Mountaineer Progress Newspaper

By Morgan Owen

Timed perfectly amidst one of the largest storms to hit California this year, Wrightwood Historical Society President Lauren Kozyra took to the museum’s archives to teach about the three most notable mudslides in Wrightwood throughout the 20th century.
The first major mudflow of the 20th century took place in 1941. At that time, Wrightwood was a much smaller community, consisting of about 390 residences. In her talk, Kozyra presented a Mountaineer Progress article from 1970 where G.S. Corpe recounts his first-hand account of the 1941 mudslide.
“At first, no one realized what a potent deal Nature was about to hand us… On Thursday, May 8, 1941, no one was worried, and people thought it would be easily controlled. But each hour, the flow increased and soon was moving with irresistible force! It soon got to tearing out rocks as big as a house and trees 30 inches in diameter,” wrote Corpe.
Corpe’s account continues to recount the events of the mudflow lasting until May 17, when the flow began to ease. In his account, Corpe states there was a snowpack of 60 feet on Blue Ridge.
The culprit of these mudflows is the Heath Canyon Fan, or what Wrightwoodians will know better as Heath Creek. At the top of the Heath Canyon Fan lie deposits from the Wright Mountain Landslide, one of Wrightwood’s most prominent visual landmarks. Geologists have dated the slide to about 500 years old based on the Jeffrey Pines in the area.
When storms roll through Wright Mountain, or when there is a series of particularly wet winters, remnants from the Wright Mountain Landslide flow down Heath Creek into town, creating a mudflow of cement-like sediment.
The second major mudflow Kozyra found records of was the 1965 mudflow. County records show that 450,000 cubic yards of debris flowed through Wrightwood in 1965. While the 1941 mudflow saw 1.2 million cubic yards of debris, the 1965 mudflow was far more destructive, as Wrightwood had grown in size.
The mudflow destroyed eight homes, and Lone Pine Canyon Road was split in two, resulting in the two-segmented Lone Pine Canyon Road as we know it today. There were no casualties, as the community had already been evacuated by the time the homes were destroyed.
The San Bernardino Sun wrote “one street no longer exists, and most of another is a collection of mud and rocks. The mud flowed like lava… Mud at least eight feet deep obliterated the landscape.” The account continues to describe furniture strewn throughout the streets and houses buried to the ceiling in mud. Kozyra then surprised viewers with footage of the 1965 mudflow.
In 1966, because of the 1965 mudflow, the county decided to rechannel Heath Creek to make the town safer in the event of future mudflows. Today, you can see the fruits of that effort in the Heath Creek Wash that cuts through the East side of town.
The next mudflow took place in 1978, but because of the work done to deepen and widen Heath Creek, much of the destruction seen in the previous two mudflows was avoided. Although some of the flow exceeded the area of Heath Creek, the fire department was able to successfully divert the flow away from two homes.
If you would like to see the evidence of these historical mudflows, you can hike up Long Pine Canyon Road to see where the 1965 mudflow destroyed the road. You can also hike up to the top of Heath Creek Wash to see the levee installed to protect the town.
Mudflows are a regular phenomenon common to Wrightwood, with a small flow occurring at least once a year. However, thanks to the wash, Wrightwoodians feel few of the effects of this natural occurrence.

Speaking and Book Signing Event, October 1
By Vicky Rinek

The Wrightwood Friends of the Library invite the community to an upcoming public forum, subject: Wrightwood COVID Reflections: Personal Histories of the Pandemic.
Contributing writers to the book will read their essays, answer questions, and sign the book.
The forum will be held in Wrightwood on October 1, 2022, at 2:30 p.m. at the Community Building. Admission is free to all people of all ages. Attendees will be encouraged to bring their books for the contributing authors to sign; if they do not yet have a book, they can buy one to have signed.
Over the past two years, everyone practiced social distancing and stayed home, and we all experienced isolation and loneliness to some degree. COVID dramatically changed our lives and relationships over the past years. Schools were closed, and in-home learning replaced the classroom. A band of public gatherings was mandatory. Local businesses found it challenging to keep their operation financially stable or close their doors because of the pandemic. Many were asked not to come to work, work at home, or lose their job. Sadly a few families in the community fell ill or died. Whether you’ve suffered in the past year or been lucky enough to escape the worst of it, we all heard stories from friends and loved ones. There were students locked down at university, essential workers forced to serve the public with inadequate PPE, and a son who couldn’t visit his dying father in a care home …. Recovery was slow due to soaring inflation and ongoing supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic.
These are the stories of COVID in Wrightwood. This book is filled with essays by people living in Wrightwood and how they continued to push on in face of COVID-19.
The Wrightwood Friends of the Library has documented the drama of this epidemic in the Wrightwood COVID Reflections: Personal Histories of the Pandemic. Members of the Wrightwood Community expressed their experiences during this time period.
You are encouraged to join the Wrightwood Friends of the Library for this significant event.
Questions please email:  wrightwoodlibrary friends@gmail.com. 

