Thanks for the video. I am the caltrans project engineer that is working on repair options for the 4.5 miles of route 39. This will be a very challenging project due to the remote and rugged location and the environmental restrictions. The project seems to be getting attention from our local politicians so something will be happen in the future.
Wow! No doubt it'll be challenging. Has there just been a lack of political will up to this point? And what methods work best for mitigating damage from rockfalls/landslides in this case?
You are a Caltrans project engineer sitting on your rear collecting a paycheck. Your part to implement the state's agenda to be environmentally sensitive.
@@brucehutch5419 How would you know that it wasn't extremely hard in the first place? And then the political will and funding was there for infrastructure, and there were few environmental regulations. You think that you know better than the people who build and maintain such roads for a living.
I was 2 years out of H.S. and went up there in '78 the day it came down and blocked the road. 2 friends of mine and I were going backpacking and came upon a wall of boulders. No more going that way. Found out later they were NEVER clearing it. Funny to hear of it in a video decades later while in my 60's. Time flies.
Cone is from a giant sugar pine tree I hike sometimes in that area....the trail to Mt Islip, trailhead located at the far end of Crystal lake campground. Adam owns and runs the store/cafe...food is great. Part of the Pacific Crest trail passes through the trail to Mt Islip. I didn't know it wasn't public knowledge about the road being closed since forever, that info should be public info. Great video...thanks for sharing
Back in September of 2020 there was the devastating “Bobcat Fire” that swept through the San Gabriel mountains. It burned over 100,000 acres. The areas that burned have received some heavy rain resulting in a lot of debris run off and silt. This silt had started to fill in both the Cogswell Dam and the San Gabriel Dam. As a result, both dams have been drained and a major project to remove the silt has ensued. This is what you witnessed.
@@tommurphy4307 in this case definitely more silt than ash. When a brush/forest fire burns though an area it has the effect of baking the earth and turning it into an almost glass like state. When any significant rains follow mud slides result in the worst way as there is no longer any vegetation to retain the soil and the glass like state of the soil causes it to be slick and non binding. During this last year, one storm alone dumped 7” of rain in a day up by Cogswell dam. A significant amount of silt and debris came off the hillsides and smothered the reservoirs and the west fork of the San Gabriel River. This was a real tragedy as it wiped out all the fish in that portion of the river.
@@mackereldude I remember during one of my trips up the East Fork after all the rain in 2020 (had to do something during COVID lol) and before they dumped the water out of the SG Dam it was absolutely insane how much water was in there, you could not see the bottom and the water level was only a few feet from the bottom of the bridge. I wish I took a picture
Hwy 39's last five mile in many parts of the last 5 miles the road completely fell off the mountain and you can see the guardrail just hanging in the air. I worked that roads both State Route 39 Azusa canyon & SR 2 Angeles Crest Highway during my 40 years of service. There is signage at the beginning of SR39 & SR2 informing the public that SR39 is closed. I remember cruising SR2 back in 1970 and cruising back down SR39 into the city of Azusa. Yes it was to costly and the mountain is still very unstable as of today's standards. But I prefer cruising Angeles Crest Highway SR.2 from La Canada to Wrightwood in the summer. P.S. San Bernardino County closes Angeles Crest Highway in the winter at the county line due to rock slides & snow. Crystal lake at one time was a awesome place to fish along with the east & west forks of the San Gabriel River banks that feed in to Morris Dam. Thanks for listening. Keep up the videos ✌️Out
You are right. Access from Hwy. 2 (Angelus Crest) to Hwy 39 had a gate blocking it but you could hike down a short distance but there are some places on Hwy. 39 which had three quarters of the road missing. According to a USGS engineer, he said that part of the mountains was unstable. Oh and by the way, where the road was missing, there was a drop of at least a thousand feet straight down.
Breaks my heart remembering how well kept and enjoyed by so many that area was years ago. Hiking, fishing, camping, swimming in streams. So many memories. Shame the preservation of our National Forest are being ignored.
That was before 1971 and some Prop 11 or something sorry bad memory... but it had in it they didn't want to support the little turnouts with the picnic table and the little Outhouse on it anymore! They'd rather have dirt bikers go in there tear it all up and there was no place to have picnics anymore. They fool people so badly they actually voted on it, the same thing go on right now, the wool over the eyes...
I work on our national forests in fire management and across the board it’s due to funding. Those are dedicated, hard working folks on just about every forest, in every division from fire to rec to heritage. They need help. Call your legislators and tell them to actually fund the forest service outside of throwing money at fire fighting operations.
I camped overnight at Crystal Lake this past summer and people were shooting guns late into the night and when that was done loud cars were in and out til 2 or 3am. I may have just picked a bad night.
I have hiked this road from Crystal Lake and from Hwy 2. While there was a major collapse in 1978, the road to Angeles Crest Hwy has been closed to normal through traffic since around 1969/1970, due to being washed out from heavy rains. Prior to that closure, it made an excellent motorcycle ride, as I experienced it a couple of times, along with a side trip to Mt. Wilson. Thanks for posting this video. It brought back some pleasant memories.
Great video! Two notes - I’m also frustrated by how Google and online sources continue to show the road as open. This is evidently due to an agreement with the Federal state parks that manage the forest. CA highways in the mountains are there under an agreement that states the CalTrans group must maintain the roads, and if a road is ever permanently closed, it must be removed and the land restored. Emergency vehicles sill access the “closed” road during fires, so no one wants it permanently taken away. And the cost of removal would be insane. So, for almost 50 years, it’s been “temporarily” closed.
@@neonaaron YES! Glad to hear it! Google maps won’t route directions through it but last I checked, it didn’t show the closure, and they rejected my suggestion to close it.
I lived at the end of 39/Beach Blvd in HB right at PCH for 20 years and I have driven from there to the very top at Crystal Lake many times. Great place to fish, pan for gold, hike to the old gold mines and just relax and camp. I'm glad they never repaired the last 4 miles because all the traffic going up to and down from Los Angeles Crest Hwy 2 would always be coming through there. Makes it much more peaceful. Awesome place!
THANKS FOR THE GREAT VIDEO!!! Lived in Southern California from 1967 -- 1976. During that time spent a lot of time at Crystal Lake, camping and swimming. The lake was much larger and cleaner in those days -- and yes, we did swim in it. It even had a wooden platform in it, upon which one could lie in the sun or use it as a diving platform. USFS rangers put on campfire gatherings on the weekends at the stone amphitheater, with everyone singing songs and the rangers telling stories about the area. Rode my Honda SL350 along US Hwys 39 & 2 on many occasions -- they were cool, summer rides. The L.A. smog was much, much worse then, and the trip to Crystal Lake would allows us to breathe cool, clean air. I miss that area of my past...had many good times, there.
Awesome video Benji! I live in Pasadena, and cherish the San Gabriels/Angeles national forest as my backyard wilderness. I have hiked most of the trails, many multiple times. Yes, this is a very rugged landscape, with almost no flatland, it rises a smidge every time there is an earthquake and so dissected by streams as the tectonic pressures strain and stress the rock til it weathers and crumbles. Wildfires and flash floods have always been a part of this landscape but are more frequent due to the usual suspects of environmental impact and mismanagement. A few things to add : The San Gabriel reservoir was drained I believe to dredge it of silt that washed in from previous wildfires, hence why Morris reservoir was high. These reservoirs are mostly for flood control that would otherwise devastate communities downstream. They capture some of the water in large groundwater settling basins. 2. Nearly all of the recreational users of the national forest are locals who pack the parking lots with their friends and families on the weekends when they are off work but are desolate Monday through Friday. Unfortunately, many people who are discovering the national forest for the first time haven’t been taught proper outdoor etiquette and see the mountains as an extension of the city, rather than a retreat from the city. Hence the graffiti. Crystal Lake is only fed by rain and local snowmelt and was devastated by years of drought. Fortunately, our wettest year since 2005, where we got double the average rain and snowfall has helped bring Crystal Lake back up to its former level. (for now). Finally, yes, the mountains of California (and Oregon) are home to the pine tree species with the most massive pine cone (coulter pine) as well as the longest pine cone (sugar pine). I think you picked up a sugar line cone. Neither of these species are found in your new home state of Arizona. Safe travels and come back again!
Thank you for the valuable information! I would love to see Crystal Lake after this past winter. The sugar pine cone I took home as a souvenir and it's still in great shape.
Earlier tonight at Azusa City Hall Auditorium was a public hearing and comment hosted by CalTrans District 7 on plans to reopen the long closed segment (Crystal Lake to State Route 2)
Fires did not help recently. I have been going up there since the 1960's. I remember when the road was open to Angeles Crest 2. Actually the road has been rebuilt. Despite what is said here, it was fixed years ago and I walked it. It is open for emergency vehicles. No yellow lines, no guard rails but it is there but always gated. I recall when Crystal Lake had a store next to it that sold food and fishing tackle as the lake was stocked. There was even a pier and boat rentals. Lake is much smaller now, no store. There was a Hidden Springs with rental cottages and a rustic restaurant filled with antiques. It all burned up along with 10 cabins near by.
Second note - in the ‘70s, there were motorcycle gangs that used to stay up CA39 and use the loop from 39 to CA2 (Angeles Crest Highway) as an easy way to get around police, escape over to Lancaster, etc. So there’s that history also in place.
I go hiking in the San Gabiels all the time and I haven't spent much time around the 39 highway. It's safe to say that a huge majority of the people visiting angeles national forest are along the Angeles Crest Highway. Either way, I always love stumbling across old and forgotten infrastructure, tons and tons of decommissioned roads for example can still be found throughout the whole range. I'll have to spend more time on state route 39 since it seems like a hotspot for that sort of thing. Great video, super informative, (especially from someone visiting for the first time).
I traveled this road down from 2 in 1975 and it sends shivers down my spine every time I think of it.This was a one lane road that has traffic in both directions. We met someone coming up and we had to squeeze past each other. I was on the downhill side and my tires were inches from going over the edge. I believe this is why it has never been reopened. It needs serious construction to make it safe.
Holy cow! I did not know that it was a single lane road. I see now why it would be so expensive, having to make way for another lane. Simply restoring it wouldn’t work with how large today’s vehicles are (ugh)
Nice video and commentary. You show well that despite California's population of 40 million people, we still have wide open spaces in our beautiful state.
