“Wild rivers are earth’s renegades, defying gravity, dancing to their own tunes, resisting the authority of humans, always chipping away, and eventually always winning.”
~ “River Gods” by American author and explorers
Richard Bangs and Christian Kallen

This last Saturday morning we at last made our way into Goss Canyon. The Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy’s La Crescenta 7.75-acre property, the Rosemont Preserve, held a program, Native Plants and Their Medicinal Uses led by Jim Adams, an associate professor of pharmacology at USC and a Chumash-trained healer. The weather cooperated with our plans; it was clear and sunny. Shaded areas along the trail demanded a jacket as the temperatures remained in the 50s. Mt. Lukens received a dusting of snow that night.

A real hidden gem, right in our backyard, is Goss Canyon. A season’s worth of rain only added to its luster as the grasses have grown lush and green, with some beginning to bloom. Local wildlife also made itself known on this spring-is-coming day. The resident herd of deer stayed out of sight. An occasional friendly coyote yip could be heard, echoing through the small canyon. Keeping pace with us, while maintaining his (or her) distance, a good sized bobcat walked along a rock ledge keeping a close eye on our activities within its domain. Among dense foliage was a water source – a stream to maintain the Preserve’s flora and fauna.

Hundreds of canyons are laced throughout the geography of the San Gabriel Mountains. Their formations create many of our weather conditions and accompanying disasters. The most notorious are the hot dry Santa Ana winds. The more relevant at this time of year is orographic lifting. As storms move in, clouds and water-saturated air masses hit the mountains; they are lifted causing the water droplets to condense. An abundance of rainfall results, often within a very short time. Santa Anas bring fire and heavy rains bring floods.

In last week’s Weather in The Foothills I featured the Hahamongna Watershed and Devil’s Gate Dam within the Arroyo Seco. The following – as promised – are a few interesting weather and history related details. Interestingly, the water from Goss Canyon eventually meets up with the Arroyo Seco water farther downstream.

The Arroyo Seco stream begins close to Mount Wilson and joins the LA River near Elysian Park. Although its name means “dry stream,” periodically it is inundated by torrential floods as rainwater flows down the erosion prone, steep San Gabriel Mountains. History tells of destruction and loss of lives during heavy rainfall years. Over the years much has been done to hold, channel and divert these unpredictable waters.  Man versus nature seems ongoing.

If you like the weather today, Thursday, your happiness will continue. It is evident spring is coming; in just three weeks, on March 20, it begins. A short-lived warm-up is expected through Friday, but overall temperatures will continue to be cool and breezy, with days barely nudging past 70 degrees and nights remaining in the 40s. Although there is currently a break in this season’s active storm pattern, the rains have not dried up yet. During the month of March, we can typically expect another two-to-three inches. Sunday brings such a chance, as a low-pressure system moves in. Thus far meteorologists are not optimistic for much beyond a drop in temperature and cloudy skies.

Remember, spring is notorious for its showers!
Sue Kilpatrick is a
Crescenta Valley resident and
Official Skywarn Spotter for the
National Weather Service. Reach her at  suelkilpatrick@gmail.com.