Categories
Camp News

One Year Later, Many More to Go

The Canyon and Camp have been back in business for a year now, so what have we seen and learned and accomplished? As 2025 comes to a close, here’s the latest from the Sturtevant Conservancy.

Guests Don’t Grow on Trees

But they do sit around under them, especially in the circle of many-colored Adirondack chairs in Camp. Through-hikers to Mt. Wilson also stop in and people swaps trail updates, hiking tips and stories. January to June was busy in the circle and in the cabins, with lots of guests after the four-year shutdown. 

But the summer heat and bugs slowed down hikers and guests and continued into Autumn. The quiet stretch made room for volunteers to respond to the tree fallen on Cabin-2 (see below), and minimized the impact of mid-November’s heavy rains.

Hikers check updated maps posted at the Tool Shed before heading out on the trails.

Now 2026 is around the corner and reservations are wide open: pick two numbers—the number of people you want to book, and the date/s you want to sample, then click into reservations here.

We look forward to welcoming you to your place in the circle under the big trees. 

New Mugs @ Rain-Delayed Open House 

The Camp Open House scheduled in November was decisively rained out (we’ll take the water!) and is now re-scheduled to Saturday morning Dec. 6th. Holiday shopping might tempt hikers to stay down the hill, so we’re releasing a special gift opportunity at the Open House*—two new carabiner mugs in the series of “Wilbur’s Signature Mugs.” 

*The Open House is mostly a chance to put out some cookies and open all the Camp building’s doors, inviting people into the Camp’s six lodging options to see what it’s like to stay at Camp. It’s also a chance to tell a few stories and share our dreams for improvements and upgrades—if we can recruit the right skills for realizing them. All no charge, come hungry before noon.

The next two mugs feature Wilbur’s authentic signature from a letter to his sister Florence; responding to the news of their mother’s passing, he closes with:“Oh Florence, my heart and eyes are too full for writing. So good by – Wilbur.” The new mug colors are Camp Red (same as the buildings), and Heliport Nightsky Blue. A few of the previous mugs are still available, but only 10 numbered mugs in each of the new colors are available, ONLY at Camp and ONLY for cash on site. The first three are priced at $20, the second three at $30, the final three at $40; the tenth mug is $50. Eventually, one complete set from all the series will be auctioned as a fundraiser. Come play Santa and get your gift mugs! 

Volunteer Board member Paul Witman making the rainy hike to camp to check for leaks – found and fixed a few.

Do Your Boots Squish?

They do if you were hiking to Camp in mid-November. Although not quite the atmospheric deluge of 2022-23 (so far), the rainfall for early November was potent and welcome. The storms have tested the trail improvements made prior to last October’s re-opening, and so far everything is holding up with no washouts or major slides (knock on soggy wood). 

Volunteer Scott Wilson clearing deadfall from the trail – again. 

But true to form, the abundant rain has also renewed the need for trail work: the saturated soil releases rocks and especially trees that were charred in the Bobcat fire. If you come to hike, keep your gloves and pocket saw handy and join in keeping the trails cleared.

Noah’s Cabin

Speaking of falling trees, work continues on Crunched-Cabin-2, only now the work is under its big brown tarp. Ops/Site Manager Paul Witman has been teetering on ladders and pounding nails, with plenty of help from volunteers, both on the clean-up and construction ends (just getting the massive chunks of the fallen tree moved off and away was an effort!) 

Site/Ops Manager Paul Witman hoisting the nail gun for roof repairs. 

Soon the work will shift to the more delicate tasks of transporting glass for all the windows up the trail and installing them; then fresh paint on the new roof inside, with the goal of re-opening the Cabin to guest use a.s.a.p. Many hands make for quick progress and good stories: sign up here to volunteer.

Remembering Dorothy Knox

Every hiker and guest who enjoys Sturtevant owes a debt of gratitude to its first generation of volunteers who set the pattern and positive vibe of working tirelessly for the Camp. Sturtevant was in private ownership until 1943 when the Methodist Church purchased it; for many years after that, volunteers did the essential work of reclaiming the Camp from years of neglect and eventually constructing most of the cabins and buildings we see today.

Dorothy Knox

Among those were the family of Rev. John Knox, one of the early pastors to bring groups up the trail to stay and volunteer; his wife Dorothy was part of the work leading youth and summer camp experiences. Her daughter Karen recalls one time when campers discovered a rattlesnake under a tarp: “They managed to kill it, and then asked Mom to cook it. She had no idea, but she coiled the skinned snake in a frying pan; after a while of frying, it picked itself up, turned over, and laid back down in the pan!” 

Just the kind of Camp story that’s an instant classic. John passed away a few years ago, and now we’ve received word of Dorothy’s passing at the age of 88 near Houston, TX. We remember her and her family with thanks for their part in renewing the Camp for everyone’s enjoyment today, and with the help of today’s volunteers, many more years to come. 

Does This Venn Diagram Make My Board Look Bigger? 

Conservancy President /Camp General Manager Gary Keene

The Sturtevant Conservancy is going on ten years old, with over four of those spent on responding to the losses and shut-down of the Bobcat Fire. During that time, the seven-member Board was directly and vigorously engaged in reclaiming the Gabrielino trail up to Camp, recovery and repair of buildings and utilities damaged by the fire AND bears, developing a new reservations and finance system, and eventually managing incoming guests. 
It was a bit much. 

