re confident that the folks who’ve been to Camp, have volunteered there and love hiking, “get this” about the value of the Camp. You know how unique it is, not just historically, but right now today: that we need to be more in touch with reality and all its scratchy, scraped-knee consequences. And in the face of global climate change, that we need to be personally in touch with the earth as it is, not just in photos and documentaries.

The real risk for any generation is to grow up out of touch with the essential gift of the earth: there is no policy to insure against that, only the practice of putting boots to dirt and eyes to the sky and beyond.

Categories
Camp News

Boots Full O’Water and the Becky Page Story

Overflowing check-dam in the Big Santa Anita Canyon.

These Boots Are Made for Sloshing

The Camp’s news is everyone’s news: wild weather across California and many other places, wreaking havoc in all kinds of ways, from inconvenient to fatal. Hikers have been eyeing the San Gabriels, watching snow pile up high and come down to lower elevations – including Camp. The nearly unrelenting rain has topped off not just the Camp’s 20” rain gauge* but the mountain soil itself; every little side canyon is a steady waterfall, and the stream is running so high there is no way into Camp without filling up your boots like bathtubs.

Volunteer Board member Brent Pepper edges through the stream pushed up against a rock abutment.

But water is more than a discomfort to volunteer’s toes: the saturated dirt is letting healthy and often large, mature trees topple over. With the canyon’s steep sidewalls, this means more timber is down across the trail than ever before, making the hike into Camp a jungle crawl. Working to stabilize the tread will now take a backseat to very heavy duty ‘brushing’.

In Camp, everything is under a thick green carpet of branches and blow-down; the trees are already loaded with fat seeds/cones from a wet autumn, making them susceptible to snow, rain, and wind cracking them off. Fortunately, all Camp structures are currently (knock on wood!) intact, with only a few crunched eaves from falling limbs.

The Lodge surrounded by a carpet of green blowdown.

All this means progress on in-Camp projects is slowed down as we deal with the persistent challenge of trail access. Thanks to an equally tough and persistent network of volunteers, we’ll stay on the job and now that it’s officially spring, look forward what is sure to be an incredible season of wildflowers. Check back here for updates and photos! And as always, sign up to volunteer at sturtevantcamp.com/volunteer, and donate here sturtevantcamp.com/support.

*The average ANNUAL rainfall at Mt. Wilson is 33.35 inches; from December 11, 2022 to March 19, 2023, we’ve measured 38.75 inches at Camp!

More Than a Trail-Building Workshop

In early February, the U.S. Forest Service sponsored the Mt. Wilson Bicycling Association in offering a 2-day workshop on trail building. Board members Brent Pepper and Gary Keene, plus volunteer Nathan Bousfeld attended, alongside Maggie Moran from Adams Pack Station. Participants included other non-profit and advocacy groups, plus fire and forest service personnel. It was great to be in a room packed with people who love being in the outdoors, and working so others can share that experience.

Hikers, bikers, and USFS personnel gathered at the Angeles National Forest headquarters in Sierra Madre, just down the road from Chantry Flats.

Although it was a chance to freshen up on underlying principles, current tools and techniques, compare notes and stories, it was most importantly a chance to connect face to face with key USFS personnel, including the new Angeles National Forest Supervisor, Roman Torres. There was also a lot of good coffee, pastries and pizza!

The workshop also included new post-pandemic statistics on changes in who is spending time in the outdoors: “The pandemic has attracted more diverse outdoor participants, and there is an opportunity to increase the diversity of the outdoor participant base long term. Compared to those who participated in outdoor activities in 2019, new participants are: more likely to be female (58% vs. 49%), younger (average age 45 vs. 54), ethnically diverse 66% white vs. 71%), live in urban areas (36% vs. 29%), and in a slightly lower income bracket (41% with income of $100K+ vs. 46%).”

This kind of data is useful to the Sturtevant Conservancy, because one of the provisions of our special use permit from the Forest Service is to serve children and youth and under-served populations.

The presentation also noted “Community health benefits: for every dollar invested in building trails, nearly three dollars in medical savings cost may be achieved. Being in nature can reduce stress, calm anxiety, lead to a lower risk of depression.” In contrast, no mention was made of bears, snakes or mountain lions, which have been known to increase hikers’ anxieties.

Forgotten History: the Becky Page Story

The Outdoor Chapel at Sturtevant in use pre-2020.

