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Photo: Diane Edwardson, 2011. It doesn't look like this anymore. (Click on photos to enlarge.)
The Big Parade will walk through what was once one of the most beautiful hillsides of Elysian Heights. It's hard to believe it was only 2011 when it still lived up to its name, "Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract." Now it's more like "Orange County Office Park."
The preeminent 20th Century wood-cut print artist, Paul Landacre was inspired by the beauty of the landscape of the hillside, creating art in his 40 years of living and working on his (now neglected historic cultural landmark cabin & grounds on the hill.
Photo: Diane Edwardson, 2013. What was once 4 acres of mostly native trees below Landacre's modest home, a natural habitat for wildlife, is now a sterile, controversial, eyeball searingly bright white series of stucco boxes on an unnaturally graded slope.
The developer did see the light of day when potential buyers said what do you mean there's an acre of open space that we pay to maintain above our house and we can't walk to it? So as an afterthought, they built a publicly accessible staircase that is extremely steep out of railroad ties.
The Big Parade, the ultimate urban hike, will walk down the Artis quasi-public staircase today. Follow their progress on Twitter.
Photo: Smith, 1961. When they cleared the path for the 2 Freeway in 1960, the State cut steeply into many of the adjacent hillsides, like Corralitas Drive. They also rebuilt the lower third of the Corralitas Public Staircase. (Click on photos to enlarge.)
Photo: Smith, 1961. The Corralitas Public Staircase dates back to at least 1922, when it used to go straight up and down the hill. The above photo shows the framing for the 1961 retaining wall & new set of stairs on the lower 3 levels.
Brian Smith, who grew up on Corralitas & who's father shot the photos, said, "The stairway from upper Corralitas to lower Corralitas used to be a straight stairway. When the freeway cut was made it took out the lower portion of the stairway. The State rebuilt the lower portion of the stairway at an angle to allow for the cut. Otherwise there would not have been enough room for the number of steps needed."
Photo: Diane Edwardson, 2013. Today the Corralitas Public Staircase is a well used staircase by neighbors for exercise and for getting around the neighborhood - particularly on Red Flag Days. It's also a highlight of many a staircase tourist adventure.
Today The Big Parade will pass by, but not take the Corralitas Public Staircase on Loop 4, Stairways of Echo Park. Join The Big Parade for a few staircases, miles, hours or both days on a 35 mile trek and 80 public staircases from Downtown to Griffith Observatory. It's free & a great way to explore your neighborhood.
http://bigparadela.tumblr.com/
Follow their progress live on Twitter
Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, May 29, 2014. Cooper's Hawks nest in Red Car Canyon and hunt in Vandiveer's yard. (Click on photos to enlarge.)
Only the day before, Vandiveer was mourning the loss of another Mourning Dove to a Cooper's Hawk. The doves hang out on the power lines above his patio, the Cooper's Hawks catch & eat the doves, leaving feathers and remnants on his tarp & patio.
Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, May 29, 2014. Dubbed "Cooper Criminal," Vandiveer wrote,
"Here's the little murderer. Caught him hunting our populous lizards and snakes along both sides of our fence line. Hey dude! Stick to doves please those lizards eat our flies!"
Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, May 29, 2014. It is very rare to get the opportunity to take so many photographs of the elusive Red Car Property Cooper's Hawks. Lately, I've been hearing their distinctive calls way up in the trees where Red Car Canyon opens into the meadow at the south end of the Red Car Property. Learn more about Cooper's Hawks & listen to their calls: Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, May 29, 2014. While Cooper's Hawks may be common in other parts of the country, in California & Los Angeles, their numbers are dwindling. Their presence merits special attention under CEQA, when development applications come under environmental review by City Planning. Since Cooper's Hawks are forest dwelling, Red Car Canyon with its steep slopes and tall trees is ideal habitat for them.
So if you live on Lake View Ave, Riverside Place, India, Roselin, Corralitas Drive or Silver Ridge Ave & any type of hawk frequents your backyard, take photos & send them to us (in .jpg format please) with time, date & as much behavior information you can add: redcarproperty@gmail.com.
Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 27, 2014. Not only does this Western Fence Lizard camouflage with the lichen on the concrete block in Red Car Canyon, he also has a forked tail. (Click on photo to enlarge.)