The result has been a clear consensus that the work of the Board is related to but distinct from operating the Camp; and that separating those two opens the door to a wider array of volunteers and their diverse skills. To that end, the Board tweaked some of its By-Laws to expand its working groups (or yeah, committees) on Hospitality, Administration and Operations to include non-Board members.  

So if you’re a number-cruncher, there’s a place for you; if you like to sling dirt and fix pipes, there’s work for you. And if you’re a people person, or into marketing, or crafty, or like to write policy even (!), sign up to volunteer here.

Happy Trails & Holidays from the Conservancy Board of Directors
Jennifer, Brent, Kelly, Teah, Paul, Sarah and Gary. 

Categories
Camp News

Autumn Winds Blow

After a quiet summer, it looked like the right time to crank up some marketing and long-range planning— but then the wind blew in with a different priority. Here’s the latest from that little Camp up in the mountains for early autumn, 2025.

Feel The Crunch

After a week all on its own, standard procedure upon arrival in Camp is to eyeball the buildings for bear entries, tree-fall, or other damage. On Friday, September 5th, the quick survey from below appeared to be all good; attention was focused on getting ready for an informal reception on Saturday to mark the 5th anniversary of the Bobcat Fire— because it was so far behind us. Ha!

What’s that bulge, and that gap?!

It wasn’t until the pack train arrived that a leafy branch hanging over the edge of Cabin-2 was noticed; a more careful look raised the question—Why are the walls bulged out? A few steps closer and Yep, an entire oak tree had come down on the Cabin, crunched through the roof, splitting open a corner of the building and popping out an entire window in its frame from the opposite wall.  

Very tall, very green, very heavy, very precise, very fallen. 

Frustratingly, we had been in conversation just the week before with a tree guy about thinning some hazard trees, but this was not one of them: a very tall and very green canyon oak, but with a burn-weakened base. Like many other trees in the Canyon, this one had survived the Bobcat fire above two feet from the ground; but from the knees down, it had burned inside, gone dead and rotted in the heavy rains of ’22-’23. Sharp winds and light thunderstorms blew through the mountains after Labor Day, so the healthy crown of this tree must have caught a mean gust, and finally gave up. 

Packer Scott Wilson carefully enters the Chamber of Stabby Wood. 

The live wet weight was multiplied by where the trunk split into 3, increasing the force of impact, and the aim could not have been more perfect: it nailed the ridge beam almost dead center. Photos inside show the splintered ceiling joists and boards; only one bunk got a light after-stab, and otherwise everything was (relatively) intact.

In general, the building can be repaired; the trick will be getting that corner to fit back together. The project lends itself to some small improvements the Board had already been considering—but a lot of that started simply with fresh paint!

Most of the roof is actually intact, if “bent” a bit. 

Delayed, Again

The disappointment is the Conservancy had been gearing up to tackle maintenance and repairs delayed by the Fire— there is still plenty of bear damage to address, and plans to upgrade of the bathhouse. That will have to wait as we scramble to rebuild #2’s roof, ideally before the winter rains. 

The tree was cut off the roof the same day, and a shower cap installed soon after.

A Narrower Bottom Line – for now

The loss of 8 more bunks also cuts our guest capacity by 25%– again: the loss of Cabin-1 to the Fire brought it down to 32 pillows, now it will be at 24 for the near future. While the Camp is rarely at capacity (which is best for the Camp and its guests), the plan has been to solicit and create more exclusive-use events to help fund repairs and improvements. This temporary loss of bunks cuts directly into revenue for that much needed work.

If you like to saw boards and pound nails, now is your time!

Job Openings

But money is the smaller problem: the bigger problem is recruiting people who are both skilled for the necessary tasks, and care enough about the Camp to give their time—and OBTW, can knock out a four-mile hike and then tackle the job! If you have the boots, the heart, and even some skills, sign-up here to volunteer for this and plenty of other worthwhile projects in the wilderness. https://www.sturtevantcamp.com/volunteer/

Balloons and— Duck Eggs? 

For Sturtevant Camp, the first full weekend of September will be forever marked by two consequential events: Sept.6,, 2020 was the start of the Bobcat Fire, which eventually worked its way to the Camp, burning Cabin-1 and most of the water system. The second was the passing of the Camp’s founder, Wilbur M. Sturtevant, 115 years ago this year on September 8th, 1910 at the age of 68. 

Guests Liv and Mayumi help celebrate the history of the first weekend of September.

Apart from the tree on Cabin-2, the focus in Camp for this 2025 weekend was the Fire, five years in the past but still delivering trouble. Special for the occasion, Chef Teah V-P baked a custom batch of cookies using duck eggs (?!) Also there were fresh strawberries, lemons and mint to spike the iced lemonade. And there were balloons, because balloons are always fun (especially tying them together—love that squeaky sound!) 

Consensus of guests and through-hikers was that the cookies were quackalicious and much appreciated, and an ICED beverage of ANY flavor is fantastic on hot, late summer days.  

As for Wilbur, he stayed quiet. Again. 

On the Calendar: OPEN HOUSE Nov.15th

Saturday, November 15th will be an OPEN HOUSE at Camp. Everything will be open to the public so everyone can see what you get when you spend a night or two in Camp. Board members of the Conservancy will be available to describe the amenities and logistics of staying in Camp, tell stories past and present, and answer questions. 

If you hike, you will snack.

For sure Teah is going to bake stuff to go with the free refreshments, and there’ll be souvenirs to pick up and merch to purchase (cash!). Posters will describe both the history of buildings and planned improvement projects; hopefully Cabin-2 will be done—if not, you might be given a paintbrush to help get it across the finish line! 

