Larry Wilson: Tales along the trail
PSN-10/08/2006

Some columns will draw at best a "Mmmm," even a yawn; they are metaphorically
marked "No response necessary."

Others are calculated to stir the pot.

And so the dozen or so notes received since Friday's battle call to revive
interest in maintaining the centuries-old tradition of fine and unfettered
hiking in Lower Millard Canyon above Altadena were not unanticipated.

None were from the tiny group of usual-suspect nasties, who spend their joyless,
tone-of-the-times-deaf days rubbing their hands together scheming to keep the
supposed riff-raff from the canyon. Oh, and planning silly lawsuits against me,
etc.

Those folks are keeping their powder dry for expensive legal battles they are
fated to lose.

But I did get a wide variety of thoughtful responses from people on both sides -
really, on a variety of sides - of complicated issues.

The issues all revolve around the kind of interface between wild lands and the
built-up world of the Los Angeles basin that we will leave for future
generations.

Some would have us, from La Ca ada Flintridge to Bradbury and beyond, keep
marching up the mountains in the manner of the more unfortunate McMansions of
Burbank.

Others fight to keep the border between the still-wild places and us more or
less where they are - which is in pretty steep territory as it is.

But there are subtler skirmishes as well. One letter writer disagrees with my
stance that the Lower Millard trail should become part of the contiguous
Altadena Crest, but for more thoughtful reasons than the nasties.

Michael Hickman of Altadena says to "blaze a trail up Millard Canyon from the
Arroyo Seco to Canyon Crest Road would open the area to the graffiti and trash
and misuse that already infects the mouth of the canyon where it joins the
Arroyo."

Interesting point, but one that could be made about any wilderness "infected" by
humans. Arguably Yosemite and everywhere beautiful would be better off without
us. Nothing makes me sicker than spray paint on a fine granite boulder or
fast-food wrappers tossed in the chapparal. But it comes with the territory, and
some of us respond not by banning others but by carrying one of those snappy
trash picker-uppers and a big

plastic bag.

Hickman also objects to an overbuilt trail: wide, sometimes supported by
concrete, restrooms, other amenities. All details are on the table. I agree that
the less development, the better. It's the trail, not how it's built, that I'm
for.

Mitch Marich, himself a trail bicyclist, notes that building for horses and
bikes "will take more engineering and expense than just building for hikers . .
. I'm not saying it can't or shouldn't be done, but users should be
understanding if it is not practical."

He also properly laments the crazy lack of progress on reopening the widest
trail in the front range: the old Toll Road to Henninger Flats, blocked above
Eaton Canyon by a massive landslide. County, Forest Service, anyone: What's the
plan?

larry.wilson@sgvn.com

Larry Wilson is editor of the Pasadena Star-News.