INTRODUCTION
This year we had to deal with two major fires: the Bridge Fire in the Wrightwood area and the more recent Eaton Fire. Both fires have closed major sections of the racecourse until December 31, 2025.
The Bridge Fire started on September 8, 2024 and burned through November 24, 2024. It burned 56,030 acres in the Wrightwood (WW) area that included both Inspiration Point (IP) and Vincent Gap (VG) and Grassy Hollow and other Campground area. During the peak of the fire, WW residents were required to evacuate their homes in WW. It was that serious. USFS issued a Bridge Fire Closure Order that will keep the ANF burn area closed until December 31, 2025.
However, Hwy 2 has been cleared from WW to both IP and VG to provide access into the burn area to repair the trails and campground that was damaged in the burn area. Hwy 2 will remain closed in the burn area from Big Pines (near WW) to Islip Saddle (IS) while trails and campgrounds are being repaired and the General Public would only interfere with the on-going campground repairs.
Hwy 2 is closed between VG and IS from previous winter storm damage and that repair process has been going on for several years now.
The Eaton Fire started January 7, 2025 in the Eaton Canyon area just North of Altadena, fueled by extremely strong Santa Ana Winds and very dry vegetation due lack of rain in the greater Los Angeles Area. The fire spread rapidly ultimately burning over 14,000 acres in several weeks. Tragically, the fire resulted in 17 fatalities and destroyed over 9000 structures, making it one of the most destructive wildfires in California history. I have lived in San Gabriel Valley a long time and never seen such a destructive fire.
AC100 Trails from Redbox to the Finish were severely damaged. However, the major damage to the trails was not caused by the fire but the heavy rains that followed the fire that washed lot of the “groundcover” abovr the trails leaving lots of bare rocks. The fire burned a lot of the “groundcover” above the trails that previously kept the rain from flooding the trails. The Eaton Fire area of the ANF will be closed until December 31, 2025.
DISCUSSION
Trails from Redbox to the Finish in the Eaton Fire Area of the ANF are severely damaged and chances that we will get access o that area for this year’s race is remote. However, there may have a chance to access the PCT Trail in the Bridge Fire Burn area from Wrightwood to Inspiration Point and on to Vincent Gap which is currently closed. The gate on Hwy 2 is currently locked at Big Pines (near WW) as well as the gates at VG and IS.
Several weeks ago, I submitted my application for 2025 AC100 as a Out n Back race, from WW to SC (50miles) and back to WW with the USFS. Similar to the Out n Back AC100 we had in 2022.
However, since the Bridge Fire area is still closed to the public (and USFS wants to keep it closed to the public), I proposed to the USFS, to put the 2025 AC100 and keep the area closed to the public by not allowing crews or the public access to both IP and VG and just allow IP and VG volunteers access to put on their aid station and runners to use the PCT trails.
The PCT Trails were not as heavily damaged as the Eaton Fire area trails, because they did not get the heavy rainfall in the Bridge Fire Area as they did in the Eaton Fire Area.
Apparently, the big damage to the trails is caused by following heavy rainfall that washes the topsoil of the trails. That is what happened the Mt Wilson Trail Race trails (which is cancelled this year) after the Eaton Fire and that is what happened the trails in the deep canyons below Chantry after the Bobcat Fire. A lot the trail in the Chantry area was washed away by the winter rainfall because a lot of the “groundcover” above the trails was burned away and there was much “ground cover” to hold the rain, which flooded and washed away all of the trail topsoil.
CONCLUSION
USFS is currently considering my application to put an Out n Back Race thru the Bridge Fire Closed Area this year, avoiding the Eaton Fire Closed Area. The good news is they haven’t said no, yet. I think, there may be a “remote” chance that we may be able to put an a Out n Back Race “in a closed area” since we successfully did it in 2022.
If we have another Out n Back like we had in 2022, attached is the Cutof Table we used with a 36 hour race for those who might not be familiar with that race format. We will probably used something like this, if the USFS allows it. I am just trying to avoid a cancellation.
Dealing with wildfires is the New Normal if you are going to put on a race in the ANF. First the Bobcat Fire in 2021 (and all the problems it brought that we are still dealing with), Bridge Fire in 2024 and now the Eaton Fire in 2025.
Conocido