Last week, I stared out the window at the mountains like a little kid, watching the rain come down. I knew at higher elevations the storm was dumping buckets of snow onto L.A.’s backyard. And I really wanted to go play in it.
But the adult in me knew the key to enjoying snow in Angeles National Forest and other nearby public lands is to wait until the weather is right, the roads are clear and you have the right gear to have a safe day in wintry nature with friends and family. Here’s how and where to do exactly that.
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This past Sunday, my friends Bob and Mish joined me for a little adventure to the Buckhorn Campground to rejoice in the snow. We started our trek at the entrance of the campground and walked down the paved road covered in several inches of white powder. (At one point, I measured 9 inches of it on our path.) It was a sunny, brisk day, and the snow on the mountains around us was strikingly beautiful.
But, amid my excitement, I also had my breaking-news reporter hat on, which meant I was considering what terrible things could happen at any moment of the day. Was it a good idea to suggest to my dear Wilders that they drive up Highway 2 and tromp around in the elements? To ease my fears (and yours), I talked to Mike Leum, whose job it is to respond to worst-case scenarios in Angeles National Forest.
Leum is the assistant director of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department’s Reserve Forces Detail, which oversees the search-and-rescue program. He regularly responds to emergencies in the mountains with Montrose Search and Rescue (which, as an aside, is always in need of more volunteers).
Coincidentally, Leum was also at Buckhorn Campground on Sunday, thankfully just to have fun with his wife and dog. Although we did not run into each other, it put us on the same page about the conditions we were discussing and what kind of gear would be needed for each of the three hikes recommended below.
Leum, who has 30 years of search-and-rescue experience, gave me a clear rundown of how hikers should prepare for a day in the snow:
As I have previously covered, outdoors enthusiasts get into trouble way more often on day hikes than backpacking trips. The snow and ice add an additional layer to how you should plan your day, but that shouldn’t discourage you from trying. On Sunday, I saw families and friends out hiking, sledding down hillsides and just overall enjoying the day.
I’d love for you to make similar memories in our local public lands. And to do that, here are three hikes I ran past Leum to determine the type of gear you’ll need to stay as safe as possible. If you choose to do hikes No. 2 and 3, you should do so only if you’re willing to turn around if things get dicey.
1. Buckhorn Campground
Distance: Varies
Elevation gained: 300 to 500 feet
Difficulty: Easy to lower-level moderate
Accessible alternative: Large turnouts along Highway 2 east of Camp Valcrest
Starting from the Buckhorn Campground entrance, it is about a mile hike to the Burkhart Trail starting point, where there’s a restroom and picnic table. My friends and I rested here before heading back up. You have the option to take the Burkhart Trail, including to Cooper Canyon Falls. Keep in mind: To reach Cooper Canyon Falls, you must use a short rope (unofficial, not maintained by the forest service) to belay down to the falls. (The day after we spoke, Leum was sent to rescue two hikers at the falls, both of whom had to be airlifted; please use necessary precautions if you choose this hike!)
For an accessible alternative, take Highway 2 to any of the large turnouts past Camp Valcrest, where the snow is deeper and more substantial on the hillsides. You’ll have the opportunity to walk around the parking lots and take nice photos of the snow and trees. The road is open to Islip Saddle and has several turnouts along the way.
2. Mt. Waterman Loop
Distance: About 6 miles
Elevation gained: About 1,400 feet
Difficulty: Moderately challenging, especially in snow; crampons needed
Accessible alternative: Mt. Wilson walking path
I’ve hiked in the Mt. Waterman area in every season, including last May when there was still snow on the ground, and I made a snow angel while my dog Maggie May zoomed around me. I take it counterclockwise, which allows me to hike through the forest and then down a fire road. The trail is covered in pine and other evergreen trees and provides incredible views of the San Gabriel and Antelope valleys. The forested portion of this hike does have a steep drop-off on one side, so please remember to bring your crampons and ice ax if you want to take that route.
For those considering the accessible alternative, the paved Mt. Wilson path is 1.2 miles round trip from the parking lot and will provide you with great views and gorgeous pines. Echo Rock is reachable via a few stairs and is a stunning lookout point. (Note: The road to Mt. Wilson is closed, as of today, but is expected to reopen soon; check this map for updates.)
