Hansen Dam area 6/11/09

Here's the new manmade lake at the Dam. Before it was a gravel pit to 1999. Also a pic of the Little Tujunga area and some of the lush canyon. Lots of candle yuccas and flowering tuna cacti (reds and yellows) now.

Gravel Pits

Couple of photos. Many of these had various sorters to sort from large boulders (over 200 pounds each) to very fine sand. The conveyor belt made the process more productive. If you are near one they are very noisy. They used a water truck to wet down the large amounts of dust that collect in these.

Belly Dumps

Some earthmoving equipment. The euclid bottom dump came in several sizes. Here is the B70 which carries up to 70 tons of material. Another one is the Dart bottom dump. This is larger and may carry 200 tons of material. The former usually had a Detroit Deisel probably 700 cu inch 16 cylinder engine. Maybe having a 100 gallon gas tank. The latter had either Detroit Deisel or Cummins.

Griffith Park 5/2009

Some late spring pics. The chaparral is coming back amazing fast after the fires in 2007. On a clear day great views of most of the Los Angeles Basin, beaches and islands.

San Gabriel Mountains back range 5/5/09

Some pics of the upper San Gabriel Canyon area. Today it's amazingly just as gorgeous as eons ago. However, some specimens of the pine blister beetle attacking wide swathes of the conifers in the area. From Mt. Hawkins all the way to Big Bear Lake. Today was a windy May day. Temperatures in the 50s in the shade, in part, because of major snow banks still up at 7000 feet. 100 MPH gusts at times. A large band of smog coming from the L.A. basin on this day. These taken from Mt. Islip. Near Islip is a nice campground called Little Jimmy. Named after a cartoonist in Los Angeles in the 1930s. It's a fantastic elfin forest and can raise probably just about anyone's spirit just by being there. The peak about a mile from the campground or so.

Sadly down below Crystal is now with yellow algae and maybe a biohazard. Maybe it's over use.

San Gabriel mountains frontal peaks

Some pics from Gould mesa area: Mt. Gleason, Josephine Peak and Bear Canyon...steeply descending with the Tom Sloan trail behind Brown Mountain.

Hike 4/30/09 Earl Canyon

Some pics. Here is the saddle area, canyon top and canyon beginning.