Set a reminder for the date and share the invite with friends for a great time in the mountains with like-minded folks. 

Happy trails!

Categories
Camp News

Summer @ Camp 2025

Two families from Altadena, one burned out by the Eaton Fire,
teamed up to hike to Camp for a long, lazy weekend.

They Grow So Fast

Guest Manager Teah Vaughn Piscopo was hosting the weekend the Bobcat Fire broke out, and evacuated guests down the Canyon. This included the Winters family and their kids, who have been eager to come back to Camp once the Canyon reopened. Except that four years later, what were little kids then are now seniors and graduates with jobs, so it took a while for the reunion to finally happen. Here they are left to right, Rosalie, Ike and Millie—and Teah! 

Q&A: You’re All Booked Up, Right?  

Day-hikers in Camp frequently ask, “How far in advance do I need to make a reservation?” Answer: if you like to plan ahead, plan as far out as you like, but if you’re feeling spontaneous, you can come right now, this summer! 

Dining “al fresco” which translates as “eating outdoors, like campers have always done.”

Booking is all on-line, and starts with choosing a date and the number of people; the interactive site will then show what is available.  The Camp has six different lodgings available with 32 “pillows” throughout; there are four full/double beds (8 people) and 12 double bunks, so 24 single mattresses with blankets and pillows (rental sheet sets are available).

Sample booking page on the new on-line Campspot reservations site.

Check it all out here and see you in Camp soon!

Many but not all hikers are familiar with “hostel-style” accommodations,
so each cabin has this guide to shared housekeeping.

Dancers Who Hike or Hikers Who Dance?

For many years, the largest annual group at Camp has been the Southern California community Dance Coalition – aka “those Contradancers”. After five years shut out by the Bobcat fire, they finally returned in joy and sound and motion and fun over Memorial Day weekend. Here are a few snapshots, including their Memorial Day remembrance.

Q&A: How Did That Piano Get Here? 

The question Camp Hosts are asked most often is, “How do YOU get here?” The assumption is there’s a secret back road in, because who in their right mind would make that hike in every time? When told the only way in is by boots and everyone hikes, the next question is typically, “So how did the piano get here?” 

Sample of the old days-and-ways: a piano is packed in to Switzer’s Camp.

Back in the day, pianos were in fact packed on mules—or more accurately, between two mules (see photo.) But it is doubtful that any of the early owners of the Camp would have bothered to drag a piano up the Canyon, especially since the Lodge was open to the elements, which sometimes included snow. 

Instead, the best guess is that during a brief period in the late ‘50s into the ‘60s, the ‘Burma Road’ did in fact go to up to Camp; this was the construction road for LA County’s debris dam project. Very likely the Camp’s owner at the time (the Methodist Church) was granted access to bring in heavier pieces of improvement, starting with the eight burner/dual oven Wolf range for the Lodge kitchen; the piano would have been an obvious add-on. 

But since the dams were completed and the road torn out, there have been only two ways for stuff too big for the burros to come in: one is by hand, which means people using arms, legs and sometimes wheeled contraptions. The Lodge woodstove came down from Newcomb Pass this way, with eight hikers rotating in teams of four; same for the water tank panels, two-by-two, but all the way UP from Chantry. 

And in a few very rare, very special instances, the Camp has benefited from helicopter deliveries (and pick-ups). For example, the fancy German ping-pong table in the Lodge came in by chopper, along with full size mattresses, new refrigerators, and the ‘old’ plastic water tank. Going out were old refrigerators and water heaters and bed frames, the kinds of heavy hardware that used to get buried in the hillside.

The mountains dictate everything we do, what we have and how we get it: all hail the mountains! 

Technically, only one person on the swing at a time,
but what dad can resist his two-year-old backed up by a Big Sister?

Q&A: “Vare iz de hikingk?”  

The end of a long weekend in Camp is always marked by coming down the Chantry Road and seeing the high-rises of downtown LA pop up against the setting sun. But this time, an oncoming car slowed with a hand waved out the window, an obvious request to STOP and it turned out, Talk to me. 

Rolling down the window, a woman who could be your favorite aunt leaned out and said, “Vare iz de hikingk?” You mean, the parking at the trailhead? “Yezz, de Santa Anita hikingk!!” Up the road a few more minutes. “OK, tank you!” 

It was 6:15pm, the sun going down, and soon the lower gate would lock off the Canyon, coming and going. What was she thinking? What did she know? Likely not much, or at least not enough. But more importantly, what did she want? What would move a woman to drive up an unknown road at the end of the day to hike in an unknown place?

Along the trail, a Humboldt Lily, often called a Tiger Lily.

There are no answers, only speculation. Given her accent, perhaps she was a new resident, exploring a new place; likely information was only available in English and therefore not readily accessible to her. Yet she wanted to hike: after work, to squeeze in some personal time? To get out of the house, away from some dramas? To be outdoors and away from the hustle and congestion and cell service? Maybe to be among the trees, along the stream, a place similar to a home far away? 

All kinds of people come from all over greater LA and far beyond to hike in the ‘Santa Anita’, for all kinds of reasons. It has been that way for more than a century, when Wilbur first hacked a trail down from Mt. Wilson and advertised his mountain “hotel” (tents, actually.) The magic of the Canyon continues to draw people to the Camp, and we don’t second guess their motivations, only share in their satisfactions. 