I wondered if the lizard had a run in with a predator so I asked Gary Nafis at California Herps about the unusual tail. He responded, "The long part is the full tail because it has normal scales and pattern and the small part is regenerated, because it has no large scales. Maybe there was an injury to the tail that did not sever it but which triggered new growth from the point of injury. That's my best guess."
Learn more about identifying lizards: California Herps
Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 27, 2014. Three of the nine dead or dying Eucalyptus trees on the north end of the Red Car Property are in this shot. These big trees are on Red Car Property APN # 5438-007-002 & directly adjacent to homes on Riverside Drive. (Click on photos to enlarge.)
The north end of the Red Car Property has lost a bunch of non-native Eucalyptus trees in the past few years.
Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 27, 2014. APN 5438-006-004. Drought, insects, disease, old age, or a combination could be killing them throughout the neighborhood.
Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 24, 2014. Three smaller (25-30') Eucalyptus trees on the Red Car Property, closer to the Arco Station at Riverside & Fletcher, are also dead. APN 5438-006-004.
Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 24, 2014. Another 60' Eucalyptus on 5438-007-002 is in a death spiral less than 50' downslope from a home on Adelbert where several large Eucalyptus trees died & had to be removed last fall.
Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 27, 2014. Late last fall, most of the dead trees and debris were removed from Red Car Canyon, 5440-030-033,another Eucalyptus is dying in the canyon, halfway up the slope to a home on Corralitas Drive.
Eucalyptus is an oily, highly combustible tree that burns hot and spreads fire quickly. If you live adjacent to these trees, you should contact the LAFD Brush Unit, using the APN below each photo (heck send the photos too) It's best to send a detailed email rather than call the Brush Unit - see instructions for filing a report on the LAFD Brush Clearance Unit website.
And be sure to get your own brush clearance done. The LAFD Brush Unit has all of the information you need: www.lafd.org/brush.
Update, Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 29, 2014. One more dead Eucalyptus in the wooded canyon area close to the power lines on the Lake View side APN 5440-030-033. (added 4:04PM). This one looks like branches were trimmed, but the arrows are pointing to top & bottom. It's about 60" tall and from another angle it is leaning toward the power lines. It may not be in immediate danger of falling, but give it a good El Nino rain followed by a Santa Ana windstorm & it could spell danger for the neighborhood.
Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 25, 2014. Not only are the over- 100-year old concrete landmark viaduct footings painted with brightly hued pastel colors, the vandal artist included mixed media. (Click on photos to enlarge.)
Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 25, 2014. Considering we've had multiple rainstorms since the paper was glued to the viaduct footings, you have to wonder what kind of glue he used. It makes cleaning the footings an even more complex task. Neighbors are asking what can we do about the "art," as it is vandalism of a historic landmark. It is not temporary. The porous nature of the ancient concrete means you can't pressure wash nor sandblast the footings.
In past discussion with a representative of Central City Action Committee (a non-profit that does graffiti removal in the area), we learned this takes a specialized product for removal of paint, which can become costly. A grant would need to be applied for, as it does not fall within their normal budget. That was based on earlier discussions for graffiti on site which was nowhere near as extensive in coverage as this vandalism. And of course, everything is complicated by the location on the steep slope on private property.
Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 25, 2014. Those top 3 footings have been painted over several times by what appears to be the same artist. The paint seems to have been applied by airbrush or power sprayer. This was not done with a spray can. Perhaps the artist thinks he's doing a service to the community by painting over the graffiti that reappeared there, but it just adds more layers of paint for removal.
Photo: Gary Vlahakis, February 24, 2014. The same 3 footings from the previous photo are on the top left of this photo. How many layers of paint, glue & paper now have to be removed because of this artist's vision?
Perhaps the artist should think bigger - like the Hollywood Sign. That will be well received for sure.
Links:
There was an understated elegance to the viaduct footings.
Silver Lake's Stonehenge
Fletcher Viaduct 1904
Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 25, 2014. I can't recall ever seeing so much fruit on the Southern California Black Walnut Trees in the canyon. The squirrels usually strip the walnuts from the trees long before they've matured. (Click
on photo to enlarge.)
