Peak Knowledge: The Militant's Guide To Our Local Mountain Ranges!

A few weeks ago, while en route to the February 2023 CicLAvia, as The Militant drove up the not-that-congested 405 into the San Fernando Valley, the sight of snowcapped mountains surrounding The 818 made him gasp in a Huell Howsereque, "WHAAAAW!!!" It also reminded him that the various amounts of snow on the mountains emphasized the individual ranges, whereas if he saw the same view on a hot August day, the mountains would all have a uniform brownness to them, as if they were all the same range. But not on that day. The well-frosted San Gabriels loomed in the background, while the lightly-powdered Verdugos stood to the east, and the similarly thin white veil over the Santa Susanas towards the west offered some contrast.

Which got The Militant thinking, "Hey! How 'bout an Epic Militant Post about our local mountain ranges?"

Back during the early days of the COVID-19 Lockdown, in April 2020, The Militant posted this thread regarding that subject on Twitter. But Twitter threads seem rather ephemeral.

It was then he started work on This Here Post, hoping to churn it out in a couple of days, but the task seemed tougher than hiking Mt. Baldy in the winter. But alas, finally, here it is, take it. A few things though:

First of all, The Militant is going to be covering the mountain ranges that can be seen within the Greater Los Angeles Metropolitan Area. This covers everything from The Grapevine in the north to Camp Pendleton in the south, and from Vandenberg in the west to the Coachella Valley in the east. No, we are not going to cover the mountains over San Diego -- you'll have to consult the Militant San Diegan about any of that (Stupid-punk-ass Padres fan that motherf...but anyways...). And as a bonus, the Sierra Nevada Mountains will get covered - we'll talk about that later.

Second, you might ask, "What about the Baldwin/Puente/Chino/Etc. Hills?" The Militant will cover the local hills in a separate, similar post in the not-too-distant future...stay tuned!

Third, you might want to know, "What's the name of that mountain?" The Militant was going to label every one of them. But since there's so many mountains, and to mark them all would be a herculean task in itself (not to mention become very messy, presentation-wise), The Militant will instead share you one of his Militant Secrets: Now, The Militant's primary objective is to inform, educate and enlighten all Angelenos, and not be such a stingy knowledge gatekeeper influencer-type just for the sake of making himself look all bad-ass. So here's one really, really, really awesome resource to learning the names of mountains: peakfinder.org. Just 1) Visit the site; 2) Click on the pin/map icon to the right of the search bar; 3) Move the map until your preferred location is in the circle; 4) Click on the "bird" icon on the lower-right to "fly" to your preferred location; and 5) Scroll left or right to the desired direction to see the mountains you want to view (it will also show you the exact location and time of the sunrise and sunset appropo to your selected locale - cool, huh?). Voila! There's also a Peakfinder app for iOS and Android.

Fourth, a little geology 101 here: There are three kinds of rock classifications (no, not classic, hard and soft):

1. Igneous (borne of fire), like basalt or granite;

2. Sedimentary (comprised of sediments), like sandstone or limestone;

3. Metamorphic (a rock that begins as one of the other types but evolves like a Pokémon due to friction and heat), like the pun-tastic gneiss or schist

The Militant may or may not throw these terms around going forward. He just wants to make sure you know your schist. You will be quizzed at the end of class!

Fifth, The Militant is not a geologist by training or practice, only as a hobby. If you are an actual geologist and find any massive errors in his explanation of geological terms or processes, please let him know! His email: militantangeleno [at] gmail [dot] com.

Oh yeah, you might want the interactive Google map version, so here it is:


To start with, all y'allz need to know that we got two types of mountain ranges in Southern California: The Transverse Ranges and the Peninsular Ranges. So here we go yo:

Transverse Ranges

The Transverse Ranges are a family of mountain ranges that include the Santa Ynez mountains in Santa Barbara County, the Topatopa and San Emigdio mountains in Ventura County, the Tehachapi mountains in Kern County, the Sierra Pelona, Santa Susana, Santa Monica, Verdugo and San Gabriel mountains in Los Angeles County and the San Bernardino and Little San Bernardino mountains in San Bernardino County.

Whatup with the name? On the North American continent, generally every mountain range runs from north to south: The Sierra Nevadas, the Cascades, the Rockies, the Appalachians. You name it - they mostly all run north-south. But there are only a few places where exceptions exist: Alaska (Brooks Range), eastern Utah (Uinta Mountains), Oklahoma/Arkansas (Wichita and Ouachita mountains) and Southern California. The position of our local mountains greatly influence our climate, our air quality, our watersheds, and our human-built geography. The dozen or so east-west major mountain ranges in SoCal are called the Transverse Ranges, being that they run sideways contra to the usual trending direction of mountain ranges.

So why are they "transverse" like that?

The offshore subduction of an ancient tectonic plate, the movement of the San Andreas Fault and the influence of other major adjoining faults made it happen. Without going into a big-ass geography lesson tangent, let's just say that some 20 or so million years ago, our mountain ranges actually did run north-south (technically northwest to southeast), but good ol' Plate Tectonics actually rotated this little section of the Pacific Plate 110 degrees clockwise!

This video will break it down for ya:

Little San Bernardino Mountains

The Little San Bernardino Mountains, as seen from Highway 62.