Whatever your reasons are, come on up and meet other folks, perhaps discover their reasons, and share in the timeless gifts of the mountain wilderness; you are welcome here.  
Gary Keene, Board member

The cool spring weather was accompanied by an uptick in S’mores,
some golden, some flaming, many charred.
Categories
Camp News

What OPEN Looks Like

What Open Feels Like

Honestly? Awesome. Rewarding, satisfying, gratifying, and “Finally!” After the Eaton Fire delayed opening in early January, guests are now finally hiking up and staying in Camp, enjoying some exceptionally gorgeous “California winter” weather.

Serious family badminton competition on a cool, bright, winter day.

Confusion about road and trail access after the Fire muted early bookings, but now the road IS open and it’s clear most trails ARE open, so the number of bookings is rising alongside the number of weekend day hikers. In the Lodge and cabins, it’s been a nice mix of families and friend groups, with several large all-Camp organized groups scheduled in May.   

The old saying is proving true: “A pleasure shared is a pleasure doubled.” Having people relaxing, laughing, cooking and playing in Camp is transforming the last four years of work into a real pleasure. See you in Camp!

Kids with dads prove even the smallest boots can make the hike to Camp.

Board Ponders Settlement

Like clockwork, the trail runners and speed-hikers arrive soon after sunrise; it means they were first at the Chantry gate, got parking, and started in the dark.

Unfortunately, California wildfires are now a regular news feature, and with that, questions of cause, blame, and recuperative lawsuits. The Bobcat Fire, which destroyed one cabin at Camp and two water tanks, was determined to have been caused by Southern California Edison: Now, five years later, the Sturtevant Conservancy has reached a mediated settlement with Edison for damages and lost revenue. 

Thanks go to founding Conservancy Board President Deb Burgess, who, as CEO at the time, added the Conservancy to the Canyon’s suite of claims brought against Edison after the fire (Deb also lost her own private cabin in the Canyon to the fire.) The lengthy litigation that followed was mostly mechanical: fires and Edison and claims have become so frequent that settlement was not so much a question of IF but When. 

Day-hikers take a break in Camp on their way up the original Sturtevant Trail to Mt. Wilson.

But explaining the Camp’s unique circumstances and its losses was complicated: one cost was the “removal of all hazardous burn debris” required by LA County. Explaining that burros had to pack out that debris, what a burro pack train is, and that they require a passable trail, which was not passable for nearly three years, meant that a specific dollar number was not yet possible for the claim: all that took some ‘splainin’. 

With the main trail now cleared and stabilized, the Adams Pack Train is making the ‘run’ to Camp weekly.

The Board agreed to the settlement based on the advice of its legal counsel. Once it was confirmed, the Directors met to explore the implications, and to consider effective stewardship of the settlement funds. In general, a dual focus seemed clear: the Camp itself (buildings and infrastructure), and the mission of the Conservancy, which is to develop the general public’s use of the Camp.  

Different guest groups share the main kitchen hostal-style, and end up sampling and swapping foods (some discovered the tastiness of fried Spam for the first time). Photo by Judy Reid.

Takeaways from the meeting included practical matters to research, and building a wish-list for the Camp and its use. And for the first time after four years in survival mode, the Directors took a big breath and said, “Seems like the right time for some strategic planning!” Luckily, the Board has dibs on a wonderful place in the mountains for just that kind of retreat. Stay tuned!

Guests catch the first rays of a full moonrise. Photo by Todd Pelkey

La Bella Luna

Camp guests gathered after dinner on the heliport Saturday, April 12 to watch the full “Pink” moonrise. It was a calm, clear, cool evening as the initial glow on the eastern edge of the Canyon finally emerged with a nearly piercing light—enough to cast everyone’s shadows and causing everyone to exclaim with awe and delight. As sunset and dusk turned to full darkness, multiple cell phones with apps for identifying stars, planets and constellations were held in the air. The mini-field trip concluded with a collective howling at La Bella Luna. 

Antique Camp sign in the 1903 Ranger Cabin

Mainstream Maintenance 

The trails are open, the Camp is open, water is safely in the new tanks and guests are enjoying their hot showers: what else is there to do? Plenty. 

Layers and layers of deferred maintenance and repairs have accumulated over the four years of the Bobcat closure. After September 2020, all work was invested in getting the trail open (and keeping it open), and at the same time urgent repairs from bear and weather damage had to be addressed, all while rebuilding a new and more durable water system.

The interior of the Honeymoon Cottage is being improved, but the exterior will be a bigger project.

Now the work is becoming mundane, yet still crucial: top of the list is nearly all buildings’ roofs need to be re-shingled; replacement doors on several building can’t be installed until the door frames are significantly rebuilt from the combined effects of bears, termites, and decades of use. Many cabins desperately need the windows to be completely reglazed, and most need entirely new screens. And everything could use a good coat of fresh paint. 

Campers test a new footbridge over a gully on the heliport trail.

So… would you like to leave your mark, make a difference, practice a skill, or learn one? Sign up here to get in on the action. Note: some hiking required. 

Downed trees are just part of safety closure on the Mt. Zion trail. Here a volunteer pauses on one soon to be cleared, chainsaw-style.

TRAILS UPDATE

All trails in and out of the Big Santa Anita Canyon are now OPEN, with the practical exception of the Mt. Zion trail. Although technically “passable”, it is not the pleasant, rewarding hike it was and will be after reconstruction work is completed later this spring. More than unpleasant, some of it remains quite risky.

Day hikers can have good up-and-back from Camp to the Zion saddle; however the Winter Creek approach remains very sketchy. For the latest trail updates, check Wilbur Sturtevant’s Facebook page: we are monitoring progress almost daily and will post updates starting there.

