NEWS
Ridge Route Status
As of 4-23-08
The only section of the Ridge Route that is open for public access is a 7 mile section from Hwy. 138 south to the historic Tumble Inn site where you will encounter a locked Forest Service gate. Hwy. 138 is the Lancaster-Palmdale road and is located south of Gorman.
Contractors working for Southern California Gas Co. had to suspend their repair activity because some of the equipment they were using did not appear on the “Repair Plan” submitted to the Angeles National Forest Heritage Resource Officer. Southern California Gas Co. or their contractor will submit a new plan. The new plan has to be approved by the State Historic Preservation Office as well as the Heritage Resource Officer in Angeles National Forest. Repair plans are submitted prior to any work activity for review to prevent an operation that might have a negative impact to the historic road. When deviations occur from the approved repair process operations are suspended until the repair plan is up-dated. Unfortunately this review process will most likely delay the repair process by approximately 30 days.
Clean up the Ridge Route
CUTRR Phase XV
The R idge R oute P reservation O rganization (RRPO) schedules work projects, “Clean up the Ridge Route,” (CUTRR) along the un-maintained section of the road.
When:
Saturday, May 17, 2008, June 14, 2008 and July 19, 2008
Where:
We meet in the north Atrium of Carl's Jr. Restaurant in Gorman, south of the Chevron gas station.
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Work:
We will be working near Reservoir Summit. This area is closed to the public so you need to caravan with us from Carl's Jr. to Reservoir Summit in order to get beyond the locked forest service gate. Please allow ample time to arrive so you will NOT miss our departure.
Bring:
We are asking everyone to bring gloves and a sack lunch. At noon we gather for lunch at Reservoir Summit. Bottled water and restroom facilities will be provided by RRPO. Santana's Pumping & Plumbing of Frazier Park is donating the use of the portable restroom. Additionally, we ask that you bring any of the assorted tools listed below.
• Shovel
• Hoe
• Rake
• Wheelbarrow
• Pruning Shears
• Pole Pruner
• Pruning Saw
• Mattock
• Gloves
Safety of our volunteers is our number one priority so we ask that you wear appropriate work clothes and shoes. Workers under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. We work in full compliance with Angeles National Forest and have been granted permission to extend our repairs beyond that portion of the road that is closed and “off limits” to the public.
We hope to complete this phase by 3 or 4:00 p.m. Please RSVP if you can come. If you are unable to attend this workday and would like to send a donation or become a member, please contact:
Carl Marsee, Project Manager
P. O. Box 959
Frazier Park, CA 93225-0969
CMarsee@FrazMtn.com
(661) 242-2726
Or: Harrison Scott, (866) 262-7594 (toll free)
RidgeRoute@Yahoo.com
“When Will The Old Ridge Route Reopen?”
Posted March 22, 2008
The 2005 storm that washed out the 1915 Ridge Route also wreaked havoc to oil, gas and power lines within proximity of the historic highway. Southern California Edison and Exxon-Mobil were the first companies to repair their facilities. The Southern California Gas Company and Plains All American Pipeline experienced damage in multiple locations forcing both companies to effect emergency repairs by temporarily relocating their lines above ground away from the slide areas and onto the 1915 highway. The extensive damage presented a logistics “nightmare” for the utility companies in terms of access, environmental scrutiny, forest service regulations, applications for new rights-of-way and a repair itinerary that required the blessing of the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). The same storm that did all this damage to the historic Ridge Route also closed the Vista del Lago visitor center at Pyramid Lake and reduced the I-5 Ridge Route from four lanes in each direction down to three lanes in each direction at Templin Highway. The highway is protruding upward at this location due to the weight of the mountain on the west side of the interstate. Crews have removed tons of earth from the hillside to minimize the upward protrusion. The interstate will restore to four lanes in each direction when repairs are completed. Meanwhile back on the ridge, pipeline restoration resumed March 6 after the fire closure was lifted with crews working 12 hour shifts six days a week. Unfortunately a request was made recently to modify the pre-approved repair method at one of the sites below Swede's Cut. . Hopefully the change order will be approved quickly and will not impact a timeline that is already critical if the old road is to open this year. Road crews may start working on damaged sections of the road north of the pipeline activity, however, the washed out section of the road cannot be replaced until the oil and gas lines are back in the ground. Will the old Ridge Route open this year? Keep your fingers crossed. Harrison I. Scott, Pres. Ridge Route Preservation Organization WWW.RidgeRoute.com .
The following conversation with Carl Marsee took place on a Saturday in December of 2006 in Gorman, California. Carl currently holds the position of Treasurer with the Ridge Route Preservation Organization. You can read the entire conversation by clicking the link below.
- Mike Simpson
A conversation with Carl Marsee
A Conversation With Harrison Scott
I spoke with Harrison Scott at his house in Torrance, California on the evening of August 23, 2006, shortly after assuming editing duties for the organization's newsletter. A brief portion of this conversation was printed in the fall 2006 edition of the RRPO's quarterly publication, The Ridge Route Sentinel. You can read the entire conversation by clicking the link below.
- Michael Simpson
A conversation with Harrison Scott
DID YOU KNOW ?
The RRPO now has it's own Fresno Scraper thanks to Jack and Sidney Kelley. It is currently on display at the Ridge Route Museum in Frazier Park . The Fresno Scraper was the primary tool used in the construction of the Ridge Route.
You can get an idea of our volunteer effort by looking at our efforts from February 11, 2006.
Ridge Route Inspection May 31, 2006
Harrison Scott, President of The Ridge Route Preservation Organization and Angeles Forest representatives will be meeting with the project manager for the Federal Highway Administration next week to evaluate damage to the historic 1915 scenic Ridge Route. The winter storms of 2005 caused a 75 foot section of the roadbed to fail and slip down the canyon. Other areas along the road were undermined when the drainage systems failed due to deferred maintenance and budget limitations. Landslides in the area also disrupted oil, gas and electric service. With the road severed and the need to make permanent repairs to the utility lines, Angeles Forest issued a "General Closure" order for the road. You cannot walk, hike, drive or horseback into the area. Safety is the top priority.
After the damaged areas are evaluated, plans will be formulated for getting the road repaired. It is too early to project when repairs can be accomplished. Repair work on the road will need to be compliant with environmental requirements which may lengthen the repair activity. The 1915 Ridge Route is one of only two roads in California having the distinction of being on the National Register for its historic significance. If things fall into place the road could open in the first or second quarter of 2007.
Harrison I. Scott, Pres.
Ridge Route Preservation Organization
A Non-Profit California Corporation
P. O. Box 381
Torrance, CA 90508-0381
RidgeRoute@yahoo.com
(866) 262-7594 (Toll Free)
You can get an idea of our volunteer effort by looking at our efforts from February 11, 2006.
News Release August 8, 2005
Ridge Route Damage Photos
September 10, 2003
Angeles National Forest Rangers and the Los Angeles County Sheriff broke up a group of young people conducting a "Rave Party" at Reservoir Summit. A similar event occurred a year ago and resulted in a five acre fire which destroyed several beautiful pine trees at the site.
If you see suspicious activity on the old Ridge Route please report it to the District Ranger in Saugus: (661) 296-9710 or the Los Angeles County Sheriff's office (661) 255-1121
September 10, 2003
Our appreciation is extended to The California Association of 4-wheel Drive Clubs Inc. in association with Angeles National Forest for installing historical markers along the 1915 Ridge Route. This portion of the old road is that segment that was placed onto the National Register on Sept. 25th, 1997.