Geologically the same as their bigger counterpart, but with radically different flora and climate, are the lower-profile Little San Bernardino Mountains. The easternmost and southernmost of the Transverse Ranges, they are considered part of the desert as opposed to an alpine range on the edge of a desert. Spanning over 40 miles between Morongo Valley in the west and the Salton Sea in the east, they separate the Mojave Desert in the north from the Coachella Valley and the Colorado Desert towards the south and overlook the Palm Springs area from the north. Like their bigger counterpart, they too are greatly influenced by the San Andreas Fault, which runs along their southern side. Their highest peak is Quail Mountain (5,813 feet). The LSBs are home to Joshua Tree National Park and the native environment of the California Fan Palm (Washingtonia filfera). A notable geologic feature is Joshua Tree's eroded granite Skull Rock formation.

Mt. Pinos Formation

Mt. Pinos, as seen from the Wind Wolves Preserve.

Not even a mountain range, yet still part of the Transverse Ranges is the Mt, Pinos Formation. Located in far northeastern Ventura County, just to the west of the I-5, it's the highest peak in the county (8,847 ft) and was once considered part of the San Emigdio Mountains. But further geological research concluded that not only is it separated from the San Emigdios by the San Andreas Fault, but it's made out of igneous granite rock, as opposed to the mostly-metamporphic rock of the San Emigdios. Mt. Pinos is the extreme southern part of what geologists call the Salinian Block, a big-ass piece of granite stretching from Bodega Head in Sonoma County all the way down to here. And the Salinian Block just so happens to rest on the western edge of the San Andreas Fault north of where the fault intersects with the opposite-moving Garlock Fault (the mountain itself is likely the result of the interaction between the two opposing faults). Pinos' shorter neighbor, Frazier Mountain, is part of the same formation. A popular location for hiking, skiing and stargazing, Mt. Pinos is both remote from city lights, yet accessible by The 5.

San Bernardino Mountains

The San Bernardino Mountains, as seen from Beaumont.

Towering over the Inland Empire and located in their eponymous county are the San Bernardino Mountains - the tallest mountain range in Southern California. Spanning some 60 miles from the Cajon Pass near Hesperia to the Morongo Valley, these mountains rise high above the Inland Empire to their south and the Mojave Desert to their north. Like their neighbors the San Gabriels to the west, the San Bernardinos were uplifted by the San Andreas Fault. which runs like a backslash between the two ranges. At one point, millions of years ago, the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains were all one mountain range; the San Andreas Fault sliced them into two. Looking at any relief map, the split is obvious. The mountains are the origin of the Mojave River and (most of) the Santa Ana River watersheds. The range's highest point is Mt. San Gorgonio (11,503 feet), which is also the tallest peak in Southern California. Named after the land grant Rancho San Bernardino, the San Berdoos are home to Lake Arrowhead, Big Bear Lake and Silverwood Lake (all artificial reservoirs), Baldwin Lake (natural) and the San Bernardino National Forest. An aquifer in the southern part of the range above the city of San Bernardino bore the mountain spring water which gave a popular regional bottled water company its name. Speaking of which, a notable geologic formation of the San Bernardinos is the natural granitic Arrowhead formation near Arrowhead Springs (then again, it may not be).

San Emigdio Mountains

The San Emigdio Mountains as seen from the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley
near Bakersfield. The white line against the side of Grapevine Peak
is the pipeline segment of the California Aqueduct.

A familiar sight to travelers who pass through the I-5's Grapevine, the San Emigdio Mountains form the southwestern corner of the San Joaquin Valley. As you leave Los Angeles, these mountains would be on your left (the Tehachapi Mountains are on your right) just after you cross the San Andreas Fault and as you descend northbound towards Bako or Frisco. Located within southern Kern County and stretching some 30 miles, the metamorphic and igneous San Emigdios ride just north of the San Andreas Fault and are situated between the Tehachapi Mountains to the east and the non-transverse Temblor Range to the west. Their highest peak is San Emigdio Mountain (7,492 feet). Named after Rancho San Emigdio, which is part of the Grapevine today, the San Emigdios are home to Fort Tejon State Historic Park, the California Aqueduct's Ira J. Chrisman Pumping Plant and Wind Wolves Preserve.

San Gabriel Mountains

The familiar central San Gabriel Mountains, with Mt. Wilson (5,699 feet) on the right.
The highest peak pictured towards center left is San Gabriel Peak (6,162 feet).

Located primarily in Los Angeles County (with the extreme eastern end within San Bernardino County), and stretching 68 miles bookended by the Newhall Pass in Santa Clarita and the Cajon Pass in north San Bernardino, The San Gabriel Mountains are the largest and most important mountain range in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. We may be going ga-ga over the snow cover this time of year, but they really do play a huge role in our daily lives: They help trap the inversion layer, giving us smog, haze and fog. They aid in funneling the notorious Santa Ana Winds in from the east and north. They shield us from the dry heat and monsoon storm humidity of the Mojave Desert (...well, at least most of the time). The sediment that flowed down its creeks and rivers created the alluvial plans that became the fertile farmlands of the San Fernando, San Gabriel and Pomona valleys. Even our leisurely lives are affected by the San Gabes: Our radio and television signals are transmitted from there, and they provide the picture-perfect backdrop every summer evening whenever we attend a Dodger game. Their highest point is Mt. San Antonio, a.k.a. Mt. Baldy (10,064 feet). The mighty San Andreas Fault forms the northern end, and the Sierra Madre (which produced the M6.4 Sylmar Earthquake of 1971) and Cucamonga faults form the southern end that faces us. The mountains are the origin of the San Gabriel River and Santa Clara River watersheds, as well as a secondary contributor to the Santa Ana and Los Angeles river watersheds. Named after Mission San Gabriel, the San Gabes are home to the Mt. Wilson Observatory and broadcast transmitter farm and the Mountain High, Mount Waterman and Mt. Baldy ski areas. Most of the Angeles National Forest is contained within the San Gabriels. Notable geologic formations include Devil's Punchbowl near the Antelope Valley and the pillow-like Mormon Rocks in the Cajon Pass - both located along and formed by the San Andreas Fault.