Enjoyed your video and glad you liked our local mountains here in So Cal. We call that area Azusa Canyon. Lots of off-roading used to happen up there. Yes the LA basin is a zoo but you only need to go out a short distance to experience our various landscapes and geography. 👍👍
@@roamingbenji We used to tell friends and family back East in the US and in England (Dad USAF met and married Mom there) that on a fair number of weekends in any given year, we could visit the beach and swim, then go up into the mountains with snow, etc. As a young family, my Dad moved us to California twice and the second time was because we missed it so much. The easy day drive or barely two round trip if you include the Sierras like Mammoth Mountain, Yosemite and Lake Tahoe, as long you successfully timed it to avoid peak traffic, to so much variety between the high and low deserts, mountains, beaches etc, was definitely the biggest draw for our family back then. But then the population exploded in the extended region and much of that changed. One of the key reasons I left 30 plus years ago now, was when a few long weekends with an added day on either side to avoid traffic, had drives to and from Mammoth Lakes or Tahoe for world class skiing along with the Colorado River for summertime water skiing and early jet skis time, triple or more from the previous transit times. So one return from Mammoth Mountain skiing took over 22 hours (instead of the prior norm of barely 6 hours each way) of bumper to bumper on 395; it was still mostly two lanes with just one in both directions then. Another time returning to arrive before dawn the first work day after a summertime three day weekend, traffic was bumper to bumper when we hit the Palm Springs area. Still dark in predawn hours I noticed many drivers were alone and wearing ties. The Air Quality Management District initiatives were in full force but the effects had not yet been realized. So anyone with any sensitivities would suffer. I had none but have always had “extra spidy senses” you could say. So my solution to get away from the bad air and worst of the crowds before finally leaving the State, was moving closer and closer to the beach, then further and further south. My last beachside residence of a fair number between West LA right adjacent Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, Redondo and Huntington Beach earlier on, was across from Ritz Cove south of Laguna Beach. I could step out of my home, leap across the concrete leading to my front door, landing in the sand. Then walk in mostly sand all the way to the beach; I was by far at my most popular then. I’d tell three friends I was to do a weekend BBQ and thirty would show up. I also learned while still in my twenties prior heading north out of state, the full power of location, location, location. That’s when I’d share notes about where I lived and where the CEOs etc I was doing business with lived, including of some large companies. We did that to agree to logical after work meeting locations. Virtually every time I mentioned I lived adjacent Ritz Cove and we could meet in the Ritz Carlton, they’d do the big drive to come meet me within short and easy walking distance from my home. As for the San Gabriel Mountains, I spent a whole lot of time exploring all over them, too. As we lived in their foothills right below Mt. Baldy, effectively, as a young family those two times I noted earlier here. First time we arrived I was 6 years old. The second time I was 16, after a year in Georgia, then five years in two towns outside Dayton Ohio; my Dad was an early electronic defense pioneer effectively, starting while in the USAF so Air Force Bases featured prominently in the locations of the literal “18 homes by the time I was 18” growing up. On a number of hikes in the San Gabriels, I had Rattlesnake run ins. And a number of times Bobcat and Mountain Goat sightings. Buzzed by a glider with no warning at ridge top one time; that was exciting. I do mean buzzed. Buzzed by a California Condor on my motorcycle with my then GF, dropping down into the Anza Borrego Desert State Park. I figured my bright a** yellow helmet and my GF’s white one likely got the California Condor wondering where those big eggs had come from; first my GF screamed then a giant shadow engulfed us. It was almost within our each so we both got a very close look. They were still very near to extinction then; look up how huge they are. Incredible especially that close and without warning! And popping up to Palmdale for the first landings of the first Space Shuttles proved to be exceptionally memorable, was closer than any human on earth several times. Well, except for one of my Uncles and multiple of my friends and two girlfriends for several of them. The only humans closer to the Space Shuttles were the Chase Plane Pilots. Which reminds me, I really must digitize those slides! Incidentally my Uncle (Duncan) who joined us that one time told all once back home to Scotland that it was the most amazing experience of his life. Watching man fly back or rather glide back from space, knowing his parents witnessed the very first flying machines.
In the late 70's, our dog fell through the ice at Crystal Lake, we fortunately were able to save her without anyone else being harmed. The lake was full back then, and the ice very thick that year. Someone had cut a hole in the ice to fish, and the silly dog fell in. We had massive rain storms in the late 70's when the road was washed out for good.
My friend fell through the ice also. Fortunately the water was shallow enough that he was able to to walk out. That sucked. We had to leave after that.
I've lived in LA most of my 80 years. Enjoyed camping in, reading history of, & exploring our beautiful San Gabriel mountains when I was younger & able to get out & about. Thank you so much for this video which was a lovely 🥰 vicarious visit to my favorite mountains.
I grew up in the San Gabriel foothills and I still live here, and these mountains are where my heart lives. I love the San Gabes. Lovely videography of them here. Thank you.
In the same spirit, that road leads to a parking lot that, at least in summer WE, is full very early, called Bridge to nowhere. Most people go down to cool off in the river, but a 2 hours hike get you to a well built bridge with no road. The road that was supposed to cross the mountain was washed away by a flash flood and never finished, let alone rebuilt. So now, we have a beautifull bridge and no road ! The best part is that once you pass that bridge, the trail continues, but not the people. So you are alone in the word, just next to a multi million people population.
Great video - one of our forgotten gems. I remember many years ago when it still connected to Route 2. One of the prettiest roads in all of Angeles Crest forest, in my opinion. Warning: lots of racers, both cars and motorcycles, going up and down on the weekends.
I drove from Lancaster to Azusa over Rte. 39 in 1977, just before it was closed. I really wish they would put the road back into service because it provides an alternate route from the desert to the eastern side of the LA basin.
This is really interesting to me, as a resident of the long beach area i see the 39 as beach boulevard, which is a major road that runs through a bunch of notable locations. I didnt know it ran into the mountains and that it was abandoned and decrepit as you travelled inland. Its really interesting the difference in infrastructure compared to long beach vs los angeles
One of the main reasons it hasn’t been repaired is that it is extremely difficult to keep clear because of constant rockslides. Not only would you have the price of the road repair but you would have the price of keeping the road repaired which is prohibited at this point.
Yes, those are Coulter pines which are native to the central and southern coast ranges of California. The cone is about as heavy as a quart jar full of maple syrup and is considered to be the heaviest cone of any pine.
And the cones are not only covered in sticky resin, but they have spiky protrusions at each scale. I grew up a couple miles from the foot of the San Gabriels near Azusa and we spent a LOT of time up on the Crest. We called the Coulter pines "widowmakers" as you didn't want to stand under one. I know the area is so overbuilt and the natural scenery/native flora and fauna are stressed to the extreme. I still miss it.
@@SkepticCyclist , thanks for your input. I was thinking either ponderosa or sugar pine. Between the two of us, sugar pine would be the consensus then.
@@DanielinLaTuna Coulter Pines grow at lower elevations as they can handle the heat better. The difference in cones being the Sugar is long and thin, while the Coulter is heavy and wide. The Ponderosa is smaller, darker, and has prickly barbs; while the Jeffrey looks the same but with the barbs turned in- that's why it is known as the "gentle Jeffrey".
Thanks for the vista. You may have wanted to look up the San Gabriel Reservoir. From what I can tell, its primary use is as a percolation reservoir that recharges the aquifer in that region. These are reservoirs that fill in winter and then the water slowly drains into the soil during the dry season. We have them all around the Santa Clara Valley as well.
The road is drivable but accessible to emergency vehicles only due to the landslide risk. It's critical for this purpose to enable fire trucks to access the central forest area more easily. Interestingly Caltrans is considering a project to protect against landslides so the road can be reopened to the public. My understanding is that improving reliable access for fire trucks is the main driver. Let's see if they go forward.
The state has determined the geology is too unstable to keep repairing the road at the area of closure. But their agreement with the Forest Service is that they have to completely demolish the road and restore natural grading if they ever abandon the highway, and that would be even more expensive. So they keep the road open as far as they can, even though it goes ‘nowhere’.
Used to do the loop on motorcycles when we lived in Upland. Up Baldy to Glendora Ridge, East Fork, 39, ACH to Wrightwood. There was a torpedo test facility at Morris from 40s to 90s. Got a tour when I was an engineering student at Cal Poly late 70s.
I've lived in Whittier for 60 years. About halfway between HB and Hwy 2. I've driven both ways many times. The last time I drove to Hwy 2 was the winter of 1976 or thereabout. It was still open but it was extremely dangerous during the winter. Like someone said a section on 39 washed out a couple years after I went through there. I snowed skied and was trying to get to Mt Waterman. But Hwy 2 itself is a desolate road during the winter. Many have gone over the side and died in their cars. I will say this. The recreation area wasn't anything then like it is today. That entire area has been ruined with graffiti.
I love your videos man! Nature explored and explained simply with real footage and a certain unique observational storytelling. Brings life to these "ordinary" places. Awesome information and insight.
Great video and discussion. I love the San Gabriel mountains and all the cities that rest along the base of the mountains. Los Angeles truly gives you little pockets of towns/districts that will remind you of many major cities on the West Coast and the Pacific Northwest. I’ve heard stories about how the indigenous people who lived in Pasadena talked about these valleys as smoky valley’s/smokey mountains when translated. The air settles at the northernmost corner of the San Gabriel Valley and along the whole base of the western/Southwestern slope. The views and sunsets are beautiful. Its always fun to catch a crystal clear blue day and see all the way out to the ocean. Cool stuff. Thank you
I grew up in Glendora back in the 50's, 60's and 70's. I believe that the area that caused the road to be closed pretty much permanently was a very narrow section that was damn near a one lane section that had a shear wall on one side and a straight drop on the other. I recall that section disappeared completely.
Been enjoying Highway 39 for many years, and the camping at Crystal Lake. While the lake is very low and has been for 30 years, the fact is, many don't realize is that this lake is one of the only ones in the state, that's purely dependant on snowmelt or rainfall. So, since we've had very little rain, we won't see it rise for a while longer. In the past, it was very high, in fact the water flooded the bait/snack shop that used to be at the water's edge, where people could also rent canoes and such, to paddle around the lake. Shame it's not fuller, it is a nice spot. But, the campgrounds there near the trading post/cafe are are clean and safe, and a spot we visit every year. The large pine cone is most likely from a Ponderosa Pine tree, which dot the mountainside. While the road up and down 39 appears to be abandoned, it depends on what day you venture up it. On the weekend there are many who spend the weekends camping or spending time there, and sadly, there are many accidents where cars speed and fly. off the road, because they underestimate the tight turns and switchbacks. Nearly every time we've camped up there, there's at least one or two cars that plunge into the canyon. I love it up there, and the East Fork Road that connects to Glendora Mountain Road is also amazing, that offer great vistas and views of the San Gabriel mountains.
That road is dangerous for the many bicyclist that use it to. A couple months ago a bicyclist died when he he was out of his lane and was struck by a car.
Thanks for the vid on SW 39. As a teenager I rode my Honda 90 from the Beach to Crystal Lake (was a lake in ‘66) a couple of times. Your vid brings back fond memories of those rides. Thanks for the memories 😊
That highway is beautiful! I've ridden my road bike a handful of times up to Crystal Lake, the cafe up there offers lots of delicious snacks and drinks the owner is a nice man. The views are awesome and scenery changes with elevation nothing beats the peace and quiet going up there. Also, there's a cool little area that has running spring water it's a few miles shy of crystal lake.
If you see that long concrete camo painted ramp at morris reservoir you’d ask yourself “what was that for🤔” the military used to test submersibles and other underwater equipment there in the 60’s/70’s into the early 80’s.. my grandfather used to tell me about it during his time in the military. My buddy adam runs the crystal lake cafe at the very top of the highway. I hope you stopped to get snacks and enjoy the lake
Keep in mind you're there on a Monday in the fall. Trust me, on a spring weekend this will be extremely active. Maybe not the upper end, but there are lots of places to hike and so springtime it gets busy. Plus there are areas with water where clearly there isn't in October. We're in the middle of a x year drought. Great shots/views!
Not to mention he went during the middle of the day. In the early morning there are a lot of cyclists (in the less cold months). At night there are a lot of cars driving to enjoy the curvy road after a day of work (in particular sports cars).
I recently did a 2 month motorcycle trip from california to the east coast and back. I've never really left california before for any length of time. It was so green for so long that my eyes hurt, It was refreshing to get back to the west and sage colors. I cant help but feel that innnately this has something to do with your apocalyptic outlook of the west.
I rode C2C solo back in 91 the other way on a Norton Commando. Wish I had the time and money to make it a vacation but it was awesome anyway. Love the southeastern hills where I live, always feels good to get home.