The character, work, wit and life of legendary mountain volunteer Dave Baumgartner was celebrated at Adams Pack Station Easter weekend. With his wife Jane, Dave was a regular Host at Camp. Especially after the Bobcat Fire, he was a big part of the initial work to rebuild the Camp’s water system; then as co-leader of Restoration Legacy Crew, left his enduring mark on the pack trail with numerous artful stone retention walls. Thanks Dave!

Coming this summer: new schwag in Camp, events for autumn, and whatever stories guests and hikers generate on their visits to Sturtevant Camp.

Toasting the perfect marshmallow for s’mores: golden or charred?

 

S’mores not just with chocolate, but thin Reeses candy
Spring break sunny weather brought out an abundance of fragrant ceanothus (mountain or California lilac, also ‘soap bush’) along the trails.
Categories
Camp News

Muddy Boots & Smoky Skies: Welcome 2025

Map of the fire spreading toward the Big Santa Anita, Day 3. 

Fateful Fires Threaten Camp & Canyon

2025 started with the roar of wind and flames, as the Eaton and Palisades fires wreaked havoc across Southern California. Once again, hikers and campers were glued to every media, tracking the Eaton fire and wondering if the Camp could get lucky twice – or lose the second time around. 

News of the fire crossing the Chantry Road and licking at the perimeter of the Mount Wilson Observatory seemed to predict the same disastrous results being shown 24/7 on TV, as neighboring Altadena was consumed by raging fire.   

However, with thanks to the direction of the Santa Ana winds and the extraordinary work of the fire crews, the main canyon, Chantry Flat, Adams Pack Station, the private cabins and Sturtevant Camp all came through safely. 

Fire-fighting water-choppers (Irfan Khan/LATimes photo)

Once Sturtevant volunteers were able to enter the Canyon, it was a relief not only that the fire did not touch the Camp, the powerful winds had “only” dropped a lot of trees on the trail, not on Camp buildings. A long day of chain-sawing opened the trail for the public and the Adams pack train.  

Sadly for the outdoors community, every hiking trail west of the Canyon was destroyed, nearly erased from the map. While it doesn’t compare to the loss of homes and lives, it is still a tremendous public loss. 

But after four-plus years watching the Big Santa Anita come back after the Bobcat fire, there is a measure of solace knowing that Mother Nature will do her thing, and we will work with her! You can too: sign up at https://www.sturtevantcamp.com/volunteer/

After the 2020 Bobcat fire, greenery comes back to Camp.

Breaking News at the Annual Meeting

A few days after the trail was cleared to Camp, the Board of the Sturtevant Conservancy held their scheduled annual meeting in Sierra Madre. We gathered for dinner first, and while waiting for the food, got the news that the Eaton fire closure was extended all the way to December 2025; it seemed to read that the Camp would be closed again, for a fifth year.  

There was a sense of dismay, but also “It’s just another big log across the trail – we’ll work it out, like we always do.” Thankfully it turns out that Chantry Flat, Adams Pack Station and Sturtevant Camp will be open to guests, BUT there’s yet another ‘log-on-the-trail’: Chantry Road will be closed indefinitely to repair damages caused by the Eaton fire.

Chantry Road closure (Trevor Stamp/LATimes photo).

Although this will complicate vehicle access to Chantry Flat, standard construction project traffic control should answer the problem. Stay tuned for how this works out!  

In Other Business

While we wait for further details on the closure and road construction, here are highlights from the Annual meeting: 

The 2025 Sturtevant Conservancy Board of Directors.

All seven directors were present and will continue to serve in 2025; also the existing slate of officers was renewed: Gary Keene (President/CEO and General Manager), Sarah Barron (VP/CFO – Admin/Finance Manager), Kelly Davidson (Recording Secretary); Paul Witman (Site & Operations Manager), Teah Vaughn-Piscopo (Guests & Hospitality Manager), Directors Brent Pepper and Jennifer Berry, Members at large. In addition, Jennifer serves as Treasurer and Kelly as Bookkeeper. 

Paul reported and we celebrated the completion of the new water tank system, the undergrounding of all the electric power lines throughout Camp, final burn debris all packed out, and all fire extinguishers re-charged. Teah reported our social media visibility is high and getting higher, the new reservation system is up and running [thanks to her diligent work], and we are seeing a steady flow of reservations coming in. 

Volunteers and donors ‘baptizing’ the Camp’s new water tanks.

To handle that, Sarah and the Finance Team (not the name of her rock band) successfully integrated the banking and reservations systems, all of which function on-line. Gary shared a tool for strategic planning, reviewed matters related to the Camp’s permit status with the U.S. Forest Service, noted the constant and continuing necessity of trail work for access to Camp (both for hikers and the Adams Pack Train), and reported on volunteer stats for the past year (see next). 

2,151 Miles to Work & Back

Everything that happens at Camp is done by volunteers, and an incredible amount of work has been done to re-open the Camp! Here are the people-related numbers for last year: 

On average, four persons were in Camp every weekend of 2024, except for two weekends due to weather. 

Volunteers hiked an estimated 2,151 miles to/from work, and logged 47 overnights in Camp.

Volunteers gather after a thank-you luncheon in their honor.

31 distinct people worked 321 person-work days (one person working in Camp for one day): 

15 people accounted for 32 (10%) of the workdays. 

9 people accounted for74 (23%) of the workdays.

