Mt. Zion Trail Maintenance Part 2 - 6/10

[MTBMaven]

This event is sponsored by the newly formed Epic Riders MTB Trail Crew, (http://www.ermtb.com). Epic Riders has been around for a while but we are forming a trail crew. This will be our first event.

Where: Mt. Zion Trail in the Angeles National Forest north of Arcadia
When: Saturday June 10th, 9:00 AM
Directions: from the 210 exit Santa Anita and head towards the mountains. Assuming the ANF goes through with opening Chantry Flats on 6/1 we will meet at Chantry Flats. If not, I will work on getting a key to the closed gate from the ANF. If we go the key route we drive up at 9:00AM sharp, please arrive early. Back up, back up plan is to ride the 3 miles up the road to Chantry Flats. Stay tuned about this option.

PLEASE RSVP BY WEDNESDAY JUNE 7TH SO I KNOW HOW MANY TOOLS TO REQUEST.

Trail Work Background:
I have been biking in the Chantry Flats area sense I first started mountain biking in the mid-90's and hiking in the area sense the late 80's as a Boy Scout. I love to make a loop out of Chantry by riding Upper Winter Creek to Hoegee's Camp, up and over Mt. Zion to Stutervant Camp, and back to Chantry Flats. The area has a very remote feeling and is quite shaded, which is ideal for hot summer days. The trail is almost all very narrow technical singletrack with good amounts of exposure. For at least the past two years Chantry Flats has been closed to public vehicle access. The trails have become quite overgrown but have remained a great area for bikers due to significantly less foot traffic. The road closures resulting decrease in traffic, coupled with a lack of trail maintenance, have lead to the trails becoming quite overgrown with vegetation.

The Mt. Zion Trail is in significant need of vegetation removal, edge work, and repairs in several locations. Last weekend I work on Friday by myself partially clearing a downed tree and clearing some vegetation. On Saturday dstepper (Dean) and Pain Freak (Mike) and I worked for several hours removing more downed trees, clearing vegetation, and doing edge work. I was amazed how much work so few people can do with the right tools and motivation. I hope to get at least 5-6 people out on the 10th, but would really like to see more. With simple vegetation removal close to 90% of this trail will become rideable, and with a few repairs close to 100% will be rideable.

Historical Significance:
The Upper Winter Creek Trail and Mt. Zion Trail from Hoegee's Camp to Sturtervant Camp were built by Wilbur M. Sturtevant. Sturtevant was born near Cleveland Ohio and moved out West in 1882 seeking his fortune through mining and also trying to escape his nagging wife. In 1892 Sturtevant discovered Big Santa Anita Canyon where he decided to build a resort, which opened to the public in 1893. The resort was accessed by hiking over Mt. Wilson. Sturtevant needed an easier route to his resort so he looked for an easier route. He reconditioned an existing wagon trail, the old Burlingame Trail, which went from Sierra Madre as far as Winter Creek. Sturtevant began work on the old trail in 1895, and completed his work before the first snow. At the end of the trail he built Sturde's Winter Camp, from which the creek takes its name. In 1896 the trail was opened to the public with a toll of $.25. Sturtevant completed the trail from Winter Creek to his resort in 1897. (At the same time Louie Newcomb and a few others were building a trail from the resort over what is now called Newcomb's Pass into the West Fork. This trail was competed between 1896 and 1897.)
Robinson, John W. 1991. The San Gabriels: The Mountain Cuntry from Soledad Canyon to Lytle Creek. Big Santa Anita Historical Society. Pg 167 - 173.

In more recent time the Mt. Zion Trail was rebuilt after it had been taken back by nature. A group of trail builders, including Kevin Hunt who now lives in Chantry Flats, rebuilt the trail from 1983-1986. Speaking with Kevin last weekend, he is quite happy we are working on the trail.

[dstepper]

OK I am game again, this time I am starting vegetation removal further up the mountain past the poison oak zone.

I did not get any rash from last time, but I still have great respect for the Oak.

[MTBMaven]

Mike and I decided it would be best to walk down the paved road to Winter Creek and hike up the Lower Winter Creek Trail to the Mt. Zion Trail. Significantly less PO on this trail, plus the trail is in better shape, sans all the water crossings.

Glad you can make it out there again!

[MTBMaven]

UPDATE:

Kevin from the ANF responded to me this morning. He will have the tools and a key for me (sense the gate is open to public vehicle traffic I'm not sure what the key is for?).

Date: Saturday June 10th
Time: 9:00AM sharp, so arrive early and be ready to go at 9:00AM
Where: At the corner of Arno Dr. and Santa Anita Blvd. just before gate to Chantry Flats, see link at bottom.

We will carpool up to Chantry Flats due to limited parking. Those with Adventure Passes please bring them.

Bring the following items:
Food
Water
Gloves
Eye protection
Sunscreen/block

Optional:
Shears
Hand saw
Clippers
Any other non-motorized tools for vegetation clearing or trail maintenance

http://local.live.com/?v=2&sp=aN.ppv...y%2520Flats.__

[dstepper]

Well my wishfull thinking that I was immune to poison oak has been just that...a wish. I am still breaking out with new spots after two weeks.

I am staying home on this trail maintance day and staying away form PO. Sorry guys. I also sold my Maverick fork and the guy is driving up from San Diego Saturday to pick it up.

[MTBMaven]

Eight of from Epic Riders MTB Club (www.ermtb.com) worked on the Mt. Zion Trail today. We made some great progress but there is still at least 4-5 more days of work left. See before and after photos:

[dstepper]

Good work guys, are you up out of the poison oak yet? If so I will help.

Is the gate open?

[Pain Freak]

Yeah, we were virtually free of it after last time. We got almost to that first hard to do switchback. We spent a lot of time doing "A" grade quality work. We want it to last more then one season. We probably could have cleared another half mile of trail, but it would of been back to the same old over grown conditions next year, so we decided to do it the way we did. To get all the way to the top of Zion is going to take a lot more work, but if we can keep chipping away at it, it should only take three or four more days with enough people.

Gawd, I was beat by the time I got home. And my "trail running shoes" will never be worn out there again. I slipped and slid all the way down the singletrack and also managed to take a swim.