Lowelifes RCC trail work on Condor Peak

Discussion in 'Trail Maintenance' started by Erik H, Jan 30, 2020.


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  1. Erik H

    Erik H Member

    Location:
    Altadena
    Name:
    Erik Hillard
    As some of you may know, there's a new trail work org focusing in the Angeles National Forest, Lowelifes Respectable Citizens Club (LRCC).

    Restoration of the long ignored Condor Peak trail is our first major project and our 3rd work day is this upcoming Sunday Feb 2nd.

    Some of you may have ridden Condor pre-Station Fire; however, the trail has sat in disrepair for over a decade. Eventually this will be a killer +10 mile length of single track and once Lightning Point re opens to the public, this trail could also be a shuttle option.

    If you've never been up there, the views are amazing! Looking at the backside of places like Strawberry Peak is really cool. The trail offers visual perspectives on the ANF like no other!

    201911-LRCC-Erik-04760.jpg

    Lowelifes is using EventBrite for registration and logistics info

    Due to the current snow still in the high country, this time we will be working up from the bottom off of Big Tujunga. The last two trail work days we started from the top thru the Lightning Point campground.

    Our inaugural event was a 2 day campout with 2 work days.
    http://lowelifesrcc.org/2019/12/05/condor-peak-trail-restoration/

    More blog posts about trail work are on the website too.

    Here's a few photos from our first couple of work days:

    201911-LRCC-Erik-04653.jpg 201911-LRCC-Erik-04621.jpg 201911-LRCC-Erik-04679.jpg 201911-LRCC-Erik-04737.jpg 201911-LRCC-Erik-04745.jpg
     
    Poofighter, Ocpop, MrGreedom and 19 others like this.
  2. mountaingirl sara

    mountaingirl sara iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    So Cal
    Name:
    Sara
    Current Bike:
    Ibis Ripley
    It’s beautiful up there! I did a road ride up to Gleason and was wondering about the mtb situation
     
    mike, Cyclotourist, Mikie and 5 others like this.
  3. Mikie

    Mikie Admin/iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    NW Arkansas
    Name:
    Mikie Watson
    Current Bike:
    Ibis DV9 / SC Hightower
    Why on Sundays...:(
    Thank you for the contribution!
     
  4. hill^billy

    hill^billy iMTB Rockstah

    Freaking awesome!
     
    mike, Mikie and mountaingirl sara like this.
  5. Erik H

    Erik H Member

    Location:
    Altadena
    Name:
    Erik Hillard
    Mikie, our first event was Sat-Sun and there will be more 2 day campouts in the future. Those allow people to come both days or just one. The 2 day events are a lot of work to produce but we are committed to doing more of them as its a blast and great fun. The Lightning Point campground is beautiful.

    Single day events are definitely easier for us to produce on Sundays since it gives us Saturday to prepare. Many times trail scouting or preemptive work is done the day before and its harder to get that done during the work week.
     
  6. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    TFPU, Erik. Looks like a worthy project. :thumbsup:
     
    Erik H and mountaingirl sara like this.
  7. Erik H

    Erik H Member

    Location:
    Altadena
    Name:
    Erik Hillard
  8. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    Thanks again for keeping us apprised of the LRCC’s good work, Erik. :thumbsup:
     
    mountaingirl sara likes this.
  9. evdog

    evdog iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    San diego
    Name:
    Evan S
    Dirt church!


    Hey @Erik H , curious what the difference is between LRCC and MWBA. Is it just that MWBA focuses on Mt Wilson and LRCC will work on anything not on Mt Wilson?
     
    mountaingirl sara and mike like this.
  10. Erik H

    Erik H Member

    Location:
    Altadena
    Name:
    Erik Hillard
    Great question! MWBA and LRCC are two different non profits. Many volunteers do attend both orgs work days.

    MWBA is a mountain bike group with a deep long history in the Angeles National Forest. We have their original members to thank for the 100s of miles of single track open to mountain bikes. MWBA does focus much of their trail work on front range trails like El Prieto, Sunset Ridge, Middle Merrill, Ken Burton and portions of the Gabrielino.

    In my personal opinion, MWBA has it hands full with front side trail work and time managing trail user community interactions. LRCC does not have that responsibility and is free to focus in other areas.

    Lowelifes Respectable Citizens Club was founded in 2019 by Matt Baffert, a former MWBA Trail Boss and Board Member. Myself, also a former MWBA Board Member, and Rob Peterson also sit on the LRCC Board.

