All photos: Diane Edwardson, October 31, 2010. (Click on photos to enlarge.)
Sunday, we went for a walk on the LA River. We were trapped inside the river at the Rattlesnake Park Gates at Fletcher. If I didn't have my dog with me, I would have hopped the concrete wall over on the Fletcher Bridge (in the background, above). The next place to escape the river north of here would be at Glendale Blvd.
Both pedestrian gates were locked, on a beautiful Sunday, 10:50AM. There was no sign indicating when the gates would be open. Nor was there a sign indicating where the next closest street entrance nearest to Fletcher could be accessed. Considering the pedestrian gate is open during El Nino storms, I don't believe the gate was closed for the light rain we had this week.
As if to mock us, the poem from Lewis Macadams on a plaque just inside the gates states, "I wish you would walk with me here more often." Yeah, I would love to, but I prefer to use the gates at Fletcher.
So the next place we could escape the LA River was at Clearwater, where the fence was cut open and you have to climb under a waist-high bar. Considering we'd been walking the river since this type of entrance was standard to the LA River, I was not intimidated by the barbed wire and trash. In fact, compared to the old days, this was downright clean and not blocked by vegetation.
I really don't see yuppies with kids with bikes wanting to use this entrance to the river.
11-1-10, UPDATE: Joe Linton at LA Creek Freak wrote about this problem in July! Three months later and a really nice asphalt bike path and the gates are still locked?!
11-17-10 UPDATE: Linton reports at LA Creek Freak the bike lane will officially reopen on December 4, 2010 at noon. Hope this means they'll unlock the gates.
