Category Archives: Los Angeles County

California, Highways, History, Los Angeles County, Old Alignment, Ridge Route, Roads, Southern California, US 99

Views From The Ridge Route

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In December 2019 and January 2020, I had the chance to take a couple of trips over the Ridge Route. Once this current situation is over, I fully intend to get back up there for a multitude of reasons. As I cannot get up there at present and we’re all still on some form of “lockdown”, I thought I’d share some of the photos I took up there. The Ridge Route is a very scenic route, far more than I-5 or even the “new” alignment of US 99. They all have their merits but the Ridge Route gets the best of the views. Just an FYI, some of these pics may be from earlier trips. Maybe you be the judge? Which is your favorite?

Care to help preserve the road? Head on over to the Ridge Route Preservation Organization to see what you can do to help and perhaps have the opportunity to traverse the Scenic and Historic Ridge Route.

  • Deadman’s Curve in Grapevine Canyon
  • Near Tejon Summit
  • Toward Liebre Summit
  • Toward Black Mountain
  • Down Serpentine Grade
  • South of Reservoir Summit
  • North of Reservoir Summit

Fault, Geology, Image, Los Angeles County, San Gabriel Mountains

Featured Image – 4/17/2020

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Step faulting, slickensides, and heavily fractured rock

The San Gabriel Mountains have been subject to quite a bit of deformation in their past. Some of which is still ongoing, such as the movements along the Sierra Madre and San Andreas Faults. Here, near Mt Wilson, the rocks exhibit multiple instances of deformation. The white vein is mostly composed of quartz, which has been offset by multiple faults. Slickensides can be seen as the reddish areas on the right side of the photo. The surrounding materials are complex metamorphic rocks.

Castaic, Highways, Los Angeles County, Ridge Route, Roads, Updates, US 99, Website News

New Ridge Route Tour Addition

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A well-photographed portion of the Ridge Route, known as the Callahan Line Change, is now a part of the Virtual Tour of the Ridge Route. This is a section that had become somewhat obscure because of later freeway construction. For more detailed information –

Ridge Route – Callahan Line Change
Castaic, Earthquake, Fault, Geology, Los Angeles County, San Gabriel Fault, Santa Clarita, Southern California, USGS

M 3.5 near Castaic, CA – Updated

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This morning (2/21/2020) at 5:42 am, a small earthquake struck the Castaic area north of Los Angeles. Just looking at the maps, it seems near the San Gabriel Fault but it is a somewhat complex area. It was also a very deep earthquake as they go, 18.1 km. Shaking was felt in a wide area but wasn’t very strong.

Shake map for the earthquake. Now a M 3.5.

For more information, check out the USGS Summary Page of the event.

https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/ci39079535/executive

District 7, Highways, Image, Los Angeles County, Roads, San Gabriel Mountains, San Gabriel River, Snow, Southern California, SR-39

Featured Image – 2/20/2020

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Looking up the canyon from the West Fork San Gabriel River Bridge (53-2244). Taken in 2016.

Looking toward South Mount Hawkins in the West Fork San Gabriel Canyon from State 39. This road was planned to be improved but landslides prevented this work from being completed. In the case of this area, almost all of the low lying areas not covered in snow are landslides in one form or another. Even Crystal Lake, where this roadway is headed, exists because of landslides.