Allen Riedel - Best Easy Day Hikes San Gabriel Valley

Best Easy Day Hikes Series

Best Easy Day Hikes San Gabriel Valley

Allen Riedel

Copyright 2009 by Morris Book Publishing, LLC

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to The Globe Pequot Press, Attn: Rights and Permissions Department, P.O. Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Riedel, Allen.

Best easy day hikes, San Gabriel Valley / Allen Riedel.

p. cm. -- (Best easy day hikes series)

ISBN 978-1-4930-0558-1

1. Hiking--California--San Gabriel River Valley--Guidebooks. 2. San Gabriel River Valley (Calif.)--Guidebooks. I. Title.

GV199.42.C22S275 2009

917.94'930454--dc22

200902253

The author and The Globe Pequot Press assume no liability for accidents happening to, or injuries sustained by, readers who engage in the activities described in this book.

For Sierra, Makaila, and Michael

Contents

Acknowledgments

I would like to first and foremost thank all of the people who have spent time hiking with me in the mountains, deserts, hills, forests, jungles, and coastal beaches. Many of you, my friends, have inspired me in countless ways, and I cant thank you enough. I would like to mention some of you by name: Monique Riedel, Sean Coolican, Adam Mendelsohn, Cameron Alston, Bill Buck, Matt Piazza, Bruno Lucidarme, Chrissy Ziburski, Eric Walther, Bob Romano, Michael Millenheft III, Sierra Riedel, Makaila Riedel, Jim Zuber, Danny Suarez, Dylan Riedel, Eric Romero, Donn DeBaun, Alex Wilson, Dawn Wilson, and Jane Weal.

I would also like to acknowledge my family: Monique, Michael, Sierra, and Makailaall four of you have spent lots of time with me on trails that were great and some not so much... I love you with all my heart.

I also owe a lot to my mom and dad, Barbara and Elmer Riedel, who raised me to believe in myself. Thanks! Thanks to my brother, Larry, and my grandparents, Herbert and Vivian Ward, Lucille Riedel, Elmer A. Riedel and my in-laws, Anna and Richard Chavez. I am a better person because of all of you.

I am also grateful for the opportunities that I have been granted by writing for the most amazing Web site: www.localhikes.com. Jim Zuber has been my biggest resource in the writing world, and I can never thank him enough for the awesome site and the amount of work he has sent my way. You rule, Jim!

I would like to thank Dave Ammenheuser and Patricia Mays at the Press-Enterprise . They are great editors and incredible people to work for.

I would like to thank Scott Adams and the wonderful people at The Globe Pequot Press, as well as my other publisher, The Mountaineers Books. Ashley, Kate, Carol, and everyone there have always been spectacular.

I would also like to thank Scott Ammons and all the wonderful people at REI for getting me started as an Outdoor School instructor.

Lastly I would like to thank all of the students and teachers I have worked with over the past ten years. It has been great knowing all of you.

Introduction

This book contains nineteen easy day hikes situated in and around the San Gabriel Valley. The hikes are located in a variety of locations, ranging from county, city, and/or local parks to the Angeles National Forest. The best short and easy hikes in the region, covering a vast range of scenery, historical interest, and natural beauty, are highlighted.

Some of the greatest hiking in Southern California exists within a thirty- to ninety-minute drive from the city center of Pasadena. The book is intended to be a sampling of the region, providing families, beginning hikers, and those with only a short amount of time or energy an introduction to the incredible wonders that the area has to offer.

Unbeknownst to many outside of the region, the San Gabriel Valley contains a great deal of austere and captivating pastoral beauty, from the chaparral-covered slopes of the foothills of the Verdugo Mountains to the lush higher forests of the San Gabriel Mountains. Numerous nature preserves, reserves, and specially designated parks protect valuable ecosystems and wildlife ranging from the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Hahamongna Watershed Park to the recreational havens of wilderness parks such as Glendora and Claremont Hills.

The valley is named for the San Gabriel River, which flows from the highest reaches of the San Gabriel Mountains. Descending through the county of Los Angeles, the river empties into the Pacific Ocean just south and east of Long Beach. Centered around the suburban metropolis of Pasadena, the city serves as a geographic and cultural core for the San Gabriel Valley. The regal mountains dominating the northern skyline are a defining feature of not only the city of Pasadena, but of Los Angeles and the entire Southern California region itself.

The San Gabriel Valley is a conglomeration of cities, towns, and other incorporated areas. Primarily suburban, some of the cities in the region have a slower-paced feel than the usual Los Angeles County fare, but the region itself is much more heavily populated than other parts of the United States, and outsiders will not be able to tell much difference between the cities within the urban region and those in the suburbs.

Typically Southern Californian, the San Gabriel region is a semi-arid Mediterranean ecosystem ringed by mountains created by the tectonic forces of the San Andreas Fault. Seasonal arroyos dot the terrain and flow intermittently through steep rugged canyons. Varied species of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians inhabit the landscape. The flora of the region, mostly desert and coastal chaparral, can be magnificent in color, especially during certain times of the year and after a significant amount of rainfall. Oak and pine forests grow into the upper elevations.

Mammals abound in the mountainous regions, with larger creatures such as black bear and mule deer inhabiting the higher reaches. Mountain lions and coyotes prowl throughout most of the foothills, park, and mountain areas, occasionally making their way into populated regions. Not really presenting much of a danger, the habitat of these predators is not as threatened as in other areas of Southern California. Much of the region that could have been developed by real estate interests has been built upon for over a century, and the animals have been adapting to these conditions for quite some time. Smaller creatures and rodents such as squirrels, skunks, possums, and mice are also abundant.