Santa Monica Mountains

The familiar Santa Monica Mountains overlooking Central Los Angeles.

Bookended by Ventura County's Point Mugu in the west and Los Angeles' Atwater Village neighborhood in the east, the 40 mile-long Santa Monica Mountains are the closest mountain range to many in Los Angeles - and a number of people actually live in them. Colloquially referred to as "The Hill," they form the wall that geographically, geologically and culturally separates the Los Angeles Basin and the San Fernando Valley.  They are also very influential to our local climate - they keep the Pacific Ocean breeze and marine layer within the Los Angeles Basin, which fuels the characteristic hotter and drier climate of The Valley. They are the source of the watersheds for Topanga and Ballona creeks, as well as one of the sources of the Los Angeles River (via Arroyo Calabasas). Formed primarily by the Santa Monica Fault, most of the Santa Monicas are made of sedimentary sandstone, but the far western end is primarily made up of igneous rock of ancient volcanic origin (Conejo Mountain, which overlooks Thousand Oaks, was once an active volcano). The highest peak is the ironically-dubbed Sandstone Peak (3,111 feet), which was actually also formed by volcanic activity. Geologists theorize that because the rock age and composition of the western Santa Monicas matches that of the Santa Ana Mountains down south, they were once the same mountain range some 20 million years ago until tectonic forces rotated most of what is now Southern California 110 degrees clockwise out towards the sea. And the northern Channel Islands - San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara and Anacapa - are geologically considered to be an undersea extension of the Santa Monica Mountains. Named after the eponymous coastal city, the Santa Monicas are home to the Hollywood Sign, Hollywood Bowl, Griffith Observatory, Universal Studios, Los Angeles Zoo, The Greek Theatre, The Skirball Center and The Getty (both of them). They were also the domain where P-22 (R.I.P.) once roamed, and where his fellow P-numbered mountain lion relatives currently live. Appropriately, they contain a number of national, state and municipal parks, including Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, Topanga State Park, Malibu Creek State Park and Griffith Park. Two major mountain passes cut through the Santa Monicas - Sepulveda Pass and Cahuenga Pass - both which were originally established as routes by the indigenous Chumash and Tongva peoples and are still used today as streets and freeways. Notable geologic formations include the volcanic Boney Peak in the west end of the range and Griffith Park's Bee Rock sandstone outcropping in the east end.

Santa Susana Mountains

A rare sight of the snowcapped Santa Susana Mountains
overlooking the Valley in late February 2023. Oat Mountain, the range's tallest peak,
is seen on the left.

Stretching for over 30 miles between Saticoy in Ventura County and Santa Clarita in Los Angeles County, and sandwiched between the Santa Clara River Valley in the north and the San Fernando Valley in the south are the Santa Susana Mountains. Separated from the San Gabriel Mountains to the east by the Newhall Pass, the Santa Susanas' highest peak is Oat Mountain (3,747 feet), which overlooks Chatsworth and Northridge. The mountains are secondary contributors to the Santa Clara and Los Angeles river watersheds. Named after the old railroad town of Santa Susanna ("St. Susan"), which is now the city of Simi Valley, the mountains are home to Six Flags Magic Mountain (the thrill capital of the world!), Grimes Canyon, Pico Canyon (site of the first commercially successful oil well in California), the notorious (and particularly gaseous) Aliso Canyon, Big Sky Movie Ranch, Rocky Peak Park (where Boba Fett showed up on 'The Mandalorian') and Michael Antonovich Regional Park. A notable geologic formation in the Santa Susanas is the Chatsworth Formation, a group of sandstone outcroppings (which also contain marine fossils) formed by sand deposits and underwater ocean currents over 65 million years ago, which can be easily seen in the northwestern corner of the San Fernando Valley. It also covers the adjacent Simi Hills to the west.

Santa Ynez Mountains

The Santa Ynez Mountains north of Ventura, as seen from the 101.

The Santa Ynez are to Santa Barbara what the San Gabriels are to Pasadena - You really can't escape them. Located between the Pacific Ocean and the Topatopa Mountains, and primarily within Santa Barbara County, the Santa Ynez Mountains are the westernmost of the Transverses. Both the Santa Ynez and Santa Monica mountains are the only Transverse Ranges that reach the Pacific Ocean. And just like the Santa Monicas, the Santa Ynez Mountains are mostly sedimentary rock, with ancient igneous volcanic rock on their western end. They are created by the uplift of the Santa Ynez Fault. Their highest peak is the unimaginatively-named Peak 4864 (4,864 feet - shocking!), located due north of Santa Barbara but nestled where it can't be seen from that city. Named after Mission Santa Inés (St. Agnes) near Solvang, the Santa Ynez Mountains are home to the Vandenberg Launch Complex (where all those local SpaceX launches originate), Santa Barbara Bowl amphitheater, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Gaviota State Park, Knapp's Castle, Cachuma Lake and Lake Casitas. Notable geologic formations are the Chumash Painted Cave - a sandstone cave above Santa Barbara that is adorned with 400+ year-old rock art made by the indigenous Chumash people and the Gaviota Wind Caves.

Sierra Pelona Mountains

The Sierra Pelona Mountains from San Francisquito Canyon, north of Santa Clarita.

