Feral, Fenced and Fortified
by Pasadena Adjacent
Possession isn’t nine-tenths of the law. It’s nine-tenths of the problem.
John Lenon
Rose Valley Work Camp; compound vacated
Feral Homestead and Mine; abandoned
Bikes, Babes and Beer Land; compound closed until further notice
Traveling on the edge of the Sespe wilderness (map) in my search for the “Feral” was both beautiful and troublesome. Every side road seemed to be followed by a locked gate. An abundance of “KEEP OUT” signs, barbed wire and spent cartridges were the norm. Landowners kept up a game of smoke and mirrors. They’d leave empty cars on the edge of their property meant to intimidate by giving the impression of ongoing surveillance. Sometimes “said” car’s weren’t empty and you would notice them following you at a distance. Sorta creepy. We happened upon a small campground occupied by Post Vietnam Rambo types. Our sudden appearance seemed to arouse suspicion and paranoia. Noticing an out of season deer carcas hanging behind one camouflaged fellow, I decided playing dumb was my best option. It worked; I’m here. Enjoy.
……….
Pasadena Adjacent 
………….
Installment Five of my series examining the “Secret, Feral and Concrete”
Abandoned Mens Camp, Feral Homestead and Vacated Biker Bar
………….
Mr V and try to keep a lookout for vintage trailers for Jon and Emily over Side Street Projects. If you followed the “compound closed” link you’ll discover the trailer photo I sent to Jon, behind the Bikes-Babes-Beer compound. According to John…..
“great job! that is indeed a spartan trailer, the kind that side street is headquartered in. it’s a late-model, probably a ’55 – ’57. you don’t happen to see the words “carousel” on it anywhere… cause if you do, that’s an extremely rare bird… can’t really tell from that angle.
if the owners want to donate it to a nonprofit for a tax deduction before the new year, we’d be interested. otherwise, side street (and/or jon & emily) don’t have the flow to make it happen. it’s probably worth about $6K – $10K, depending on the interior condition.
thanks! what a great way to start the day!
LikeLike
Another facsinating spot – never heard of Sespe Wilderness but there it is. I would of thought it was somewhere off the 14. We’ve been to Lake Piru before (& a shooting range nearby so I recognize the shells), and one February we took the Frazier Prk Mtn Road from the 5, ate lunch at a nice cafe at Pine Mnt Club, and drove down to 166 (Maricopa Hwy). Amazing landscape past Pine Mnt. – seemed very unusual for this part of Calif.
I was skipping thru some blogs and came across this one – http://www.theeastsiderla.com/ – don’t know if you know of it. Has a really well done video on the new Galco’s owner and a book signing there today.
The Jacksonville airport has some amazing art – there was a huge flowing mosaic over the baggage claim made from STAMPS on aluminum by Peter Hite – gorgeous colors. The ‘Gotta-Go’ traveller is stuck on the glass – made from dichroic acrylic – like the holiday window stickers only about 1/4 inch thick. At 1st I thought it was a solid cutout on the outside but then I noticed that it was transparent as a jet went by. Close up, I could see that is was assembled in rectangular pieces onto the glass. It is really a fun piece because of the realism and the color of the bag which is a map of Jacksonville area.
LikeLike
Oi. You guys be careful, eh PA?
LikeLike
Hey, PA, so where are the “Babes” at?
Don’t tease the dog.
LikeLike
You’re intrepid. I’m with Dina.
LikeLike
This is what most of California will be like after 2012. Or maybe 2030. It’s a glimpse into the future, folks. Best get your piece of land, shotgun and dog now, stake a claim in the Sespe Wilderness and guard it from PA & co. (Oh dear, I’ve been seeing too many Road movies and reading too much about climate change and the end of oil.).
LikeLike
I have a real romance about these kinds of places.
In Austin – outside of town was and maybe still is, an area known as “Cedar Chopperville”. Out there with the natural springs and the cedar trees, people made their living doing just that – chopping cedar.
It was kind of like Topanga but without the erudition and the price.
LikeLike
I got a picture of a log cabin this week, but it’s not in nearly the great shape this red one is. Somebody’s taking care of it.
LikeLike
The Sespe is a fantastic wild place. You need to know the hazards, however, which include rough and tumble indigenous types, Mexican marijuana growers and a salty crowd from Los Angeles and Ventura County that often travel armed. If you camp in the Sespe, you should always bring a gun with you because you are typically out of cell phone service and there is no law enforcement to speak of.
LikeLike
……………
I wrote the following before Ruddy’s comment came in. Now I know it wasn’t just me. Ruddy, I couldn’t agree more on the beauty of the land. We went up 40 miles on 33 and turned around at Pine Mountain.
The Sespe Wilderness link is a photo of a forest service map on a Kiosk outside the work camp.
I’d appreciate a comment from blogger Greg Sweet who might shed some light on how land ownership works within our US National Forest boundary’s under the Department of Agriculture. Greg????
Tash: If you look up Lake Street in Pasadena, everything to the left is “gone baby gone” We’ve been forced to expand the parameters of our search for adventure. On this blog I’ve done Lake Piru (Magic Mountain Adjacent) and Mnt Pinos (Gorman Adjacent). I’d never been to Ojai so we thought we’d explore the area (and we did over two day period). All of these places are part of the larger Los Padres mountain range.
