Historical Hike on The Old Ridge Route - From Sandberg Hotel to the Tumble Inn

Saturday April 16, 2016 - Historical Hike along The Old Ridge Route - From Sandberg's Summit Hotel to the Tumble Inn

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Distance: ~ 7 miles total, out and back (not including some stomping around at each site).

Gain: Negligible

Rated: Easy + (distance)

Pace: This is a Historical Hike. We will stop at each site, listen to the historian explain the history of the area, show us some old photos, etc. Then we can stomp around for a short while, take some photos, and check out the surrounding views at our own pace, at each site. We will be hiking between each stop at a Moderate hiking pace. It is 7 miles, so this is not a beginners first hike, you need to be reasonably fit for this hike.

Background: The Ridge Route, officially the Castaic-Tejon Route, was a two-lane highway between Los Angeles (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_County,_California) and Kern counties (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kern_County,_California), California. Opened in 1915, much of the old road runs through the Angeles National Forest (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angeles_National_Forest), and passes by many historical landmarks, including the National Forest Inn, Reservoir Summit, Kelly's Half Way Inn, Tumble Inn, and Sandberg's Summit Hotel. Tumble Inn and Sandberg’s Summit Hotel have the only remaining ruins. The other establishments were completely bulldozed over the cliffs by the Forest Service.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Chronicle), the new route was "one of the most remarkable engineering feats accomplished by the State Highway Commission.

Hike Description: We will hike from the ruins of Sandberg’s Summit Hotel, to Liebre Summit which is the highest point on the road (4,233ft), then to the Granite Gate, Horseshoe Bend, and finally to Tumble Inn. At Horseshoe Bend we will try to find the prints (human, animal and vehicle) in the original cement surface. There is also supposed to be a horseshoe embedded somewhere in the cement.

Carpooling from Santa Clarita Valley: If you wish to carpool, meet at Towsley Cyn outside the entrance gate at 8:00AM for an 8:15 AM SHARP departure to the hike starting point.

Please be respectful of your driver's support by contributing something at the end of your carpool to help defray the cost of gas - THX.

Directions to Santa Clarita (Towsley Canyon) Carpooling spot:

Exit the I-5 freeway in Santa Clarita Valley at Calgrove Blvd. Turn West and follow Calgrove around a curve and through one light. You will now see the gate to Towsley Canyon on your right. Park and look for a group of hikers.

Directions to hike starting point from Towsley Canyon, Santa Clarita: Take the I-5 North to Highway 138. Exit, going East. Turn Right at the Ridge Route and follow it South. Immediately after the intersection of Pine Canyon Road (on left) and the Ridge Route, you will see the following Angeles National Forest sign on your right side.

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You might like to stop and take a photo of the sign before proceeding straight South (still on the Ridge Route) a short distance. Look for a wide part of the road with river rock boulder ruins of the Sandberg Inn on your right side (If you go too fast, you will miss it). Allow at least 1 hour to get there from Santa Clarita.

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We will park our vehicles at this wide spot (see photo above) and adventure around the Sandberg Ruins with our historian Alan Pollack before we begin hiking down the road.

Meet at the Sandberg Inn, ready to leave at 9:30 AM.

Sandberg’s Summit Hotel http://socalregion.com/highways/ridge_route/rrt012/

This link takes you to a virtual tour of Sandberg’s Summit Hotel with photos of the ruins as well as historical photos.

Bring: Lunch/ snacks, water (2 - 3 L), hat, sunscreen and of course your camera.

Wear: Comfortable shoes (you will be walking on a cement and asphalt road with some sections in poor repair). Hiking boots are not required, but would be acceptable, as would tennis shoes. No sandals or flip flops please.

Comfortable layered clothing is recommended as it is often windy in this mountainous region. It will probably be cooler due to elevation, so be prepared with a fleece or a wind breaker or heavier jacket.

Adventure Pass: Not required.

Dogs: OK , if on leash and well behaved around other dogs and people with hiking poles. If you bring a dog, please drive yourself to the trailhead.

Historian: Alan Pollack

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Hike Leader: Dianne

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