High on promontory above the town of Altadena, CA, there once was a dazzling Victorian resort known as The White City in the Sky. This ‘city’ was comprised of a 40-room chalet, astronomical observatory, zoo, dormitories, dance hall, bowling alley, tennis courts, picnic areas, machine shops and, the jewel of the city, the palatial 70-room Echo Mountain House. The entire complex of buildings was painted a brilliant white to reflect the southern California sun. Situated as it was at the tip of Echo Mountain, the resort could be seen glowing against the backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains (then called the Sierra Madre Mountains) from downtown Los Angeles, some 13 miles distant. The resort was part of a series of hotels and taverns built to service the Mount Lowe Railway.

In 1900, a kitchen fire destroyed the Echo Mountain House, leaving only the foundation in its wake. The building had not been properly insured and thus was never rebuilt. In 1905, a second fire destroyed all the remaining buildings with the exception of the observatory. The incline railway powerhouse was rebuilt in 1906, but the rest of the property on Echo Mountain was left in ruins. In 1909, a flash flood destroyed the Rubio Pavilion hotel at the bottom of the funicular incline railway. The observatory held on until 1928 when a particularly strong Santa Ana wind blew the building down. The curator managed to escape moments before the collapse, taking the expensive telescope with him. Despite the catastrophes, the railway continued to operate under various owners, hauling passengers to the Mount Lowe Tavern (the renamed Ye Alpine Tavern) at Mount Lowe until 1936 when the tavern also succumbed to fire. The railway was now a line without a destination. As such, the railroad’s booster club organized one final excursion, and in December of 1937, the Mount Lowe Railway made its last public trek past the remains of the White City to the burnt ruins of the Mount Lowe Tavern. In March of the following year, a three-day thunderstorm washed the railroad itself from the mountain. What little remained of the buildings that once graced the promontory of Echo Mountain was declared a hazardous nuisance and blasted into history with dynamite by the US Forest Service between 1959 and 1962.

Hiking the wilderness areas surrounding Los Angeles provides intrepid trekers with sweeping mountain vistas, wildlife observation, quiet coves for personal reflection and a general escape from the hustle and bustle of big city living, though you may have to suffer through LA traffic in order to reach such nirvana. On occasion, you may also unexpectedly step into history. This recently occurred for me while making the climb up the wind swept grassy balds  of Oat Mountain. About halfway up the trail, the paved Browns Canyon Road, it passes through the remnants of an abandoned military facility constructed during the cold war, but with roots stretching back to World War II and the development of jet aircraft and nuclear weapons.

With the advent of jet fighters and bombers during the second world war, existing gun-based ant-aircraft batteries proved largely ineffective in combatting these new high speed, high altitude aircraft. In 1944, to counter this advance in weaponry, the US Army, in conjunction with Bell Laboratories, developed a line-of-sight anti-aircraft missile system called Project Nike (named after the Greek Goddess of Victory). The project’s goal was to acquire and track an incoming enemy plane should it evade Navy and Air Force resources and then launch and guide a defensive missile to the incoming target. This had never been attempted before and the complex Nike system required 3 separate yet integrated radar systems to achieve that result. Despite its promise, the system was largely considered a last ditch effort to prevent the enemy from delivering its payload as the initial effective range of the Nike Ajax missiles was only about 25 miles, but it marked the first time the US military attempted a strategic air defense of the country based on guided missiles, a safeguard that proactively sought out threats rather than one that simply threw up a barrage of projectiles hoping one would be lucky enough to intercept the target. The missiles later received an upgrade extending the range to about 100 miles and were given the designation Nike Hercules. Though the missiles were capable of carrying warheads of varying size in both conventional and nuclear explosives, the warheads on the US-based Nike missiles were almost entirely nuclear with an explosive rating of 20 Kilotons. By comparison, the bomb dropped over Hiroshima had an estimated explosive yield of only 16 KT.  Hiking the serene hills of Oat Mountain today, It is hard to imagine the fear and even paranoia that existed during the Cold War that would justify the detonation of a 20 KT nuclear weapon within 25 miles of Los Angeles, or any of the other 240 sites situated around the United States at the time for that matter, but it was the country's last line of defense for nearly 20 years. 

