Author: Rachel Glegg

On Thursday night, I attended a meeting with several other stewards of the Santa Monica Mountains lands and trails including Jason Finlay, the trails coordinator for California State Parks Angeles District. Subsequently I want to provide our volunteers and supporters with an update, which includes a great deal of information from Jason.

I also want to take this opportunity to welcome the many new people who signed up to our trail crew mailing list in these last few weeks, as well as those who reached out by phone or email to ask how they can help. We’re very grateful to have you.

What has happened in the parks since the fires began?

Last week, as the fire agencies were still actively fighting the Palisades Fire, California State Parks brought in approximately 35 Resource Advisors (READS) from across the state. The READS work with incident command during the firefight to identify avoidance areas — for example, cultural sites, riparian zones, and areas with protected plants — and then, as containment grows, they shift to suppression repair.

State Parks has a developed fire suppression repair plan with CAL FIRE, which has already been used in the Santa Monica Mountains after earlier fires. Jason’s role during the incident has been to communicate the specific needs of the Santa Monica Mountains’ trails and roads between the various groups involved, and to get us set up as best as he can in the long-term for restoration of the State Parks trail network and surrounding habitat.

As the Palisades burned, the fire agencies were doing all they could to prevent the fire from progressing to Mandeville Canyon or the Valley — at one point, there were 60+ bulldozers on the incident, urgently pushing aside vegetation so the wall of advancing flames would meet only bare dirt.

The suppression repair agencies that come in behind the firefighters don’t do any trail re-building — or more accurately, there is no obligation of CAL FIRE to repair trail — mainly, they work with gigantic excavators and bulldozers to repair the many dozer lines that were cut during suppression, and put in water bars and other topographic structures to break up flow of rainwater. The heavy machinery operators had extra challenges to navigate where dozer lines intersected trails, ie. where our crews will eventually rebuild the trail with hand-tools.

Still, they were able to get a good amount of trail alignment “roughed back in”. Friday was the last day of suppression repair using heavy equipment; those teams have now demobilized and the equipment has left the park. Hand crews were still out working today, and as of this evening suppression repair has been completed.

The fire’s impact to trails

Jason confirmed that “pretty much all of Topanga ” and Will Rogers SHP trails burned, as well as some small sections of Malibu Creek SP, along the Backbone Trail on Fossil Ridge and above Monte Nido. Many MRCA and other agencies’ trails were also damaged.

Almost all of the trails in Friday’s L.A. Times article, These 28 hiking trails burned in the Palisades fire, were built by Ron Webster and his Sierra Club volunteer crew.

Topanga SP trails NOT in the burn area include Dead Horse, most of Musch, Hondo, half of Garapito, a stretch of the BBT adjacent to the elementary school, and Musch Meadows.

On Musch Trail, we learned there is a bad dozer line through sections of the trail just outside of Musch Camp on the approach from Eagle Rock, and through a couple of creek crossings. On Saddle Peak Trail, the dozers went through about 20 switchbacks, right down the middle. These will be particularly difficult, and take a great deal of work, to restore.

We lost the Chicken Ridge Bridge on the Backbone Trail above Will Rogers. This is an important link on the BBT, and will be the biggest single reconstruction effort for State Parks.

All the Rustic Canyon bridges burned through.

The bridge on Temescal Canyon Trail by the waterfall is also gone. In an uplifting email exchange I had with long-time Sierra Club crew member Noel Bell, he recalled the previous time the bridge here burned (and being part of the volunteer crew who installed the replacement).

Three former roads that had been trails prior to the fire were bulldozed, either for access or as fire breaks. Jason told us that Chaney Fire Rd, Henry Ridge Mtwy, and Farmers Ridge Fire Rd are now “three lane highways”. Since then, they have all had equipment working to restore their pre-fire footprints.

The access roads in Topanga SP were “highly impacted”. Jason said the crews did an excellent job of putting them back together, and the repair has left those roads in fairly good shape after a lot of work; however, with the newly denuded slopes, and potential added erosion from intersecting dozer lines, he expects critical failures at a lot of points, and even the loss of some roads if we get significant rainfall this winter. They will be racing to shore up what they can. His greatest concern for the roads is the saddle between Bent Arrow Trail and Garapito Trail.

We will have to reroute the entrance of Garapito Trail — something we were already looking into before the fire — as there has been significant change to the whole contour of that area.

During a pause in his cataloguing of the additional damages, Jason said:

“I’m really thankful for Ron Webster right now, and the “lightly on the land” ethos, because we don’t have a lot of [man-made] structures in these areas. That’s one of the big positives I’ve been taking away. These trails are laid out with minimal structure, and it’s really going to be a lot easier to repair because of that.”