Phelan Elementary School Peace Patrol

February 27, 2020

By Michael Palecki

For younger students at Phelan Elementary School, adjusting to educational curriculum and developing social skills sometimes presents difficulties. When conflicts arise and interfere with a positive interaction of classmates on the playground and cafeteria, members of the Peace Patrol intercede. These fourth and fifth graders have been trained on restorative circles, peer mediation, peaceful solutions, and being role models on the campus at all times.
While conflicts exist in everyone’s lives, learning how to resolve differences early on makes for a stronger person. Peace Patrol members are not involved in physical disputes, but will attempt to resolve an issue before it gets to the physical level.
Under the supervision of School Counselor Judi Skillman, selected fourth- and fifth-grade students go through an application process and need to get approval from parents, teachers, and Skillman before being invited to go through two days of training. After the training, they sign up for shifts to help younger students out on the playground and cafeteria. Peace Patrol students give up their recess and are responsible for all the classwork they miss during their shift.
Recently, to culminate Phelan Elementary School’s participation in International Kindness Week, Peace Patrol members performed a “Kindness Clean-up Act of Kindness” in partnership with Scott Brown, President of High Desert Keepers. Brown provided students with trash pinchers, buckets, and trash bags which were donated by Mike Troeger of Mountain Hardware. With the help of a few parent volunteers as well, the task at hand was to focus on trash that blows in from the desert on the Stater Bros.’ side of the school and builds up against the playground fence.
In less than one hour, students collected more than a dozen bags of trash. Collected items included dumped cans of paint, cardboard, and fast-food wrappers. According to Skillman, “One lucky student found a dollar bill.” Resolving disputes before they escalate and cleaning up their neighborhood, Peace Patrol students donate their time for a better learning experience and better community.

Mythical story of lost gold in Pinon Hills
from the archives of the Mountaineer Progress Newspaper
According to legend, the story of secret gold buried in the hills above Pinon Hills has been told for hundreds of years. The myth of the treasure continues and treasure hunters still search for signs of the hidden gold.
The story goes:  Jesuit priests arrived in New Spain (Baja California) in the 16th century, planning to convert indigenous people into the Catholic Faith.  The first mission was built in 1697. Between 1697 and 1746, the Jesuits founded 16 missions and many vistas. The missions were not rich by any stretch, in fact during the Jesuit period they were very poor. The Jesuit priests worked the fields and had actively evangelized the indigenous peoples. Their main activity involved educating elite criollo (American-born Spanish) men, many of whom themselves became Jesuits. Rumors were spread that the Jesuits were keeping riches acquired in California (gold, silver) and not sharing it with the king.
The story continues: Jesuits discovered gold in California and they created fine pieces for their altars. Priceless items, thought to make up the mythical lost gold, included bars, coins, plates, cups, and crosses. Their inventory of treasures were not only symbols of their worships but were used to paid their workers for construction of their missions.
In late June 1767, the Spanish King order a decree that all Jesuits be expelled from California. Soldiers removed the 678 Jesuits from their 16 missions and 32 vistas in Baja California. No Jesuit, no matter how old or ill, could be excepted from the king’s decree. Many died on the trek along the cactus-studded trail to the Gulf Coast port of Veracruz, where ships awaited them to transport them to Italian exile.
Due to the isolation of the Spanish missions in Alta California the expulsion decree did not arrive until December 1767.  The Jesuits received word from an explorer about what was happening in Baja California, so the Jesuits collected their gold and headed up to the high desert. They hid their gold and silver in a cave in the foothills (believed to be in the area now known as Pinon Hills) and created a landslide to hide the entrance.
They returned to their mission and waited for the Spanish solders to arrive. Spanish solders were ordered to confiscate their gold and bring it back to Spain. The 16 priests continued their work and tended their gardens. When Visitador General from Spain, Jose de Galvez, arrived he was shocked to see the poverty at the missions. Other than altar pieces and paintings that adorned the Jesuit churches, there was not much else that could be called ‘treasure’. The mission was abandoned and the 16 Jesuit priests were taken prisoner and sent to Spanish exile and the knowledge of the buried treasure went with them.
Hope you enjoyed reading about the mythical story of the lost gold in Pinon Hills.

