Claremont Wilderness Park - 17th June 2009

I went on a hike yesterday morning around Claremont Wilderness Park which is only about five miles north of our house. It's not a good idea to hike alone as you can read on the sign posted just before you enter the park, bears, coyotes, mountain lions, and rattlesnakes abound,  but it was quite busy with other hikers yesterday so I felt safe enough.
The loop up and around the wilderness area is a five mile hike, 2½ miles up and then 2½ miles down the other side. The trail is actually a fire road cut by the forest service and was being regraded yesterday, It's a good stiff hike, took me about 2 hours including taking the photos.
About five years ago the whole park was burnt to shreds by a massive wild fire that traveled more than 25 miles along the face of the San Gabriel mountain range where the park is located. The fauna has made a remarkable recovery since then but some trees and brush just didn't make it, but that is Mother Natures way of revitalizing her domain.

I got the above e-mail from Dave Hughlock an ex Preston lad now living in the USA the other day. The pictures below are from his hike around the park.

The parking lot was full, it's a busy morning.....love the plate Dave

Prior to entering the Park....a warning

The entrance & information board

It's five miles around....I'm going up Cobal

The track is a fire road so it's plenty wide

Avoid this at all costs...It's Poison Oak, touch it and you have the mother of all rashes

A resting place on the way up

Pity it's a misty view down into the valley

Some years after a forest fire some brush is making its way back

Mother nayure as fought back

I still have some climbing to do

Looking south across the valley

Then north to the Sab Gabriel mountains

This little Lizard was sunbathing

A dead "Century" plant

After flowering the plant dies but produces suckers from the base to continue the species. Here a live and a dead one

Looking down from here I can see the flood control wall

The fire road was being regraded

This is the huge flood control area

The Forest service fire engine was on call.

Many thanks Dave for sharing your walk and pictures. Glad you didn't meet up with any of those Bears and Mountain Lions

 

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