Photos: Diane Edwardson, May 25, 2014. That's a small 2" long Tarantula Hawk. The ones I've seen on the Red Car Property usually have 3" long bodies! (Click on photos to enlarge.)
While stopping to look for the Cooper's Hawk I'd heard earlier, where Red Car Canyon opens up into the meadow on the south end of the property, I heard a "Click click click," like a camera shutter, fly behind my knees. From the sound, I knew it was likely one of the scariest & least photographed bugs I've ever encountered on the Red Car Property, I shortened the dog's leash, grabbed my camera, looked around on the ground.
Sure enough, it was a Tarantula Hawk, a huge wasp with an reportedly nasty sting. She was rapidly & methodically walking a grid pattern of about 12" across then 6" up then 12" back again. She covered about 7' in a very short span of time. She must've been hot on the trail of ground dwelling insects to lay her eggs in. She lays one egg in the host. The size of the host determines the size of the offspring, clearly getting her name from her preference for Tarantulas.
Last year, I encountered one of these scary creatures while it was walking in & out of gopher holes above the historic viaduct footings. At which point, I searched What's That Bug? for answers.
UPDATE, 5-26-14: What's That Bug adds the wasp may have been hunting for prey or looking for a suitable nursery. Thanks Bugman!
Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 24, 2014. This tiny baby skunk could not have been more than 6 inches long, but its tail was almost twice that.
The young skunk showed no fear; it came right toward me, despite my camera flash firing, as I was standing near the bonanza of rubber tree fruit left on the ground after tree trimming this week.
Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 27, 2011. The trail on the the Red Car Property is treasured by neighbors who appreciate the ability to walk to a park-like place they don't have to drive to. (Click on photo to enlarge.)
See what people from beyond our neighborhood have said about hiking the Corralitas Red Car Property Trail:
The Hollywood Walker
Modern Hiker
Avoiding Regret
Photo: Diane Edwardson, 2005. The Pacific Electric Red Car Trolley Viaduct Footings at the north end of the property are City of Los Angeles Historic Landmark #770. It's too bad a graffiti vandal has now defaced them with brightly colored paint.
The Trust for Public Land signed an agreement with the Red Car Property Owner for an option on the Red Car Property. Read more: LA Times
City Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell (CD13) reiterated his support preserving the property as a park, "The area where the historic Red Car rail line traveled through the 13th District is an important part of Los Angeles history. Keeping the area open and accessible for people to enjoy has always been
important to me and I am committed to that vision. I look forward to
the day when we open this expansive new park in the community."
All photos: Chad Ferrin, May 18, 2014, around 6:30 AM. (Click on photos to enlarge.)
Ferrin writes in an email, "Heard some crows cawing and saw [the coyote] run up the hill in front of my house."
"He waited for a man and his unleashed pit bull to walk past,
then disappeared." It looks like the big male has seen a few fights from the scrapes in his coat.
You know it's a male from the thick neck. (Nice of him to pause near the Red Car Property line marker.)
That's the property line marker from the early part of the last century. It marks the line between Lot C (in the foreground) & Silver Lake Court (the paper street upslope and out of sight). The concrete marker is near the Roselin Public Staircase
Early morning seems to be prime time for coyotes on the Red Car Property around India and Silver Lake Ave Public Staircase.
Photos: Corralitas Neighbor, May 17, 2014. Corralitas Neighbor writes in an email, "The little skunk seems to have had a few babies."
"They keep nursing on her and she walks away from them and they swarm her again."
Corralitas neighbor thinks there are 4 babies, it looks more like a total of 6 skunks in this photo. Considering there's a record drought, it's surprising to see so many babies. They must have a steady supply of cat food in another yard.
I know the little skunk is a little skunk, but it appears there are 2 adults in this photo.
I count 6 skunk tails in this photo.
Don't leave food out for your pets. Pick up the food bowls as soon as they are finished eating. Your pets will learn to eat on a schedule after the bowls get picked up quickly.
Photo: Futterer, Holyland Exhibition, 1960. Grass fire on the slope above the Red Car Property when there wasn't a whole lot on the hills leading up to Lake View & Silver Ridge. (Click on photos to enlarge.)
