Edgar McGregor

Earlier this past July, Eaton Canyon Conservation Chair Max Yasuda made the decision to suspend the regular monthly conservation meetups for the second year in a row due to extreme summer temperatures. This declaration comes amid what is shaping up to be one of the hottest summers on record in the northwestern San Gabriel Valley. The official Pasadena weather station operated by the National Weather Service in Oxnard has just observed it’s 3rd-highest July average daily maximum temperature on record at 94.00°F, falling just 0.52°F short of the record set last July. Even worse, July 2024’s coolest afternoon observed a high of 88°F, the warmest ‘coolest afternoon of July’ on record. 

“I think maybe we want to cancel our August and September meetups. We don’t want anyone to get a heat illness while volunteering in the park. I’ve seen other groups do this, and I think we may want to make this an annual thing [in summer] too.” – Max Yasuda, Conservation Chair

The Eaton Canyon Conservation Group meets once a month on the second Sunday to pull invasive plants, maintain native gardens, and pick up litter. You may sign up for future events by adding your eMail here. Summer temperatures have gotten much more extreme over the past century in the San Gabriel Valley, with average daily temperatures rising 7°F since the early 20th century. 

 

Heat is the deadliest form of weather in the United States. According to the Associated Press, at least 2,300 Americans died in summer 2023 due to complications from heat illnesses. It is not recommended that anybody hikes at Eaton Canyon while temperatures are ≥95°F (35°C). Always be sure to bring more than enough water with you while hiking, wear enough sunscreen, and know the symptoms of heat exhaustion. A heat stroke is an emergency. If you or a fellow hiker are experiencing one, call 9-1-1.

At 2:43 AM on the morning of Sunday, July 21, 2024, a driver racing up Altadena Drive lost control when rounding the turn by the Midwick trailhead. The vehicle smashed into two arrow curve signs, some boulders, and a power pole in the area. The wreck knocked out electricity to the immediate neighborhood, with SoCal Edison outages reported as far west as the neighborhood near the Altadena Country Club. This was the fifth time in 24 hours emergency crews were called to Eaton Canyon to render aid to injured persons.

This speeding vehicle is another example of the lack of safety at Eaton Canyon’s multiple trailheads. Altadena Drive is one of the curvier, steeper boulevards in the community, and as a result, drivers are often racing up and down the road at speeds of up to 50 MPH. Incredible views of the passing canyon gorge behind the Midwick trailhead may be contributing to these speeds.

The Eaton Canyon Nature Centers’ trailhead is the most popular starting point for hikers largely because it offers ample parking. However, the gates to the parking lot do not open until 8:00 AM, and that means anybody arriving before then is forced to park on Altadena Drive. During summer, hikers will often want to begin their hike well before 8:00 AM to avoid soaring daytime temperatures. This inevitably leads to people parking on Altadena Drive and walking in, and since there is no crosswalk, scenes with people running across the street during breaks in traffic are extremely common.

While there were no deaths reported from this incident, it may only be a matter of time before the combination of speeding vehicles and exhausted hikers trying to get back to their car becomes fatal.

On Saturday, July 20, 2024, the Altadena Mountain Rescue Team (AMRT) responded to four separate incidents involving injured hikers at Eaton Canyon. According to the team’s Instagram account, three individuals suffered severe ankle sprains while another required assistance due to heat exhaustion. The temperature in downtown Pasadena reached a high of 99°F.

In one particular case, a senior citizen slipped down a five-foot scarp in a hazardous section of the trail leading to the main waterfall. This spot is frequently eroded each winter by a hidden watercourse that merges with Eaton Creek just 15 feet downstream from the water mining bunker. The Eaton Canyon Trail segment between the Chuck Ballard Memorial Bridge and the main waterfall is not considered an official trail by the Angeles National Forest. As a result, it is completely unmaintained and subject to far more hazards than most trails.

Eaton Canyon is one of Southern California’s most popular hiking trails, but it is also one of our rockiest. There are ten river crossings that separate the waterfall from hikers beginning their journey at the Nature Center. In an attempt to stay dry, many hikers will hop across rocks in the creek to get to the other side. This is not advised as many rocks are both unstable and slippery from other trail users. Always bring the proper amount of water, foot ware, and clothing when hiking in the Angeles National Forest.