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Recreation in Sierra Madre

By Ruth Rogers

Sierra Madre has an abundance of things to do and see. A wealth of recreational opportunities are provided through the City’s Community & Personnel Services Department – which offers a myriad of programs and hosts many special events year-round, including a fishing derby for children, a challenging trail race, concerts and movies in the park, senior lunch programs and day trips.

The weather in Sierra Madre is ideal for all kinds of outdoor activities. The area’s sunny and comfortable temperatures mean almost any day can be a fun day in one of the many parks.

Bailey Canyon Park (located at Grove Street and Carter Avenue) has picnic tables, barbecues and hiking trails that lead to nearby canyons. Memorial Park (on the corner of Sierra Madre and Hermosa Boulevards) is complete with a children’s play park, picnic tables, tennis courts, a band shell, a covered picnic area and the Senior Citizens Center in Hart Park House. Memorial Park is also home to many of the community-wide special events, including the Sounds of the Seasons Summer Concerts, the Friends of the Library Art Fair, and the Fourth of July celebration. Mount Wilson Trail Park, known affectionately as “Turtle Park,” is located at the end of Mountain Trail and Mira Monte Avenues, and it has a mini-park with toddlers’ play equipment, picnic tables and home of the Historical Society’s two historical museums.

Sierra Vista Park (on East Sierra Madre Boulevard) is home to the Sierra Madre Rose Float building, picnic tables and grills, softball diamonds, tennis and basketball courts. The Community & Personnel Services Department oversees the Aquatic Center in this park, where offerings include adult lap swim, recreational swim, American Red Cross swim lessons and other summer swim programs. The Youth Activity Center, newly built on the second floor of the Community Recreation Center also located in Sierra Vista Park, offers teens a place to hang out and get help with their homework, visit with friends, a chance to play sports, job training, and many other special events.

The Bailey Canyon Wilderness area is a tract with approximately 1,100 truly spectacular acres, including the Live Oak Natural Trail and a connection to the Mt. Wilson Trail in Mount Wilson Trail Park, which hosts the state’s second-oldest trail race. Sponsored by the Community & Personnel Services Department and overseen by the volunteer Mt. Wilson Trail Race Committee, this annual 8.6-mile run hosts hundreds of racers from around the world who welcome the challenge that the mountain poses. The Bailey Canyon Wilderness area is also an excellent and unique nature study park, and is a registered bird sanctuary.

Afterhours: The Bottle Shop

By Sue Lovelace

Afterhours Contributor

If you just want booze, there are only three liquor stores in Sierra Madre. If there is a particular type of spirit (say, $500 tequila!) that you have a particular passion for, there one very good liquor stores in town that caters to those with discriminating tastes,  that has great selections and an atmosphere where you feel like you can ask questions and get quality, educated responses.

I went to the Bottle Shop recently to get a few Kegs of beer for a small gathering of friends, and was amazed at the quality of great beers they had available to be tapped, and made a mental note to come back in the soon and look around the place.

A girlfriend of mine and I did just that yesterday.  We spent some time in the place; I needed to replace the bottle of Don Julio Anejo Tequila that had taken me a couple of months to drain, and he needed to get a good bottle of scotch for an associate.

Their selection of great spirits is comprehensive!  I counted at least 10 great Tequilas available, and when asked, they mentioned more that they get limited quantities of from time to time (like Casta Anejo or El Patron) My partner was happy with the Scotch selection -- I pretty much gave it up after trying to "get into" the more expensive sipping tequilas, which to me are just too costly for a single mom with three kids.

They have complete selections of everything from Irish Whiskies to Rums and Vodkas.  Their wine selection looks fabulous, including some very nice champagnes, and as stated before, their beers are really top notch.

Combine all this with an enthusiastic, family-run operation in the sleepy community of Sierra Madre, and you have a top-shelf store. The owners take great pride in knowing as much as possible about their selections, and make great recommendations with respect to a customer's particular tastes.

If you like bourbon, you'll find Pappy Van Winkle's, Jefferson Reserve, Eagle Rare and many other small-batch, hard-to-find and aged (up to 18 years) bourbons, on top of the usual premium stuff like Rare Breed, Beam Black, Booker's, Woodford Reserve, etc.