Interesting to hear about a Southern California road like this from a first time visitor - this one's off the beaten path even for us residents! I've lived here all my life (the year that last stretch of Highway 39 was closed was the year I was born), and I've spent a ton of time along the Angeles Crest Highway, but I've only driven up 39 out of Azusa a handful of times, to hike either the East or West Fork of the San Gabriel River. (The East Fork is the hike that takes you to the legendary "Bridge to Nowhere" that I can see a few others have mentioned - one of the best hikes I've ever done and probably one that I will NEVER do again.) I've never driven 39 all the way up to where it dead ends like you did, but I guess I've technically been to its northern terminus since I've passed Islip Saddle on Highway 2 - a road which itself is often closed for long stretches of times due to rockfalls and washouts when the rain/snow gets heavy. I can only assume that it hasn't been made a priority to re-open that last stretch of 39 because it isn't a high-demand route for travelers - there aren't any towns to speak of along Highway 2 between La Canada Flintridge and Wrightwood, just scattered ranger stations, a restaurant that I don't think is open any more, and a few ski areas that I guess might draw more crowds when there's enough snow for it to be worth the trip. I love that area for hiking and sightseeing, but it's always been one of those things where if I drive up into the mountains, I know it's not gonna be a quick trip - and that's if Highway 2 is even open that far up to begin with. Ironically, right at the outskirts of La Canada Flintridge as you head up the Angeles Crest, there's a sign warning you of any road closures that might be in effect ahead, which INCLUDES the route to Azusa via Highway 39. I'm pretty used to seeing it say it's closed to Wrightwood, and of course it's always been closed to Azusa for as long as I've been alive. It's weird that Highway 2 warns drivers of this while Highway 39 does not.
David you should really consider driving to the top of 39 and doing the Mt Islip peak starting from the Windy Gap trailhead near the Crystal Lake Recreation Area, I've only done it once but its really great and at the top you'll get an amazing view of both SGV to the south and the desert to the north.
@@Matkovic99 Heh, that requires being in way better shape than I am now. The Bridge to Nowhere was 9 years ago and I struggled with the length of that hike even then - at least that one has no major elevation gain!
@@murlough23 haha you're right. I always tell people you can be in any shape whatsoever and you can do BTN in a day with lots of breaks. In 2020 I did it 6 times during covid and I had done it 5 times previously in 5 years 😂. I remember Mt Islip being pretty gradual tho...not as insane as Ice House Canyon 😂
@@Matkovic99 I remember that finding a day to do the Bridge to Nowhere was tricky. I had attempted it with a larger group way back in 2002, on a spring day when the water levels were a bit high, and we ran into some trouble finding safe places to cross the stream. We didn't complete the full hike that day, and it was one of those things where I had unfinished business and wanted to go back and do it eventually. I ended up going on a "June Gloom" day in 2013 that wasn't too hot, but that was after a few months of not too much rain, so the water levels were low. The lack of shade was still brutal when the clouds burned off, since the river runs east/west. I still drank my entire huge bottle of water on the way up, and we only pressed on to the bridge when hikers on their way down informed us that there was filtered water available there. I refilled, drank the ENTIRE bottle while I ate lunch at the bridge, refilled it again, and was still parched by the time I got back to the parking lot. I cannot imagine doing that hike on a summer day without the cloud cover, or in the winter/spring when the water levels are typically higher. Most other hikes I've done in SoCal, that sort of thing isn't really a consideration. Due to Covid I spent 2 years working from home 5 days a week, not realizing a poor ergonomic setup was slowly screwing up my back. So even short hikes are slow going for me now. I'm sure I'll heal. Just need to take it easy for now.
@@murlough23 ah man thats a bummer about your back, hope it heals quickly. I've found the most optimal time to do BTN was/is sometime during fall, after all the heat and sun have evaporated most of the runoff from Winter and spring and you can dodge most of the heat. Im in my twenties so heat and water level arent much of a problem, in fact I prefer more water since crossing the river generally cools you off, sometimes I just hike straight throught it. Never found a hike where you can do that. And then at the bridge you can literally go swimming...not as amazing as the Virgin River in Zion...but our little san grabriel river is amazing nonetheless
Alot of people go there to do things you can't do down in the city, like donuts, drifting, burnouts, racing, etc. Lots of motorcycles too. And a lot of people have died or been killed up there. It's literally about 5 minutes from where I live. Glad to see someone from out of state appreciate something i have access to everyday!
Interesting fact: At Crystal Lake there used to be a hunting lodge there and the owner / builder constructed a narrow-gauge railroad to bring guest up the canyon to stay at the lodge.
The haze is moisture off the sea. Smog is not that common any more (and if you did get it then you'd find it choking, possibly brown and very nasty smelling). The reserviors are probably not for water storage, these dams are used for flood control so they wouldn't be very full given we've been in drought for a few years. (Now would be a different story.) The road itself has been marked on paper maps as closed for decades. (If you want to see a similar route then travel Highway 33 from Ventura. North of Ojai it climbs through the mountains for about 30-40 miles. Its very scenic.)
I used to travel Northern California for work a lot. Went to Susanville by way of Reno from the Bay area and I decided to try a different way home past Lake Almanor and mostly following the Feather river to Chico Oroville area. I was pushing it, about to run out of gas with few places to get any but that Geo Metro got all of it's rated fifty miles per gallon! It was well worth it though some of the least populated parts of California I have seen that I would want to see.
Yeah, lots of folks think California is all cities, but there's so many old, forgotten roads out there. It's easy to get lost and easy to get far away from "civilization."
John Muir said the San Gabriels were the most rugged & difficult to traverse range he had ever encountered. When I was younger Crystal Lake was a clear, blue lake. Years of intermittent drought have brought it to its present state. The Tongva Indians camped in the San Gabriels at Buckhorn to hunt & collect acorn crops. Notorious bandito Velasquez drove stolen horses & cattle up to Sulphur Springs (a campground) to hide out because of its inaccessibility. Delighted u got to see our mountains. I would recommend a trip up the Angeles Crest highway. From some spots there u can see the Mojave Desert on the other side. Quite a contrast. Thank u again. ❤
Use to go up there when I was younger. It was nice. The road went thru. Crystal Lake was a pond but better than that. They tried to keep the road open, but the mountain kept falling on it. They need a tunnel. Hwy 2 is a great drive. There is gold in the east fork of the San Gabriel River and people still prospect there.
I grew up in Covina. I made the loop up Hwy 39 to Hwy 2 and down to Wrightwood on my motorcycle twice before the road was closed. Crystal Lake was an awesome place to camp in the 60's and 70's.
This is a quick getaway area to off-road or hike for SoCal. If you go up the 39 and head a bit east, it will lead you to one of the great hikes in SoCal called the “Bridge to Nowhere”…it is an 8mi in and out hike that follows a major stream which turns into a big river during the rain season, the hike basically ends at a beautiful huge concrete bridge that literally stops at the face of a mountain. The story is that the DoD or other Govt agency was building an escape route into the mountains for people in SoCal back during the Cold War in case of an attack on the region. They had prison labor build a road and then constructed the bridge to cross a wide portion of the river, only to suddenly stop the project. Mother Nature has reclaimed most of the road as a hiking trail, but the bridge looks as new as ever…it is a great “Why is this structure here” video for you to do someday. You were literally a few miles away from this! As for why the DoT closed the connection b/w the 2 and the 39…imo they do not want more traffic in the San Gabriel’s. If they opened that connection, then the amount of joyriders that do the loop to/from Azusa to La Canada (my town) would increase dramatically. There are already a lot of motorcyclists who go up and down the 2 at extreme speeds as it is and causes regular accidents…
The family that owns that land and bridge do bungee jumps adventures there on the weekends. They were going to go through that rock at the end of the bridge but i heard that a flood washed out the road in 1938 so they didn't complete it. At one time you can hike arounnd the back side of the rock and shimmy down a hole and walk the section they were gonna go through. I made it in there and you can see the road was getting set up. However this place has since collapsed. I went in there 3 different times in the early 2000s and each time the space was smaller. Now the entrance is completely closed off by mother nature.
Ah yes, the ol' Highway 39 Dead-End Trick. I fell for that one too. I think you must have visited on a weekday, because highway 39 is very busy with car and motorcycle enthusiasts (and lots of accidents) on weekends. Crystal Lake did apparently used to be a lake, according to the Wikipedia article "Crystal Lake Recreation Area" and some old photos you can find for sale on eBay- sad puddle now as you observed. There's the Crystal Lake Cafe, nice campgrounds, and some of my favorite hikes in the world up there. -Mark
When you go through before Crystal Lake, there's a turn off to the right on a bridge that takes you past a gun range, a restaurant and camping area, keep traveling past till the road ends and you have to go left (to another bridge) or right, go right,. Most of the time that section is open. Go way up the mountain (direction of mount baldy) you'll stop and either go right or left, go left. This might scare some people because it looks like it's going wayyyy in to the mountains. Just keep going, you'll zig in and out, see the San Gabriel Forest Research Camp (I don't know what the real name is), go past it, you'll end up in Mount Baldy where you can travel, and enjoy some hikes. Or head right and go past till you hit Rt 66, you would have done a complete loop. Trust me, go this route, it'll be a much better experience.
Let me help you because i travel these roads quite often just as a getaway motorcycle ride. Going north on 39, the first bridge you can turn right on is East Fork. You will go past burro canyon gun range and Camp Williams. Past the camp, there will be a T section. To the left across the little bridge you can head to the end and park the ranger station and go hike to the Bridge to Nowhere. Go right on the road at the T and you go up GMR(Glendora Mountain Road)and it will T there at the lookout. Go right and you drop back into Glendora. Go left and you go across GRR or Glendora Ridge Road, which will take you to Mt Baldy Rd. Go north up the road and you will be in Mt Baldy Village and beyond that you will be at the ski lifts where there is tons of hiking. Go south on Mt Baldy rd and you will eventually drop into Claremont or Rancho Cucamonga depending on which split you take.
In the early 80's there was enough of an opening next to the gate to get my motorcycle through, and I was able to ride that closed stretch. It was slow going for most of it, but still passable despite the slides and debris littering the roadway. I haven't been up there in a couple of decades and now, thanks to your video, I want to head back up. Maybe I'll hike the stretch or ride my bicycle. Thanks for your video!
the connection between SR 39 and SR 2 is treated like some kind of forbidden pleasure. There's actually people out there that will fight against any suggestion of the potential opening of this route. I don't know what their problem is. I hope to travel through it sometime in my lifetime. Having said that SR 39 and the parallel GMR is popular car cruising loop. Many kids from the nearby high school known to get hurt or killed. I also have fond memories as a kid going there with family to get in the stream, I still see families gathering there in the summer. Usually when families go up to the mountains for recreation it's either Azusa, Angeles Forest, or Big Bear
Thank you for sharing this video. I planned on driving highway 2 then go back to OC area by taking highway 39. I am glad I found this info. Thumbs up to you buddy!
I am a California transplant. When I was a Boy Scout I lived in Ventura County. I lived within 50 miles of America's 2nd largest metropolis. {metropolitan LA} The San Gabriel Mountains are a classic example of all the empty wilderness there is right next to LA.
@@tommurphy4307 It really is. Rainy winters & log dry summers cause that scenario. I don't think any part of a any part of America has a wildfire season so long & so lively.
I love those mountains man, its surreal seeing a video on the highway i take quite often. This is especially great in january which gets some great snow. Not to mention the fishing as well@
Great comments, i hope the wild life and the governor see this clip and do something abou it. I did kind of the same objective but from route 2 to 39 but when i got to the intersection i was shock to see that it was closed, there is not a dam sign stating that the roa is closed. so much for State signage.
