Robert Chacon
An unofficial survey conducted by a group of hikers has revealed that
damage caused by last month's storms has left a number of the city's
more popular nature trails in need of major repair.
Last month's rain gouged gullies out of some trails in the hills
above La Canada Flintridge and paths leading up into the Angeles
National Forest. It also caused landslides to cover other trails, and
it washed out portions used by horse riders.
"You have to be a mountain goat to get around some spots," said
Mary Barrie, a member of the Trails Council, a group of local trail
enthusiasts.
Members of the council have spent the last month surveying the
damage, which has affected city-owned trails in Cherry Canyon and
trails maintained by the county. Some trails have been closed.
Members presented their survey to the city's Parks and Recreation
Commission on Wednesday.
While some trails can be repaired by simple grading, others will
need heavy equipment to put them back into shape, Barrie said. It is
unlikely that repairs will begin before the winter rains have
dissipated, she said.
The Trail Council's membership is a mix of trail buffs and
builders. The organization has been around for more than 30 years.
"This has been an abnormal winter and people will have to be
patient," Barrie said. "The heavy equipment won't be able to get in
there until the rains are over."
Of the city's trails, the most damaged is the Flint Canyon trail,
Barrie said. One spot along the trail popular with equestrians has
been closed down, and it will cost at least $1,000 to repair.
That trail was constructed by a professional trail-building firm
in the early 1990s at a cost of $45,000, paid for by the council.
Because of its steepness, sand had to be laid under a top layer of
soil, keeping the soil from washing away during wet weather.
But recent rains were too heavy, Barrie said.
City officials told her it would take at least $18,000 to fix the
trails maintained by the city, Barrie said.
That is a preliminary figure, Councilman Greg Brown said.
"It's going to be much more than that," Brown said. "Some of the
trails have been seriously undermined. We are still assessing the
damage, but it will be a major expense."
Trail-building crews from Los Angeles County will also need to
repair some trails, but there is no telling when that will be.
"We have 150 miles of trails that have been devastated, and that
is continuing with today's rains," said Bob Soots, administrator with
the county Parks and Recreation Department. "We will take the rest of
February and March to assess the damage."
In addition to Flint Canyon, other damaged trails include the
Cross Town and Gould Canyon trails.
With forecasts calling for rain during the next several days,
trails advocates are expecting more damage, Barrie added.
