and brush lands of California, with a view to their preservation.” This California movement for forest conservation, sparked by Kinney and others, soon became part of a national movement. John Muir, using his eloquence in a series of magazine articles urging forest protection, was the leading spokesman.
Congress finally responded by passing the Forest Reserve Act of 1891, granting the president the authority “to set apart and reserve … any part of the public lands wholly or in part covered with timber or undergrowth.” As a result of this act, and strong pressure from Southern California civic leaders, President Benjamin Harrison signed the bill establishing the San Gabriel Timberland Reserve on December 20, 1892. This was the first forest reserve in California and the second in the United States. (The first was the Yellowstone Park Timberland Reserve in Wyoming, established by presidential proclamation on September 16, 1891.) The designation was at first rather ineffectual; for one thing, forest rangers were not assigned until 1898. But gradually the San Gabriel Timberland Reserve was brought under efficient forest management and protection. In 1907 the name was changed to San Gabriel National Forest, and the following year it became what we know today—Angeles National Forest. A succession of capable supervisors—Everett Thomas, Theodore Lukens, Rush Charlton, William Mendenhall, Sim Jarvi, William Dresser, and Paul Sweetland—have made the Angeles one of the most effectively run national forests in the nation.
Clouds over southeast ridge of Mount Wilson (Hike 45)
Worldwide fame came to the San Gabriels in the 1890s with construction of the Mount Lowe Railway, considered one of the engineering wonders of its time. This breathtaking cable incline and trolley ride—along with associated hotels in Rubio Canyon, atop Echo Mountain, and on the slopes of Mount Lowe—was the brainchild of inventor Thaddeus S. C. Lowe and engineer David Macpherson. The famed mountain railway-resort complex attracted more than 3 million visitors during its 43 years of operation.
Professor Thaddeus S. C. Lowe (center) and party on Mount Lowe (1892)
The human quest for scientific knowledge played its part in the story of the mountains too. In the days before city lights and air pollution interfered with sky viewing, Mount Wilson’s broad summit was ideal for astronomical observation. The first telescope on Mount Wilson was the 13-incher of Harvard University Observatory, placed on the summit in 1889 (but removed the following year). The year 1904 saw the beginning of the Carnegie Institute’s famed Mount Wilson Observatory, one of the 20th century’s great scientific ventures. Largely through the initiative and enthusiasm of astronomer George Ellery Hale, several of the world’s greatest telescopes were erected on the mountaintop, the most important being the 60-inch reflector (1908), the 150-foot solar tower telescope (1912), and the 100-inch Hooker reflector (1917), the latter the world’s largest optical telescope for 31 years.
Before highways crisscrossed the San Gabriels, the mountains were the delight of hikers. Mountain historians call the period from about 1895 to 1938 the Great Hiking Era. Multitudes of lowland residents enjoyed their weekends and holidays rambling over the range. Trails that today are almost deserted vibrated to the busy tramp of boots and the merry singing of hikers. The mountains were a local frontier for exploration and a challenge to the hardy. For some, hiking was simply a favorite sport; for others, it was almost a religion. Trail resorts sprang up to offer hospitality, food, and lodging to hikers. Such places as Switzer’s, Opid’s, Colby’s, Loomis’s, Sturtevant’s, and Roberts’s were visited by thousands every season.
A strange combination of disasters and “progress” brought the Great Hiking Era to a close. The disasters were a series of fires and consequent floods, the great destructive torrent of March 1938 being the final blow. Overnight, miles of canyon trails were obliterated. “Progress” took the form of the Angeles Crest Highway, begun in 1929. Relentlessly, the great asphalt thoroughfare snaked its way into the heart of the mountains, reaching Red Box in 1934, Charlton Flat in 1937, and Chilao a year later. By 1941 it had inched its way across Cloudburst Summit and reached that most isolated of backcountry haunts, Buckhorn. Places that once required a day or two of strenuous hiking were now accessible in an hour of driving. One by one, the old trail resorts succumbed. As one old-timer sadly reflected, “Only people who hike for the love of hiking use these trails now.” The Angeles Crest Highway, more than anything else, changed the pattern of our use of the San Gabriels.
In recent years, great numbers of people have visited the San Gabriels, the vast majority by automobile, and visitation is increasing. Each year there are an estimated 3.5 million visits to the Angeles National Forest, making the Angeles one of the most heavily used national forests in the United States.
As the use has increased, the wilderness aspect of the mountains has been nearly destroyed. Other than the specially set-aside wilderness areas and a few other small, isolated regions, the San Gabriels have in recent years become not much more than a king-size backyard playground for Los Angeles County. Some say that this is as it should be, but recent ecological studies have tended to show that wilderness undisturbed by humans plays a vital part in nature’s delicate balance among living things. What happens when there is no wilderness left? Southern California appears headed in that direction.
Angeles National Forest today encompasses 694,187 acres. Within this mountain area are 1,030 miles of roads, 697 miles of riding and hiking trails, 66 public campgrounds, 36 picnic areas, 505 summer residences, five wilderness areas, and three winter sports areas.
The future of the San Gabriels—as well as all other mountain ranges—rests with the population that lives nearby. In the words of mountain historian Charles Clark Vernon, “They are truly a gift to the people.” What the people will do with this gift of nature remains to be seen.
The Station Fire
What became the largest fire in the history of the San Gabriels—and the largest in Los Angeles County history—began inauspiciously enough on August 26, 2009, near the Angeles Crest Highway just above La Cañada. With several other large fires burning around the state, it received little notice at first and was nearly extinguished that first evening. However, overnight the fire gained strength, and by the next day it was out of control and began to spread, ultimately consuming more than 160,000 acres, approximately one-fourth of the Angeles National Forest. It was later determined that the fire was started by a still-unknown arsonist. Two Los Angeles County firefighters lost their lives battling the blaze when their truck tumbled off a roadway in the Mount Gleason area.
American Indian petroglyphs near Big Pine
In the aftermath of the fire—finally extinguished in mid-October—a large swath of the forest was officially closed to all entry. It has slowly reopened in stages, but as of this writing—spring 2013—portions of the Arroyo Seco and upper Big Tujunga areas are still classified as off-limits to hikers. The recently opened areas will still take years to recover fully. And the pine-and-fir forests that once clothed the higher mountaintops and flats—such as Mount Gleason, Charlton Flats, and Barley Flats—may never regain their former beauty.
Watch out for poodle-dog bush!
The authors have done their best to hike the trails in the burn area and note any changes; however, it is advisable to check ahead with the US Forest Service to verify current conditions before venturing into any recently opened areas.
Turricula, also known as poodle-dog bush, is a fire-following