7 people – the members of the Conservancy – accounted for 215 (67%) of the workdays. 


Conservancy members are volunteers, and although their work is included in the overall totals, they’re not eligible for Volunteer of the Year recognition; that honor goes to Lance Luciani by a single boot-length, based on his doubling up as a frequent packer with last year’s VOY, Scott Wilson. Honorable mentions go to Peter Witman and Elizabeth Sturdivant close on his heels.   

Volunteer of the Year – Lance Luciani

We also hosted two outside volunteer groups in Camp, each over a weekend before formal re-opening: We Explore Earth put time into the Camp itself, while the LoweLifes tackled adjacent trails, leading to the opening of the Sturtevant Trail up to Mt. Wilson on December 1st.  Ironically, that is one of the trails now closed due to the Eaton Fire Closure, but the LoweLifes had already started on the Gabrielino Trail to Newcomb Pass, which is legally open, just not practically open – yet!  

Teah Vaughn-Piscopo, Guest & Hospitality Manager & Hiker’s Favorite Baker

Job Openings @ Camp

Do you like hiking, people and staying at Sturtevant Camp? We’re buildin a team of volunteer Hosts to welcome and supervise weekend guests. If you’re interested in applying, contact Guest & Hospitality Manager Teah Vaughn for a job description, application and info on upcoming training dates. It’s the best way to be in Camp and make a big difference!

Categories
Camp News

Happy Trails & Holidays

Trails of the Big Santa Anita Canyon are once again alive with the sounds of happy hikers, and the Camp’s Big Swing is back in action. Here’s good news, sad news, and a look ahead into 2025.

Now that the Canyon is open, even the Grinch has made the hike to Camp.
Directors Paul Witman and Sarah Barron mark completion of the final plumbing as water fills the new tanks.

Doused & Dedicated

Fifty months after the Bobcat Fire burned and melted two of the Camp’s old water tanks, representative donors, volunteers and members of the Conservancy’s Board gathered in Camp December 7th to dedicate two replacement water tanks. Those present were given a blue-ribbon necklace with a steel nut and washer from the steel tank assembly— blue for water, and for ‘winning’ the Quench fundraising campaign and construction of the new water system. 

A photo display in the Lodge illustrated the immediate aftermath of the fire, volunteers reclaiming the pack trail to Camp, then hand-carrying the tank panels up to Camp, followed by forming the foundations, assembling the tanks and testing amidst several setbacks. 

Burned remnants of the prior tanks gathered as a reminder of what was lost to the Bobcat Fire. 
Project Manager Paul Witman leads guests on a tour of the water system.

Gathering everyone at the public water fountain, Site/Ops and Quench project Manager Paul Witman then led the group on a hike to the top of the water system at survivor Tank-1, describing the water system along the way. Next, everyone clustered around the new tanks for a bit more storytelling, and Directors from the Board then took turns reading the names of all the financial donors. 

With cups of water drawn directly from the new in-flow pipe, and an exchange of thank-yous, everyone doused the tanks. Heading down into Camp, people stopped at the dedication plaque, then returned to the main Lodge.

Everyone douses the new tanks with water drawn from the new plumbing and filtration system.
Paul Witman and Gary Keene pause with the thank-you plaque. 

Gathered once again at the water fountain at the Lodge, the bottom of the delivery system, everyone filled their cups one more time for a toast to the success of the project, and to Paul Witman: President Gary Keene presented him the ‘Silver Spudger Award’ and invited all to join in declaring the project “to be known henceforth as the Witman Water Works!” 

Paul Witman with his Silver Spudger award (a ‘spudger’ is an alignment tool crucial to the tanks’ proper assembly.) 

A served luncheon followed in the historic Lodge, and the volunteers present who had worked the trails and carried the tank panels were given a custom “Sisyphus” t-shirt as recognition of their persistent efforts. 

Volunteers model the limited-edition Sisyphus t-shirts (only 36 shirts were made for those who were hands & boots-on with the tank project.)

In an appropriate twist of fate, as guests headed down the Canyon, Paul led volunteer Robert Morozco and fellow Board member Kelly Davidson back up to the new tanks, where they dug out a section of the plumbing to add in one more pipe that was mistakenly left out of the system—proof that the work at Camp never really ends!   

Volunteer Robert Morozco digs yet another trench for one more pipe for the water system.

Thank you to everyone for making the vision of ‘potable water in the wilderness for all’ a reality!

Mortals in the Mountains

In the last newsletter posted here, the search for a hiker lost for several weeks was underway. What is now considered to be a recovery effort remains an unsolved mystery—and has been supplanted by more tragic news: a trio of hikers recently breeched the closure signs near Hermit Falls in the lower canyon, and the lead hiker fell to his death. 

LA County Sheriff’s Air 5 hovering over the site of a hiker’s fatal fall (photo by Sierra Madre Search & Rescue.)

Brent Pepper, a Director on the Conservancy Board, and Patrick Kelley, a patrol agent for the Cabin Permitees’ Association, were the first two responders. Their contact and location info were critical to guiding the County Sheriff’s helicopter to the rescue site. Also, fellow Board member Teah Vaughn was working at Adams Pack Station, which became the hub of the response process, and she too became key to communications as well as care for the deceased hiker’s companions. 

It was rough for everyone, and a hard reminder that much as we love the wilderness, it remains a wilderness, a risky place that demands respect on its own terms. Come and visit, but hike safe! 