Located northwest of the San Gabriels and south of the extreme western edge of the Mojave Desert and Antelope Valley, the Sierra Pelona ("Bald Mountain Range" in Español) Mountains have the San Andreas Fault slicing through their northern edge. They overlook the city of Santa Clarita and the 14 Freeway, both to the range's south. The highest peak is Burnt Peak (5,791 feet). Primarily composed of metamorphic rock, with some sedimentary and igneous zones, Gold was discovered in these mountains in 1842 (six years before that more famous gold rush up north) and was actively mined until the 1890s. The range was also the location of the ill-fated St. Francis Dam (designed by William Mulholland), which collapsed on March 12, 1928. Speaking of Mulholland, the Los Angeles Aqueduct runs through this mountain range via both underground tunnels and siphon pipes, which include two DWP hydroelectric power stations that run off the cascading water from the pipes. The Bouquet Reservoir (St. Francis' replacement) now stores water from the Aqueduct. Meanwhile, Los Angeles' other major water source, the California Aqueduct, has branches that run along the northern base of the mountains (heading towards the Inland Empire) and another through the western part of the range, with a hydroelectric plant and storage facility at Castaic Lake. Notable geologic formations include the it-should-have-a-Hollywood-agent Vasquez Rocks in Agua Dulce (created by San Andreas Fault uplift) and Neenach Volcano, which last erupted 23 million years ago and was sliced in half by the San Andreas: the other half was moved by the fault over time some 200 miles north and now forms Pinnacles National Park in Northern California.

Tehachapi Mountains

Double Mountain (7,981 feet), with wind turbines at its foothills,
looms over the north end of the Antelope Valley.

The northernmost of the Transverse Ranges, the Tehachapi Mountains run some 40 miles between the Tejon Pass in the Grapevine and the Tehachapi Pass in the mountain range's eponymous city. Named after the native Kawaiisu word tihachipia ("difficult climb"), They separate the low-lying farmlands of the San Joaquin Valley to its northwest from the Joshua Tree-dotted Mojave Desert landscape of the Antelope Valley to their southeast. The mountain range is formed by the Garlock Fault, the second-longest tectonic fault in California and unique among faults as a "Left-Lateral Fault," meaning that if you stand in front of the fault line, the land on the other side is moving towards the left (whereas on the San Andreas and most others, the land moves towards the right). This quirk is one of the reasons why the San Andreas has a noticeable bend in Southern California and why the Transverse Ranges exist in the first place. The Tehachapis' highest peak is Double Mountain (7,981 feet), which overlooks the Antelope Valley to the south and the town of Tehachapi to the north. The Tehachapis are home to the Cesar E. Chavez National Monument in Keene, the Tehachapi Pass Wind Turbine Farm and the famous Tehachapi railroad loop.

Topatopa Mountains

The Topatopa Mountains, as seen from the town of Fillmore.

Located mostly within Ventura County (with their extreme eastern end in Los Angeles County), the Topatopa Mountains span over 40 miles between the I-5 on the east and Highway 33 on the west. Named after the Chumash word "topa" which are the rush or reed plants that grow in the wetlands of the area, the mountains are home to the town of Ojai, the Los Padres National Forest, the Sesepe Condor Sanctuary, Lake Piru and Pyramid Lake (both artificially-made reservoirs). The tallest peak in the Topatopas is Cobblestone Mountain (6,738 feet).

Verdugo Mountains

The Ikea Mountai..er...Verdugo Mountains, as seen from Beautiful Downtown Burbank.

The shortest (in length) of the Transverse Ranges, the Verdugos run just 8 miles between Lake View Terrace and Glendale, separating the San Fernando Valley from the Crescenta Valley. Formed by the Verdugo Fault, their highest peak is Verdugo Peak (3,126 feet). Unlike the other mountain ranges, the Verdugos are surrounded by urban development on all sides, making their flora and fauna habitat a virtual island of sorts. Named after Jose Maria Verdugo, the Spanish/Mexican soldier who owned Rancho San Rafael, which encompassed the nearby lowlands, the Verdugos are the home of Glendale's Brand Library, Burbank's The Castaway Restaurant and Starlight Bowl amphitheatre, as well as several parks, including La Tuna Canyon Park, Verdugo Mountain Park and Verdugo Mountains Open Space Preserve.

Peninsular Ranges

Okay, we've covered the Transverse Ranges, but we got normal-type north-south mountains too (well, a few...). Called the Peninsular Ranges (referring to the Baja California Peninsula, in which this mountain cordillera extends all the way down to Cabo San Lucas), they are comprised primarily of igneous granitic rock, which is of the same composition as the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the north. In fact, the Sierra, the Salinian Block (remember that one?) and the Peninsular Ranges (all granitic rock) were once the same mountain range formed by the same geologic process...until the San Andreas Fault came along and done messed things up. Locally, our Peninsular Ranges of concern are the Santa Ana Mountains in Orange, Riverside and northern San Diego counties; and the Temescal and San Jacinto mountains in Riverside County.

