Archive for February, 2008

Update: Roadless Rule

Published on February 29, 2008 in Environmentalism, National Forests and Recreation Areas and Politics. 2 Comments

Today, the L.A. Times reports the state of California filed suit against the U.S. Forest Service over the Bush Administration’s attempts to overturn the Roadless Rule. And they didn’t stop there.

The Golden State also slapped the Forest Service’s wrists on their current levels of designated Wilderness areas in California, saying the 500,000 acres already protected needs to at least double in order to protect endangered and threatened species.

Wow. Maybe a bit of payback for the fuel efficiency EPA waiver smackdown from a few months back?

Whatever the reason, it’s good to be a Californian today.

Weekend Watching - Fighting Over Forests

Published on February 29, 2008 in Environmentalism, National Forests and Recreation Areas and Politics. 0 Comments

If you live in the West, chances are you live near a National Forest. Even in Los Angeles, there are four National Forests within reasonable (at least for Southern California) driving distance. If you’re reading this site, chances are you’re a hiker or otherwise enjoy the outdoors, and have probably used these National Forests pretty frequently.

Then this matters to you.

A bit o’ history — near the end of President Clinton’s second term, the Forest Service adopted the “Roadless Rule,” which prevented new roads from being built in the approximately 30% of land that didn’t already have them. The plan preserved access for recreation, but not industry, which already had permission to develop 51% of Forest Service land (hence the slogan, “land of many uses,” I guess).

Then Bush got into office, and started working on overturning this rule, for “states’ rights.” You know, over Federal land. And not, he swears, for the industry cronies he’s appointed into every level of the Park Service and Forest Service. Honest.

This week, PBS’ “Now” has a 20 minute feature on the first major battleground in this attack on our National Forests - southeastern Idaho. The state was the first to propose its own “roadless” areas, which were significantly fewer than the zones protected under the Forest Service’s rule.

Watch it.

Then take the Feds up on their Comment Period if and when it comes to your state. If this isn’t fought, almost 4 and a half million acres of Forest could be opened in California alone.

For more fun reading, check out Now’s list of 9 landmark environmental decisions during the Bush administration. Remember them the next time Bush tries to trick people into thinking he’s an environmentalist.

But Can Guns Protect You From PCBs?

Published on February 28, 2008 in Environmentalism, National Forests and Recreation Areas and Politics. 0 Comments

There’s been quite a bit of National Parks news this week, and unfortunately none of it is very good.

GetOutdoors and the Goat both picked up on AP stories about an announcement by the Department of the Interior that said they were considering relaxing firearm restrictions in National Parks and Recreation Areas. According to an NRA spokesman, this is great because “law-abiding citizens should not be prohibited from protecting themselves and their families while enjoying America’s national parks and wildlife refuges.”

I could go into the myriad reasons why this is pretty f’in ridiculous, but climb_ca and Rocky both do a pretty great job of venting.

This news hits at the same time as the results from a six-year federal study of pollutants in the West’s National Parks. The findings? Not so hot.

Despite being banned in the States, dangerously high levels of contaminants like mercury, DDT and PCBs were found up and down the West Coast’s “pristine natural areas,” from Denali to Big Bend and - closer to home - Yosemite and Sequoia and Kings Canyon Parks.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon had contaminant levels in fish that exceeded both the levels for safe human consumption and fish-eating-wildlife consumption. Which is pretty frightening.

Read more on the study at the National Park Service web site.

Photo by DeShark.

Neutral on ND

Published on February 27, 2008 in Gadgets and Gear and Photography. 0 Comments


Image by Fishtail@Taipei

Chances are, if you take a camera with you when you hike, the majority of the shots you’re taking are landscapes. If you’re like me, you’re probably using a point-and-shoot, and probably get a little irritated when the sky or ground gets blown out in your final shot.

The folks at All Day I Dream About Photography have written up a handy primer on the beloved Neutral Density Filter, a handy lens that basically equalizes the light exposure on the different areas of the frame - which also allows you to shoot at a slower shutter speed.

As a preventative measure, the site also posted an entry about why you don’t need an ND filter, saying if you’ve got a tripod and some time to fire up the ol’ Photoshop, you can get basically the same results.

As for me, I don’t own one, as I’d probably have to hold it over my camera’s lens manually. Plus, when I’m on the trail, I’m usually “shooting from the hip,” so to speak … but I have wanted to check one out to see if it would make a big difference.

I’ve also heard that a pair of polarized sunglasses will do the trick in a pinch.