After a successful Nike test in November of 1951, the Army began deploy the system to defend strategic and tactical sites around the country. Sixteen such missile sites were established around Los Angeles to protect the city from Soviet attack beginning in 1956 and remained operational until the early 1970s. The Oat Mountain facility was part of this 'ring of defense' and was designated LA-88. Though LA-88 was closed in 1972, the site remained largely intact until a devastating wildfire swept through the area in 2008, destroying most of the buildings. What remains are mostly large concrete pads that once held barracks, mess halls and administrative offices and a large pad of pavement used as a basketball court. The launch area for the missiles is mostly bare, but the silo doors for the subterranean storage area for the missiles are still in place as is the substructure used to service the missiles.

What makes LA-88 unique is that the trail to the summit of Oat Mountain passes directly through the heart of the former missile complex, providing great views of the facility’s remains.  Though it is illegal to trespass on the grounds themselves, the open gates have invited many a hiker and more than a few ‘taggers’ to take a look around. There are a few outbuildings still standing on the southern side of the trail, including the guard shack and missile assembly building. On the north side of the trail, the base flagpole can be found still standing tall in a small garden. In more recent years, the site has been used by the LAPD for SWAT training exercises as evidenced by the shot up buses on the premises. On a recent visit, it was noted that an access panel to the missile storage area beneath the silo doors was open and metal rungs descended into the dark depths below.  

In 2006, Howard Rathbun, who served at LA-88, returned to his former base for a stroll down memory lane. He has written an interesting article with before and after pictures comparing the base’s operational phase with its derelict state that can be found here. Mr. Rathbun was fortunate to visit before the 2008 fire and found all the buildings to be intact at that time. The black and white photos you see here are courtesy of Mr. Rathbun and the Nike Historical Society.

The hike to Oat Mountain’s summit is worth it just for the views and the grassy, rolling hills, but the chance to literally walk through history makes this hike all the more interesting. Another Nike site has been partially preserved in the Santa Monica Mountains at San Vicente Park. Self-guided displays give visitors a look into the Nike Program and how it was used around the country and the still standing radar tower provides impressive views across the Santa Monica Mountains, the San Fernando Valley and the Los Angeles basin.

Learn more about Project Nike here.

Hiking and trekking into the wilderness for pleasure is a fairly recent human endeavor, though some still doubt pleasure can be found in huffing up a steep mountain incline or wading through ice cold streams while a blistering sun beats down on you from above.  In fact for most people prior to the start of the 20th Century, spending the day walking the perimeter of a canyon was absolute folly.  Wilderness areas had few, if any, roads or developed trails for recreational purposes.  What few existed were meant for more practical things like hunting and trapping.  Discovery of gold might bring a sudden influx of settlers, but the backcountry was still an area to be exploited, not enjoyed.

In the late 1800’s there was a shift in the way society perceived the wild lands beyond the growing urban sprawl of America’s cities.  This change was spurred in part by health concerns over the close quarters and polluted conditions in which many urbanites were forced to live.  The country offered clean water and fresh air for those able to afford the luxury—and healthful benefits—of leaving the cities for weeks at a time to enjoy the amenities of summer resorts that sprang up in New York’s Catskill Mountains or in the Poconos of Pennsylvania.  The San Gabriel Mountains of Southern California experienced a similar boon with the construction of private retreat cabins along the Santa Anita Wash and the Echo Mountain House resort accessible by the Mt. Lowe Railway.

Referred to as the ‘Father of the National Parks’, Muir’s writings were read by millions, inspiring people from all walks of life to take a walk in the woods.  By the 1930’s, an estimated 2 million people a year visited the San Gabriel Mountains alone.

Los Angeles’ PBS affiliate, KCET, has put together a photo retrospective of this period of wilderness awakening and posted it on their website.  It’s a very informative and entertaining trip to a bygone era.  And the next time you complain about the lack of support in those new hiking boots, just think back to when hikes were done in long woolen skirts or vest and tie, and maybe that next couple of miles on the trail won’t seem so bad.

You can view KCET’s photos by clicking here.