GeoTrek 3 June 12

GEOTREK 3
SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS:
BIG TUJUNGA CANYON TO NORTHERN VERDUGO MOUNTAINS

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Route: From Trail Canyon Trailhead on Big Tujunga Cyn. Rd., go south on Big Tujunga Cyn. Rd. to Los Angeles Co. Fire Camp #15, then south on the Graveyard Mtwy. to the Haines Cyn. Trailhead. Cross southward through the town of Tujunga on Haines Cyn. Ave. In the Verdugo Mountains foothills turn west on Estepa Dr. and follow it to a set of powerline roads and trails that go south to La Tuna Cyn. Rd. Go west on La Tuna Cyn. Rd. under I-210 to the La Tuna Cyn. Trailhead.

Distance: 8.9 miles.

PICTURES OF PEOPLE AND NON-GEOLOGIC THINGS SEEN ALONG THE TRAIL
Click on the small picture to see an enlargement.

(Click on this line to see PICTURES OF GEOLOGY ALONG THE TRAIL
and the hike route traced on a Dibblee geologic map.)

Participants on this last day in the San Gabriel Mountains are, left to right, Gene Fritsche, Wendy Gist, Barbara Bowersock, Kavoos Blourtchi, and Jerry Skinner. Sue Fritsche was also there to take the photo. The road in the middleground behind us is Big Tujunga Canyon Road along which our trek for the day began.
The day began rather easily along Big Tujunga Canyon Road. Here we are walking along a level stretch past a stables. There was also a nice breeze blowing.
This Toyon bush was flowering nicely along Big Tujunga Canyon Road.
The flower heads on the Toyon contain abundant tiny white flowers.
Before long we crossed a bridge over Big Tujunga Creek. Jerry is busy keying out wildflowers in a wildflower book he had just purchased.
Big Tujunga Creek below the bridge still had quite a bit of water flowing in it.
This flower was not common along the trail, but was one of the prettiest we saw. It is called an Elegant Clarkia.
This common yellow-flowered bush is called Deerweed.
After a couple of miles or so, we were able to leave Big Tujunga Canyon and walk on this fireroad along the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains above the town of Tujunga.
Along the fireroad above the town of Tujunga we came across this sign indicating that this place was the origin for the concept of a Rim-of-the-Valley Trail.
Occasionally the fireroad would pass through an oak covered canyon where we were treated to some very welcome shade.
Overlooking the town of Tujunga. The western end of the Verdugo Mountains are in the background on the left and the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains are on the right. Unfortunately a bank of haze and smog obscures the Santa Monica Mountains which are in the distant background.
At the end of the fireroad we came to Haines Canyon where there is a small flood-control dam that still had some water behind it from the last rains of the season.
We found a nice shady place along Haines Canyon Avenue for our lunch.
Our last climb for the day was on Haines Canyon Avenue up the northern slopes of the Verdugo Mountains.
We finished the day's trek along a partly overgrown trail down to the I-210 Freeway.
We knew we were almost through for the day when the I-210 Freeway came into view. Unfortunately, on this steep section of the trail Sue slipped, fell, and took some skin off her right arm. Wendy applied first aid and Sue's arm is healing rapidly.
We finished Day 11 of GeoTrek III and once again Maggie Banda-Compton was there to greet us with cold drinks and take us back to our cars parked at the beginning. We discovered that Maggie had been a recipient of one of the Geology Scholarships and this was a way for her to give back something to the Geological Sciences Department.

Return to the CSUN Geological Sciences Department hike index.
Return to the Coast Geological Society hike index.
Return to the First United Methodist Church of Reseda hike index.
THIS PAGE LAST MODIFIED ON JUNE 13, 2008
If you have questions or comments, you may leave a message at:
a.eugene.fritsche@csun.edu

	Participants on this last day in the San Gabriel Mountains are, left to right, Gene Fritsche, Wendy Gist, Barbara Bowersock, Kavoos Blourtchi, and Jerry Skinner. Sue Fritsche was also there to take the photo. The road in the middleground behind us is Big Tujunga Canyon Road along which our trek for the day began.
	The day began rather easily along Big Tujunga Canyon Road. Here we are walking along a level stretch past a stables. There was also a nice breeze blowing.
	This Toyon bush was flowering nicely along Big Tujunga Canyon Road.
	The flower heads on the Toyon contain abundant tiny white flowers.
	Before long we crossed a bridge over Big Tujunga Creek. Jerry is busy keying out wildflowers in a wildflower book he had just purchased.
	Big Tujunga Creek below the bridge still had quite a bit of water flowing in it.
	This flower was not common along the trail, but was one of the prettiest we saw. It is called an Elegant Clarkia.
	This common yellow-flowered bush is called Deerweed.
	After a couple of miles or so, we were able to leave Big Tujunga Canyon and walk on this fireroad along the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains above the town of Tujunga.
	Along the fireroad above the town of Tujunga we came across this sign indicating that this place was the origin for the concept of a Rim-of-the-Valley Trail.
	Occasionally the fireroad would pass through an oak covered canyon where we were treated to some very welcome shade.
	Overlooking the town of Tujunga. The western end of the Verdugo Mountains are in the background on the left and the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains are on the right. Unfortunately a bank of haze and smog obscures the Santa Monica Mountains which are in the distant background.
	At the end of the fireroad we came to Haines Canyon where there is a small flood-control dam that still had some water behind it from the last rains of the season.
	We found a nice shady place along Haines Canyon Avenue for our lunch.
	Our last climb for the day was on Haines Canyon Avenue up the northern slopes of the Verdugo Mountains.
	We finished the day's trek along a partly overgrown trail down to the I-210 Freeway.
	We knew we were almost through for the day when the I-210 Freeway came into view. Unfortunately, on this steep section of the trail Sue slipped, fell, and took some skin off her right arm. Wendy applied first aid and Sue's arm is healing rapidly.
	We finished Day 11 of GeoTrek III and once again Maggie Banda-Compton was there to greet us with cold drinks and take us back to our cars parked at the beginning. We discovered that Maggie had been a recipient of one of the Geology Scholarships and this was a way for her to give back something to the Geological Sciences Department.