To our surprise and relief, Ron and Mary Ann’s memorial bench on the Rivas connector between Topanga and Will Rogers survived the fire. MRCA ranger Fernando Gomez sent us a few pictures.

What comes next, and when will volunteers be able to help?

The next step for State Parks is to complete detailed assessments: logging the trails, getting a better idea of hazards, identifying the specific repairs that will be needed to start reopening trails, as well as estimating the costs — this is a FEMA event for the parks as well. They are starting with the most popular trails including Temescal Ridge and Los Liones. Jason noted that it’s still physically very difficult to hike into these areas to do the assessments, because there is 12-18″ of slough covering every trail, and he will send out staff crews to start clearing some of the debris ahead of the folks doing the assessments.

For the most part, the subsequent work is going to be a lot of clearing up rocks and slough. Most of the vegetation is completely burned out. There are not a lot of downed trees or things like that. More time will be needed to scope repairs to structures like bridges and retaining walls, which our volunteer crew will also assist with when the time comes.

One concern we have for the crews is working in all the ash, and the possibility of dangerous particulates. Hopefully we will get a little bit of rain (but not too much) to help everything settle down and then, with appropriate precautions, we can start tackling the work.

Sierra Club, Trails Council and CORBA trail crew leaders will be meeting with State Parks again next week, to go over their early findings and begin scheduling some volunteer work days. I’m told we might be able to start restoration work in early February.

I will share more information as it becomes available.

-Rachel G.

National Public Lands Day (NPLD) is the nation’s largest single-day volunteer effort for public lands.

Held on the fourth Saturday in September each year, NPLD fosters a strong connection between people and the environment, educating and cultivating environmental stewards.

From trail maintenance to tree planting, beach clean-ups to forest bathing, and more, volunteers of all ages and abilities will roll up their sleeves and join forces for a common goal: stewarding America’s natural resources for future generations to enjoy.

Thanks to the members of community-driven environmental groups like Sierra Club, and with support from federal and state agencies, this event ensures resilient natural spaces for generations to come, encouraging volunteering and environmental engagement.

The Santa Monica Mountains Task Force is hosting an “Intro to Trail Maintenance” event in Topanga State Park on Saturday (9/28) in celebration of NPLD 2024.

https://act.sierraclub.org/events/details?formcampaignid=7013q0000029bZlAAI&mapLinkHref=

The Dead Horse Trail was designed and constructed by Sierra Club volunteers — ie. our very own Ron Webster and his Trailies — in 1980. You are invited to join the crew for a “taste” of our regular Saturday events, as we carry out routine maintenance and minor repairs. We will have complimentary coffee and donuts at the trailhead, starting from 8:00 am (the volunteer activity begins at 8:30 am). For more information contact the Volunteer Coordinator, Rachel Glegg, at smmtaskforce@gmail.com.

Additionally, there will be a Sierra Club information booth at the Dead Horse parking lot throughout the morning, where folks can drop by to learn about the many fantastic recreational and stewardship opportunities taking place in the Santa Monica Mountains with Sierra Club Angeles Chapter.

Hope to see you there!

Discover how you can get involved in efforts to protect and steward California’s State Parks as a volunteer with the Santa Monica Mountains Task Force of the Sierra Club!

Join us on Sunday, June 16th for a special “Intro to Trail Maintenance” event in Topanga State Park, taking place during the third annual CA State Parks Week, arranged in partnership with the California State Parks Foundation.

We’ll be cleaning up trails at Trippet Ranch from 8:30 am until about 12:30 pm, and then head down to the oak-shaded picnic area outside the skeet lodge (near the Trippet parking lot) for lunch. The work will include vegetation clearance, removal of invasive plants, and minor trail tread repairs. Participants will receive a complimentary lunch and a free t-shirt.

We are grateful for the Foundation’s generous financial support, providing us with funding for new tools and equipment, volunteer appreciation gifts, and refreshments for our event on Sunday.

Registration is required.

Local events spotlight

Between June 12th and 16th, there will be a range of engaging activities, educational programs, and memorable events across the state. Below we’ve highlighted some of the other activities that will be taking place in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area during CA State Parks Week (please note that, with the exception of Sun 6/16, these are not Sierra Club events).

Explore new experiences

From epic beach days to the magic of ancient redwood forests, there is so much to see, do, and experience in California’s incredible 280 state parks. We encourage everyone to visit a state park and try something new. Interested in camping? Many parks and beaches offer beautiful campgrounds with amenities for first time campers. How about an interpretive hike to learn about your local history or adventures like surfing, boating, or offroading? California State Parks Week is your invitation to explore an activity that you just might fall in love with.