    LRCC is not specifically a MTB group. Trail runners & hikers join our work days regularly and LRCC specifically chose not to use anything bicycle related in our branding. This can open us up to more positive collaborations with the broader trail community as well as open different doors for grants and funding.

    Lowelifes' mission spans beyond the frontside of the Angeles and currently focuses on trail restoration and chainsaw work. LRCC wants to focus on areas long ignored and on potential new trail proposals. Our formal USFS service agreement specifies working on Idlehour, Condor Peak, Mount Hillyer Loop, and the most inaccessible sections of the Strawberry Peak Loop and Gabrielino.

    The current Condor Peak project is something that has been long on the "To Do List" of trail work organizations. For many years, this trail access was also threatened by a potential Wilderness area. CORBA's Steve Messer has successfully negotiated the trail to be out of the current Wilderness proposal and LRCC is extremely excited to bring this trail back.
     
    mike, rossage, Luis and 2 others like this.
  11. Erik H

    Erik H Member

    Location:
    Altadena
    Name:
    Erik Hillard
  12. Erik H

    Erik H Member

    Location:
    Altadena
    Name:
    Erik Hillard
    Great weather yesterday on Condor! Thank you for coming out @Luis !

     
  13. DangerDirtyD

    DangerDirtyD iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    CA
    Name:
    Chicken Nugget
    Current Bike:
    2018 Guerrilla Gravity SMASH
    Did the USFS require a biologist to monitor the grubbing and earthwork?
     
    Mikie likes this.
  14. Erik H

    Erik H Member

    Location:
    Altadena
    Name:
    Erik Hillard
    USFS has approved this trail restoration project and any potential issues have already been cleared by them. There are no rare plants, etc in this trail bed and no threatened animals, etc. Green light for trail restoration!
     
  15. DangerDirtyD

    DangerDirtyD iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    CA
    Name:
    Chicken Nugget
    Current Bike:
    2018 Guerrilla Gravity SMASH
    I believe it. It’s hard to explain to crews sometimes why some projects are monitored while others are not. Based on your video, some of those lilacs may be sensitive subspecies, and since nesting bird season has commenced, I was curious if the forest service considered the migratory bird treaty act. Then again, if your goal wasn’t to go out and destroy birds or their nests, who cares if there is incidental take these days?
     
    Mikie and rossage like this.
  16. Erik H

    Erik H Member

    Location:
    Altadena
    Name:
    Erik Hillard
    The USFS is 100% on board and in the know about what we are doing out there. A USFS rep(s) have even attended most of our work days.
     
  17. DangerDirtyD

    DangerDirtyD iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    CA
    Name:
    Chicken Nugget
    Current Bike:
    2018 Guerrilla Gravity SMASH
    Thanks for the work. Did your crew make @Luis load and unload the trucks?
     
    Mikie and rossage like this.
  18. Erik H

    Erik H Member

    Location:
    Altadena
    Name:
    Erik Hillard
    Heck no! @Luis is famous for his trail work around these parts! You should see the Yuccas he trimmed up.. GOLDEN!
     
    Mikie, Faust29, Luis and 2 others like this.
  19. Luis

    Luis iMTB Addict

    Location:
    Sylmar
    Name:
    Luis
    Current Bike:
    La Diabla
    Yucca before

    4CBCF3B9-625E-4A59-B1C6-17C8FC15689C.jpeg

    Yucca after

    BA2C6DE7-206D-441C-9B85-C7B54820DE29.jpeg

    No power tools today. Hand tools only.
     
  20. Erik H

    Erik H Member

    Location:
    Altadena
    Name:
    Erik Hillard
    The Lowelifes Respectable Citizens Club board members were interviewed recently by Front Lines MTB.

    http://frontlinesmtb.com/2020/04/17...with-the-lowelifes-respectable-citizens-club/

    Take a listen to our conversations about starting LRCC, the Condor Peak project, collaborations with CORBA, MWBA & California Mountain Biking Coalition, and our focused mission behind this new trail work group in the Angeles National Forest.

    Our membership portal is now up and running too for the community to support the Condor project.

    Hope everyone is well!
     
