Hikers prepare to repair trails
Recent fires took a toll on trails in the SM Mountains SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS Todd Lubin was staring sadly at the sight before him, a charred mountain side that once exemplified all things beautiful about the Santa Monica Mountains, when a deer crossed his path.
“That’s when the fire really took effect for me,” said Lubin, a seasoned hiker who lives in Santa Monica, of his experience at the foot of Solstice Canyon three weeks ago.
The combination of the Canyon and Corral fires in October and November in Malibu took a toll on the residents of the seaside community, burning nearly 10,000 acres and a combined total of nearly 100 structures.
The effects have also been felt on the hiking community as several popular hiking locations have been closed since the most recent wildfire was contained in late November, shutting down Solstice Canyon and three of its most popular trails — the Solstice Canyon Trail, the Sostomo Trail and the Rising Sun Trail.
Solstice Canyon is expected to be closed through March 1 as crews work to stabilize the trails, which could prove challenging given the recent storms, according to Marty O’Toole, the fire education and prevention specialist for the National Parks Service (NPS).
Approximately $912,000 was requested of the NPS to work on the trails, a cost estimate that includes the stabilization and removal of building debris.
“They will literally go through every foot of the trail to clear them off,” O’Toole said. “The biggest thing is to look at the hillside to see if the slope is stable and if the trail is supported.”
The recent fires have limited the available travel options for the Santa Monica Hiking Club, which heads out to the Santa Monica Mountains on weekends twice a month.
The non-profit club plans to team up with the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy to clean-up and repair the various trails in the affected canyons, planting new trees and other native plants, Lubin said.
Solstice Canyon was among the hiking destinations for the Santa Monica Hiking Club, the trails in the now charred area known for its waterfall and beautiful views of the ocean.
“It was absolutely beautiful,” Lubin said.
While three wildfires have broken out in Malibu in the past year, Lubin said he does-n’t believe the prospect of a fire has deterred hikers from visiting the mountains.
But it has negatively impacted the hiking experience for some members.
“To not be able to go out every weekend to hike is really hard and just knowing that the landscape we have been used to walking in (is gone) really breaks my heart,” said Christi Smith, a Santa Monica resident who has hiked with the club since last summer.
Lubin, a Swedish native, has been an avid hiker for years. A lover of all things natural, Lubin said most Angelenos aren’t aware of the natural beauty in the Santa Monica Mountains, a rural area that lies within the suburban Westside.
“If you’ve never been a hiker,you don’t know what it is,”she said.“It’s unbelievable here.”
Clean-up crews will be faced with the challenge in the coming months of working around the rainy season, which can bring mudslides.
While the trails could reopen next spring, it could take years before the canyon is restored to pre-fire levels.
“The devastation driving up and down PCH is enormous,” Lubin said. “It was once a beautiful canyon, now it’s basically rocks and charred debris.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 7, 2008. Read the original PDF.