Not everyone knows Sturtevant Camp has an outdoor chapel tucked away upstream of the bunkhouse cabins. Sturdy benches sit on a false flat created by the shoulder of a check dam, looking across the stream and up into the forest canopy toward Mount Wilson – with a seven-foot-tall stainless steel cross right in the middle of the view!

Although Wilbur Sturtevant was a preacher’s kid, and the Camp was owned by the Methodist Church for more than half its existence, the Camp has always been open to the public and people of all faiths or none (in fact, the permit from the U.S. Forest Service requires it.) If there is any religion, it has been a belief in the glory of nature and creation.

So how did a Christian cross get there—and such a big, permanent one? Here’s the story, as told by retired Camp manager “Boots” Barto in a 1993 letter to then-manager Chris Kasten.

*Parental advisory: read first before sharing with smaller kids.

“It’s a beautiful spot on a hillside overlooking a sparkling creek, shaded by a huge Bigcone Spruce tree. The sounds of chattering squirrels and the playful squabbling of the blue jays with a background of rushing water was God’s way of preparing a perfect place for the Becky Page memorial cross.

I had been manager of Camp Sturtevant just a short time (in the spring of 1966 or ’67) when I was told that someone wanted to erect a stainless steel cross as a memorial to someone or other. Now I’ll tell you that I was not too excited to have a stainless steel cross erected at the most rustic Camp I’ve ever been to. I was sure a big chunk of stainless steel would be completely out of place so I ignored the suggestion.

Then I was invited to visit the artist, and I’m sorry I don’t remember his name, but he did live in Arcadia not far from where we lived. The meeting was an exciting education. He not only showed me some of his stainless steel art, he demonstrated how differently heat from a gas torch would change the color to blues, reds and browns, then how different they looked when the sun shone on them. I came away from that studio feeling happy and proud that Camp Sturtevant was chosen for the site of that beautiful cross. When I first saw the completed cross, it was on the back of a burro headed up the trail to Camp, a very impressive site.

One rainy Saturday, a group of families headed by Win Ballance from the Church of the Good Shepherd in Arcadia hiked the four and half miles to Camp to install and dedicate the unusual memorial. A bucket brigade was formed to bring sand out of the creek while another group dug a fairly deep hole. Concrete was mixed to fill the hole around a heavy piece of channel iron to anchor the cross, hopefully for many years to come. Just as the last cement was poured and the cross leveled to perfection, Reverend Fred Coots hiked into camp and dedicated the Becky Page Cross with a short but meaningful service.

Now by this time I had a lot of interest in Becky Page. (Her) story came to me from a number of sources by bits and pieces, as follows:

Becky was a very cute little Junior high girl with leadership written all over her. Her family was an occasional church-going family, and this cute little girl had only been active in the junior high Methodist youth fellowship at the Arcadia church for a short time when the group spent a weekend at Camp Sturtevant.

On her return home, Becky bounced into the living room, dropping her back on the floor in true Junior high fashion, and exclaimed old mother I just had the most wonderful experience of my life. These were the last words that Becky was Heard to say. As her mother was talking on the telephone, Becky hurried out to see her horse, her best friend. Probably in her excitement of wanting to share her Camp experience, she spooked the horse. All that is known is that Becky was found unconscious with a hoof print on her forehead. Although Becky lived for several years, she never regained consciousness.”

That’s a tough story to hear, but that’s history for you.

Thanks to Chris for sending along the correspondence with Boots. A few ‘footnotes’ would be: Boots was called “Boots” because he was quick on his feet—which is to say, that’s how he controlled the mouse population in Camp! And, the current chapel benches were an Eagle Scout project accomplished by Peter Witman, son of Conservancy member/Operations Manager Paul Witman (himself a preacher’s kid.)

And, when the Methodist Church first took on the Camp in 1947 for elementary/middle schoolers to go to summer camp and learn hiking, they drew a plot plan showing a future in-ground swimming pool on the site of the current chapel. The late 50s-early 60s check dams built by LA County nixed that.

This image of the chapel cross was the cover of a 1997 invitation to a national gathering of church camp professionals.
Categories
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.

Categories
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.

Categories
Camp News

Autumn Preview 2022

Volunteers at Camp: enchanted Emily Sawicki, observant Paul Witman, Brent “Side-Eye” Pepper, and Scott “Sweaty” Wilson.

There She Is!

