Snow down to 500 feet?

San Gabriel Valley ca. 1890
Pasadena Cal: C.J. Randall
Courtesy of the California History Room, California State Library, Sacramento

The San Gabriel Mountains, our city's dominant scenic assets, are spectacular when snow capped. But, what if it snowed in the city too? I just heard on the radio that the snow level tomorrow might get down to 1,000 - 1,500 feet. Then, I read where snow might go down to 500 feet elevation.

This from Accuweather: "Snow is on tap for even some valleys of the L.A. Basin this weekend.... Saturday is when rain showers in the L.A. Basin are expected to start mixing with and changing to snow at elevations down to 1,000 to 1,500 feet. However, in a heavier shower Saturday afternoon or evening, snow could fall all the way down to areas at 500 feet in elevation, including some valleys."

So what is Pasadena's elevation? Well, the elevation at City Hall is 864 feet above sea level. But, elevations on the city's north-western and north-eastern edges exceed 1,000 feet. Will we get snow?

Update 8:20 am Saturday morning:   Heavy rain last night and this morning, but no sign of snow.  For now, mountains are covered in clouds.  We have intermittent sun.  Cable was down until moments ago.

From this morning's LA Times:  "The storm was expected to pass into Southern California around sunrise Saturday, bringing snow to levels as low as 1,500 feet. Snowflakes could fall on the the Santa Monica Mountains, in the Antelope and the Santa Clarita valleys, and in the higher elevations on the northern edge of the San Fernando Valley...  As for foothill communities like La Crescenta and Altadena, "absolutely, they'll be getting some snow for sure, at least a dusting of it," [meteorologist Curt] Kaplan said.

Update 9:30 am:    Had a blast of hail about an hour ago.  Usually the hail melts away when it hits the ground, but this stuff is staying and we have white drifts of hail around the yard and on the roof.  Being southern Californians, we naturally ran around outside while the hail fell.  I saw neighbors doing the same.   The white on the ground look like snow, but alas is hail. 

Blood Orange

Blood oranges are my current citrus favorite. I think I ate most of the fruit our small tree produced this year.

There is an East Pasadena connection to the blood orange. Abbot Kinney, who spent his first night here sleeping on the pool table of the Sierra Madre Villa Hotel, was known throughout the state for the blood oranges grown at his Kinneloa Ranch.

Over the Fence at Sunset

Roof tops, palm trees, some power lines, a few oaks and a January sky at sunset.

Sierra Madre Villa Metro Station

Sunrise from the bridge over the 210 to the Sierra Madre Villa Metro Station.

Friday morning I decided to take the Metro to Civic Center in downtown Los Angeles. It's a short drive to the Sierra Madre Villa Metro Station. The station, of course, is named after Sierra Madre Villa Avenue, which is named after the old Sierra Madre Villa Hotel.

Looking southeast from the station's platform.

The whole thing was very easy. Short drive to the station. Easy parking. Three bucks round trip. Transfer at Union Station from Gold Line to Red Line was really easy -- just follow the crowd of people. Saved $20 in parking. I'll do this more often.

2011 Rose Parade Presented by Honda - Business Big and Small

Here's the Honda float entry parked for post parade viewing at the intersection of Washington and Sierra Madre Blvds. Pasadena's dominant scenic asset, The San Gabriel Mountains, provide the majestic backdrop.

This was the first year of parade sponsorship. The official name of the parade and parade logo now include the name Honda. Though part of me recoils at the thought of more giant corporate sponsorship of anything, I suppose I can't really fault the venerable Tournament -- I'm sure Honda forked over a pretty penny for all that advertising.

And, after all, the Rose Parade is big business.

According to a USC Biz School study, Tournament of Roses events positively impact the economy to the tune of $178 million.

But, the Rose Parade is also small business.

The parade gives many local folks the chance to make a few extra bucks in their front yard. This table was set up in front of a house on Sierra Madre Blvd. where tens of thousands of people stroll by viewing the floats after the parade. Other people were selling stuff in front of their homes too -- water, juice, warm weather clothing, food. Parking you see everywhere. It is not unusual to see front yards packed with cars parked for a ten or twenty dollar bill.

This house on the corner of Sierra Madre Blvd. and Paloma (right at the end of the parade) turned their front yard into an outdoor restaurant.

Makes me want to go back for some homemade tamales.

By day's end, crowds of people were still walking on Sierra Madre Blvd. near the float viewing. New Years day in Pasadena is a long and fun day for visitors and locals alike.

This was the first time in many years I did not go to the parade. I was among the many locals working (kind of) during the parade and post parade. My son and I were out this morning helping our boy scout troop raise funds by parking cars. So, this year I saw the flyover (why was the B2 flying so high this year?) and watched a little of Bob and Stephanie on Channel 5. But, I didn't get to do the photos and commentary I enjoyed doing for the 2010 and 2009 parades. Late today, I made up for missing the parade by walking along Sierra Madre Blvd. to view the floats.

Hastings Ranch Christmas Lights

Merry Christmas from East Pasadena. Rain delayed our annual tour of the Hastings Ranch neighborhood. But, earlier this week we had a chance to make the normal rounds. This display on Ranch Top Rd. was one of the religious theme winners.

