Ninth Annual Hike Into History
Saturday, Oct. 2nd
Pancake Breakfast to Benefit Pack Station, Lizzie's Trail Inn Historical Exhibits, John Robinson Q. and A., Postal Stamp Cancellation at Lizzie's to Replace Hike Into History due to Forest Closure.
The Sierra Madre Pioneer Days Hike Into History (to Steil's Camp from the Mt. Wilson Observatory) scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 2, at the top of Mt. Wilson was canceled, due to high fire hazard conditions on the mountain. The Sierra Madre Pioneer Days Association complied with the notice issued by the U.S. Forest Service that the Angeles National Forest was closed. Instead of the events as planned for the top of Mount Wilson, the publicwas invited to a “Charley Chantry Style” Pancake Bbreakfast and Open House at Lizzie’s Trail Inn. Lizzie’s Trail Inn is a small, primitive mountain museum located at “the foot of Mt. Wilson Trail” in Sierra Madre. Saturday morning’s events focused on a pancake breakfast to raise funds for the We Um Attaxxum Pack Station. The commercial industry of the packing of mountain supplies up and down the mountain by mules and burros is a significant part of early Sierra Madre history. The pack trains started hauling supplies on Mount Wilson on the Mount Wilson Trail in 1864. The We Um Attaxxum Pack Station originally began operation in Sierra Madre and moved to Chantry Flat in 1937. It has served the owners of the cabins in Little Santa Anita Canyon ever since, bringing in supplies that the owners can not carry themselves. It is stated to be the oldest (and last) active year round supply line pack station in the United States. When the mountain is closed due to high fire hazard or poor road conditions, there is no income for the pack station. All money donated ($1,400) was donated to the Pack Station to use to feed the pack train animals during the closure, so that the Pack Station might survive despite the closure. During the Pancake breakfast events, attendees had an opportunity to meet John Robinson, San Gabriel mountain historian and author of the book Sierra Madre’s Old Mount Wilson Trail. From 11 am –12 noon, the U. S Post Office cancelled mail posted at Lizzie’s TraiI Inn with a special "Steil's Camp" postal cancellation celebrating Sierra Madre mountain history. The world-famous Sierra Madre Search and Rescue team was on hand to display rescue equipment. Mike Pauro provided entertainment with his famous “celestial fiddle”.
A special thank you Michael Bratakos at Corfu restaurant for donating ALL the food, coffee and orange juice. Be sure to thank him next time you stop in.
Click on a photo to enlarge it.
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Line for pancakes early on |
SMPDA volunteers greet arrivals |
Boy Scout Troop 110 sets up postal station for ninth year in a row |
Ditto |
The table is autographed and stamped each year, becoming a piece of history itself |
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Ditto |
Fiddler Mike Pauro provided entertainment |
Lizzie's Trail Inn was open, visitor plays with Kilroy pinball machine |
Trail Inn memorabilia. That's Lizzie in the picture under the Eastside neon sign |
Backpack from a burro named Pinky, long since gone |
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T-shirts from previous hikes |
More memorabilia. Again, that's Lizzie herself in pic next to chalkboard |
Troop 110, still setting up |
Crowd shot |
Ditto |
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Dr. Bill White escorts Lila Adams, widow of Bill Adams, former owner of the pack station |
Kim Kelley, current owner of the pack station, arrives with a donkey named Slim to carry the mail |
Kim is greeted by Dr. White as Terry Miller gets set to shoot a photo |
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Another shot of Mike Pauro |
Slim gets busy on hay, good thing or we'd have run out of pancakes |
John Robinson chats with the crowd |
Dr. Bill White emcees |
Event was very well attended, as evidenced by the line, which moved quickly |
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Kim Kelley (in overalls), current pack station owner, and Lila Adams (in red), former owner |
Youngsters pet Slim |
Crowd shot |
Youngster hops up in the saddle |
Search and Rescue displayed some of its equipment |
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Michael Deak applies special commemorative seal to mail |
City Councilmember John Buchanan picks up his envelope |
Search and Rescue's Tom Sales chats with John Robinson |
Troop 110 and Dr. White in an image badly altered to show shaded faces |
Ditto |
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Envelope with special Steil's Camp seal |
Kim Kelley gets ready to lead Slim with the mail |
Off to the Sierra Madre Post Office |
Ditto |
Mail arrives at Post Office, photo by Dr. Bill White |
Final crowd shot,
photo by Dr. Bill White
Here are some links to photos from past Hikes into History
2002 - Angeles Crest Closed, festivities at Lizzie's Trail Inn - Photos provided by Dr. Bill White
2000 - Orchard Camp - Photos by Denny Barry
1999 - Sturtevant Camp - Photos by Jeff Lapides
Our Sincere Thanks to our Sponsors
Gold Level
Visit Lizzie's Trail Inn
Visit the Sierra Madre Historical Archives
Past Year Recent Pioneer Days Photo/Video Archives
| 2003 | 2002 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 |
Some other upcoming Sierra Madre events of interest
Huck Finn Day March
SMVFA Easter Egg Hunt April
Sierra Madre Friends of the Library Art Fair May
Sierra Madre Surf Club Annual Luau June
Mater Dolorosa Passionist Father's Retreat House Fiesta June
Fourth of July July
American Cancer Society Relay for Life Sept
Sierra Madre Pioneer Days Logo Artwork Copyright Aimee Dozois, 1997
Web design and maintenance donated by The Coburn Group
Sierra Madre Pioneer Days Association Mission Statement
The specific purpose for which this nonprofit corporation is organized is the planning and implementation of informative, historically significant, and entertaining activities with the goal of educating our community and interested members of surrounding foothill communities about Sierra Madre's captivating past.
