I’ve been exploring the Gabrielino Trail for the past few years, and even more so over the past year since the Eaton fire has led to many other local trails being closed off. And while doing the hike, I’ve heard people reference “the waterfall” along the trail as a spot worth visiting.

Last weekend, I decided to carve out the time and go on my waterfall quest, especially since rainstorms were predicted and would make Arroyo Seco impassable for the next month. I packed my hiking pole, snacks, plenty of water, and parked by JPL (Altadena), a popular starting point for many hikers, joggers, bicyclists, and horse-riders. Instead of turning around at about two miles as I (and most people) usually do, I continued onward along the base of the Angeles National Forest that was once home for the Hahamong’na tribe in Glendale, Pasadena, South Pasadena, and Highland Park and stretches for almost 30 miles.

After about 3.5 miles, my feet were soaking wet. I had crossed the river at least six times, and even with stones in the stream and my pole, I had to wade through some sections of the river. When I reached the fork at the Paul Little Picnic Area, I asked a hiker which direction I should take to find the waterfall. They pointed towards a path and told me that it was five minutes away.

I took the turn and found myself facing a 81-foot concrete wall with water gushing from above – I had reached the Brown Mountain Dam, water controlled by humans, and not the natural fall that I was seeking. Later, I learned that if I’d taken the fork and gone uphill, I would have had an ariel view of the “waterfall” and could have continued along the longer trail. I also learned that the dam was built in 1943, and was part of the US Forest Service’s Los Angeles River Watershed Program. The project failed because of the structure’s inability to retain water. Today, the concrete wall stands as a reminder of the ineffectiveness of human action to control water – or nature.

Though I didn’t spend much time at the dam, I found other entry points to the Arroyo Seco, a stream that I have grown to love. The trail along the Gabrielino Trail is open (not fenced the way it is in Pasadena), and I was able to relax by the stream and enjoy the cliffs, river, and rocks as well as the rich foliage – live oak, sycamore, wild sage, agave, and more. And though the “waterfall” was not what I expected, the journey was worth it.

I’ve been off my blog for three years for a variety of reasons, but this hike inspired me to document and post.

Ironically, my last blog post, September 2022, was about water – the severe flooding in Sindh, Pakistan. At a time when climate change and climate-related loss and devastation are real, and as parts of the world are losing access to drinking water, the need to understand how to harness natural energy, reduce climate change, and channel fresh water remain urgent issues. The Brown Mountain Dam and the concrete walls along the LA River serve as reminders of the destruction humans can cause.