San Jacinto Mountains

The snowcapped Mt. San Jacinto towers over the Coachella Valley below

The northernmost of the Peninsular Ranges, the 30 mile-long San Jacinto Mountains are located between the Perris Valley in the west and the Coachella Valley in the east. Surrounded by the 10 Freeway and Highway 74, the range is to the south of the San Bernardino Mountains and to the north of the Santa Rosa Mountains. The mountains form the watershed of the San Jacinto River, which feeds Lake Elsinore. They also contribute to the Santa Ana River watershed and the Whitewater River watershed, which ends up in the Salton Sea. Their highest peak is Mt. San Jacinto (10, 834 feet), and the rest of the range is rather prominent, thanks to the influence of both the San Jacinto Fault (west) and San Andreas Fault (east). Named after the numerous "Rancho San Jacinto" land grants that were located in today's Perris Valley/Hemet Valley area, the range is home to the town of Idyllwild, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, Mt. San Jacinto State Park and Soboba Casino Resort. A notable geologic feature is Oswit Rock, a granodiorite outcropping that overlooks the southern end of Palm Springs.

Santa Ana Mountains

The Saddleback of the Santa Ana Mountains (Santiago Peak (R) and Modjeska Peak (C),
as seen from Highway 241 in Irvine.

Overlooking much of Orange County are the Santa Ana Mountains. Situated between (sub)urban Orange County in the west and the Inland Empire in the east, the range runs 61 miles from Santa Ana Canyon down to Camp Pendleton near Oceanside. Much like the Santa Monica Mountains, they trap the cool coastal breezes within OC (windward side) and help make the IE (leeward side) hot AF. The range also contributes to the Santa Ana Winds both in function and in name: The hot desert winds funnel through the mountain range's namesake canyon at their northern edge are the origin of the winds' moniker. Their tallest peak is Santiago Peak (5,689 feet). Together with its shorter neighbor, Modjeska Peak (5,496 feet), they form the Saddleback Ridge, which overlooks Orange County and can be seen from as far as the Santa Monica Mountains. The Santa Ana Mountains form the watersheds for Trabuco and San Juan creeks, both of which flow into the Pacific at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point. Named after the Santa Ana Valley (where Mission Viejo and San Juan Capistrano reside), the mountains are home to Irvine Lake, Santiago Canyon, Modjeska Canyon, Trabuco Canyon and Glen Ivy Hot Springs.

Temescal Mountains

California Golden Poppies decorate the Temescal Mountains near Corona
during the 2019 Superbloom.

These low-lying mountains in the IE, stretching some 21 miles from the Santa Ana River down to the San Jacinto River, with the Temescal Valley to the west and the Perris Valley to the east, are the Temescal Mountains, still comprised of the same granitic rock as its taller Peninsular Range neighbors. Gold and tin were mined here in the 1800s. Formed by the Elsinore Fault Zone, their highest peak is Estelle Mountain, (2,762 feet). Named after Rancho Temescal (which ran down the Temscal Valley into the Oceanside area), they are home to Walker Canyon (a.k.a. the Lake Elsinore Poppyfields), Painted Rock, which features ancient pictographs made by the indigenous Luiseño (Payómkowishum) people, the Lake Matthews reservoir (which is the southern terminus of the California Aqueduct) and Lake Matthews Estelle Mountain Reserve.

The Sierra

Sierra Nevada Mountains

Mt. Tom and the rest of the Sierra Nevada Mountains overlook the town of Bishop.

"Wait," you might say, "This isn't in Southern California!" Geographically, they may not be, but their influence on the Los Angeles area looms as high as they are. Stretching 400 miles from Fredonyer Pass in Lassen County to Tehachapi Pass in Kern County, the Sierra (not "Sierras," BTW) forms California's backbone, literally and figuratively. You may or may not know that some shiny mineral called gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill along the American River (one of the many Sierra Nevada rivers) in 1848. The rest is history. They are also California's icebox, storing the record snowpack from the Great Wet and Snowy California Winter of 2022-2023. Wanna talk watershed? They are the watershed of all watersheds: The snow on top of the mountains will melt into the Kings and San Joaquin Rivers and flow westward into the San Francisco Bay Delta and then south via the California Aqueduct, providing irrigation and livestock water for San Joaquin Valley farms and Central and Southern California municipal water supplies. The snow will also melt eastward into the Owens River and get intercepted by the Los Angeles Aqueduct, heading south through the Owens and Antelope valleys into the City of Los Angeles' municipal water supply (which also gets a good percentage from the CA Aqueduct). Even the city of San Francisco does some Sierra Snowmelt Stealing of their own - from the Hetch Hetchy Valley. That bottle of Crystal Geyser you bought from the liquor store? It originated from snowmelt from Olancha Peak, filters down into an aquifer in the Owens Valley and goes into that bottle. The water that you drink, bathe, swim in, water your plants with, wash your hands for 20 seconds with...a good percentage of it came from the Sierra Nevada Mountains. They're that important, not just to our area, but to every county between Sacramento and Los Angeles. Though not located in geographical Southern California per se, the Sierra Nevada Mountains are still a huge influence on our area, and are part of cultural Southern California: the Mammoth Mountain ski resort (founded by El Segundo native and former LADWP hydrologist Dave McCoy) is a popular skiing destination for SoCal folks (Nor Cal people prefer to head east on I-80 and ski Tahoe), Eastern Sierra towns like Mammoth Lakes and Bishop have Los Angeles Times newsracks, Dodger game broadcasts on the radio and Vons (and not Safeway) supermarkets. Born from magma lifted from deep in the earth some 115 million years ago through the subduction of an ancient tectonic plate into the North American continental plate; the jagged profile of the mountains was carved from glaciers that began over 2 million years ago. You already know that the tallest peak is Mt. Whitney (14,505 feet), but 8 of the 10 tallest peaks in the Golden State reside in the Sierra. Named the "snowy mountains" by Spanish priest Pedro Font in a map he charted in 1777, the Sierra Nevada mountains are home to none other than Yosemite, Sequoia, and King's Canyon national parks, Plumas, Eldorado, Stanislaus, Sierra and Sequoia national forests, the Pacific Crest and John Muir trails, and numerous alpine lakes - most notably the king of all alpine lakes: Lake Tahoe. Notable geologic features include the needs-no-introduction Yosemite Valley, the cinemagenic rounded granite Alabama Hills near the town of Lone Pine and the Palisades Glacier - the southernmost glacier on the North American continent - near the town of Big Pine.

