Sunday, September 29, 2002 

By Lisa Faught, Staff Writer

ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST -- Business is slow at the We Um Attaxxum Pack Station now that Angeles National Forest is closed.

The mule pack station, at Chantry Flat above Sierra Madre, survives by selling goods to the hordes who visit the forest every weekend and from hauling supplies via mules to cabin dwellers and campers at Sturtevant Camp.

But the threat of fire has chased them all away.

``There is absolutely no one around. It's like having the Angeles National Forest as my own private back yard,'' said Kim Kelley, owner of the pack station. ``But on the other hand, I'm going broke.''

For the four million people who hike, fish, bird-watch, mountain-bike or ride in the Angeles National Forest each year, its shutdown closes off a prized wilderness in their own back yard.

As the Williams Fire continues to consume wilderness in the hills above San Dimas and La Verne, officials have … for the first time in decades … closed the forest, a move intended to prevent more fires from breaking out.

The closure has changed the rules for the millions who depend on the forest for their shelter, their livelihoods and their recreation.

For those living within the boundaries of the forest, such as the neighborhood in Millard Canyon above Altadena, the days are strangely quiet, resident John Grancich said.

Mountain bikers once whistled by on Chaney Trail, but they have disappeared since the closure signs went up. And now, instead of hiking through the forest, Grancich heads to the Rose Bowl to walk with ``all the other city dwellers.''

``We're getting no foot or bicycle traffic anymore,'' he said. ``There's nobody here.''

Emma Tamayo, who lives nearby, leaves 10 minutes earlier for work to make sure she has enough time to unlock the gates blocking Chaney Trail, drive through and lock them behind her. Until recently, the gates were left open all day.

She hates having to lock people out, but the threat of fire is all too real, she said.

``At 3 or 4 in the morning, I can smell the smoke and, oh my gosh, I'm just waiting for the smoke detector to go off,'' Tamayo said. ``I don't mind the bears, but I do mind the fires. That's the worst enemy.''

Despite the stiff consequences for venturing onto forest land, those who live in the shadow of the San Gabriel Mountains still spot people sneaking past the gates and onto the trails … a crime that carries a fine as high as $5,000 for one person or $10,000 for an organization.

``Forest personnel is spread very thin right now, so a lot of people are still hiking the trails,'' said Lori Paul, vice president of the Altadena Foothills Conservancy. ``One careless cigarette, one car backfire, and all this could happen. It's sad to think it's forest and wildlife you're breathing, not the pleasant smell of barbecue.''

All along the foothills, where forest boundaries mingle with city neighborhoods, daily routines and upcoming events are shifting because of the closure.

The Pasadena Sierra Club has canceled its outings to the mountains, Newcombs Ranch Inn off the Angeles Crest Highway has cut back on staff but plans to stay open, the Rose Bowl Riders have headed south to the Rose Bowl and Lower Arroyo Seco to ride their horses.

The closure has forced a change of plans for the annual Pioneer Days in Sierra Madre, said Dr. William White, one of its organizers.

This year, the event was to revolve around a hike to Sturtevant Camp in the Angeles National Forest, with a mule pack train, a Boy Scout troop, Sierra Madre Search and Rescue, a fiddler and author John Robinson expected to hike along.

Instead, the event will be held at the base of Mt. Wilson Trail, with the historical museum and search and rescue trucks, but no hike.

``Everything is off right now because the forest is closed. Now they don't want you in there because they're afraid you'll barbecue the forest,'' White said. ``You have a very disappointed Dr. White with a long-drawn-out face.''

With the forest closed for recreation, local parks could see an uptick in visitors.

At Eaton Canyon Park, volunteers are fielding dozens of calls from hikers who are confused about where the county park boundary ends and the Angeles National Forest begins. People can hike through the park up to the bridge, but anything beyond the bridge is strictly off limits, park director Mickey Long said.

``It's a little complicated in the park,'' Long said. ``But we're still on high alert here.''

Because Monrovia firefighters are battling the Williams Fire, the city decided as a precaution to close Monrovia Canyon Park, which abuts the Angeles National Forest, said Kim Bosell, Canyon Park coordinator.

Some of the trails in the park, such as the Ben Overturff Trail, connect up with trails in the Angeles National Forest. About 700 people visit the park weekly.

``If a fire were to start here, no one would be here to fight it,'' Bosell said. ``We can't afford to catch on fire.''

Despite the change of routine for those who frequent the forest, the closure may preserve some of the more lush spots in the foothills, said Robert Staehle, who mountain-bikes through forest trails three times a week.

``It's an inconvenience, but if it prevents one forest fire from happening, we'll be happy when the forest opens up again,'' Staehle said. ``I've seen other parts of the forest when it burns and it's horrible.''

-- Lisa Faught can be reached at (626) 578-6300, Ext. 4496, or by e-mail at lisa.faught@sgvn.com.