3. Cooper Canyon Trail Camp via Cloudburst Summit
Distance: 3 to 5.2 miles, depending on your route
Elevation gained: About 750 to 1,000 feet, depending on your route
Difficulty: Moderate, made more challenging in snow; crampons needed
Accessible alternative: Chilao Visitor Center and campground
As you’ll see on this map I made, you can take two different routes downhill to the Cooper Canyon Trail Camp: Either a wider fire road (1.5 miles, one way) or the Pacific Crest Trail (2.6 miles, one way), which will be narrow in places. I hiked to the trail camp in the summer, taking the PCT route there and the fire road back. I found both to be enjoyable and scenic, so if the PCT is sketchy (read: icy), I don’t think you’ll miss out by taking the wider fire road down and back. Regardless, remember to pack your crampons!
The accessible alternative is Chilao Visitor Center, open weekends from 9 to 3 p.m., and its surrounding campground. You’ll find a similar visual experience to the hike down to Cooper Canyon, albeit with less snow. At Chilao, you’ll see the massive Coulter pine cones, and if you hike or drive through the campground’s Little Pines and Manzanita loops, you’ll spot large boulders and great views of the mountains around you.
1. Show your support for public lands in Calabasas and Ventura
A “Protect The Parks” rally will be hosted from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday outside the Anthony C. Beilenson visitor center (26876 Mulholland Highway) in Calabasas to show support for the National Park Service, which recently lost about 1,000 permanent workers. Attendees will learn about local efforts to protect the Santa Monica Mountains and write thank-you letters to local rangers. Organizers ask those who can to print predesigned stationery and bring two envelopes to write the letters. Kids and signs welcome. There is also a rally for Channel Islands National Park from 11:30 to 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the park’s visitor center (1901 Spinnaker Drive) in Ventura. Learn more about the Calabasas rally at organizer Cris Graves’ Instagram page and the Channel Islands rally here.
2. Learn about baby raptors in San Dimas
As part of its “Nature Knowledge Series,” the San Dimas Canyon Nature Center will host free talks 6 p.m. Wednesday and Friday on how its staff and volunteers navigate baby raptor season. The nature center is home to L.A. County’s raptor rescue center and takes in dozens of owlets each spring along with other birds of prey. The staff and volunteers spent five months teaching the wee birds how to survive in the wild before releasing them. No registration is required. Learn more at the nature center’s Instagram page.
3. Hike with outdoors advocates in Griffith Park
The National Parks Conservation Assn. and Latino Outdoors L.A. will host “Postcards and Parks” from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday in Griffith Park. Attendees will write postcards to national park staff, thanking them for continuing to work in challenging times, and then take a 4-mile jaunt around the park (800 feet elevation gained). Register at eventbrite.com.
I’m trying to get over my fear of sharks, which stems in part from my wife’s annual viewing of Shark Week. As such, I was eager to dive into Times staff writer Jack Dolan’s recent story on the research being conducted on young great white sharks hanging out near the Southern California coastline. These baby sharks — not the kind from the song — are thought to use the beaches of Southern California and northern Baja California as nurseries, looking for cozy warm waters where they can learn to shark while hiding from killer whales and other critters who would eat them. Researchers from the Cal State Long Beach Shark Lab regularly tag these sharks, a process that’s allowed scientists to glean loads of data about shark behavior, including that they really don’t want to eat us. That, friends, might be enough to get me to try surfing again! Maybe.
Happy adventuring,
I had the pleasure of being a recent guest on Just Trek, an outdoors podcast hosted by Justin Rimon. Rimon has also created an L.A.-based hiking group with the same name. It’s an amazing community, and I enjoyed spending an evening in Debs Park, where we taped. We discussed a range of topics, including the impact of the L.A. wildfires on our mountains, the firings of National Park Service workers and, on a lighter note, where I most enjoy hiking. I hope you enjoy listening to the conversation, available as a podcast or video. Thank you!
For more insider tips on Southern California’s beaches, trails and parks, check out past editions of The Wild. And to view this newsletter in your browser, click here.
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Jaclyn Cosgrove covers the (great!) outdoors at the Los Angeles Times. They started at The Times in 2017 and have written about wildfires, culture, protests, crime and county government. In 2022, they managed For Your Mind, a yearlong mental health project. Cosgrove is originally from rural Oklahoma and is a proud Oklahoma State University graduate. They fell in love with the Southern California landscape when they moved here in 2017. They are always looking for the next adventure and welcome your ideas. If their phone goes straight to voicemail when you call, it probably means they’re in the mountains with their beloved dog, Maggie May.
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