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wildone
climber
GHOST TOWN
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At least the mini-approach to toxic waste wall will be easier! (j/k)
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Slater
climber
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Maybe it'll open up some bouldering?
Did the fire affect any of the other areas? Did it go as far west as Cathedral?
I have no idea how far west it burned.
Erosion will be a bummer this winter as always after a fire.
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adam d
climber
CA
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From the reports I heard, it sounded like the Cathedral area burned. I haven't been down to SB (except Friday in the dark) to see it yet though. More after pics!
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jstan
climber
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The fire largely burned off the side of Cathedral Peak facing the ocean. Two weeks before the fire we bushwacked Cathedral. Much of the chaparal below the East ridge to Cathedral Peak is also gone. The prominent broken face east of tunnel trail at its top was also burned.
The fire also went in back of Cathedral and cleared a significant area around LaCumbre peak. The western fire boundary was west of Rt154 in places. Firefighters put up a huge battle to keep it from jumping 154.
Jesusita is still closed so I have not been up there yet. Just think. The poison oak has been set back a peg or two! Won't be long before it is back.
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kevsteele
climber
Santa Barbara, CA
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Wildone: here's the base of Toxic Waste Wall...
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kevsteele
climber
Santa Barbara, CA
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Yes, Cathedral is toast. I've been up and down Gibraltar all week helping prep a trail race in the backcountry for this weekend (on the green side, not the blackened side..)
As jstan points out it's a wide swath from Cold Springs across the front range to San Roque Canyon that is all the way to Camino Cielo across most of it. Then a lower charred band keeps going west past 154. (was with fire crews on 154 that night) The lookout on top of La Cumbre was saved and Flores Flat as well.
Jstan: we should connect! I climbed Foops when you still could and just spent this evening with another gunkie (C Moratz) in town visiting (he heads to Yosemite tomorrow).
Some more after pics below..
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Slater
climber
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Kevin,
you're proud of your license plate
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wildone
climber
GHOST TOWN
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Nice- I love that goddamn toxic waste wall. And I lived about 150 yards from that reservoir, last house on Laurel Canyon road at the dead end.
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Slater
climber
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so I'll bring a wrench when I'm up there. I wonder what that kind of heat does to the rock and the hardware? The fact that it's sandstone makes it even more sketch. Wildone, is the house still there, I wonder? 80 houses were lost, that blows my mind. That's a lot of family photo albums and high school yearbooks and wedding pictures and...
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jstan
climber
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The large house on the hill slightly east of where Kev's picture of the reservoir was taken, burned. I understand it was not insured and I assume this was because there was no hydrant. The house is above the reservoir. There was also a small structure almost exactly where Kev took the picture. That is gone.
At the end of Laurel Canyon road where it meets the water facility there is a house to the left( West) slightly down in Laurel Canyon. That house is still there. Where Laurel Canyon road abuts the entrance to the water facility there is a spur road running east along the base of the hill. I don't think any houses on that spur were burned. But the fire came right down across the ball field and up to the houses.
As Kevin's pictures imply, the fire was unusually hot. I expect the mature trees down in San Roque Canyon will make it back but at the moment they certainly don't look as though they will.
The fire fighters put up a hell of a fight. Really sorry I left. But if it had come down to running for it I probably would not have been allowed to move my truck. Had everything in it.
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Slater
climber
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From greener days...
Doug Englekirk on the Nose, Gibraltar Rock.
Photo Tom Slater(c)
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Slater
climber
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From Painted Cave you can see the burn, and how close it got to that community. They must have been crapping. There are orange streaks of retardant on the hills nearby.
Went to Lizards Mouth, which is rad, but Brickyard was closed, even though it is literally right next to Brickyard. When did that fire happen? Man, tons of rock on West Camino Cielo and out by the Gun Club (Bunker Hill). That place must really resist development due to the limited access 'cause it looks really rad.
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Slater
climber
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Both guides say the rocks behind the Gun Club are fair game when it's closed to shooting. I'd think that they would have discovered a sacred site before just recently?
Plus, they shoot the sh#t out of that place and it's on the Winchester Gun Club land. Where did you get that info?
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Rokrover
Trad climber
SB, CA
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The range warden at the skeet range told us Bunker Hill was off limits during operations. However, it borders more interesting formations to the south that are on the restricted Chumash "wind cave" site. This is fenced off along West Camino Cielo but not on the northern border with the jeep road towards Brush Peak. A sensitive area, regardless. Some more information on the site:
http://www.dailynexus.com/article.php?a=16584
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Jim Wilcox
Boulder climber
Santa Barbara
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Bunker Hill looks better then it actually is. Unlike lizard's Mouth-which is fairly hard sandstone, Bunker Hill is soft sandstone that doesn't inspire much confidence.
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Slater
climber
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Good to know. At least now I can sleep at night knowing I'm not missing anything.
Man, driving up WCCielo I was just gawking at all the boulders up in the trees/bushes. That one house with the 30' blocks in his yard... how'd ya like to own THAT house! "Honey, I'm going out for a few laps in the front yard!" Dude probably doesn't even climb...
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Curt
Boulder climber
Gilbert, AZ
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Looks like things were pretty intense, John. We're glad everything turned out OK.
Curt
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Jim Wilcox
Boulder climber
Santa Barbara
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Neat place to live, sorta. You don't sleep well on hot, windy nights :) And the constant brush clearing for a defensible space has gotta get old after a while.
Interesting mix of people, too. Some normal, everyday people mixed in with some very odd ducks.
Hopefully the Brickyard will open soon. Ironically, the Gap fire started at Lizard's Mouth, but it didn't suffer much damage. Brickyard got pounded. The long trail into the 'yard is soft dirt most of the way, which most likely caused USFS some erosion concerns. But I'm sure a lot of new stuff will be finally accessible, now. Hopefully knocked down some of the poison oak, too.
Wonder how Arrowhead Springs fared.
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Slater
Trad climber
Central Coast
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It stands to reason that if they closed the 'yard after the fire, that they'll close Gibraltar soon then too? Kevin, know anything/heard anything about this? What a bummer, but maybe necessary? That would suck for SB locals.
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