So there you go! A little knowledge on our local ranges. Did you learn something new? Do you feel the mountains calling? Do you have a newfound appreciation for our local peaks? Support The Militant's endeavors via PayPal!

Much Militant thanks to the following who have shown their support over the past few weeks! You are appreciated!

Lily Cosgrove
Michael Gonzalez
Catherine Kay
Lydia Otero
Ramona Monteros
Joe Ryan
Sudeep Sharma
Anthony Swilley, Jr.
Michael Turmon
Kari Wenger
Christina Wilson
Arthur Wong

CicLAvia 43 Report: CiCOLDvia!

This photo seemed to sum up the February 26, 2023 CicLAvia perfectly. Taken at Sherman Way and The Metro G-Line busway station near Canoga Avenue.

Just 84 days after the last one between Exposition Park and Watts, the 2023 CicLAvia season has begun with a return to Sherman Way on Sunday - a re-run of the 5-mile December 8, 2019 route from Reseda to Canoga Park. While that one was wet and mostly rain-dampened, CicLAvia Sunday got a nice day-long respite from our week-long winter storm which brought snow to our local mountains.

Speaking ot The White Stuff, it was very much on the minds of nearly every CicLAvian who arrive on Sunday. For this was the very first CicLAvia where snow covered the nearby mountains not named Baldy, and in fact frosted the peaks of some relatively low-elevation ranges like the Santa Susana Mountains, which was the snowcapped backdrop to Sunday. Even arriving to the San Fernando Valley from The Other Side Of The Hill gave a majestic view from the northbound 405 which made the Valley look more like Salt Lake City.

But despite not having a single drop of rain (thankfully), Sunday's event broke CicLAvia temperature records as the coldest on record - it had a mean temperature of 51º F, beating the previous record of 57º F during the December 5, 2021 South Los Angeles CicLAvia along Crenshaw and Martin Luther King Jr. boulevards. It was so cold, The Militant wore a mask for most of the route - not to protect himself from COVID, but to protect his face from the cold. But then again, The Militant always wears a mask, so, this wasn't really a big deal after all...And FYI, for those keeping track, the hottest temperature during CicLAvia was 95º during the October 5, 2014 Heart of L.A. event (which went from Echo Park to East Los Angeles via Downtown).

Reseda seemed to really take to the Instagrammable landmark thing really well.

The Militant parked in an unspecified nearby residential street off of Sherman Way, unloaded his car bike rack and proceeded to ride westbound along Sherman Way into the chilly winter air. He noticed that the thoroughfare now has these very Instagrammable CicLAvia logoesque blue-and-yellow "Sherman Way RESEDA" welcome signs on the street median (which totally fulfilled their intended purpose by CicLAvians). The signs, along with other pedestrian-friendly improvements along The Way were part of a recent LADOT streetscape project designed by Alta Planning that was implemented in 2021. This Is The Way!

The Militant got to chill with Mr. Miyagi and Daniel-San.

As The Militant headed towards the Tampa Avenue, something clicked - He briefly strayed from the route and headed north a half mile to Saticoy Street, where he knew this was familiar ground - and there it was, just a half-block east of Tampa on 19223 Saticoy - The South Seas Apartments, a.k.a. where Daniel LaRusso and his mom lived and where Mr. Miyagi worked from the classic movie The Karate Kid (NOOO, not that one - THIS ONE!). The Militant kicked himself (from The Crane Position, of course) for not including it on the recent Epic CicLAvia Tour post! NOTE TO SELF: Add it in the next update...

Never fails...

Returning to the route, while The Militant rode somewhere in Winnetka, the clouds briefly parted, the sun shone and proceeded to cast bicycle shadows on the pavement. Though it was a brief show, the 12-plus year axiom still rings true: THE SUN ALWAYS SHINES ON CICLAVIA!

Reaching the end of the route in Canoga Park, there was the mandatory activity hub with a performance stage, a souped-up Metro Art Bus and a Los Angeles Public Library booth that ran out of those much-coveted P-22 memorial library cards during the first 20 minutes of the day, But he did spot this over-filled gutter along Sherman Way that provided a nice reflection:

The subject of food came up. The Militant was getting hungry and the food trucks with the long lines at the activity hubs would not cut it (besides, he's been to many of them before during previous CicLAvias). The Militant tweeted the addresses of various Vietnamese restaurants along the route that specialize in pho - the perfect food for this cloudy, balmy weather), but this nearby Weiler's Deli spot got The Militant contemplating...Ultimately, The Militant chose soup over sammiches and stuck to following his own advice (next time though, Weiler's Deli!) - he chose Pho 21 on Sherman Way between Owensmouth and Canoga avenues. Though not as mind-blowing as the pho he had in Alhambra last month, it nevertheless hit the spot for the time, place and weather.  Cảm ơn, Pho 21!

As soon as The Militant was done, The Po-Po Party Pooper Patrol was slowly making its way east along Sherman Way telling all cyclists to "stay to the right". Ever the straggler, The Militant rode as fast AF to leave them in the dust and rode unencumbered along the rest of The Way.