Im a local to that area and honestly its not as abandoned as it seems. Depending on the day/timing you go, there will be a good amount of people at the stream more so than actual crystal lake. Also if you go towards the later hours in the day there will be many spirited drivers or groups running the course too. I usually still drive hwy 39 at least 1-2 times a month with my friends just because its a escape from the city. And before anyone comments "you're part of the problem tearing up the forest with our cars", its more complicated than it seems there's layers to it.
Hello! San Gabriel Valley local here. Been coming up this road since I was a boy in the 90s. This highway is hardly forgotten. Caltrans is up there on the regular making repairs to the road, especially after the rain. Its a popular highway since the OHV park is up there in addition to the Crystal Lake campgrounds. Motorcyclists love this road but avoid it on the weekends since it gets too much traffic. Also, some nights, you will come across drifters and rice rocket types at East Fork (its the road if you make a right onto that green bridge) so that is a warning to anyone going up there at night :D That road that is blocked at the top, we used to be able to take it to Angeles Crest Hwy 2 in the 90s, IF you had 4x4. I used to take that road with my uncle in his Jeep. In retrospect, stupid idea. Nice to see a video about this road. Lots of memories up here for the 626 (area code) locals.
Oh! one more thing to add, Crystal Lake was indeed a nice lake like 25 years ago. Its pretty sad to see it in the state its in now. A sign of CA drought conditions.
They have tried to repair 39 a few times but it just keeps getting destroyed. The landslides all changed the run off into Crystal lake so it doesn't get near as much water as it did before 1978. Some area's above the Highway got between 9 and 19 inches of rain in a 24 hour period. Highest peak in the San Gabriel Mountains is Mt San Antonio at over 10 thousand feet, there are 6 peaks over 9 thousand. If you get a warm winter storm with little snow thats a shit load of water running down hill.
I grew up right in front of these mountains. I remember being up there with friends drinking and doing other fun things. Camping at Crystal Lake was so much fun.
Up until the mid 1990,s Crystal Lake was pretty full and a fun place to go fishing. Like most places close to LA and easy to get to, it was slowly trashed and vandalized. First that Ive seen it since then. Sad to see in its current condition but a great video.
“Great Relief”… thanks for sharing. Having grown up in the shadow of the San Gabriels and San Bernardinos (a greater proportion of the Transverse ranges), I’ve marveled over the desert floor to peak apex differences. To my point, when first approaching the Rocky Mountains in Colorado (from the west - from Utah), I was so disappointed. I thought, “omg, they’re nothing” compared to the majesty of the views afforded from the Los Angeles basin. Now I know the technical name, great relief. As for the pine cones, they’re either ponderosa or sugar pine. I’d have to see the tree and smell the cone and bark. The largest cones come from sugar pines, the next largest are from ponderosa. Speaking of the Hwy 39 Hwy 2 loop (Azusa to La Cañada), I have done it, years ago before the closure at the top of the mountain. It is spectacular. By the way, I don’t think it’s the LA haze giving the ridges their distinctive blue tints. I’ve seen the same phenomenon in the northern California valleys, driving down from the Oregon border, through the Siskiyou mountains and the Coast Ranges.
Thanks for watching. Good points. I did some research about the blue tint and discovered that distant mountains in general may look blue because of the light scattering that occurs when looking through the atmosphere at a distance. It's the same reason the sky looks blue. My assumption is that any increase in aerosols or particulate matter in the atmosphere will increase scattering, causing a heightened effect. This heightened effect makes the difference in blue/gray shading from one mountain ridge to the next much more stark. It's how obvious this effect was that caught my attention. There is usually quite a bit of particulate pollution in the LA area, and there is usually quite a bit of water vapor in the Smoky Mountains. In fact, the Cherokee natives call(ed) the Smoky Mountains "the place of blue smoke". The Chumash natives in southern California were recorded as having called the LA Basin the "valley of smokes". So while distant mountains in general take on a blue tinge, I think in these locations it is notably pronounced, for whatever reason.
@@roamingbenji , thanks for sharing. I’d always assumed the Smoky Mountains were smoky because of all the pioneers and early settlers burning firewood. But apparently I was wrong (unless the indigenous peoples also burned lots of firewood?). Interestingly enough, here in California one of the first things the Spanish padres noticed was the locals practicing land management by fire. Of course the padres didn’t understand, and would mockingly write home “the Indians (‘los indios’) are at it again! Burning the earth…), so haze was common here even before the European colonization period. This practice was prevalent throughout the entire Pacific coast, from California in the south to Washington in the north, such that when Angelo pioneers from the east coast arrived, they thought God had created and preserved these lands expressly for them, the new settlers! They never credited the indigenous peoples (the “savages”) for having done the actual shaping of their environment. Cheers! PS, I love the other work you’ve doing 😊
When I was a child (over 35 years ago) Crystal Lake was full and would freeze over. You would also see the ice skate markings on it. Thanks for the video.
Our first home was just south of Crystal lake and we were there when the 39 was washed out south of Hwy 2. We had alot of good memories from our years there. Very remote but we loved our cabin. Sadly the fire destroyed nearly all the residences in the area. Now just memories remain.
In my youth in the 60's much of my recreation was somewhere along 39. Growing up in Whittier, if you wanted to go to the mountains it was the San Gabriel Mountains. Spent many lazy summers with my dog and girlfriend there. If you wanted the beach it was the other direction past Knott's Berry Farm to Huntington. Sometimes we'd bike to the beach stopping at Knott's for a corn on the cob on a stick for 25 cents. Back then Knott's was free admission so we'd sometime spend an hour or so there looking around. Back in the mountains Crystal Lake was beautiful in the summers, cool and refreshing. In the winter the lake would freeze and people would ice fish. By motorcycle we'd take 39 to 2 and come out near Pasadena, a really fun ride.
Great video for someone not from the area! It largely is a forgotten highway. It has been my go-to for weekend motorcycle rides because it is usually fairly quiet and traffic free. This makes it a very popular area for bicycle riders as well. The pandemic did create some renewed interest though. Since spring 2020, nearly every weekend is as crowded as I used to only see on major holiday weekends. It's unfortunate you didn't witness Hwy 39 on a weekend when it is bustling with campers, hikers, swimmers, off-roaders, motorcyclists, bicyclists, performance cars, street lugers, photographers, partiers and picnickers. It really is a fantastic recreation area. I have been torn with the recent idea of reopening the road to Islip Saddle. It would make for some great motorcycle and bicycling riding to connect to Angeles Crest, but it will invite a lot more traffic.
That's an interesting area. I once hiked past the end of the road up to the crest, and it was both beautiful and creepy. "Post-apocalyptic" is a perfect way of describing it. But there's a way more amazing (and better kept) stretch of road in the other direction, running to Baldy. Driving that one offers some legit European-style "motoring". Good on you for exploring places without being told to. All truly great things are hidden.
The Azusa Avenue section of Highway 39 through Covina and West Covina was the portion I was most familiar with, as that was walking distance to my house when I was growing up. However, the portion of 39 through the mountains is where I had my first kiss, and I used to enjoy driving up there just to get away for a few hours. The Bridge to Nowhere, mentioned several times in the comments, is one of the few things in the entire US that I have interest in seeing but haven't been to yet. Thanks for posting the video!
Disappointed to see Crystal lake in such a dry state. It was once a beautiful lake and surrounding was gorgeous! My husband proposed to me there in 1976. Both of us California natives born in early 1950s.
I lived in West Covina at the 10fwy and Azusa. My hangout as a kid. The place is a mess now. Haven’t been up there since the 90’s. Sad video seeing the shape of the area. 😢
That pine cone is from a Sugar Pine tree. They're the *longest* pinecones out there but not the largest. I love seeing them and they tend to be common in the higher elevation, northern peaks of the San Gabriel Mountains.
One thing that weighed on the decision to not repair the washout right away, back in the ‘70s, was the sudden reduction in graffiti and damage to signs and picnic areas along Hwy 2 caused by people with nothing better to do driving up from the San Gabriel Valley. It was really bad in the years before the road washed out. The forest rangers were glad it closed.
San Gabriels are beautiful mountains, there's so much history from gold rush era. I have some videos visiting old gold mines on my channel. Not sure what day of the week you were up there, but on the weekends it's crazy everywhere there, I always choose week days, to avoid crowds!
Back in the mid-late 1980's, I owned a place at Crystal Canyon Condominiums. We would ride our dirt bikes up Azusa Canyon (hwy 39) and could get around the road block. May not have been legal, but it was a great ride!
I used to go up there often like 20 years ago. Remember Crystal Lake? There was some commerce there back then. At that time it did connect to angeles crest. Angeles Crest was a great tour also, they had great campsites, Buckhorn Station was my fave. Anyway, thanks for the video brought back memories for me.
Interesting observations, and nice Crocs dude!
Thanks! Crocs are the footwear of gods.
@@roamingbenji The only year I’ve
What crocs? There's nothing from the ankle down
@@roamingbenji The pinecone looks like it might be from a Coulter pine. So it would be a Coulter Pinecone, aka widow maker.
Thanks for the video. I am the caltrans project engineer that is working on repair options for the 4.5 miles of route 39. This will be a very challenging project due to the remote and rugged location and the environmental restrictions. The project seems to be getting attention from our local politicians so something will be happen in the future.
Wow! No doubt it'll be challenging. Has there just been a lack of political will up to this point? And what methods work best for mitigating damage from rockfalls/landslides in this case?
If it's so damn hard to build this road it wouldn't have been built in the first place.
You are a Caltrans project engineer sitting on your rear collecting a paycheck. Your part to implement the state's agenda to be environmentally sensitive.
I finally get to thank CalTrans for their hard work, thank you thank you thank you :)
@@brucehutch5419 How would you know that it wasn't extremely hard in the first place? And then the political will and funding was there for infrastructure, and there were few environmental regulations. You think that you know better than the people who build and maintain such roads for a living.
I was 2 years out of H.S. and went up there in '78 the day it came down and blocked the road. 2 friends of mine and I were going backpacking and came upon a wall of boulders. No more going that way. Found out later they were NEVER clearing it. Funny to hear of it in a video decades later while in my 60's. Time flies.
Cone is from a giant sugar pine tree
I hike sometimes in that area....the trail to Mt Islip, trailhead located at the far end of Crystal lake campground. Adam owns and runs the store/cafe...food is great.
Part of the Pacific Crest trail passes through the trail to Mt Islip.
I didn't know it wasn't public knowledge about the road being closed since forever, that info should be public info.
Great video...thanks for sharing
The work being done at the dam is to remove all the ash from the wildfires that wash down with the rain. It plugs up the dam.
Thanks for the info
Back in September of 2020 there was the devastating “Bobcat Fire” that swept through the San Gabriel mountains. It burned over 100,000 acres. The areas that burned have received some heavy rain resulting in a lot of debris run off and silt. This silt had started to fill in both the Cogswell Dam and the San Gabriel Dam. As a result, both dams have been drained and a major project to remove the silt has ensued. This is what you witnessed.
ash- which is much worse than silt
@@tommurphy4307 in this case definitely more silt than ash. When a brush/forest fire burns though an area it has the effect of baking the earth and turning it into an almost glass like state. When any significant rains follow mud slides result in the worst way as there is no longer any vegetation to retain the soil and the glass like state of the soil causes it to be slick and non binding. During this last year, one storm alone dumped 7” of rain in a day up by Cogswell dam. A significant amount of silt and debris came off the hillsides and smothered the reservoirs and the west fork of the San Gabriel River. This was a real tragedy as it wiped out all the fish in that portion of the river.