If single digit humidity and triple digit temperatures combined with Santa Ana winds, fires in the LA River weren't enough motivation, perhaps those San Diego County fires this week will light a fire under your ass. Get your brush clearance done! Rethink your landscaping if you have combustible plants like bamboo or arundo which literally explode and spread fire in all directions when they burn because gases build up in the hollow chambers of the plant until the plant bursts.
Photo: Futterer, Holyland Exhibition, 1960. That's the view from atop Lake View looking down on the grading for the 2 Freeway.
Links:
LAFD Brush Clearance Unit
LAFD Red Flag Alerts
All our brush clearance posts
Holyland Exhibition
Photo: Diane Edwardson, February 20, 2011. Think cool thoughts. Red Car Property looking toward Silver Lake Ave Public Staircase & India St. (Click on photo to enlarge.)
All photos: Diane Edwardson, 2009, 2013. (Click on photos to enlarge.)
According to a newsletter emailed to people who went to a meeting for the 2 Freeway Terminus Project last summer, CalTrans plans to begin construction on about 2000' of sound walls between Oak Glen & "north of El Moran Way" sometime in winter 2014/2015.
Despite another year, CalTrans is still short on details about the sound walls. So here's a walk down Allesandro Street, from Oak Glen to Rosebud (a few hundred feet north of El Moran), along with the questions we think CalTrans needs to answer because we've been asking them since the EIR was open for public review in 2009. If we have to accept the wall (I opposed it from the beginning), we need a whole lot more in exchange for the loss of our trees.
CalTrans is putting a 10' tall sound wall, close to the fence, between Oak Glen & Loma Vista. Will they be widening the sidewalk (heck, will they be building a real sidewalk) because there is a bus stop 50' feet south of the intersection?
Exactly how many trees, including the Brazilian Pepper Trees (with their locations marked on a map) will CalTrans be removing for sound wall construction?
We need to see a plan that show exactly where on the slope the wall will go. We need to see a landscaping plan for new trees on paper, with trees on both sides of the wall.
The northbound 2 Freeway lanes are about 20' from "the sidewalk." In earlier meetings, CalTrans said there is no room for mature trees and a sound walls. This is one of the few flat parts of the parkway, most of it is slope.
The entire length of Allesandro on the freeway side needs a real walkable sidewalk. It is only asphalt encased in a concrete curb and barely passable by one person, let alone ADA accessible.
North of Loma Vista, the longest portion of the sound wall (1530'), will move to the top of the slope. The slope on the 2 Freeway parkway increases in height & becomes steeper & narrower as Allesandro moves closer Riverside Drive.
It would be really helpful if we knew exactly which trees CalTrans will be removing. We won't see trees this size in our lifetime. They were planted when the freeway opened in 1962.
The bulk of the trees are Brazilian Pepper Trees which CalTrans would prefer to call a shrub so they don't have to enumerate or replace them. But those are some 40' tall, shrubby trees.
North of Whitmore, a very long retaining wall is adjacent to "the sidewalk." It varies in height from 6 to 10' tall and is constantly hit by graffiti vandals.
Through this section, the sound wall would sit at the top of the steep slope. So there would be 2 walls creating a 25-30' edifice on Allesandro. Ask CalTrans for technical drawings of the walls, with section cuts, with the existing trees marked on the plans, so we can see exactly where wall go.
If we have to accept a the eyesore of sound walls CalTrans needs to widen & give us a real walkable side walk for the entire length of the wall. Trees are important psychologically & physically for living and walking near the freeway.
At Walcott Way, the steep slope appears to be 20' above the top of the roughly 6' retaining wall.
Same location as previous photo, you can see the narrow parkway does not allow much room for wall construction & trees.
At El Moran, across from the Artis small lot subdivision in the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract, the retaining wall is about 9-10' tall, while the slope only gets steeper.
Rosebud Ave is only a few hundred feet north of El Moran. Ask CalTrans exactly where the sound wall will end? Their PR states, "north of El Moran Way."
The View From The Hills.
We've written about sound walls a lot. Click here for all our sound wall posts
Great Wall of Echo Park: The Eastsider
CalTrans 1-page Fact Sheet
CalTrans Metro Newsletter
