Glendale is fortunate to be in the cradle of the Verdugo Mountains to the north, the San Gabriels to the far north, the San Rafael Hills to the east, and the Los Angeles River to the south. As the sun sets on even the hottest days, a cooling breeze drifts down to the base of each of these ranges, providing comfort in the evening hours. An additional benefit is the enjoyment of the many hiking trails in these regions, each offering its own special viewpoint at the summit or the end of a trek. Here users can experience vistas that stretch out to the sea, the far ends of the Valley, or into Long Beach, Palos Verdes and Orange County.

The financial collapse of 2008 pressured the City of Glendale to dismantle its park ranger system in these areas, leaving over 30 miles of fire roads and 7.5 miles of single track trails unobserved for the hundreds of hikers, joggers, dog-walkers and mountain bikers who use them each day. To resolve this, Marc Stirdivant of the Community Services and Parks Dept. created the Trail Safety Patrol. Operated by 25-30 volunteers who, like Stirdivant, love the outdoors, TSP members travel in pairs or trios on any given day to help hikers with maps, directions, water and first aid (if needed) while assisting the city in graffiti removal and trash pick-up.

After volunteers are trained by fire and police department personnel and taught the natural history and rules and regulations of the parks and wilderness areas of these mountains, they are, in a sense, endowed with the pride of a park ranger, whether on foot or on a trail bike. At Stirdivant’s suggestion, a trail log is completed after each hike, which becomes part of the city record, so that issues are on a clear path to follow-up and solution. Stirdivant is so well-respected that his coterie includes volunteer professionals eager to work with him, such as Jeff Weinstein on night hikes, Dr. Alan Adams on medicinal plant hikes, and Karen Buehler on trail maintenance outings.

Stirdivant, who, with his mustache and beard looks more like a diplomat than a hiker, recently announced he is stepping down from the trails and open space program and is turning over daily duties to a former TSP member Deveron Shudic.

To honor Stirdivant’s service, volunteers are asked to give some of their time to the Trail Safety Patrol program.

For more information about the program, contact Deveron Schudic at DShudic@Glendaleca.gov.

Written by Peter RUSCH