@@mackereldude I remember during one of my trips up the East Fork after all the rain in 2020 (had to do something during COVID lol) and before they dumped the water out of the SG Dam it was absolutely insane how much water was in there, you could not see the bottom and the water level was only a few feet from the bottom of the bridge. I wish I took a picture
@@Matkovic99 I remember that. It was quite impressive.
Hwy 39's last five mile in many parts of the last 5 miles the road completely fell off the mountain and you can see the guardrail just hanging in the air. I worked that roads both State Route 39 Azusa canyon & SR 2 Angeles Crest Highway during my 40 years of service. There is signage at the beginning of SR39 & SR2 informing the public that SR39 is closed. I remember cruising SR2 back in 1970 and cruising back down SR39 into the city of Azusa. Yes it was to costly and the mountain is still very unstable as of today's standards. But I prefer cruising Angeles Crest Highway SR.2 from La Canada to Wrightwood in the summer. P.S. San Bernardino County closes Angeles Crest Highway in the winter at the county line due to rock slides & snow. Crystal lake at one time was a awesome place to fish along with the east & west forks of the San Gabriel River banks that feed in to Morris Dam. Thanks for listening. Keep up the videos ✌️Out
You are right. Access from Hwy. 2 (Angelus Crest) to Hwy 39 had a gate blocking it but you could hike down a short distance but there are some places on Hwy. 39 which had three quarters of the road missing. According to a USGS engineer, he said that part of the mountains was unstable. Oh and by the way, where the road was missing, there was a drop of at least a thousand feet straight down.
Breaks my heart remembering how well kept and enjoyed by so many that area was years ago. Hiking, fishing, camping, swimming in streams. So many memories. Shame the preservation of our National Forest are being ignored.
That was before 1971 and some Prop 11 or something sorry bad memory... but it had in it they didn't want to support the little turnouts with the picnic table and the little Outhouse on it anymore! They'd rather have dirt bikers go in there tear it all up and there was no place to have picnics anymore. They fool people so badly they actually voted on it, the same thing go on right now, the wool over the eyes...
I work on our national forests in fire management and across the board it’s due to funding. Those are dedicated, hard working folks on just about every forest, in every division from fire to rec to heritage. They need help. Call your legislators and tell them to actually fund the forest service outside of throwing money at fire fighting operations.
The money is better spent on buying needles for the homeless drug addicts.
I camped overnight at Crystal Lake this past summer and people were shooting guns late into the night and when that was done loud cars were in and out til 2 or 3am. I may have just picked a bad night.
Nah, we don't need to encourage homeless junkies
I have hiked this road from Crystal Lake and from Hwy 2. While there was a major collapse in 1978, the road to Angeles Crest Hwy has been closed to normal through traffic since around 1969/1970, due to being washed out from heavy rains. Prior to that closure, it made an excellent motorcycle ride, as I experienced it a couple of times, along with a side trip to Mt. Wilson. Thanks for posting this video. It brought back some pleasant memories.
So what you are saying is I can take my dirtbike?
Those of us who live in LA and Orange County, know this road very well. 😘✌️👏👏👏👏
I used to go up there and screw with my GF back in the 80s. Great Area for Sexual Recreation. 😜
Great video! Two notes - I’m also frustrated by how Google and online sources continue to show the road as open. This is evidently due to an agreement with the Federal state parks that manage the forest. CA highways in the mountains are there under an agreement that states the CalTrans group must maintain the roads, and if a road is ever permanently closed, it must be removed and the land restored. Emergency vehicles sill access the “closed” road during fires, so no one wants it permanently taken away. And the cost of removal would be insane. So, for almost 50 years, it’s been “temporarily” closed.
as with the cost of any highway that was poured into 10ft X 20ft X 1ft sections of reinforced concrete....
apple maps shows it as permanently closed. i agree with everything else you've said though
@@neonaaron YES! Glad to hear it! Google maps won’t route directions through it but last I checked, it didn’t show the closure, and they rejected my suggestion to close it.
I looked at TomTom data (I worked there for 30 years), and in that data CA-39 is a lower class roadway which ends with the loop at the Lookout point.
thanks Karl. great insight
I lived at the end of 39/Beach Blvd in HB right at PCH for 20 years and I have driven from there to the very top at Crystal Lake many times. Great place to fish, pan for gold, hike to the old gold mines and just relax and camp. I'm glad they never repaired the last 4 miles because all the traffic going up to and down from Los Angeles Crest Hwy 2 would always be coming through there. Makes it much more peaceful. Awesome place!
Adams & Magnolia, Edison 81, aloha neighbor.
@@konavader Slater & Magnolia , Fountain Valley 84
Remember the HWY 39 drive-in on Beach? Many memories there from "back in the day".
@@ontogeny6474
Beach & Westminster, there is a Walmart there now, aloha.
@@ontogeny6474 Wasn't that where there's a big Walmart now or close by?
THANKS FOR THE GREAT VIDEO!!! Lived in Southern California from 1967 -- 1976. During that time spent a lot of time at Crystal Lake, camping and swimming. The lake was much larger and cleaner in those days -- and yes, we did swim in it. It even had a wooden platform in it, upon which one could lie in the sun or use it as a diving platform. USFS rangers put on campfire gatherings on the weekends at the stone amphitheater, with everyone singing songs and the rangers telling stories about the area. Rode my Honda SL350 along US Hwys 39 & 2 on many occasions -- they were cool, summer rides. The L.A. smog was much, much worse then, and the trip to Crystal Lake would allows us to breathe cool, clean air. I miss that area of my past...had many good times, there.
Awesome video Benji! I live in Pasadena, and cherish the San Gabriels/Angeles national forest as my backyard wilderness. I have hiked most of the trails, many multiple times.
Yes, this is a very rugged landscape, with almost no flatland, it rises a smidge every time there is an earthquake and so dissected by streams as the tectonic pressures strain and stress the rock til it weathers and crumbles. Wildfires and flash floods have always been a part of this landscape but are more frequent due to the usual suspects of environmental impact and mismanagement.
A few things to add :
The San Gabriel reservoir was drained I believe to dredge it of silt that washed in from previous wildfires, hence why Morris reservoir was high.
These reservoirs are mostly for flood control that would otherwise devastate communities downstream. They capture some of the water in large groundwater settling basins.
2. Nearly all of the recreational users of the national forest are locals who pack the parking lots with their friends and families on the weekends when they are off work but are desolate Monday through Friday.
Unfortunately, many people who are discovering the national forest for the first time haven’t been taught proper outdoor etiquette and see the mountains as an extension of the city, rather than a retreat from the city. Hence the graffiti.
Crystal Lake is only fed by rain and local snowmelt and was devastated by years of drought. Fortunately, our wettest year since 2005, where we got double the average rain and snowfall has helped bring Crystal Lake back up to its former level. (for now).
Finally, yes, the mountains of California (and Oregon) are home to the pine tree species with the most massive pine cone (coulter pine) as well as the longest pine cone (sugar pine). I think you picked up a sugar line cone. Neither of these species are found in your new home state of Arizona.
Safe travels and come back again!
Thank you for the valuable information! I would love to see Crystal Lake after this past winter. The sugar pine cone I took home as a souvenir and it's still in great shape.
Earlier tonight at Azusa City Hall Auditorium was a public hearing and comment hosted by CalTrans District 7 on plans to reopen the long closed segment (Crystal Lake to State Route 2)
Fires did not help recently. I have been going up there since the 1960's. I remember when the road was open to Angeles Crest 2. Actually the road has been rebuilt. Despite what is said here, it was fixed years ago and I walked it. It is open for emergency vehicles. No yellow lines, no guard rails but it is there but always gated. I recall when Crystal Lake had a store next to it that sold food and fishing tackle as the lake was stocked. There was even a pier and boat rentals. Lake is much smaller now, no store. There was a Hidden Springs with rental cottages and a rustic restaurant filled with antiques. It all burned up along with 10 cabins near by.
Wow thank you for the history 👍🏽
Second note - in the ‘70s, there were motorcycle gangs that used to stay up CA39 and use the loop from 39 to CA2 (Angeles Crest Highway) as an easy way to get around police, escape over to Lancaster, etc. So there’s that history also in place.
I go hiking in the San Gabiels all the time and I haven't spent much time around the 39 highway. It's safe to say that a huge majority of the people visiting angeles national forest are along the Angeles Crest Highway. Either way, I always love stumbling across old and forgotten infrastructure, tons and tons of decommissioned roads for example can still be found throughout the whole range. I'll have to spend more time on state route 39 since it seems like a hotspot for that sort of thing. Great video, super informative, (especially from someone visiting for the first time).
Thank you!
I traveled this road down from 2 in 1975 and it sends shivers down my spine every time I think of it.This was a one lane road that has traffic in both directions. We met someone coming up and we had to squeeze past each other. I was on the downhill side and my tires were inches from going over the edge. I believe this is why it has never been reopened. It needs serious construction to make it safe.
Holy cow! I did not know that it was a single lane road. I see now why it would be so expensive, having to make way for another lane. Simply restoring it wouldn’t work with how large today’s vehicles are (ugh)
Nice video and commentary. You show well that despite California's population of 40 million people, we still have wide open spaces in our beautiful state.
and the farther you get from LA- the nicer it will be
It looks amazing. Good video.
Enjoyed your video and glad you liked our local mountains here in So Cal. We call that area Azusa Canyon. Lots of off-roading used to happen up there. Yes the LA basin is a zoo but you only need to go out a short distance to experience our various landscapes and geography. 👍👍
Yes, it's a beautiful area! The most redeeming quality of southern California to me is the natural environment.
@@roamingbenji We used to tell friends and family back East in the US and in England (Dad USAF met and married Mom there) that on a fair number of weekends in any given year, we could visit the beach and swim, then go up into the mountains with snow, etc. As a young family, my Dad moved us to California twice and the second time was because we missed it so much. The easy day drive or barely two round trip if you include the Sierras like Mammoth Mountain, Yosemite and Lake Tahoe, as long you successfully timed it to avoid peak traffic, to so much variety between the high and low deserts, mountains, beaches etc, was definitely the biggest draw for our family back then.
But then the population exploded in the extended region and much of that changed. One of the key reasons I left 30 plus years ago now, was when a few long weekends with an added day on either side to avoid traffic, had drives to and from Mammoth Lakes or Tahoe for world class skiing along with the Colorado River for summertime water skiing and early jet skis time, triple or more from the previous transit times. So one return from Mammoth Mountain skiing took over 22 hours (instead of the prior norm of barely 6 hours each way) of bumper to bumper on 395; it was still mostly two lanes with just one in both directions then. Another time returning to arrive before dawn the first work day after a summertime three day weekend, traffic was bumper to bumper when we hit the Palm Springs area. Still dark in predawn hours I noticed many drivers were alone and wearing ties.
The Air Quality Management District initiatives were in full force but the effects had not yet been realized. So anyone with any sensitivities would suffer. I had none but have always had “extra spidy senses” you could say.
So my solution to get away from the bad air and worst of the crowds before finally leaving the State, was moving closer and closer to the beach, then further and further south.
My last beachside residence of a fair number between West LA right adjacent Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, Redondo and Huntington Beach earlier on, was across from Ritz Cove south of Laguna Beach. I could step out of my home, leap across the concrete leading to my front door, landing in the sand. Then walk in mostly sand all the way to the beach; I was by far at my most popular then. I’d tell three friends I was to do a weekend BBQ and thirty would show up. I also learned while still in my twenties prior heading north out of state, the full power of location, location, location. That’s when I’d share notes about where I lived and where the CEOs etc I was doing business with lived, including of some large companies. We did that to agree to logical after work meeting locations. Virtually every time I mentioned I lived adjacent Ritz Cove and we could meet in the Ritz Carlton, they’d do the big drive to come meet me within short and easy walking distance from my home.
