GeoTrek 3 June 4

GEOTREK 3
SANTA GABRIEL MOUNTAINS:
NEWHALL PASS TO COYOTE CANYON

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Route: From Sierra Hwy. just south of the Hwy. 14 underpass, north on Sierra Hwy. to San Fernando Rd. and east on San Fernando Rd. to the Santa Clara Mtwy. Trailhead at Whitney Cyn. Park. Follow the Santa Clara Mtwy. south and east to Los Angeles Co. Fire Camp #9.

Distance: 9.9 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.)

Sue and I were hiking alone as we began our journey into the San Gabriel Mountains. Here I am where the Highway 14 Freeway crosses Sierra Highway.
Uphill was the name of the game for most of the day. Sue is walking up the Santa Clara Fire Road with the Santa Clara Valley in the background.
Looking down into the Santa Clara Valley from part way up the mountain. Sierra Pelona is in the background.
The canyons are cut deeply into the San Gabriel Mountains as shown in this view down into a canyon from the fire road.
Pacific Horned Lizards are not common. This was only the second one seen since we started the GeoTrek, but it paused long enough to get a good photo.
The flower heads on this Buckwheat were exceptionally large and healthy looking. Apparently the bee thought so too.
This yellow flower was commoon along the trail today, but we didn't have a flower expert along with us to identify it.
Here's a closeup of the flower heads on the yellow flower in the previous photo.
As we got closer to the top of the mountain, we paused for another look into the Santa Clara Valley with Sierra Pelona in the background.
Another common flower along the trail today was this pink flower, but once again we had no one with us to identify it.
Here's a closeup of the pink flower seen in the previous photo.
We arrived at the top of the mountain at the place where Santa Clara Fire Road meets the Wilson Canyon Fire Road coming up from Sylmar. This is a popular trail and we found facilities including an outhouse, bike racks, and a horse corral. We ate lunch here; the same place we had eaten lunch two years before on GeoTrek II.
Along the top of the mountain ridge on the north slope there were occasional groves of shady oak trees.
Lupine were more common here than they had been on previous days of GeoTrek III.
Closeup of the Lupine flowers.
We ended the day at L.A. County Fire Camp #9 where they had an helicopter waiting for us. Unfortunately it wasn't really waiting for us.

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 8, 2008
If you have questions or comments, you may leave a message at:
a.eugene.fritsche@csun.edu

	Sue and I were hiking alone as we began our journey into the San Gabriel Mountains. Here I am where the Highway 14 Freeway crosses Sierra Highway.
	Uphill was the name of the game for most of the day. Sue is walking up the Santa Clara Fire Road with the Santa Clara Valley in the background.
	Looking down into the Santa Clara Valley from part way up the mountain. Sierra Pelona is in the background.
	The canyons are cut deeply into the San Gabriel Mountains as shown in this view down into a canyon from the fire road.
	Pacific Horned Lizards are not common. This was only the second one seen since we started the GeoTrek, but it paused long enough to get a good photo.
	The flower heads on this Buckwheat were exceptionally large and healthy looking. Apparently the bee thought so too.
	This yellow flower was commoon along the trail today, but we didn't have a flower expert along with us to identify it.
	Here's a closeup of the flower heads on the yellow flower in the previous photo.
	As we got closer to the top of the mountain, we paused for another look into the Santa Clara Valley with Sierra Pelona in the background.
	Another common flower along the trail today was this pink flower, but once again we had no one with us to identify it.
	Here's a closeup of the pink flower seen in the previous photo.
	We arrived at the top of the mountain at the place where Santa Clara Fire Road meets the Wilson Canyon Fire Road coming up from Sylmar. This is a popular trail and we found facilities including an outhouse, bike racks, and a horse corral. We ate lunch here; the same place we had eaten lunch two years before on GeoTrek II.
	Along the top of the mountain ridge on the north slope there were occasional groves of shady oak trees.
	Lupine were more common here than they had been on previous days of GeoTrek III.
	Closeup of the Lupine flowers.
	We ended the day at L.A. County Fire Camp #9 where they had an helicopter waiting for us. Unfortunately it wasn't really waiting for us.