Jeff Folschinsky's Blog, page 16
February 20, 2018
Mythical Dr. Seuss: A Writing Challenge — Eclectic Voices
This month our writers were challenged – children’s book style. They had to take a Greek or Norse myth and rewrite it in the form of Dr. Seuss. Read below for what came of it! Thanks to writer Mark Bate for supplying the challenge. ____________________________________________ Go Sisyphus, Go! By Jeff Folschinsky My name is Sisyphus, […]
via Mythical Dr. Seuss: A Writing Challenge — Eclectic Voices
February 10, 2018
January 28, 2018
January 13, 2018
January 7, 2018
Hiking to The Echo Mountain House and Lowe Railway
Excited to find the beginning of the Sam Merrill Trailhead, Tyler starts us on our journey to find the trail to the ruins of the Echo Mountain House and Lowe Railway, located in Alta Dena California.
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If we wern’t sure before, we sure are now. We found the trail.
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And off we go! Only three miles to the top!
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Three miles to the top doesn’t sound like a big deal. But the trail is at a constaint incline. It is what Tyler calls a “Pay For It Now, not Later” Trail, so we need a few rest breaks
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Breaks over. Lets get a move on.
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The trails were pretty narrow so you had to be careful when passing oncoming hikers
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We’re almost there, just a little further.
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Tyler: Hey, if we walk just an additional two miles, we can see inspiration point. Don’t you want to be inspired.
Jeff: No. Not for two additional miles.
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We made it! We made it!
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The first stop at the Echo Mountian House and Lowe Railway was the ruins of the Casino and Tennis court. Now turned into a picnic area
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Tyler being the good hiking master that he is discovered the stairs down to the ruins of the Casino and Tennis court.
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The ruins of the Echo Mountain House Casino area.
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Tyler has found the next area, the Lowe Railway.
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The Mount Lowe Railway a railway that went up the side of Echo Mountain to bring guest to the hotel.
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Some pictures on what the railway used to look like.
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A rusted out bottom of one of the old railway cars.
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The three rail tracks that the railway cars would use to reach their destination at the top of Echo Mountain.
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Old bases that would hold the track up, can still be seen on the side of the mountain.
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Old gears litter the ground around the old railway.
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Tyler admiring one of the old giant railway gears laying on the ground. He doens’t know if it’s art, but he thinks that he likes it.
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Historical marker commemorating the people who built the Echo Mountain House and Lowe Railway.
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Tyler guilding us to the ruins of the Echo Mountian House. Which was destroyed when a kitchen fire broke out and couldn’t be contained.
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Foundation of the Echo Mountain House.
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Pieces of the structure stick out of the ground. Providing a rough outline of what the structure used to look like.
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More pieces of the structure sticking out of the ground.
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A pit that looks like it was a water collection area or possibly a pool for the Echo Mountain House.
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Tyler just taking it all in.
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Echo phone that you can use to call out to the mountains and see how many times you can get your voice to echo.
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Tyler decided to give the Echo Phone a try.
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Echo Mountain House and the Sam Merrill trail is a favorite destination for hiking groups around the Los Angeles California area.
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Tyler getting us ready to the hike back down the hill. Which was more pleasent than the trip up it.
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But first Tyler is going to take in the view one last time.
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And it is a marvelous view from Echo Mountain House. You can see all of Alta Dena, Pasadena, and off in the distance you can even see Downtown Los Angeles.
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Before we leave though, Tyler has decided to show this hike who’s in charge. And with that I bid you farewell.