As for the San Gabriel Mountains, I spent a whole lot of time exploring all over them, too. As we lived in their foothills right below Mt. Baldy, effectively, as a young family those two times I noted earlier here. First time we arrived I was 6 years old. The second time I was 16, after a year in Georgia, then five years in two towns outside Dayton Ohio; my Dad was an early electronic defense pioneer effectively, starting while in the USAF so Air Force Bases featured prominently in the locations of the literal “18 homes by the time I was 18” growing up.
On a number of hikes in the San Gabriels, I had Rattlesnake run ins. And a number of times Bobcat and Mountain Goat sightings. Buzzed by a glider with no warning at ridge top one time; that was exciting. I do mean buzzed. Buzzed by a California Condor on my motorcycle with my then GF, dropping down into the Anza Borrego Desert State Park. I figured my bright a** yellow helmet and my GF’s white one likely got the California Condor wondering where those big eggs had come from; first my GF screamed then a giant shadow engulfed us. It was almost within our each so we both got a very close look. They were still very near to extinction then; look up how huge they are. Incredible especially that close and without warning!
And popping up to Palmdale for the first landings of the first Space Shuttles proved to be exceptionally memorable, was closer than any human on earth several times. Well, except for one of my Uncles and multiple of my friends and two girlfriends for several of them. The only humans closer to the Space Shuttles were the Chase Plane Pilots. Which reminds me, I really must digitize those slides!
Incidentally my Uncle (Duncan) who joined us that one time told all once back home to Scotland that it was the most amazing experience of his life. Watching man fly back or rather glide back from space, knowing his parents witnessed the very first flying machines.
In the late 70's, our dog fell through the ice at Crystal Lake, we fortunately were able to save her without anyone else being harmed. The lake was full back then, and the ice very thick that year. Someone had cut a hole in the ice to fish, and the silly dog fell in. We had massive rain storms in the late 70's when the road was washed out for good.
Good Lord! I'm glad the pup was okay.
My friend fell through the ice also. Fortunately the water was shallow enough that he was able to to walk out. That sucked. We had to leave after that.
@@wangobadankas4038 There's one in every crowd, isn't there? 😉
@@raymondg7565 Sometimes I think so.
I've lived in LA most of my 80 years. Enjoyed camping in, reading history of, & exploring our beautiful San Gabriel mountains when I was younger & able to get out & about. Thank you so much for this video which was a lovely 🥰 vicarious visit to my favorite mountains.
Thanks for watching and I appreciate your comment!
I grew up in the San Gabriel foothills and I still live here, and these mountains are where my heart lives. I love the San Gabes. Lovely videography of them here. Thank you.
Thank you for watching!
Being a kid in the 50’s, living in Monrovia, San Gabriel and Alhambra, we often went to there for day outings…sweet memories!
In the same spirit, that road leads to a parking lot that, at least in summer WE, is full very early, called Bridge to nowhere. Most people go down to cool off in the river, but a 2 hours hike get you to a well built bridge with no road. The road that was supposed to cross the mountain was washed away by a flash flood and never finished, let alone rebuilt. So now, we have a beautifull bridge and no road !
The best part is that once you pass that bridge, the trail continues, but not the people. So you are alone in the word, just next to a multi million people population.
Surprised you didn’t mention the company that offers bungee jumping from the bridge on weekends!
The Narrows. Panned for gold up there. The Bridge to Nowhere and the tunnels are still there.
Great video - one of our forgotten gems. I remember many years ago when it still connected to Route 2. One of the prettiest roads in all of Angeles Crest forest, in my opinion. Warning: lots of racers, both cars and motorcycles, going up and down on the weekends.
I drove from Lancaster to Azusa over Rte. 39 in 1977, just before it was closed. I really wish they would put the road back into service because it provides an alternate route from the desert to the eastern side of the LA basin.
This is really interesting to me, as a resident of the long beach area i see the 39 as beach boulevard, which is a major road that runs through a bunch of notable locations. I didnt know it ran into the mountains and that it was abandoned and decrepit as you travelled inland. Its really interesting the difference in infrastructure compared to long beach vs los angeles
One of the main reasons it hasn’t been repaired is that it is extremely difficult to keep clear because of constant rockslides. Not only would you have the price of the road repair but you would have the price of keeping the road repaired which is prohibited at this point.
Just gained a subscriber. This was super enjoyable to watch
Yes, those are Coulter pines which are native to the central and southern coast ranges of California. The cone is about as heavy as a quart jar full of maple syrup and is considered to be the heaviest cone of any pine.
And the cones are not only covered in sticky resin, but they have spiky protrusions at each scale. I grew up a couple miles from the foot of the San Gabriels near Azusa and we spent a LOT of time up on the Crest. We called the Coulter pines "widowmakers" as you didn't want to stand under one.
I know the area is so overbuilt and the natural scenery/native flora and fauna are stressed to the extreme.
I still miss it.
There are coulter pines. But that cone appears to be from a sugar pine. Longer and more narrow than the coulter pine.
@@SkepticCyclist , thanks for your input. I was thinking either ponderosa or sugar pine. Between the two of us, sugar pine would be the consensus then.
@@SkepticCyclist Definitely a sugar pine cone. Pinus lambertiana.
@@DanielinLaTuna Coulter Pines grow at lower elevations as they can handle the heat better. The difference in cones being the Sugar is long and thin, while the Coulter is heavy and wide. The Ponderosa is smaller, darker, and has prickly barbs; while the Jeffrey looks the same but with the barbs turned in- that's why it is known as the "gentle Jeffrey".
Thanks for the vista. You may have wanted to look up the San Gabriel Reservoir. From what I can tell, its primary use is as a percolation reservoir that recharges the aquifer in that region. These are reservoirs that fill in winter and then the water slowly drains into the soil during the dry season. We have them all around the Santa Clara Valley as well.
The road is drivable but accessible to emergency vehicles only due to the landslide risk. It's critical for this purpose to enable fire trucks to access the central forest area more easily. Interestingly Caltrans is considering a project to protect against landslides so the road can be reopened to the public. My understanding is that improving reliable access for fire trucks is the main driver. Let's see if they go forward.
The state has determined the geology is too unstable to keep repairing the road at the area of closure. But their agreement with the Forest Service is that they have to completely demolish the road and restore natural grading if they ever abandon the highway, and that would be even more expensive. So they keep the road open as far as they can, even though it goes ‘nowhere’.
Used to do the loop on motorcycles when we lived in Upland. Up Baldy to Glendora Ridge, East Fork, 39, ACH to Wrightwood. There was a torpedo test facility at Morris from 40s to 90s. Got a tour when I was an engineering student at Cal Poly late 70s.
I delivered some explosives to the dam back in the early 80’s
I've lived in Whittier for 60 years. About halfway between HB and Hwy 2. I've driven both ways many times. The last time I drove to Hwy 2 was the winter of 1976 or thereabout. It was still open but it was extremely dangerous during the winter. Like someone said a section on 39 washed out a couple years after I went through there. I snowed skied and was trying to get to Mt Waterman. But Hwy 2 itself is a desolate road during the winter. Many have gone over the side and died in their cars. I will say this. The recreation area wasn't anything then like it is today. That entire area has been ruined with graffiti.
I love your videos man! Nature explored and explained simply with real footage and a certain unique observational storytelling. Brings life to these "ordinary" places. Awesome information and insight.
Thank you so much!
Great video and discussion. I love the San Gabriel mountains and all the cities that rest along the base of the mountains. Los Angeles truly gives you little pockets of towns/districts that will remind you of many major cities on the West Coast and the Pacific Northwest. I’ve heard stories about how the indigenous people who lived in Pasadena talked about these valleys as smoky valley’s/smokey mountains when translated. The air settles at the northernmost corner of the San Gabriel Valley and along the whole base of the western/Southwestern slope. The views and sunsets are beautiful. Its always fun to catch a crystal clear blue day and see all the way out to the ocean. Cool stuff. Thank you
I grew up in Glendora back in the 50's, 60's and 70's. I believe that the area that caused the road to be closed pretty much permanently was a very narrow section that was damn near a one lane section that had a shear wall on one side and a straight drop on the other. I recall that section disappeared completely.
I grew up in Glendora and still currently live here. What was it like growing up here in the 50's-70's? What do you think of Glendora today?
there's a section like that just before you get to Crystal Lake.
I grew up in La Cañada during the ‘80s and ‘90s. I remember going up there with my Girl Scout troop.
My grandfather worked on this road when they were building it, I think in the late 1920’s. It has some beautiful views.
Been enjoying Highway 39 for many years, and the camping at Crystal Lake. While the lake is very low and has been for 30 years, the fact is, many don't realize is that this lake is one of the only ones in the state, that's purely dependant on snowmelt or rainfall. So, since we've had very little rain, we won't see it rise for a while longer. In the past, it was very high, in fact the water flooded the bait/snack shop that used to be at the water's edge, where people could also rent canoes and such, to paddle around the lake. Shame it's not fuller, it is a nice spot. But, the campgrounds there near the trading post/cafe are are clean and safe, and a spot we visit every year.
The large pine cone is most likely from a Ponderosa Pine tree, which dot the mountainside.
While the road up and down 39 appears to be abandoned, it depends on what day you venture up it. On the weekend there are many who spend the weekends camping or spending time there, and sadly, there are many accidents where cars speed and fly. off the road, because they underestimate the tight turns and switchbacks. Nearly every time we've camped up there, there's at least one or two cars that plunge into the canyon.
I love it up there, and the East Fork Road that connects to Glendora Mountain Road is also amazing, that offer great vistas and views of the San Gabriel mountains.
That road is dangerous for the many bicyclist that use it to. A couple months ago a bicyclist died when he he was out of his lane and was struck by a car.
Thanks for the vid on SW 39. As a teenager I rode my Honda 90 from the Beach to Crystal Lake (was a lake in ‘66) a couple of times. Your vid brings back fond memories of those rides. Thanks for the memories 😊
Pine cone shown belongs to a sugar pine - Pinus lambertiana. You can tell because they’re the only non-prickly pine cones in the area 7:34
That highway is beautiful! I've ridden my road bike a handful of times up to Crystal Lake, the cafe up there offers lots of delicious snacks and drinks the owner is a nice man. The views are awesome and scenery changes with elevation nothing beats the peace and quiet going up there. Also, there's a cool little area that has running spring water it's a few miles shy of crystal lake.
If you see that long concrete camo painted ramp at morris reservoir you’d ask yourself “what was that for🤔” the military used to test submersibles and other underwater equipment there in the 60’s/70’s into the early 80’s.. my grandfather used to tell me about it during his time in the military. My buddy adam runs the crystal lake cafe at the very top of the highway. I hope you stopped to get snacks and enjoy the lake
Keep in mind you're there on a Monday in the fall. Trust me, on a spring weekend this will be extremely active. Maybe not the upper end, but there are lots of places to hike and so springtime it gets busy. Plus there are areas with water where clearly there isn't in October. We're in the middle of a x year drought. Great shots/views!
Not to mention he went during the middle of the day. In the early morning there are a lot of cyclists (in the less cold months). At night there are a lot of cars driving to enjoy the curvy road after a day of work (in particular sports cars).
I wonder what Crystal Lake looks like today. We’ve had a lot of precipitation in the past month or so!