With an extra week of incubation capped by 23 hours of labor, Ripley Arliss Piscopo finally joined the sunshine world at 8:28am Thursday, August 4, 2022. Mom and Conservancy Board member Teah Vaughn-Piscopo and Dad Graham welcomed Ripley, along with a whole canyon-full of folks looking forward to Ripley’s arrival. Now the game is on to predict how soon Mom will have her cub in a sling and up the trail to Camp – stay tuned!

The Pour is On

Chantry Road – bird’s eye view (photo by David Nickeloff)

Even with the heat drying out the canyon hillsides, sending constant showers of gravel down on the project, the Chantry Road bridge is moving toward completion this fall. Two of four concrete pours are done, so the sections connecting the bridge to the original roadbed are scheduled. Next up will be negotiations with the County and the USFS to allow controlled access to Adams Pack Station.

Cooking Volunteers

Brent Pepper, Scott Wilson, and Emily Sawicki hike the trail to Camp for a day’s work on plumbing, carpentry and fire clearance.

The summer heat has made volunteer work at Camp even more of an exercise in commitment. Work has continued on the water system, fire clearance, building repair and maintenance— but just hiking in and out takes extra effort in the heat. Paying attention to staying hydrated has made the water system an even higher value asset, so that volunteers can resupply in Camp.

In the Canyon, the stream has gone underground in many places, typical for August. But we’re still getting a decent little flow into old tank #1, while the new valve and control system for the new tanks is being completed.

Looking Ahead

Volunteers at Camp: enchanted Emily Sawicki, observant Paul Witman, Brent “Side-Eye” Pepper, and Scott “Sweaty” Wilson.

Volunteer work on multiple projects will resume in earnest Labor Day weekend. The goal is to double-down on projects by scheduling a few overnight work teams this Fall. To get in on the action (ideally in cooler temps), visit sturtevantcamp.com/volunteer and/or send an email stating your interest—you can make the difference!

Looking Back, Musically & Generously

Back in the day, Mr. Glenn Robison was operations Director for the multiple camps in United Methodist system, including Sturtevant. Now in retirement, he’s expressing his eclectic talents and tastes with a radio show focusing on vintage pop and jazz music of the 1920s-30s. Remembering the Camp and Adams Pack Station, he put together a segment on music about mules, burros and pack trains, with a link to donate to the Pack Station! Shout out and thanks to Glenn, with plug for the Pack Station to boot (or hoof.) Check out his intro and the music here: https://www.glennrobison.com/rapidly-rotating-records-78-rpm-show-august-7-2022/

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 Camp Operations Reports

Building Large & Small

Memorial Day volunteers L-R include Ted Baumgartner in blue, Gary Keene in orange, Sharon Miller in the middle, Paul Witman leaning in, and pack station owner Maggie Moran taking the group selfie.

There are two “big” projects underway that, when completed, will give the public safe and reliable access into the Big Santa Anita Canyon. The objectively larger one is the L.A. County project to build a vehicle bridge on the Chantry Road, using heavy—really, really heavy! – equipment. It is currently on track for completion in early October.

The smaller but no less crucial one is helping the Adams Pack Station to reclaim the ‘horse’ or pack trail from Chantry Flats up to Camp; the tools and equipment are shovels, pick-axes, McLeods, and strong backs! The packtrain burros will be the first regular users, with hikers coming later when the Canyon opens to the public (hopefully next spring).

The trail is rough but navigable by foot now, but there is one rocky pinch point the burros cannot pass with their bags loaded; plus a few other points are tricky and need work. As soon as these can be fixed, Maggie Moran can start packing, which serves the Pack Station and the Camp—both of which remain endangered by the closure of the Canyon nearly two years after the Bobcat Fire. To join this project, visit sturtevantcamp.com/volunteer. We’ll provide the shovel!

Spring = New Births

Flowers aren’t the only things blooming in the Canyon: bear cubs have been sighted near Chantry, and on the trail to Camp, Manager Paul Witman came upon three still wet, just-born fawns (see photo). Then in Camp, a Dusky Flycatcher has made a nest in its usual place on the kitchen windowsill of the Manager’s Cabin – but this time had the advantage of a cup previously filled with ammonia to stave off the bears. A week after the first photos of her sitting on 3 eggs, the work team returned to find them hatched and hungry; the photo here shows them napping while mom is out hunting for breakfast.

