Hi all - does anyone have any info on current water states along the Gabrielino and Silver Moccasin trails? Specifically, I'm wondering if the Arroyo Seco along the Gabrielino Trail is flowing and Big Tujunga Creek along the Silver Moccasin Trail. Also, does Pacifico Mt. have snow currently?

Thanks!

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UPDATE 2/18/20

All major creeks were flowing, but the deadfall was INSANE. After 28 miles and army crawling through tunnels in the tops of downed trees while dragging our packs behind us, we cut the hike short and got some friends to pick us up off the 2. We ran into 2 rangers while waiting who told us that due to funding cutbacks, basically zero trail maintenance is happening throughout the Angeles National Forest. Volunteer groups are keeping the front country clean since it's easily accessible, but once you get 5ish miles in, there's at least a full season (or two) of overgrown (SPIKY) bushes and downed trees about every 20 feet. Thinking of trying to start up an effort with friends to do some guerrilla maintenance on these beautiful trails...anyone interested?

I have never composted before but have been wanting to get started for some time now. I live in south west Florida and my fenced in property backs up to a creek where I have seen very venomous water moccasins (cotton mouth) and other snakes. I am planning on starting my first compost pile outside of my fence near-ish the creek. I was wondering if a hot compost pile will attract snakes due to the increased warmth or will the pile attract rats/mice and then attract the snakes because it is now a food source. I have 2 kids who love playing in our back yard and I would hate to be attracting venomous snakes to my property.

The 2014 Aaron Hedges Disappearance

Aaron Hedges and his two friends went on a hunting trip in the Crazy Mountains on September 5th, 2014. When the two friends came back from the mountains Aaron was not with them.

The popular YouTube channel The Missing Enigma has released a brand new a video on the 2014 Aaron Hedges disappearance and it is well worth watching. This case was featured in the 2016 book Missing 411 - Hunters and in the 2019 documentary Missing 411 - The Hunted. I have discussed the Hedges case with The Missing Enigma and we both agree the Missing 411 version does not really hold up to scrutiny. This OP is just a short summary of the case.

David Paulides has said the following about the case (Hunters, p. 152-157):

• "This is one story you will never forget. It is a story that took me several weeks to wrap my mind around."
• "When I originally researched it, I thought there was some type of unusual foul play at work. After I slept on it for several nights, conducted more research, and understood the distances related to the evidence, I was dumbfounded."
• "I have no idea how the people traveled those distances, and I make no claim of what may have happened. In the story you are about to read, again distances come into play."

Deconstruction

The Montana Pioneer article

So what distances are David Paulides referring to? In Hunters (p. 156) Paulides writes: "The same article I quoted earlier [Montana Pioneer- 3 Oct, 2015] stated that for Aaron to get to he location at the ranch, he would've made a cross-country hike for fifteen miles in deep snow. He didn't have have skis or snowshoes, and he would have been off trail. Oh, don't forget: he had to have done this in bare feet. ... Point to point I have it at 13 miles. Remember, nobody walks air miles in the mountains. In the Crazy Mountains, you could easily double that mileage.".

The premise of the Missing 411 version is that Aaron Hedges walked a mind-boggling distance in inclement weather, but is this really the case? David Paulides' source Aaron Hedges walked off-trail for fifteen miles in deep snow is an article published in the Montana Pioneer. The main problem is that this article never says that, I have linked to the article so that you can read it for yourself.

It is unclear why David Paulides' summary of the Montana Pioneer article is so inaccurate, but it is

Do your worst!

For context I'm a Refuse Driver (Garbage man) & today I was on food waste. After I'd tipped I was checking the wagon for any defects when I spotted a lone pea balanced on the lifts.

I said "hey look, an escaPEA"

No one near me but it didn't half make me laugh for a good hour or so!

Edit: I can't believe how much this has blown up. Thank you everyone I've had a blast reading through the replies 😂

It really does, I swear!

They’re on standbi

I never told this story to anyone until now. I stay in an area of North Carolina that back in the early 1800's had the biggest saw mill in the united states at the time. The town of Elizabethtown now sits on the grounds of that saw mill. To the north is Bladen Lakes State Forest. There's a creek there called Turn Bull Creek, named after the Indian chief that laid claim to the land there. My grandfather told me Chief Turn Bull struck a deal with the saw mill and allowed them to cut the trees except in one area where many of their ancestors were laid to rest. The story goes that the loggers began cutting and for years no problem had ever came between the loggers and the tribe. Until the day they cut on the sacred land. A battle broke out and in the end the tribe was slaughtered, all except the chief. It was said he cursed the land and swore to protect it forever. It was said he changed into a black smoke as dark as coal and in it was 2 bright red eyes like fire.

A story when told in detail would scare any kid from venturing off into those woods. Except me and my then best friend.

In my younger years I loved to explore, so naturally those woods made a great place to have adventures and discovery. The creek always gave relief from the hot summer days. The cool water fed by springs that was so cold that in the heat it would give you goose bumps. I used to think there was gold in that water for the glittery flakes you would find all over your skin after a dip in the tea colored waters. You always had to be careful of where you took a swim because Cottonmouths, Water Moccasins, and Rattlesnakes enjoyed it's banks. The forest around it was loaded with wildlife. Deer, black bear, raccoons and squirrels could be seen around on a daily basis. Sometimes if you were lucky you would find an arrowhead or a railroad spike from the old logging rail that went down the side of the creek.

The old dirt road to the creek was a good hour walk from the neighborhood. I remember one spot on that road was always cold, even in the summer. So cold in fact we would run as fast as we could to get through it. Sometimes it felt like the temperature would drop from 99 to 50 degrees right there. Eventually I got curious as to why? Maybe it was another creek that nobody knew about, or a pond filled with fish, or maybe something else. Whatever it was I was gonna find out.

One June me and my best friend set out to find out. My grandfather told us not to, and told me the story of Chief Turn

Pilot on me!!