About This Event
DATE CHANGED TO MONDAY - VIP Club members only. Off trail hike to early 1900s chatsworth water source. Experienced and adventurous hikers only. Hike will be about 5 miles with about 1500 ft total ascent. Exploratory part is about 2 miles. Long pants recommended
Not a VIP club member? Join here: http://vip.hikingwithdean.com/
Historical Background:
Our goal is to locate the spring mentioned by these Chatsworth pioneer families and any artifacts related to the water transport system
"After the erection of the church in 1903, there was no water on the grounds until N.A. Gray, who gave the property for the church, piped water from Hialeah Springs in the hills north of Chatsworth, about 1906" (from Katherine Johnson, The Chatsworth Citizen Thursday, May 2, 1963)
The old church was located at what is now 10051 Topanga Canyon Blvd.
“He [Gray] wanted the property up on the hill for the water. There was a big spring on the place and he wanted to move that water down to Chatsworth, which he did. He run a pipeline from the homestead, clear down to his property there where the old school used to be just across the street. He had a reservoir there and with this spring, the pressure, he drove beltin' wheel and that pumped the water out of this well so he didn't have to have a pump or anything.” (from Jess Graves, oral history, 14 December 1978)
The only remaining clue that marks the location of the Gray home at 22165 Lassen is the olive tree lined street along the front of the property.
I was able to locate the spring and an overgrown road using a topo map and aerial photo:
http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/8/6/3/2/highres_450514354.jpeg
Directions
To get to the trailhead: Take Route 118 to exit 32 for Rocky Peak Road (ten miles west of the 405 Freeway). At the end of the offramp turn into a small parking area just north of the freeway at the end of Rocky Peak Road. If the spaces by the trailhead are full, there is additional parking at the south end of the bridge over Route 118
