Edgar McGregor

In late July 2024, representatives from the City of Pasadena and the County of Los Angeles met to discuss ways to address the growing issue of unlawful food vending throughout Eaton Canyon. Since 2023’s heavy rains and subsequent skyrocket in visitation rates, food vendors have been repeatedly coming to Eaton Canyon several days per week with coolers full of drinks, fruit cups, and water bottles hoping to sell them to trail users. These food vendors often set up along the main trail directly south of the Mount Wilson Toll Road bridge, but occasionally also attempt to set up near the main parking lot. The presence of these vendors have led to an increase in littering throughout the canyon, potential health risks, as well as heated territorial disputes between different vendors.

Now, the two government agencies who control land within the topographical Eaton Canyon area have come together to put a stop to the vending. The two parties have all agreed that visitors to any part of Eaton Canyon who notice individuals selling food or drinks are encouraged to call the City of Pasadena Police Departments’ non-emergency line at (626) 744-4241. Upon being alerted to ongoing food vending activity, the operator may dispatch code enforcement officers to the canyon. This is made possible because while both government entities operate land within topographical Eaton Canyon, everything from the Nature Center to the main waterfall is still located within Pasadena City limits. Visitors are also asked to leave the law enforcing to the code compliance officers, and to not get involved beyond calling the non-emergency line.

Due to health concerns, high fire danger, and a trend of excessive littering, no food vending permits are given out at Los Angeles County Natural Area Parks or Pasadena Municipal Open Spaces save for those associated with government events and programming. As of late August 2024, both warnings and citations have already been given out. 

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.