How to Sell “Camp”

With Camp closed for repairs and preparing for re-opening ‘later’, the Board is catching its breath and thinking about how to advertise for that re-opening. Sturtevant is so wholly unique, it’s hard to accurately “sell”: hikers come into true wilderness, but stay in cabins, with kitchens and restrooms. Sturtevant is just 25 miles from downtown LA. so it’s ‘accessible’—but that 4.15 mile hike makes it genuinely remote. In Camp guests are “wi-fi free”, yet most awareness of Camp is built on-line, especially now while the Canyon is closed. It feels luxurious to have bed and pillows in the wilderness, but for sure it’s not glamping, it’s rustic—historically, intentionally, inevitably rustic!

We’re confident that the Canyon’s magic will continue to pull in all kinds of people, just as it has since Wilbur set up the first tents in 1893. With that in mind, one option to both sell that Canyon magic and recover the guest capacity of Cabin-1 could be to put up an old-school canvass sidewall tent. These have become popular and are readily available—just as they were way back when: the accompanying photo is from the 1897 Sears & Roebuck catalogue, showing many kinds of tents for recreation and work.

Note that 1897 is the same year that Wilbur built the “Swiss Dining Lodge” to accommodate his booming tent-based resort business. We still enjoy it today, and are working so that many more can continue to come to Camp in the years ahead. To be part of helping that history thrive in the future visit sturtevantcamp.com/support.

Calling All Hosts, Old & New

Speaking of which (the Future): Sturtevant’s microscopic non-profit public service Conservancy depends entirely on volunteer hosts to welcome and manage guests on weekends. Looking ahead to re-opening (sometime after Christmas?) we are ramping up to recruit old and new hosts for that exciting day.

This includes an updated job description, orientation and training for hosts, and a smoother booking system for hosts, with accompanying “bennies” on the far end. 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!

And the Water-Works Goes On

These snapshots from progress on the water system include Site & Operations Manager Paul Witman piecing together the filter system for the replacement tanks at the entry to Cabin-2, which has become the storage and assembly site for all the valves, tools, etc. Action figure-photo-volunteer Scott Wilson pumps the come-along to drag one of the old concrete tank support ledgers out of its place, making room for the replacement tank/s. And Scott at rest, surveying the reworked pad for the new water tanks: the new ones are shorter but wider than the ones lost to the fire, so the pad had to be slightly expanded.

Binocular Report

Going into summer, the Conservancy’s “backpack” is full of work: getting the pack train through to Camp a.s.a.p., installing and testing the water tank (as the water level drops for the season and the continuing drought), finalizing host recruitment and training, housekeeping and repairs in Camp, upgrading our accounting and reservations systems, and developing both marketing and publicity before the Forest opens, etc.! In other words, we’re keeping our boots laced up and ask you to do the same with a visit to sturtevantcamp.com/support

Bonus Shot / Up Next

Here is a fuzzy spy photo of – what? One of our volunteers with – what? See next month’s newsletter for the big reveal!

Categories
Camp News Camp Operations Reports

Trees Down, Flowers Up, Gate Closed

Alder Jackstraw Downfall

Forest More Open – Canyon Still Closed

Extended closure map

The Angeles National Forest is slowly opening after the Bobcat Fire, but the Big Santa Anita Canyon remains closed. The original order closed the Forest through this April, and there was hope that when it expired, the Canyon would re-open. And the U.S. Forest Service did open nearly 60% of the closed area, but extended the closure for the remaining 40% of the Forest through Spring 2023. You guessed it: the Camp and Canyon remain in the closed area.

It’s hard to make a positive case for public access to the Canyon at this time*. Spring weather continues to move the streambed around and knock trees down across the trails. Volunteers are engaged in a Sisyphean effort to clear deadfall and quickly scrape the trail on their way in, but the tread remains sharply rocky and unstable. Basically, the trail is still hazardous and just plain unwelcoming.

*And that’s ignoring the Chantry Road project; if the Canyon was opened before the Road is completed, hiking access would have to be from the Mt. Wilson side or Newcomb’s Pass).

Closed, Except to Flowers!

Bushwhacking through Canterbury Bells

Given all the above conditions, the old days of a relatively smooth walk/hike in the mountains looking up into the trees is gone, at least for now. But it’s also true that the trail and hillsides are overwhelmed by tall bright green grasses and wildflowers concealing the trail, most of them between knee and hip-high; it’s like pushing through powder snow! Especially abundant are the blue Canterbury Bells—what used to be a nice annual scattering along south-facing hillsides is now a dense blanket of purple-blue.