Trail Update

Soon after the Canyon opened, it was clear that many hikers come up to Camp with the goal of hiking one of the three connecting trails to make a big, beautiful loop through the mountains: up and over Mt. Zion, or Mt. Wilson, or to Newcomb’s Pass and beyond. In early October, all of those trails remained closed and impassable, and many U-turned at Camp, disappointed. 

The good news is that as of Dec.1st, the original Sturtevant Trail between Camp and Mt. Wilson is now open. Thanks to the combined efforts of Sturtevant volunteers, the LoweLife’s trail crew, and especially the San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders who worked the trail from top to bottom, this challenging trail is now passable (with more finishing work yet to come.) 

San Gabriel Mountain Trailbuilders working the Sturtevant trail around a monster root ball directly across from the Camp’s outdoor chapel.

Work is now scheduled to tackle the Gabrielino Trail between Newcomb’s Pass and the Camp, and various groups are working both sides of the Mt. Zion trail between Camp and Hoegees/Winter Creek. Weather and the steady persistence of the volunteer crews will determine how rapidly the work progresses. Given the success to date, either or both trails could be cleared by early spring. To volunteer, click here.

Volunteer Lance Luciani glazes a new pane of glass to repair the window where a bear broke into the Retreat Cabin a few years ago.

2025 Camp Projects Countdown

Since October 5th, the Camp has been open daily to hikers each Saturday and Sunday. In January 2025, guests will finally be welcomed to stay overnight, starting with a Scout troop on MLK weekend. Between now and then, plenty of work remains to prep the cabins and facilities for paying guests. 

Some of that will be a final deep cleaning after four years of closure, some of it checking appliances (water heaters, refrigerators), and finally repair to the bear damage that has recurred since the Fire and shutdown. 

Other deferred maintenance is on the list, and public-invite workdays will be posted to Wilbur’s Facebook page and by email for everyone who wants to join in bringing the Camp to its best condition. To get on the email list, sign up here.

The Biggest Project 

The biggest project isn’t housekeeping, it’s hospitality: we’re building a new team of Hosts! If you’re interested in volunteering, contact Guest & Hospitality Manager Teah Vaughn for a job description, application and info on upcoming training dates (hostmanager@sturtevantcamp.com). It’s the best way to be in Camp and make a big difference! 

(Incorrect) candle-numbers are placed in the 3 cakes to celebrate Wilbur’s 183rd birthday. 

Plus Twenty Candles

Not one but THREE tasty cakes + frosting were enjoyed by various partying hikers to celebrate Wilbur Sturtevant’s birthday on Nov. 23rd And to prove that the years DO matter, many pointed out the birthday math error; it wasn’t his 163rd, but 183rd birthday! Wilbur was quoted as saying, “C’mon, after 150, what’s a decade or two, give or take a few?”  

2025 Preview

January: opening the Camp to overnight guests, and the Conservancy’s annual meeting. 

Mid-Winter: what will the weather bring? 

Spring: a new slate of special events at Camp featuring food, music, crafts, and ? 

Summer: fair warning – revised Lodging rates.

Late Saturday evening after the water tank celebration, Conservancy volunteer Director Teah Vaughn-Piscopo takes a break from baking coffee cake and cookies for Sunday’s through-hikers
Categories
Camp News

Finally, a Historic Welcome in the Wilderness

Five TV Crews – Enough? 

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

The Chantry Road fire gate finally swings open to all.

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

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

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

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

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

Click, Hike, Stay the Night

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

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

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

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

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

WMS Birthday Party @ Camp

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

Giving Tuesday and Holiday Giving

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dirt 411

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

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

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

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

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

Four Down, One to Go

Four years after the Bobcat Fire, the Canyon is due to open in a few weeks. Here are the details and stories as the Conservancy gets ready to welcome the public to Sturtevant Camp.

Special Update: This issue is mostly about recovery from the 2020 Bobcat Fire that destroyed parts of Camp. Now as we go to press, the news in California is dominated by wildfires; one of those (the Bridge Fire) started on our anniversary weekend and continues to burn about 25 miles east-northeast of Big Anita Canyon. Check Wilbur’s Facebook page for timely updates.

Hot Date Anniversary

On the weekend of the fourth anniversary of the start of the Bobcat Fire (September 6, 2020), the smell of wildfire smoke was in the air and the temps soared into the high-90s, fitting reminders as people gathered in Camp to mark the occasion.

Those present were many of the ‘sturdy’ volunteers who worked on disaster recovery both in Camp and on the trails in the years after the Fire. Already this year so far, volunteers have made 200 roundtrip hikes totaling just shy of 1700 miles, visiting every weekend to work except twice (once for rain, once for heat).
Thanks y’all! 

Front L-R: Anna Binney, Brenda Beck, Kevin Hunt, Estephany Campos,
Rosa Sanchez, Candace Phillips, Kelly Davidson; 
Rear L-R: Tim O’Shea, Jose Recendez, Lance Luciani, Patrick Kelly, Ed and Paige Shieh, Brent Pepper, Peter Vance, Teah Vaughn-Piscopo, Scott Wilson, and Gary Keene.


Guests included staff from the U.S. Forest Service who were also key to the recovery; pictured L-R in the USFS Ranger Cabin are Estephany Campos, Kevin Hunt (who bucked a lot of rock & rebar on the pack trail), and Rosa Sanchez.


Volunteer Ed Shieh helped his daughter Paige ring the Camp bell, inviting guests to a picnic lunch including a lemon dessert made by Teah that morning: turning the oven on despite the hot weather not only baked the cake, it confirmed the Lodge kitchen has recovered from the extensive post-Fire bear damages. 