I recently did a 2 month motorcycle trip from california to the east coast and back. I've never really left california before for any length of time.
It was so green for so long that my eyes hurt, It was refreshing to get back to the west and sage colors. I cant help but feel that innnately this has something to do with your apocalyptic outlook of the west.
I rode C2C solo back in 91 the other way on a Norton Commando. Wish I had the time and money to make it a vacation but it was awesome anyway. Love the southeastern hills where I live, always feels good to get home.
Interesting to hear about a Southern California road like this from a first time visitor - this one's off the beaten path even for us residents! I've lived here all my life (the year that last stretch of Highway 39 was closed was the year I was born), and I've spent a ton of time along the Angeles Crest Highway, but I've only driven up 39 out of Azusa a handful of times, to hike either the East or West Fork of the San Gabriel River. (The East Fork is the hike that takes you to the legendary "Bridge to Nowhere" that I can see a few others have mentioned - one of the best hikes I've ever done and probably one that I will NEVER do again.) I've never driven 39 all the way up to where it dead ends like you did, but I guess I've technically been to its northern terminus since I've passed Islip Saddle on Highway 2 - a road which itself is often closed for long stretches of times due to rockfalls and washouts when the rain/snow gets heavy. I can only assume that it hasn't been made a priority to re-open that last stretch of 39 because it isn't a high-demand route for travelers - there aren't any towns to speak of along Highway 2 between La Canada Flintridge and Wrightwood, just scattered ranger stations, a restaurant that I don't think is open any more, and a few ski areas that I guess might draw more crowds when there's enough snow for it to be worth the trip. I love that area for hiking and sightseeing, but it's always been one of those things where if I drive up into the mountains, I know it's not gonna be a quick trip - and that's if Highway 2 is even open that far up to begin with.
Ironically, right at the outskirts of La Canada Flintridge as you head up the Angeles Crest, there's a sign warning you of any road closures that might be in effect ahead, which INCLUDES the route to Azusa via Highway 39. I'm pretty used to seeing it say it's closed to Wrightwood, and of course it's always been closed to Azusa for as long as I've been alive. It's weird that Highway 2 warns drivers of this while Highway 39 does not.
David you should really consider driving to the top of 39 and doing the Mt Islip peak starting from the Windy Gap trailhead near the Crystal Lake Recreation Area, I've only done it once but its really great and at the top you'll get an amazing view of both SGV to the south and the desert to the north.
@@Matkovic99 Heh, that requires being in way better shape than I am now. The Bridge to Nowhere was 9 years ago and I struggled with the length of that hike even then - at least that one has no major elevation gain!
@@murlough23 haha you're right. I always tell people you can be in any shape whatsoever and you can do BTN in a day with lots of breaks. In 2020 I did it 6 times during covid and I had done it 5 times previously in 5 years 😂.
I remember Mt Islip being pretty gradual tho...not as insane as Ice House Canyon 😂
@@Matkovic99 I remember that finding a day to do the Bridge to Nowhere was tricky. I had attempted it with a larger group way back in 2002, on a spring day when the water levels were a bit high, and we ran into some trouble finding safe places to cross the stream. We didn't complete the full hike that day, and it was one of those things where I had unfinished business and wanted to go back and do it eventually. I ended up going on a "June Gloom" day in 2013 that wasn't too hot, but that was after a few months of not too much rain, so the water levels were low. The lack of shade was still brutal when the clouds burned off, since the river runs east/west. I still drank my entire huge bottle of water on the way up, and we only pressed on to the bridge when hikers on their way down informed us that there was filtered water available there. I refilled, drank the ENTIRE bottle while I ate lunch at the bridge, refilled it again, and was still parched by the time I got back to the parking lot. I cannot imagine doing that hike on a summer day without the cloud cover, or in the winter/spring when the water levels are typically higher. Most other hikes I've done in SoCal, that sort of thing isn't really a consideration.
Due to Covid I spent 2 years working from home 5 days a week, not realizing a poor ergonomic setup was slowly screwing up my back. So even short hikes are slow going for me now. I'm sure I'll heal. Just need to take it easy for now.
@@murlough23 ah man thats a bummer about your back, hope it heals quickly. I've found the most optimal time to do BTN was/is sometime during fall, after all the heat and sun have evaporated most of the runoff from Winter and spring and you can dodge most of the heat.
Im in my twenties so heat and water level arent much of a problem, in fact I prefer more water since crossing the river generally cools you off, sometimes I just hike straight throught it. Never found a hike where you can do that. And then at the bridge you can literally go swimming...not as amazing as the Virgin River in Zion...but our little san grabriel river is amazing nonetheless
Alot of people go there to do things you can't do down in the city, like donuts, drifting, burnouts, racing, etc. Lots of motorcycles too. And a lot of people have died or been killed up there. It's literally about 5 minutes from where I live. Glad to see someone from out of state appreciate something i have access to everyday!
I have cycled the last 4 miles to Angeles Crest. The mountain biking in the San Gabriels is fantastic but super dangerous due to the steepness.
Interesting fact: At Crystal Lake there used to be a hunting lodge there and the owner / builder constructed a narrow-gauge railroad to bring guest up the canyon to stay at the lodge.
Lived in Cali since 1965 and never knew, how cool is that
The haze is moisture off the sea. Smog is not that common any more (and if you did get it then you'd find it choking, possibly brown and very nasty smelling). The reserviors are probably not for water storage, these dams are used for flood control so they wouldn't be very full given we've been in drought for a few years. (Now would be a different story.) The road itself has been marked on paper maps as closed for decades.
(If you want to see a similar route then travel Highway 33 from Ventura. North of Ojai it climbs through the mountains for about 30-40 miles. Its very scenic.)
I would love to explore more of Ventura County sometime!
I used to travel Northern California for work a lot. Went to Susanville by way of Reno from the Bay area and I decided to try a different way home past Lake Almanor and mostly following the Feather river to Chico Oroville area. I was pushing it, about to run out of gas with few places to get any but that Geo Metro got all of it's rated fifty miles per gallon! It was well worth it though some of the least populated parts of California I have seen that I would want to see.
Yeah, lots of folks think California is all cities, but there's so many old, forgotten roads out there. It's easy to get lost and easy to get far away from "civilization."
John Muir said the San Gabriels were the most rugged & difficult to traverse range he had ever encountered. When I was younger Crystal Lake was a clear, blue lake. Years of intermittent drought have brought it to its present state. The Tongva Indians camped in the San Gabriels at Buckhorn to hunt & collect acorn crops. Notorious bandito Velasquez drove stolen horses & cattle up to Sulphur Springs (a campground) to hide out because of its inaccessibility. Delighted u got to see our mountains. I would recommend a trip up the Angeles Crest highway. From some spots there u can see the Mojave Desert on the other side. Quite a contrast. Thank u again. ❤
wow great information
That's wonderful information. Thanks for watching!
Use to go up there when I was younger. It was nice. The road went thru. Crystal Lake was a pond but better than that. They tried to keep the road open, but the mountain kept falling on it. They need a tunnel. Hwy 2 is a great drive. There is gold in the east fork of the San Gabriel River and people still prospect there.
The trail to the Bridge To Nowhere. I saw many prospectors when I did that hike.
I grew up in Covina. I made the loop up Hwy 39 to Hwy 2 and down to Wrightwood on my motorcycle twice before the road was closed. Crystal Lake was an awesome place to camp in the 60's and 70's.
This is a quick getaway area to off-road or hike for SoCal. If you go up the 39 and head a bit east, it will lead you to one of the great hikes in SoCal called the “Bridge to Nowhere”…it is an 8mi in and out hike that follows a major stream which turns into a big river during the rain season, the hike basically ends at a beautiful huge concrete bridge that literally stops at the face of a mountain.
The story is that the DoD or other Govt agency was building an escape route into the mountains for people in SoCal back during the Cold War in case of an attack on the region. They had prison labor build a road and then constructed the bridge to cross a wide portion of the river, only to suddenly stop the project. Mother Nature has reclaimed most of the road as a hiking trail, but the bridge looks as new as ever…it is a great “Why is this structure here” video for you to do someday. You were literally a few miles away from this!
As for why the DoT closed the connection b/w the 2 and the 39…imo they do not want more traffic in the San Gabriel’s. If they opened that connection, then the amount of joyriders that do the loop to/from Azusa to La Canada (my town) would increase dramatically. There are already a lot of motorcyclists who go up and down the 2 at extreme speeds as it is and causes regular accidents…
The family that owns that land and bridge do bungee jumps adventures there on the weekends. They were going to go through that rock at the end of the bridge but i heard that a flood washed out the road in 1938 so they didn't complete it. At one time you can hike arounnd the back side of the rock and shimmy down a hole and walk the section they were gonna go through. I made it in there and you can see the road was getting set up. However this place has since collapsed. I went in there 3 different times in the early 2000s and each time the space was smaller. Now the entrance is completely closed off by mother nature.
Ah yes, the ol' Highway 39 Dead-End Trick. I fell for that one too.
I think you must have visited on a weekday, because highway 39 is very busy with car and motorcycle enthusiasts (and lots of accidents) on weekends. Crystal Lake did apparently used to be a lake, according to the Wikipedia article "Crystal Lake Recreation Area" and some old photos you can find for sale on eBay- sad puddle now as you observed.
There's the Crystal Lake Cafe, nice campgrounds, and some of my favorite hikes in the world up there.
-Mark
I drive that canyon every other week, it's so much fun, and the views are fantastic+
When you go through before Crystal Lake, there's a turn off to the right on a bridge that takes you past a gun range, a restaurant and camping area, keep traveling past till the road ends and you have to go left (to another bridge) or right, go right,. Most of the time that section is open. Go way up the mountain (direction of mount baldy) you'll stop and either go right or left, go left. This might scare some people because it looks like it's going wayyyy in to the mountains. Just keep going, you'll zig in and out, see the San Gabriel Forest Research Camp (I don't know what the real name is), go past it, you'll end up in Mount Baldy where you can travel, and enjoy some hikes. Or head right and go past till you hit Rt 66, you would have done a complete loop. Trust me, go this route, it'll be a much better experience.
Let me help you because i travel these roads quite often just as a getaway motorcycle ride. Going north on 39, the first bridge you can turn right on is East Fork. You will go past burro canyon gun range and Camp Williams. Past the camp, there will be a T section. To the left across the little bridge you can head to the end and park the ranger station and go hike to the Bridge to Nowhere. Go right on the road at the T and you go up GMR(Glendora Mountain Road)and it will T there at the lookout. Go right and you drop back into Glendora. Go left and you go across GRR or Glendora Ridge Road, which will take you to Mt Baldy Rd. Go north up the road and you will be in Mt Baldy Village and beyond that you will be at the ski lifts where there is tons of hiking. Go south on Mt Baldy rd and you will eventually drop into Claremont or Rancho Cucamonga depending on which split you take.
@@dvsmike Exactly. Thanks. It’s my drive when I want to listen to some tunes and get out into the serenity.
@@dvsmike Yeah, I love the GMR and GRR. Wanted to drive it last weekend, but was closed for fire danger due to winds.
In the early 80's there was enough of an opening next to the gate to get my motorcycle through, and I was able to ride that closed stretch. It was slow going for most of it, but still passable despite the slides and debris littering the roadway. I haven't been up there in a couple of decades and now, thanks to your video, I want to head back up. Maybe I'll hike the stretch or ride my bicycle. Thanks for your video!
Thanks for watching!
