New Mountain Trail Throws Some Hikers for a Loop

They hit the road on an overcast Saturday morning, eager to stand before an 80-foot, stairway-fashion waterfall largely unseen for more than a decade, and to be among the first to set foot on a new trail in the San Gabriel Mountains.

But some of the 300 or so hikers who participated in the grand opening of the Fish Canyon Trail in Duarte said they did not complete the 4.5 miles to the waterfall. Surprised by the steep inclines and narrow path, they returned red-faced and sweating around noon after starting the hike at 7:30 a.m.

“You better be an experienced hiker, with a walking stick and good shoes,” said Pat Gwyn of Duarte, accompanied by her 7-year-old daughter, Shannon. Her walking stick and the soles of her boots clung to the moist, loose soil as she made her way down the last steep part toward the rocky trail head. On either side of her, crisp yellow and purple wildflowers and California chaparral overflowed onto the 3-foot-wide path.

“I will come back when I’m in better shape to see the waterfall,” Gwyn resolved.

A premier recreation destination lined with 50 summer cabins in the early 1900s, Fish Canyon was accessible to almost anyone. Since 1985, however, passage to Fish Canyon Falls has been restricted because of rock quarry operations at the foot of the canyon.

But with the help of a $54,000 grant from the 1992 Safe Neighborhood Parks Act and support from the California Conservation Corps, city officials from Duarte and Azusa began paving the way for a new trail into the Angeles National Forest last January, said Duarte Parks and Recreation Director Donna Georgino.

The trail begins at Encanto Parkway, connects with an older path and winds up through Fish Canyon to the falls. Hikers then backtrack to the beginning.

Georgino said it would take an experienced hiker five hours to get to the waterfall and back.

She agreed that the trail was steep and difficult in parts, but said city officials would probably make improvements, based on recommendations from hikers.

“It’s not an easy hike, it is a challenge, “ Georgino said.

Glendora resident Dick Sweeney, who volunteered to mark the trail, said there were no other routes to choose from. “This was the only possible trail into there,” he said. Along the sides of a mountain, hikers zigzagged in steady rows up to a fence at Van Tassel Ridge, which marked 1.9 miles. Many made their way back down from there, too tired to continue or because they were not wearing sturdy walking shoes.

“I did only a half a mile and came back,” said Beatrice Godoy of Duarte. The path “was too narrow. It was like this,” she said, holding her hands two feet apart. “The problem is not to go up, it’s to come down. You need something to hold onto.”

Other hikers, however, found the climb invigorating.

“I liked it,” said Olga Hernandez of Baldwin Park. “The only downfall is the sound that comes from the shooting range nearby. That takes away the focus of feeling peace.”

Her friend, Armine Khachatryan of Los Angeles, agreed, but said she enjoyed looking at the wildflowers. “A lot of real pretty wildflowers are in bloom,” she said.

“I’m in great shape, and I’m still huffin’ and puffin’ like a train,” said Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team member Jon Inskeep as he helped one hiker near the beginning of the trail. He said he did not think the climb was moderate, as advertised in city fliers, but instead was strenuous. Still, he said all hikers--regardless of their experience--should remember to stay on the path and bring plenty of water.

Manuel Soto of Duarte was one of those who did make it to the waterfall.

“It’s just so beautiful, you have to be up there to experience it,” he said.