But not before capturing this parting shot of the snow-capped Santa Susana Mountains overlooking a very full Browns Canyon Wash (where this melted snow will end up eventually) along the CicLAvia route. We may or may not ever see a scene like this again from a CicLAvia route!

Only 49 days to go until the next CicLAvia!

The Militant's Epic CicLAvia Tour XLIII!!

Interactive map! Click here for larger version.
We're here in 2023, CicLAvia's 13th year, and as our favorite open streets event enters its raging, hormone-infused, possibly-emo teen years, we're in for a treat as not one, not two, not three, not four, five, six or even seven CicLAvias are in store in the next 10 months, but (count 'em) EIGHT of them are scheduled (well, technically...six full-sized CicLAvias and a pair of CicLAminis)!!!

The 43rd-CicLAvia kicks-off the 2023 season with a return to The 818 - a five-mile straight shot down Sherman Way from Reseda to Winnetka to Canoga Park, which was last done on one particularly rainy Sunday on December 8, 2019. We're also in a seasonal rain spell at this moment, but according to all weather forecasts, CicLAvia Sunday will be the sole day for the next week sans rain! Cloud cover willing, maybe we'll be treated to the sight of snow on the San Gabriel Mountains, or even the Santa Susana Mountains...or maybe even the Santa Monica Mountains! For the past 12-plus years, always remember this: No matter what the weather is, THE SUN STILL ALWAYS SHINES ON CICLAVIA!

So here's a slightly updated list of 14 points of interest along Sunday's Sherman Way CicLAvia. As usual - See you or not see you on the streets!

Oh yeah, if you found this Epic CicLAvia Tour guide useful and visit any of these sites, please add the #EpicCicLAviaTour hashtag to any social media post that includes it. The Militant will be glad to re-tweet/re-whatevertheycallthatonMastadon!

And if you appreciate The Militant's work (this guide still took a lot of time out of The Militant's day re-formatting and updating...argh), kick him a little love via PayPal! He *hates* asking for money, but you know how it is these days...A Militant's gotta pay his bills! Your support is much appreciated! Please Like And Subscribe and Smash That Be...oh wait, we're not quite there yet.

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1. Sherman Way

1911
Sherman Way, Reseda

Named after railroad executive Moses Hazeltine Sherman (you should be familiar with that name from the "Meet The Hollywoods" CicLAvia), who was responsible for bringing his Los Angeles & Pacific Railway (later merged into the Pacific Electric Railway) into the San Fernando Valley. The street was originally a zig-zagging $500,000 grand boulevard built in 1911 along the Red Car right-of-way, stretching from North Hollywood, running west along what is now Chandler Blvd, then north along what is now Van Nuys Blvd, and west along the current Sherman Way. As the SFV farmland gave way to (sub)urbanization and the street grid, Sherman Way was re-aligned and extended eastward as a straight thoroughfare in the 1920s.

2. Site of Sherman Square Roller Rink
1969-2001
18430 Sherman Way, Reseda

In the 1970s and 1980s, this was The Center of the Universe for many Valley youth: A roller rink during the skating heyday of the '70s (and on Monday nights, the Skataway club, a weekly private hangout for celebrities such as Cher and Jack Nicholson), and also hosted a roller hockey league and a bowling alley. In the '80s it became a popular venue for hip-hop events (an aspiring young rapper named Dr. Dre performed there back in 1985). Towards the '90s, the venue hosted computer shows during the weekends, but was also plagued by gang activity. It was razed in 2001 and replaced by the current Walgreen's pharmacy.



3. Site of Chuck Landis' Country Club
1980-2000
18419 Sherman Way, Reseda

Originally built as a Sav-On Drugs store, Los Angeles nightclub entrepreneur Chuck Landis bought the property in 1979 and converted it to a 1,000-seat concert venue originally intended for country music acts. But the burgeoning local punk, new wave and heavy metal acts of the early 1980s found an ideal venue - artists such as Motley Crue, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Bangles, Jackson Browne and Guns N Roses played here in their early years, as well as established acts like B.B. King, The Beach Boys, James Brown, Prince and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. U2 played their very first concert in Los Angeles here in 1981. In the mid-'80s, the venue also hosted boxing matches. It petered out in the 1990s and is now the Restauracion Reseda Church.

4. Reseda Theatre

1948
18447 Sherman Way, Reseda

The beginnings of the Sherman Way/Reseda intersection becoming the entertainment capital of Reseda started as far back as the 1940s when this S. Charles Lee (You'll recognize his name as architect of many other historic theatres in these Epic CicLAvia Tour guides)-designed Streamline Moderne cinema showed double features to the nearby newly-developed residential community. The theatre closed in 1988, but it gained some notoriety in the 1997 film "Boogie Nights" and is planned to be resurrected as a Laemmle multi-screen cinema after a $5.65 million restoration project.

5. Reseda Vietnamese District

c. 1980s
Near Sherman Way & Reseda Blvd, Reseda

Though Westminster, Garden Grove and Los Angeles' Chinatown are more synonymous with the Vietnamese community in Southern California, the largest concentration Viet Americans in the 818 is located right here in Reseda. This mile-long stretch of Sherman Way and adjacent area is home to a good number of Vietnamese eateries, including Pho 999 (7255 Reseda Blvd), Pho So (7231 Reseda Blvd), Sandwich Express (18575 Sherman Way), Vinh Loy Tofu and Bun Bo Hue (18625 Sherman Way), Khuu Bistro (18845 Sherman Way) and Pho Viet Cali (18111 Saticoy St). There are also many more businesses, cultural institutions, organizations and houses of worship with a two-mile radius of Sherman and Reseda.