Nice job with your narration. As a Southern Californian, the comparison is much appreciated. I have never been to the Smokey Mountain.
the connection between SR 39 and SR 2 is treated like some kind of forbidden pleasure. There's actually people out there that will fight against any suggestion of the potential opening of this route. I don't know what their problem is. I hope to travel through it sometime in my lifetime. Having said that SR 39 and the parallel GMR is popular car cruising loop. Many kids from the nearby high school known to get hurt or killed. I also have fond memories as a kid going there with family to get in the stream, I still see families gathering there in the summer. Usually when families go up to the mountains for recreation it's either Azusa, Angeles Forest, or Big Bear
yea it's sad to see beautiful place like this "forgotten highway" closed.
Thank you for sharing this video. I planned on driving highway 2 then go back to OC area by taking highway 39. I am glad I found this info. Thumbs up to you buddy!
I am a California transplant. When I was a Boy Scout I lived in Ventura County. I lived within 50 miles of America's 2nd largest metropolis. {metropolitan LA}
The San Gabriel Mountains are a classic example of all the empty wilderness there is right next to LA.
that is fire alley in the summertime
@@tommurphy4307 It really is. Rainy winters & log dry summers cause that scenario. I don't think any part of a any part of America has a wildfire season so long & so lively.
I love those mountains man, its surreal seeing a video on the highway i take quite often. This is especially great in january which gets some great snow. Not to mention the fishing as well@
I enjoyed your video. Oh, that large pine cone is from a sugar pine. Btw, I grew up near the south end of highway 39 in Huntington Beach.
Great comments, i hope the wild life and the governor see this clip and do something abou it. I did kind of the same objective but from route 2 to 39 but when i got to the intersection i was shock to see that it was closed, there is not a dam sign stating that the roa is closed. so much for State signage.
Im a local to that area and honestly its not as abandoned as it seems. Depending on the day/timing you go, there will be a good amount of people at the stream more so than actual crystal lake. Also if you go towards the later hours in the day there will be many spirited drivers or groups running the course too. I usually still drive hwy 39 at least 1-2 times a month with my friends just because its a escape from the city. And before anyone comments "you're part of the problem tearing up the forest with our cars", its more complicated than it seems there's layers to it.
Old Soldiers creek!!
I love that drive in the winter time, it snows up near the top and the lake area gets busy.
This is one of my favorite cruises! lovely views all the way forsure :)
Hello! San Gabriel Valley local here. Been coming up this road since I was a boy in the 90s. This highway is hardly forgotten. Caltrans is up there on the regular making repairs to the road, especially after the rain. Its a popular highway since the OHV park is up there in addition to the Crystal Lake campgrounds. Motorcyclists love this road but avoid it on the weekends since it gets too much traffic. Also, some nights, you will come across drifters and rice rocket types at East Fork (its the road if you make a right onto that green bridge) so that is a warning to anyone going up there at night :D
That road that is blocked at the top, we used to be able to take it to Angeles Crest Hwy 2 in the 90s, IF you had 4x4. I used to take that road with my uncle in his Jeep. In retrospect, stupid idea.
Nice to see a video about this road. Lots of memories up here for the 626 (area code) locals.
Oh! one more thing to add, Crystal Lake was indeed a nice lake like 25 years ago. Its pretty sad to see it in the state its in now. A sign of CA drought conditions.
There is so much gold where the east and west fork meet, once was a town there with over 3000 prospectors living and working just up the hill.
They have tried to repair 39 a few times but it just keeps getting destroyed. The landslides all changed the run off into Crystal lake so it doesn't get near as much water as it did before 1978. Some area's above the Highway got between 9 and 19 inches of rain in a 24 hour period. Highest peak in the San Gabriel Mountains is Mt San Antonio at over 10 thousand feet, there are 6 peaks over 9 thousand. If you get a warm winter storm with little snow thats a shit load of water running down hill.
mount baldy
@@tommurphy4307 Yes that is correct, I should refrain from posting right after I partaked in a few dab's.
I grew up right in front of these mountains. I remember being up there with friends drinking and doing other fun things. Camping at Crystal Lake was so much fun.
Up until the mid 1990,s Crystal Lake was pretty full and a fun place to go fishing. Like most places close to LA and easy to get to, it was slowly trashed and vandalized. First that Ive seen it since then. Sad to see in its current condition but a great video.
“Great Relief”… thanks for sharing. Having grown up in the shadow of the San Gabriels and San Bernardinos (a greater proportion of the Transverse ranges), I’ve marveled over the desert floor to peak apex differences.
To my point, when first approaching the Rocky Mountains in Colorado (from the west - from Utah), I was so disappointed. I thought, “omg, they’re nothing” compared to the majesty of the views afforded from the Los Angeles basin. Now I know the technical name, great relief.
As for the pine cones, they’re either ponderosa or sugar pine. I’d have to see the tree and smell the cone and bark. The largest cones come from sugar pines, the next largest are from ponderosa.
Speaking of the Hwy 39 Hwy 2 loop (Azusa to La Cañada), I have done it, years ago before the closure at the top of the mountain. It is spectacular.
By the way, I don’t think it’s the LA haze giving the ridges their distinctive blue tints. I’ve seen the same phenomenon in the northern California valleys, driving down from the Oregon border, through the Siskiyou mountains and the Coast Ranges.
Thanks for watching. Good points. I did some research about the blue tint and discovered that distant mountains in general may look blue because of the light scattering that occurs when looking through the atmosphere at a distance. It's the same reason the sky looks blue. My assumption is that any increase in aerosols or particulate matter in the atmosphere will increase scattering, causing a heightened effect. This heightened effect makes the difference in blue/gray shading from one mountain ridge to the next much more stark. It's how obvious this effect was that caught my attention. There is usually quite a bit of particulate pollution in the LA area, and there is usually quite a bit of water vapor in the Smoky Mountains. In fact, the Cherokee natives call(ed) the Smoky Mountains "the place of blue smoke". The Chumash natives in southern California were recorded as having called the LA Basin the "valley of smokes". So while distant mountains in general take on a blue tinge, I think in these locations it is notably pronounced, for whatever reason.
@@roamingbenji , thanks for sharing. I’d always assumed the Smoky Mountains were smoky because of all the pioneers and early settlers burning firewood. But apparently I was wrong (unless the indigenous peoples also burned lots of firewood?).
Interestingly enough, here in California one of the first things the Spanish padres noticed was the locals practicing land management by fire. Of course the padres didn’t understand, and would mockingly write home “the Indians (‘los indios’) are at it again! Burning the earth…), so haze was common here even before the European colonization period.
This practice was prevalent throughout the entire Pacific coast, from California in the south to Washington in the north, such that when Angelo pioneers from the east coast arrived, they thought God had created and preserved these lands expressly for them, the new settlers! They never credited the indigenous peoples (the “savages”) for having done the actual shaping of their environment. Cheers!
PS, I love the other work you’ve doing 😊
When I was a child (over 35 years ago) Crystal Lake was full and would freeze over. You would also see the ice skate markings on it. Thanks for the video.
Our first home was just south of Crystal lake and we were there when the 39 was washed out south of Hwy 2.
We had alot of good memories from our years there. Very remote but we loved our cabin.
Sadly the fire destroyed nearly all the residences in the area. Now just memories remain.
In my youth in the 60's much of my recreation was somewhere along 39. Growing up in Whittier, if you wanted to go to the mountains it was the San Gabriel Mountains. Spent many lazy summers with my dog and girlfriend there. If you wanted the beach it was the other direction past Knott's Berry Farm to Huntington. Sometimes we'd bike to the beach stopping at Knott's for a corn on the cob on a stick for 25 cents. Back then Knott's was free admission so we'd sometime spend an hour or so there looking around. Back in the mountains Crystal Lake was beautiful in the summers, cool and refreshing. In the winter the lake would freeze and people would ice fish. By motorcycle we'd take 39 to 2 and come out near Pasadena, a really fun ride.
Crystal Lake is about 5,500ft above sea level.
i noticed you said 'dog' first.....
@@tommurphy4307 Haha, had the dog much longer.
Great video for someone not from the area! It largely is a forgotten highway. It has been my go-to for weekend motorcycle rides because it is usually fairly quiet and traffic free. This makes it a very popular area for bicycle riders as well. The pandemic did create some renewed interest though. Since spring 2020, nearly every weekend is as crowded as I used to only see on major holiday weekends. It's unfortunate you didn't witness Hwy 39 on a weekend when it is bustling with campers, hikers, swimmers, off-roaders, motorcyclists, bicyclists, performance cars, street lugers, photographers, partiers and picnickers. It really is a fantastic recreation area. I have been torn with the recent idea of reopening the road to Islip Saddle. It would make for some great motorcycle and bicycling riding to connect to Angeles Crest, but it will invite a lot more traffic.
WOW! You were there a few months after we went there! It is beautiful in the last few months of the year
That's an interesting area. I once hiked past the end of the road up to the crest, and it was both beautiful and creepy. "Post-apocalyptic" is a perfect way of describing it. But there's a way more amazing (and better kept) stretch of road in the other direction, running to Baldy. Driving that one offers some legit European-style "motoring". Good on you for exploring places without being told to. All truly great things are hidden.
The Azusa Avenue section of Highway 39 through Covina and West Covina was the portion I was most familiar with, as that was walking distance to my house when I was growing up. However, the portion of 39 through the mountains is where I had my first kiss, and I used to enjoy driving up there just to get away for a few hours. The Bridge to Nowhere, mentioned several times in the comments, is one of the few things in the entire US that I have interest in seeing but haven't been to yet. Thanks for posting the video!
Disappointed to see Crystal lake in such a dry state. It was once a beautiful lake and surrounding was gorgeous! My husband proposed to me there in 1976. Both of us California natives born in early 1950s.
I spent a lot of time around Crystal Lake with my friend Wally and his brother Beaver.
I lived in West Covina at the 10fwy and Azusa. My hangout as a kid. The place is a mess now. Haven’t been up there since the 90’s. Sad video seeing the shape of the area. 😢
We used to camp at Crystal Lake when I was a kid. It was a beautiful campground.
I've been going to these mountains since i was a kid. It was silent that day, go during the weekend and it's a different story.
That pine cone is from a Sugar Pine tree. They're the *longest* pinecones out there but not the largest. I love seeing them and they tend to be common in the higher elevation, northern peaks of the San Gabriel Mountains.
Correct, it's a sugar pine cone. Coulter's are much larger, heavier, and heavily armed with long sharp cone scales.
Terrific content. Thank you.
Thank you very much.
One thing that weighed on the decision to not repair the washout right away, back in the ‘70s, was the sudden reduction in graffiti and damage to signs and picnic areas along Hwy 2 caused by people with nothing better to do driving up from the San Gabriel Valley. It was really bad in the years before the road washed out. The forest rangers were glad it closed.
I went to high school in Long Beach in the early 70's and we used to go up to Crystal Lake quite often. It was a very nice place back then.
San Gabriels are beautiful mountains, there's so much history from gold rush era. I have some videos visiting old gold mines on my channel. Not sure what day of the week you were up there, but on the weekends it's crazy everywhere there, I always choose week days, to avoid crowds!
Those giant pine vines burn great btw
Love driving through here, twistys are always fun
Back in the mid-late 1980's, I owned a place at Crystal Canyon Condominiums. We would ride our dirt bikes up Azusa Canyon (hwy 39) and could get around the road block. May not have been legal, but it was a great ride!
I used to go up there often like 20 years ago. Remember Crystal Lake? There was some commerce there back then. At that time it did connect to angeles crest. Angeles Crest was a great tour also, they had great campsites, Buckhorn Station was my fave. Anyway, thanks for the video brought back memories for me.
Thanks for watching!