March in Havasupai

Published on February 25, 2008 in Excursions and backpacking. 3 Comments

I just found out I’ll be joining the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Backpacking Section on a 3-day trip to Havasupai Canyon in mid-March.

With a potential 32 miles of hiking and swimming in 70 degree water in the Grand Canyon, I am very, very excited.

Can’t wait to give a report. Any tips from folks who’ve headed out before?


Photo by TeecNosPos

Off-Roading

Published on February 24, 2008 in Angeles National Forest, Photography and hiking. 1 Comment

This morning, I made an attempt at Mount Lukens via Haines Canyon.

The trip started out all right, but due to some bad directions and bad weather, I ended up missing an important junction, landing myself on a fire road instead of the intended trail.

I hiked up the fire road anyway, despite its frustrating winding direction, and managed to make it into the cloud cover over Tujunga. There, with visibility reduced to about 100 feet and the temperature reduced about 15 degrees, the clouds opened up and poured rain on me, soaking me to the bone.

I kept going for a while, but without the visual of the summit to motivate me (and the fact that I was losing feeling in my fingers), I turned around and headed back down.

I logged about 9 miles and some healthy elevation gain, which is what I was looking for, but the experience was fun and completely worth it once I stumbled upon this — on the trail proper:

Gives “off-roading” a whole new meaning.

I don’t know if I’m going to give this the full write-up treatment yet, as I had to keep my camera stowed for most of the trip, but I did still sneak in a few good pictures.

… oh, and it turns out the spot where I decided to run back to my car and get the feeling back to my hands was just about a mile from the summit.

Hiking Shortcut Canyon to West Fork Camp

Published on February 23, 2008 in Angeles National Forest, Trail Write-Ups and hiking. 2 Comments

A tranquil route into a wooded canyon on the Silver Moccasin Trail. A good conditioning hike with beautiful campgrounds, streamside views for almost the entire run, and plenty of boulder-hopping and stream crossing along the way. This would be a great candidate for a first-time moderate hike - it’s easy enough for experienced beginners, but difficult enough to make you feel like you worked for it. It’s secluded enough to feel like your own corner of the forest, and fairly difficult to get lost along the way.

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City Hikes

Published on February 19, 2008 in City Life and hiking. 3 Comments

Rick from Best Hike was recently in San Antonio, Texas, and did himself a little urban hiking on the city’s famous River Walk.


San Antonio by JarkkoS.

Despite looking like just a fancier version of one of those fake lazy-river urban faux villages, the River Walk actually has a pretty interesting history. Around the same time the Army Corps of Engineers was gleefully getting ready to pour concrete over the Los Angeles River, groups in Texas were aiming to pave over the San Antonio River in the name of “flood control.”

A lone developer held out, proposing a plan that would provide flood control, but leave the river open to the city’s residents in a new shopping and walking district. He eventually won, using a grant from the WPA in ‘39 to get the ball rolling. Here in L.A., we’re getting ready to spend $5 billion and 20 years to fix our former mistake.

Are there any other urban hiking or walking routes you’re particularly fond of? When I lived in Boston, I’d walk the Freedom Trail on a regular basis. It was completely different than hitting the trails in the San Gabriels, but wholly satisfying in its own way.

Still Snow Up There

Published on February 18, 2008 in Angeles National Forest. 3 Comments

This morning, I made an attempt to hike Devil’s Canyon, deep in the Angeles National Forest. I figured since it was a north-south canyon, it would have a healthy amount of sunshine and less snow than the surrounding peaks.

Turned out I was wrong. About an eighth of a mile into the route, I ran into a snow-covered mess — complete with a steep drop off. If the snow were more powdery, I could have continued, but this was the stuff that’s been melted during the day and frozen over again at night — tough, slippery, and unsafe to hike on.

I ended up getting back in the car and heading into a lower canyon instead — but be aware that there’s still snow up on the mountains, even though we haven’t had precipitation in a little while.

On the other hand, if you want to take a trip to play in some plowed snowbanks, head toward the Angeles Crest Highway ASAP.

Hiking Santa Anita Canyon

Published on February 17, 2008 in Angeles National Forest, Trail Write-Ups, Video and hiking. 5 Comments

A loop on multiple trails through one of the most picturesque and popular canyons in the San Gabriels. Multiple stream crossings, river cascades, shaded canyons and a 50 foot waterfall give way to thick forests, vine-covered trails, Jeffrey Pines, and eventually chaparral slopes of the front range. A beautiful trail with varied landscapes and plenty of places to extend your stay - either by camping or taking spur trails deeper into the mountains. A highly-recommended trail.

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