Thanks for the added info. The map on the bag was a stroke of brilliance on the part of the artist and I’m glad the engineer in you picked up on the details. I wonder how colored plastics will hold up over time.
Dina: Honestly, I wasn’t looking for trouble. On the plus side, I do have a finely tuned radar for detecting problems (although according to Ruddy I could use a little more deadly force).
CO: I suggest you bone up on your search and rescue skills.
Petrea: Playing dumb is my version of the possum defense.
Bellis: Yes, nothing breeds fear and havok like discovering a middle aged couple in a little Toyota truck let loose upon the people. I’m familiar with the symbolism of the 2012 date but not 2030.
Shanna: Thats what you want to find when you go off into the back woods. Life lived without the inflated price tag. Instead I found a “I got mine go away vibe”. Of course it also included the usual stories of how the movie industry people are moving in (to Ojai).
AH: I think I might know where that cabin is. It’s a real log cabin tucked away (with the usual “Private Property” signs about). Behind Rubio Canyon Road/basin leading to a overgrown check dam?
For me houses qualify as feral when the windows are boarded up, the utilities are turned off and the doors are falling off the hinges. In order to get the tractor into the shot I took the photo from the houses preserved side.
LikeLike
Oh boy! There are several types of property ownership within the National Forest boundaries. Basically they boil down to private in-holdings and special use permits. Many or most of the private in-holdings, private lands, were private before the Forest Service moved to town. For instance, the Angeles National Forest was first formed as the San Gabriel Forest Reserve in 1892 but the Homestead Act was signed by Lincoln in 1862. So folks had thirty years to stake a claim in the San Gabriel Mountains. That’s how we wound up with private ranches such as Newcomb’s, Colby and Loomis, and camps like Follows and Williams. But because the San Gabriels are so steep, it was impractical to farm and ranch there. Many settlers didn’t have the foresight to file for ownership while the gettin’ was good. Consequently there are very few private in-holdings. The “Great Hiking Era” spurred great interest in San Gabriel Mountain recreation, and the desire for resorts and cabins, but this occurred after 1892. However, Federal ownership didn’t stop folks from building anyway, so the Forest Service instituted the Recreational Residence Program which still administers the cabins today. Essentially, the buildings are private property and the owners have a “Special Use Permit” to keep the cabin, camp, pack station etc on public land. There are also permits for communication towers, electrical lines, water and oil pipelines… In some cases, where little towns popped up, like Baldy Village, Lake Hughes, Big Bear, concessions were made to allow private ownership of lots. Some in-holdings have changed hands many times and their current use is not the original – i.e. bungy jumping at the [yes, privately owned] bridge to nowhere, the KTLA TV tower on Mt Wilson, the County drug & alcohol rehab at Warm Springs, the biker bar at Newcomb’s… Some municipalities overlap the Forest boundary. City of Sierra Madre owns most of Little Santa Anita Canyon, but so does the Forest Service. This allows the city to have tighter control over the land than would FS (and, boy, do they ever!). In-holdings within the Forest boundary are still in the Forest and are bound by all the ecological and environmental laws governing the Forest as a whole. I could keep typing but I feel like I’m rambling…
LikeLike
I hope you’ll venture back to that general area and visit the Carrizo Plain, which is billed as California’s Serengeti. It was certainly an exciting adventure when we went there, and I always mean to go back, except it’s such a darned long drive from Pasadena.
LikeLike
Greg, I think it’s fascinating.
LikeLike
Interesting and informative as always. Love that rusting tractor/cabin pic.
LikeLike
Just thought I’d cheer you up by adding that 2030 is the date when experts now predict the world will run out of gas.
LikeLike
Hmmmm. The good mama in me would like you to be less intrepid.
LikeLike
The “ambience” reminds me of Appalachia, though physically not as many coves. Is there a rural SoCal drawl or twang? I hope so. A part of me also hopes you were packin’ heat, although, I can’t imagine what you could do except have a stand-off – or worse.
LikeLike
you posts are always different and interesting. :)
LikeLike
PA, your knowledge of all things San Gabe astounds me. Well, of course you’re right about the log cabin. Pity no one thought to preserve it, but it’s beyond that now. I just go by every so often to see what else has fallen down. (Oh, and now there’s bear shit by the long-gone door.)
LikeLike
……….
D: it wasn’t the dilapitated side of the house but I wanted that tractor in the shot.
Bellis: Whydoes everything have to run out when we reach old age? You do realize we’ll be marked for exit if push comes to shove.
I have every intention of returning. I’ve never heard this “the Carrizo Plain, which is billed as California’s Serengeti” Thank you.
Margaret: I think caution is in your nature. It’s not a bad thing. Truly, I don’t know how I’ve survived this long. I scare “walking with” Mary.
PJ: The only heat I’m packing is hot air. I’ll stick with dumb and run. Re; accents..Outside of the Rambos, I didn’t really talk to anyone while traipsing about.
Deepak: I have fun with it. I’m glad you like it too.
LikeLike