6. Aliso Canyon Wash

Sherman Way between Crebs and Wilbur avenues, Reseda

One of the Los Angeles River's many tributaries, this seasonal wash carries stormwater from Aliso Canyon (yep, that Aliso Canyon) up past Porter Ranch, running due south and joining the Los Angeles River near Yolanda Avenue. Thanks to the recent rainy weather, this wash is gonna be flowin'!



7. Los Angeles Jewish Home
1952
19308 Sherman Way, Reseda

Like many Jewish institutions in Los Angeles, this senior living and health care facility originated in Boyle Heights in 1916, expanding to the SFV in the late 1940s. It's one of three campuses of the Los Angeles Jewish Home - the other nearby on Victory Blvd and another in Playa Vista. This campus, known as the Grancell Village Campus, is home to 1,000 seniors. Wonder if the residents know that the 1952 Spanish Colonial Revival structure on Sherman and Tampa was originally the Lorenzen Mortuary? 



8. Platt Office Building
1981
19725 Sherman Way, Winnetka

Conceived by carpenter Dennis Platt and designed by T.W. Layman, this office building built in the early 1980s (but meant to look like it was made in the 1880s) contains remnants from the Queen Anne-style Little Sisters of the Poor Rest Home originally located in Boyle Heights and various parts from Victorian homes in Bunker Hill, combined with re-created architectural sections.

9. Site of the Weeks Poultry Colony

1923-1934
Area bordered by Winnetka Ave, Leadwell St, Oso Ave and Lanark St, Winnetka

In 1904, an idealistic farm dude named Charles Weeks moved from the Midwest to California, and in 1916 established a utopian poultry farming community named Runnymead in Santa Clara County where families lived on one-acre farms and sustainably raised chickens and eggs, and through that, would establish ideal social structures. He then moved south to the farming community of Owensmouth in the San Fernando Valley and 100 years ago established a similar colony here known as the Weeks Poultry Colony. The Great Depression put the idealistic colony to an end, and Weeks moved to Florida where he lived the rest of his life until his death in the 1960s. The colony is long-gone, but Weeks left his mark on the community which still exists today: The area is now known as Winnetka, named by the remaining colony members after Weeks' Illinois hometown, Runnymede Street and park were named after Weeks' original Nor Cal colony, and nearby Independence Avenue originated from his poultry colony marketing pitch, "One Acre and Independence."

10. Browns Canyon Wash
Sherman Way between Cozycroft and Lurline avenues, Winnetka

Another currently-flowing Los Angeles River tributary runs under Sherman Way, originating in Browns Canyon in the Santa Susana Mountains. It joins The River just west of Mason Avenue.

11. Canoga Park Antique Row

Sherman Way between Canoga and Owensmouth avenues, Canoga Park

This half mile-long stretch of Sherman Way contains at least half a dozen stores selling antiques and collectibles, including Red's Antiques (7221 Canoga Ave), Alabama Antiques and Collectibles (7209 Alabama Ave),  Retro Relics Etcetera (21501 Sherman Way), Antique Store Canoga Park (21507 Sherman Way) and Sherway Jewelry & Loan (21514 Sherman Way).

12. The Source of the Los Angeles River
Owensmouth Avenue, south of Bassett Street, Canoga Park

Take a short ride down Owensmouth Avenue to see where the currently-raging Los Angeles River officially begins, at the confluence of Bell Creek (pictured right), which flows down from the Simi Hills, and Arroyo Calabasas (pictured left), which flows down from the north side of the Santa Monica Mountains. Together they become the Los Angeles River, flowing 51 miles eastward then southward into Long Beach Harbor. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13. Site of the Pacific Electric Owensmouth Station
1912-1994
Sherman Way and Topanga Canyon Blvd, Canoga Park

On the northwest corner of this intersection stood the Pacific Electric's Owensmouth (Canoga Park) depot. Built in the days when land companies were promising access to Owens Valley water via the upcoming Los Angeles Aqueduct (despite the fact that its terminus was some 20 miles to the northeast), the area eventually adopted the name of a nearby Southern Pacific Railroad depot, itself named after Canoga, NY. The U.S. Postal Service insisted on adding the word "Park" to lessen confusion with its original East Coast namesake. The Pacific Electric was a Craftsman-style structure that outlived its tenure as a Red Car depot when service ended in 1938. Unfortunately, it burned down in a fire in 1994.

14. Carlson Circle/Proposed PE Extension
c. 1910
Sherman Way at Carlson Circle

At the southeast corner of Sherman Way and Shoup Avenue is a street called Carlson Circle - a cartographic curiosity that stood out to The Militant. Back in the day, before the SFV conformed to an absolute grid, Sherman Way curved down using this quarter-circular thoroughfare and merged with Shoup Avenue (which, like Sherman Way, was also named after a Pacific Electric Railway executive -- Paul Shoup). The circle also had some connection to the Red Cars: Although there was never track laid on it, it was part of a onetime 1910 proposal to extend the Owensmouth streetcar line to what is now Valley Circle. So who was Carlson? Hugo Carlson was an immigrant from Sweden who settled in Owensmouth in 1912 and was one of the town's pioneers. He owned a 55-acre farm in the area that grew beans and tomatoes, was an active member of the local chamber of commerce and was also instrumental in supporting efforts to build flood control channels in the area. He died in 1958. His old farm, just inside of his eponymous Circle, is now home to the posh Canoga Lakes condo community.