On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
Brown Mountain Dam is named for Brown Mountain, which was named for John Brown, the abolitionist, by John Brown’s sons, who were known as the The Brown Boys. How cool is that? Even if the dam was not built to hold water (?!) there’s still a waterfall, which makes me happy! ~WaterGirl
?BillinGlendaleCA
Brown Mountain Dam is on Arroyo Seco whose watershed is the area north and west of San Gabriel Peak and flows through Pasadena (including by the Rose Bowl) and on to meeting the LA River just north of downtown LA. The dam is named for the nearby Brown Mountain to the east. Brown Mountain was named for John Brown the abolitionist by his sons (known locally as “The Brown Boys”) who lived in a cabin in the hills above Arroyo Seco. The dam was built in the early 1940’s and it’s intent is not hold water but debris. Some of the water that flows towards the dam stays behind the dam creating a lush landscape. The remaining water flows over the dam, creating a lovely manmade waterfall. This was the goal of this hike.
There are two ways to get to Brown Mountain Dam, park by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and hike up though the canyon, or park by an electrical substation and hike down into the canyon and cut off half the distance, I chose the later which meant that I’d have to climb out of the canyon at the end of my hike. Once you reach the canyon there’s a good sized campground along the arroyo. Heading north you pass a number of crumbling foundations of houses that used to line the arroyo, most falling victim to fire and floods. Unlike the sun baked hills flanking the arroyo, the foliage is lush by the stream with many flowers. After passing a couple of picnic spots and stream crossings (no bridges) you arrive at Paul Little Picnic Area and was greeted by a woodpecker hammering a tree with it’s beak. Heading north a few yards you begin to hear the sound of falling water and know that you’re close to the goal.
The trail up the arroyo begins wide since it used to have accommodate autos for folk to get to their cabins along the side of the arroyo. These cabin have been burned and flooded out over the years and never rebuilt.
Arroyo Seco runs from Mt. Lowe, though Pasadena and converges with the LA River just north of Downtown LA. This portion of the arroyo is about 2 miles north of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
As you reach the Paul Little Picnic area you begin to hear the sound of falling water, a short hike further you see the cause, Brown Mountain Dam.
A pretty good cascade of water falls over the dam into the pool below.
Brown Mountain Dam is a debris dam on Arroyo Seco highlighted in this IR photo.
Arroyo Seco was dammed in the early 1940’s by the US Forest Service by Brown Mountain Dam. The area behind the dam almost immediately filled with sediment and is not useful for irrigation of flood control. It pretty much serves as a man made waterfall.
You can see the lush growth in the silt above the dam.
Returning to the Paul Little Picnic site we hear a hammer like sound, it’s a woodpecker in one of the pine trees (I didn’t take my bigger zoom lens thinking I wouldn’t need it).
Baud
I like the stream in the second photo. Looks relaxing.
Mary G
Someplace I’ve been! Places like this so close to the urban sprawl of LA help keep people sane. Lovely pictures, Bill. Love the bright red head of the woodpecker.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Baud: It was really nice, I’m not sure if it runs year round .
@Mary G: It really close to Glendale, and I never went there until last year. Actually that not quite true, we did hike from JPL to the campsite when I was in the Boy Scouts. But I never made it up to Brown Mountain Dam(actually I didn’t know it existed until last year).
So when I got my stuff ready to head out on this hike, I looked at the 50-200mm zoom lens and thought it’s extra weight, why take it. I knew that was a mistake when I saw(and heard) the woodpecker.
JPL
@?BillinGlendaleCA: What a fun hike, and thank you for sharing the pictures.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@JPL: It’s really a nice hike, except heading back up the canyon. I may try it again next spring, though I’d probably hike up from JPL and take the trail the continues over the dam.
mrmoshpotato
I call bullshit.
Great pictures, Bill. Thanks for sharing.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@mrmoshpotato: No, it’s not Bullshit Dam, no bulls around there. Brown Mountain is close by. Glad you like the pics.
SiubhanDuinne
Dam nice pictures.
HinTN
That a pileated pecker?
Looks like a beautiful spot. Thanks for sharing.
SkyBluePink
Love the path into the light on first photo.
Great pics, as always!
UncleEbeneezer
We love doing the Brown Mountain trail out of the Meadows in Altadena. Lots of gorgeous views and you can even see Owen Brown’s gravesite.
stinger
What a beautiful place to hike!
Dmbeaster
@HinTN: Its an acorn woodpecker, which are relatively common in SoCal and fun birds. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Acorn_Woodpecker/id
?BillinGlendaleCA
@SiubhanDuinne: Heh, thanks.
@HinTN: Not sure, it’s really a nice hike.
@SkyBluePink: There are lots of trees there so it makes for a nice contrast and a hike that’s good year round.
@UncleEbeneezer: Haven’t tried that, I’ve been planning on the short trek to Millard Falls for a while.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@stinger: It’s a good all weather hike and is good for anybody.
@Dmbeaster: It was pretty loud, wish I brought the 200mm lens.