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Mountaineering Mayor
by Carol Bishop

Robert Chacon is an ultimate Tri-Community resident.  Having graduated from the Snowline school system, he worked for a number of years at Mountain High - rising to the level of VP of Operations. Two years ago, he returned to SJUSD, but this time as its risk manager.  Currently he holds that position along with the added responsibilities of public relations and marketing. Together with his wife and two children, he lives in a part of the Tri-Community that the post office considers Wrightwood, the water company deems Pinon Hills, and Edison says is Phelan. He volunteers with LA County Search and Rescue and is the Honorary Mayor of Phelan - even though he missed the induction ceremony because he was climbing Mt. Aconcagua.
About a dozen years ago, Robert and a fellow ski patrol member at Mountain High met and began hiking, rock climbing, ice climbing, and back country skiing together. Trevor Samorajski - also a Tri-Community resident - and Robert realized they were a good team and confirmed it by climbing Mt. Whitney via the mountaineers’ route. Three miles up the trail from Whitney Portal, a technical route breaks off. Ascending in spring, climbers must use ropes, crampons, ice axes, and other snow gear. With Mt. Whitney under their belts, they headed for Washington. Robert reports that there’s a common progression in the climbing world, and once they’d done Whitney, they thought they might as well attempt Mt. Rainier.
That climb consisted of glacier travel. Challenging themselves by hiking unguided and unsupported, Robert and Trevor covered the glacier and its crevasses using special two-person rope systems. After a successful summiting, Robert says that Denali was the next in line. Two tries and one big toe (Trevor’s - lost due to frostbite) later, the twosome had reached the top of their first of the Seven Summits.
The Seven Summits is a mountaineering challenge where one climbs the highest mountain of each of the seven continents. Because of a disagreement as to what should be included as Australia’s mountain - the mainland small Koschiuszko or the New Guinea-located Puncak Jaya - the challenge is sometimes referred to as the 7/8 Summits. Along with Denali, Robert and Trevor have already climbed Kilimanjaro in Africa and Aconcagua in South America.  
Unlike many climbers, these two take on responsibility for all aspects of their adventures.  Usually beginning two years in advance, they secure necessary permits and start saving for their expenses. Arranging to get themselves and their gear - up to 150 pounds each - to the beginning of the trail is often no easy fete. They are considering climbing Everest from the China side to keep costs down; they’re not sure how they’ll get to Mt. Elbrus because it’s in Russia’s “No travel for Americans zone.”
Once they’ve decided which summit, they spend hours on GoogleEarth. They learn and memorize the route. Familiarizing themselves with the landscape and the trail, they determine what gear they’ll need. Puncak Jaya in New Guinea is a very technical rock climb requiring very different equipment from say, Kilimanjaro. Planning also includes finding the best time of year to scale a mountain and the number of days necessary to do so, including extra days for bad weather.
When they summit faster than expected, the guys make the most of the remaining time.  In Tanzania (Kilimanjaro), they hiked and camped in the Serengeti. In Argentina (Aconcagua), they enjoyed the famous wine and meat so much that Robert, for the first time after a major climb, came home the same weight as when he left.
With plans for Koschiuszko and Puncak Jaya (working to hit all seven summits no matter what list is used) in March of 2020, Robert and Trevor have time to plan, save money, make arrangements, and go on about their daily lives. Along with being a father and a husband, Robert will also be out and about performing his PR and marketing duties for SJUSD or in his role as the Honorary Mayor of Phelan. Life is one adventure after another for this very busy man.