Wednesday, June 12th
5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
The Secrets of the Oak Woodlands – Guided Hike at Malibu Creek State Park
More information

Nourish your health and wellbeing

There’s a reason why playing outside, having a barbecue or picnic, or taking a walk in the open air feels so good. Studies have shown that time in nature can boost people’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Everyone should have access to these benefits. California’s state parks give us all places where we can find refuge, inspiration, and joy. When we connect with nature, we are connecting with ourselves and boosting our overall health.

Thursday, June 13th
6:30 pm to 8:00 pm
Sunset Yoga at the Adamson House
More information

Support climate resilience

Did you know that forests, oceans, grasslands, and other ecosystems throughout California’s public lands store huge amounts of carbon, making them some of the world’s most powerful tools in adapting to climate change? That’s one of the reasons why it’s critical that all of us protect lands and waters. On this day, we encourage you to learn about and support state parks and their partners’ efforts to ensure climate resilience across California’s State Park System—from expanding protected lands in state parks and restoring forests to engaging in educational dialogue about climate threats and solutions.

Friday, June 14th
9:00 am to 12:30 pm
Leo Carrillo Beach Cleanup
More information

Celebrate community and culture

California’s state parks are for all people. We reaffirm this truth by elevating the perspectives and experiences of communities that have been historically underrepresented in public lands. On this day and every day, we honor Black, Indigenous, and communities of color and the many ways these communities care for, relate with, and enjoy our shared parks. Join us for celebrations and cultural events at state parks statewide.

Saturday, June 15th
7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Campfire Program at Malibu Creek State Park Campground Amphitheater
More information

John McKinney of the L.A. Times writes: “Over the past 20 years I’ve asked several thousand Californians to name five state parks. Fewer than 5% can do so. And most of these baffled respondents are outdoorsy folks — the kind of people I meet on the trail or at my talks about hiking.

This lack of awareness is more than surprising right now. It’s dangerous.

If Californians can’t name a handful of state parks, they won’t recognize the threat when Sacramento defers investment in the system or — as is inevitably happening again — attempts to cut funding.”

Read more…

Join our annual celebration of local trails and parkland!

Santa Monica Mountains Trail Days is a time for individuals, families, and groups to give back to the parks by working together to maintain the trails. There’s an important task for everyone, from seasoned trail builders to first-time volunteers, as well as age-appropriate activities for children.

This year’s event will be held over the weekend of April 19th-21st (Friday-Sunday) at Danielson Group Campground in Point Mugu State Park. Registration is required.

More information.

Come out just for the day (Saturday or Sunday) to help clean up trails with the Sierra Club work party — or perhaps stay for the weekend, and enjoy a night or two of free camping, waking up both mornings to hot beverages and bagels. Volunteers can also look forward to a complimentary BBQ dinner on Saturday night, and a jumbo thank-you gift drawing on both days, generously sponsored by our organizers and community members.

(Event registration is handled by another of the organizing parties, the Santa Monica Mountains Trails Council, who will contact registrants directly).

Santa Monica Mountains Trail Days is a beloved, free-to-attend annual celebration of our local trails and parkland. Held in Point Mugu State Park over the weekend of April 21st-23rd (Fri-Sun), it is a time for individuals, families, and groups to give back to the parks by working together to maintain the trails. There’s an important task for everyone, from seasoned trail builders to first-time volunteers, as well as age-appropriate activities for children.

We are proud to have been one of the festival’s founders, and it has continued to be the highlight of the SMMTF trail crew’s yearly schedule since its inception. Other organizing partners for the event include the Santa Monica Mountains Trails Council, California State Parks, National Park Service, and the Concerned Off-Road Bicyclists Association (CORBA).

More information

Join us on Saturday, April 22nd (Earth Day) join us as we restore several recreational trails surrounding Danielson Group Campground at the 40th annual Santa Monica Mountains Trail Days — whether it’s with the Sierra Club work party (details) or another of the work crews — and perhaps stay for the weekend, and enjoy a night or two of free camping, waking up both mornings to hot beverages and bagels. Volunteers can also look forward to a complimentary BBQ dinner on Saturday night, and a jumbo thank-you gift drawing on both days, generously sponsored by our organizers and community members.

Registration is required.

Sign up for Trail Days with the Sierra Club Trail Crew

To participate with the Sierra Club trail crew on Saturday, April 22nd, just send us an email (smmtaskforce@gmail.com) by April 17th with the following information for each registrant:

• Name
• Home address
• Phone number (best number to reach you in emergency)
• Emergency contact (name, phone number)
• Camping on Friday night? yes/no
• Camping on Saturday night? yes/no
• Barbecue on Saturday night? yes/no meat/vegetarian
• Additional trail work (with a non-Sierra Club crew) on Sunday? yes/no