So, hiking into Camp isn’t without its rewards! Work is currently focused on clearing a few pinch points in the trail so a fully loaded Pack Train can come all the way through to Camp. The load going up will be cement-mix and parts for the water tanks; coming out will be the charred remains of Cabin-1 and the old tanks, plus accumulated broken junk that needs to go out.

To get in on the action while the flowers are still bright, go to sturtevantcamp.com/support

Back in the Cabin Again

Sarah & Teah at dinner

Given the USFS guidelines for safety in the post-burn Canyon, no one has stayed in Camp since guests were evacuated for the Bobcat fire 20 months ago. But earlier this month, we ‘broke the fast’ and for a very timely reason: board member and Manager for Guests & Hospitality Teah Vaughn-Piscopo was the host who evacuated that group, and her first baby is due this July. She quite rightly wanted to spend a first and last “normal” night in Camp “Before I shift from carrying the baby inside to outside.”

Following the hiker’s safety rule of 3 minimum, fellow Board members Sarah Barron and Gary Keene hiked in with Teah for a very mixed 24 hours: originally scheduled for a Friday-Saturday that suddenly became insanely hot, they shifted forward just one day—and instead hiked in a cool drippy drizzle. A lovely dinner of Italian cuisine followed, then Teah slept in the Manager’s Cabin with a can of bear spray just in case Peggy the Bear decided to try her old trick of coming through the closet wall!

Instead, the wind howled all night, and the morning brought a clear and beautiful day for the hike out. But not before Teah finished her job of refitting the bear-damaged refrigerator doors in the Lodge kitchen! Thanks and congrats to Teah, we’ll keep everyone posted here about her birth-day.

Peggy On the Move Again

Cabin-owners at Fern Lodge and up Winter Creek are reporting a new round of bear break-ins, which is frustrating: nobody is keeping any food that would attract attention, but Peggy clearly learned to check back just in case, pulling boards off cabin walls like the lever on a slot machine—might get lucky!

Fortunately, she hasn’t been back to Camp (yet.) What few dry staples were salvaged from the original break-ins after the fire are stashed – where else? – in the Bear Bin, a solid sheet metal container designed to hold garbage until the Pack Train can pick it up.

No ‘permanent’ repairs have been made to the prior damage either: the plan is to develop a food/bear security protocol for when we re-open, and make the real repairs then. With any luck, having people more consistently on site will help keep Peggy (the peg-legged bea) away.

Moving Mountains: a Hydrologist’s Prediction

Standard orientation for guests at Camp includes pointing out that the San Gabriels are one of the most unstable mountain ranges anywhere. The combination of decomposed granite sitting on the uplift of the San Andreas Fault means we’re always falling / sliding / eroding down. Now the Bobcat fire has exposed all that, and with any hit of rain, more is carried down the canyon, filling in the streambed like a beach.

Now, according to an L.A. County hydrologist, we can expect more. Detailed post-fire surveys measured the loss of vegetation and the amount of remaining exposed soils, their depth and composition; next came rainfall calculations, with the estimate what we saw around Christmas 2021 will repeat for the next 3-5 years. Put those together, and there is a high probability we will continue to see the Big Santa Anita Canyon seriously re-shaped in the years to come. Grab your shovels and wax those boots!

Really BIG Holes

Drilling really big holes

Camp volunteers are getting a close-up look at the Chantry Road bridge project; vehicles have to be left behind about the 3 miles up the road, and then everyone hikes through the churned-up dirt, rocks and huge drilling equipment. Almost two dozen bore holes are going in through soil and solid rock, some 55 ft and other 75 ft down. Pretty nifty what you can do with gigantic heavy metal bits and engines, but we’ll stick with our shovels and McLeods!

Binocular Report

“Opening Next Spring” is the refrain for predictions about when the USFS will open the Big Santa Anita Canyon to the public; the ideal would be to coincide with the re-opening of the Chantry Road scheduled before Thanksgiving. But HOW that re-opening happens is purest speculation.

During the early phases of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Canyon was overwhelmed with people desperately seeking to get outdoors together. So, it’s a good bet that once the gate formally opens, thousands will want to see the effects of the Bobcat Fire up close—as well as to again, get outdoors. How will the canyon be made ready—safe for the public, managed in terms of parking, trail directions, trash collection? All eyes are on the USFS.

Although the Camp remains closed for business, we’re still busy with repair and improvement projects: funding these projects is now entirely dependent on charitable donations of time, talents and dollars. You can help with any or all of these! Click into the Volunteer and Donate links, and keep in touch here as we find our way forward on the trail in 2022.

April Photo Gallery