  21. Luis

    Luis iMTB Addict

    Location:
    Sylmar
    Name:
    Luis
    Current Bike:
    La Diabla
    More trail work was done on condor peak trail this past Sunday. I got to ride my bike up to the worksite and enjoy the.first 4.5 miles of completed lower section from the big Tujunga trailhead.
    Our worksite for the day. Clear our fallen trees and look for trailbed under the landslide.
    CAB0F22D-EEF3-4993-925C-4D28A82622AF.jpeg

    Josh taking a breather and smiling after we had cleared out a huge rootball from a fallen tree. All handsawn because of the no-power tool restrictions.
    39E47D9F-7F15-4DD7-B5F4-D6747715CE77.jpeg

    Some of Josh's rock handiwork. He just seems to be able to find stuff that fits together like a puzzle.
    03613319-599F-44A2-ABB5-7CFC50336346.jpeg

    We need to rock armor this next section. No time this go around because of the time spent clearing out the huge tree that was down and the effort it took to handsaw it so we could shove it out of the way.
    67E00EA7-A186-420F-8CD6-D4CCB90B4742.jpeg

    Back down the trail we go. We get to admire the handiwork of the rest of the crew that was working below us.
    071B1F8D-B5D1-457A-8833-1E7B72A8238F.jpeg

    Single track all the way
    940C3DAB-FC97-45A7-BBE7-C201ED7786E9.jpeg

    Groomed oh so nice
    56503028-E7CB-4E52-91AD-4F8E2CF4F031.jpeg

    Backside of Mt Lukes with the antennas up top. La Crescenta is just over that mountain top
    FA765370-487D-41DD-97A2-B42793166421.jpeg 9BD7DCFC-8C25-4A22-8C8D-9964EE0F3DAF.jpeg

    "It's like strawberry peak trail on steroids" - @rossage
    3D1795B2-624B-4C68-BD52-60EB9DC22A54.jpeg

    Awesome vistas
    A07AD467-B092-40A6-BCE3-C2E0A26FE433.jpeg
     
  22. Faust29

    Faust29 Moderator

    Location:
    irgendwo
    Name:
    B. Bunny
    Current Bike:
    I gots some bikes.
    Very nice...

    You're a good man, Luis!
     
    NinjaDon, Luis, Old&InTheWay and 4 others like this.
  23. kingaucho

    kingaucho Well-Known Member

    Location:
    South OC
    Name:
    Lubo
    Current Bike:
    Giant Anthem 29er
    Excellent work @Luis! I need to come up that way and ride some of these trails.
     
  24. Mikie

    Mikie Admin/iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    NW Arkansas
    Name:
    Mikie Watson
    Current Bike:
    Ibis DV9 / SC Hightower
    :geek: WOW! Thank you so much!
     
  25. Derkderkall

    Derkderkall iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Monrovia
    Name:
    Derek Allison
    Current Bike:
    2020 Specialized Fuse 29
    Thanks to you and llrcc for all the great work!
     
    NinjaDon, mountaingirl sara and Luis like this.
  26. Luis

    Luis iMTB Addict

    Location:
    Sylmar
    Name:
    Luis
    Current Bike:
    La Diabla
    This trail when completely restored will reach Mt Gleason. Already some of the peeps are talking about making an epic loop out of it. I believe this single track alone will be ten miles long in one direction.
     
  27. da big hills

    da big hills iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    pearl harbor
    Name:
    cagey
    Current Bike:
    enduro 29
    Will it reach Lukins? or did it come from Lukins?
     
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  28. mountaingirl sara

    mountaingirl sara iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    So Cal
    Name:
    Sara
    Current Bike:
    Ibis Ripley
    Nice work gentlemen!
     
    NinjaDon, Luis and Mikie like this.
  29. SS Barby

    SS Barby Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Palmdale, CA
    Name:
    Barby
    Current Bike:
    Ibis Ripley LS/ Esker Hayduke
    @Luis , let me know the next time there is a trail work day. I would be happy to come out. Over the holidays I have a lot of time off
     
    NinjaDon, Luis and Mikie like this.
  30. Luis

    Luis iMTB Addict

    Location:
    Sylmar
    Name:
    Luis
    Current Bike:
    La Diabla
    Not related to Lukens BUT there are two trails that drop down from atop Lukens. Stone canyon trail that drops down to Wildwood picnic site and Grizzly Flat Trail that comes down to the Vogel flat picnic site. I’ve heard those trails are really overgrown and sketchy.
     
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As a former Amazon Associate I continue to get screwed trying to stay qualified as an Amazon Affiliate. So I quit!


Want to donate to imtbtrails?