Every year I marvel at the displays in Hastings Ranch. The displays themselves are fun. But, to me the most amazing thing about it is the show of neighborliness. There are 1100 homes in this neighborhood and, driving around, it looks like nearly all of them participate. Remarkable. Really, where else have you seen so many neighbors pulling together to present such a show?

They've done this since the 1950's. More than 50 years of neighbors coming together to put on Christmas displays. What a great tradition.

Upper Hastings Ranch (north of Sierra Madre Blvd.) was largely developed in the early 1950's. Modestly priced homes were offered on favorable terms and young families clamored to get in. According to longtime Ranch resident and current mayor, Kathy Gregg, the neighborhood was known as Rabbit Hill due to the number of children.

The folks of Rabbit Hill were a congenial bunch. With all the kids around, they started coordinating displays at Christmas time. Kathy says the whole thing got started with luminarias (paper bags and votive candles) lined up along parkways.

Turns out some in the neighborhood were Hollywood types and took things to the next level. Last year Pasadena Adjacent (I'm astonished at what they know over there) commented that set designers helped get the displays started. Apparently the designers' creativity combined with lots of community spirit to produce Christmas displays that were set up along the neighborhood's parkways. Wikipedia says the whole tradition was in place by 1957.

Christmas at the Sierra Madre Villa Hotel -- 1878

Sierra Madre Villa Hotel, ca. 1886, Carleton E. Watkins
Courtesy of the California History Room
California State Library, Sacramento, California

Let's set the scene.

The year was 1878 and it was Christmas-time at the Sierra Madre Villa Hotel. Only five years earlier, noted painter William Cogswell had purchased 473 acres of wild mesa land in the vicinity of present day Eaton Canyon Golf Course. After Cogswell's purchase, the hard work began and the property was soon transformed into one of the west coast's preeminent resorts.

Cogswell's son-in-law, William Porter Rhoades, supervised the work and was the proprietor of the hotel. Rhoades was captivated by the Villa's setting in the foothills of what were locally known as the Sierra Madre or Mother Mountains. And you can imagine the magic he saw as he looked south -- green orchards and vineyards stretching out in the valleys below and ocean views in the distance. He wanted to create the most beautiful spot in southern California.

Rhoades embarked on an ambitious scope of work. He hired 75 Chinese workers, whom he housed on site in a bunk house. They cleared the land of chaparral that was reportedly so dense a rabbit couldn't pass through it. They piped water down from Davis Falls to the property, built a reservoir, installed irrigation and then planted the orchard and vineyard.

Rhoades hired a carpenter to build a house for his family, which is pictured above and is the subject of an earlier post. By 1877, the 20-room Sierra Madre Villa Hotel was completed. The hotel provided luxury accommodations for the day -- boasting running water to each room, a wide veranda and spectacular views. Rhoades kept the Chinese workers on as hotel staff and to maintain the Villa property.

Now, Rhoades and his wife, Jennie, had children including a young son named William Lauren Rhoades. The younger Rhoades grew up at the Villa and later recounted his memories in a short book titled The History of the Famous Sierra Madre Villa Hotel. In his book, the younger Rhoades describes Christmas at the Sierra Madre Villa Hotel in the late 1870's.

From The History of the Famous Sierra Madre Villa Hotel by William Lauren Rhoades:

When Christmas time rolled around the real fun began. I will describe a typical Christmas day in the late seventies. The day before Christmas was one of excitement for all were preparing the gifts, some driving into Los Angeles, a thirty mile drive, to get the last few gifts needed and to shop for all the rest and only about two dry goods stores, two book stores and a few other places to purchase but that made it all the more exciting. There was a tree to sit up fully nineteen feet high, that was the height of the ceiling, and a spread of branches in proportion. Then the trimmings, popping the corn and putting on the cornucopias, hanging the glass balls and the angel on the top. That day the Chinese boy, Sam, made mysterious trips to Mother's room with packages coming from the servants and Chinese on the ranch.

Christmas morning was always the opening of an eventful day. I well recall Christmas of 1878. After breakfast I was taken out to the front of the house and there stood my donkey, which was given me two years before to ride and I named her after my Mother, Jennie, and there she was hitched up to a two wheeled cart made to order with a swell leather seat, the running gear was painted red and the body black, the harness was black with shining brass buckles. The guests all stood round enjoying my delight. I took Mother in at once and we drove off in style and many were the happy days I had with the children at the Villa in that turnout.

Christmas morning the coach that ran to the San Gabriel Southern Pacific Railroad Station daily for the mail and passengers, was ready to take any who might wish to go to the Episcopal Church in San Gabriel, as was the custom on Sundays. Then the day passed and all were in readiness for the big event in the evening with the Christmas tree.

Rhoades goes on to describe the evening festivities. The Rhoades family, Chinese workers and hotel guests all participated. To the guests' delight, the Chinese workers would enter the hotel parlor with a flourish. Dressed in fine silks, their heads were freshly shaved with their "cues" hanging down their backs and red ribbons braided into their hair. They came bearing gifts of sweet lichi nuts, ginger and dainty cakes. In turn, the workers were presented with a fattened pig for roasting. It must have been quite a show.

The evening also included traditional Christmas carols after which the tree was "stripped."