Teah Vaughn-Piscopo, volunteer Host the weekend of the Fire, told the story of first smelling the Fire, and soon after that evacuating guests down the trail as smoke billowed into the Canyon.

Speaking on behalf of the Conservancy’s Board, President Gary Keene detailed thanks to everyone present, noting that the official heat warning for the weekend had kept many others safely at home, but who also deserved thanks. 

Everyone praised the outstanding condition of the trails, “better than ever before”, and the Camp looked almost back to normal: just the day before, the last of the post-fire burn debris was finally packed out on the Adams Pack train (packers Lance Luciani and Scott Wilson pictured.) 

And There Was Merch

Anniversary guests each had their choice of new souvenir Camp merchandise to take home—appropriately all fluid containers to maintain hydration. Once the Camp opens, these items will be available for purchase to raise funds for the Camp.

The Camp souvenirs feature images of original photos Wilbur Sturtevant across different ages of his life; others use a graphic of the Sturtevant name as it appeared on a 1920’s publicity brochure during the Killian era of ownership (E.J. Killian owned the Camp for 16 years, longer than Sturtevant himself, and second only to the 70 years of Methodist ownership.)

Guests also took a moment to remember Dave Baumgartner, co-leader with Brenda Beck of Restoration Legacy Crew: the Crew did so much of the trail restoration work, with Dave’s rockwork being a standout feature. Folks used Sharpies to sign one of the new Sturtevant bottles for Brenda (pictured) to give to Jane Baumgartner (Jane and Dave were frequent hosts at Camp.)

Open Trails, Open Doors, Open Reservations?


‘When will the Camp re-open?!” After four years of asking, now the question has a scheduled answer: the USFS closure order expires October 1st, opening the Big Santa Anita Canyon to the public. But will Sturtevant Camp open?

Yes – BUT: only the historic Lodge will be open to the public for weekend day-visits on Saturdays and Sundays starting October 5-6.

Crucial work still needs to be done before guests can make reservations to stay overnight. The work needed is not for the Camp’s buildings but for people: a new team of volunteer hosts, docents and ‘techs’ must be recruited and trained to welcome people at Camp. The immediate need, and the place to start for those interested, is to volunteer as a docent now through the end of the year. 

Guests in 2025 Means Volunteering Now


Being a docent is the first step to being a Host: the current schedule is to open to guests starting in January 2025, so now is the time to volunteer. To get the docent/host job description and application, including how volunteering earns free overnight stays at Camp, email Teah Vaughn-Piscopo using this address: HostManager@SturtevantCamp.com.  

Some Assembly Required

The two big post-Fire projects have been rebuilding trail access to the Camp, and replacing the two water tanks destroyed in the Fire (Cabin-1 was also destroyed but is not being replaced.) The trails and tanks intersect in that the six galvanized, curved, steel panels, each about the size of a ping pong table, had to be carried by hand up the still sketchy trails to Camp.

There they waited through two seasons of record rains, while volunteer work focused on regaining the trails until the burros could deliver cement for the tanks’ support elements. Only then could assembly of the tanks begin. 

The tank assembly was not a puzzle; it was obvious where the large, 18-gauge steel pieces should go. But it did require a LOT of hollering between inside and outside of the tanks, tricky use of a ‘spudger’, and the tedious tightening-loosening-re-tightening of hundreds and hundreds of nuts and bolts. 

Tasty Vinyl – Who Knew?

Excitement was high when assembly finally reached the point of installing the vinyl liners that actually hold the water. But it turned out that two years in hibernation gave the local mouse population plenty of time to chew holes in the liners: does vinyl taste like cheese? Here Site/Ops Manager Paul Witman sits inside the #3 tank with the swiss-cheese liner: patching didn’t work, so replacement liners are on their way from Texas, due to be packed up the trail soon. Next: water in the tanks and down to the fountain for the public! 

ON THE TRAIL AHEAD

October: after the Canyon opens and the public is back on the trail, news from Camp.

November: Wilbur’s 163rd birthday party at Camp AND dedication of the new water tanks! Watch Wilbur’s Facebook page for details. 

December: Final orientation for new hosts for the new year, plus Wilbur’s Annual Holiday Wish List for Sturtevant Camp. 

BONUS DATA

The ANF Tops the NPS
(From the USFS) “The latest USDA Forest Service statistics (2021), show that the Angeles National Forest received morerecreation-based visits from the public (4.59 million) than Grand Canyon National Park (4.53 million) or Yosemite National Park (3.29 million) in the same year. 

FYI, the USFS calculates visitor statistics once every 5 years, not every year like the National Park Service, and statistics for the Angeles National Forest do not include people who only drive through the forest without stopping (like commuters) OR people who directly access the forest from trails in adjacent local communities or from adjacent parklands.”

FYI x 2: in Camp, we’re planning to get a headcount of day-hikers as evidence of foot traffic in the upper Canyon, proof of the popularity and need for the Camp’s services in the wilderness, including free potable water— from those new water tanks.

Categories
Camp News

USFSimon Says STOP, But We Also GO

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

He Said / She Said

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

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

They Delivered & So Did We

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

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

Panels Up, Wrenches Go, Flies Bite

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

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

Getting Good at This

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

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

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

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

Out of Camp & Into the $ausage Factory

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4th Anniversary and More

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

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

You First / Help Wanted

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

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

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

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

Recent dinner show just outside the Manager’s Cabin.

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

Categories
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.