Rock Solid Design
The southern slopes of the San Gabriel Mountains are said to be among the steepest, and unstable, in the world, more than occasionally shedding boulders in heavy rains and light earthquakes.
To see how some of the boulders collected in dry riverbeds were used in the early landscape and architectural design of hillside neighborhoods, take a drive down aptly named Boulder Road, from Altadena Drive to Braeburn Road, just east of Holliston Avenue, in Altadena.
On properties such as 2603 Boulder, the boulders were imaginatively incorporated into the construction of the houses and walls, or just left where found in the yards to become centerpieces in gardens. Just please drive slowly, and don’t disturb the residents, or the boulders.
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