My buddy settled on the Jefferson Reserve at about $50 bucks.  I settled for a bottle of El Tesoro Anejo at about $40. We both look forward to a return trip in a couple of weeks. Maybe next time I’ll splurge and get a bottle of Gran Patron. At the Bottle Shop it’s a steal at $185.

Hours of Operation: 9:00 a.m. till 11 p.m.

7 days a week for your convenience
Family owned and operated since 1963

PARKING AVAILABLE BEHIND THE STORE

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Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team
Emergency Phone Number (626) 355-1414 (Sierra Madre Police Dept.)

Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year - anywhere, anytime, any weather

"Anywhere in the wilderness that someone needs help...."

The Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team is a group of dedicated volunteers commited to saving lives in the wilderness. Founded in 1951, the Team has responded to thousands of calls for help in the wilderness and saved countless lives. Regardless of whether it's a twisted ankle, a fallen climber, or an overdue hiker, the Team will be there.

Team History

The Team was founded in 1951 by a group of dedicated outdoorsmen from the local community. When someone was hiking in the local mountains and didn't come home, or when someone was injured in the local mountains, these individuals were called. These calls for help became frequent enough that they decided to form an organization and recruit members.

Because Team members would be going into steep and treacherous terrain, possibly at night or in the rain, it was imperative that all members of the Team be well trained. This tradition of excellence has served the Team well: in our 55-year history, there has never been a serious injury to a Team member on a search & rescue operation. 
                                                                                
                                                                                     

Team members on their way to a rescue

From our original beginnings in 1951 as the first Mountain rescue Team in California, today's Team carries on the same tradition of service and excellence. The Team has been on search and rescue operations throughout the western United States and in Mexico and is well know across the country. Team members have also been - and continue to be - pioneers in the devolvement of new rescue equipment and techniques that are now being used world-wide.

Over the years the Team has varied in size from the original 16 to several dozen, but the tradition of excellence has never been compromised. Team members literally come from all walks of life and have very diverse backgrounds. But a common thread binds these individuals together: a love of mountaineering and a unique desire to help others. The selection criteria for new members are very stringent, and the training program that they must go through before becoming a regular member takes well over a year. Because the Team is always looking for qualified members, you have an opportunity to make a difference. If you have a love for the outdoors and a desire to help people, click on our recruiting link to learn more.

Recruiting

New Members Are Always Welcome

The Team is always looking for new members to carry on the tradition of the Team. The basic requirements for membership are that you must be 25 years of age or older, be an experienced outdoorsman, and live within 20 minutes of Sierra Madre.

                                                                                     

                                 Technical Rescue Excercise, Joshua Tree National Park, California.

Once a year, candidates are interviewed by the Team for possible inclusion in the next probationary-members class. The class begins soon after completion of the previous year's class and lasts approximately 15 months. Following a brief break, the probationary members take their final exam, which includes both a written section and an exhaustive practical session. They are put through numerous scenarios to test their skills in high-angle rescue, navigation, wilderness search, & tracking.
 
                                                                                    

Winter Training High Sierras, California.

Upon passing this test, they then spend the next 3 months becoming certified as emergency medical technicians (EMTs). During their second year with the Team, they are trained to deal with winter operations, including traveling by skis and/or snow shoes, winter camping, winter searching, and high-angle rescue on snow/ice.
                                                                                      
                                                                                         
                                                              
                                                                Evacuating a subject up a canyon

Becoming a member of the Team requires a deep commitment, both in terms of time and money, but every Team member agrees that the rewards are well worth the price. By joining the Team, you will be given the opportunity to save lives. If you think you have the outdoor experience and are willing to make the commitment, give us a call at (626) 355-3411 (answer machine) or fill out a preliminary application and mail it to P.O. Box 24 Sierra Madre, CA 91025

Helicopter insertion of Team members into a remote area.

Unlike the other search & rescue teams in LA County, it is important to note that Sierra Madre Search & Rescue doesn't require you to go to the Sheriff's academy, nor do we require that you become a reserve deputy. While we work closely with the LA County Sheriff's Department, we are an independent organization comprised of civilian volunteers.
 
                                                                                     

Probationary members near Peppermint Pass during a multi-day navigation training.

While there's no denying that being a member of the Team requires a lot of work, being a member is also a lot of fun. Each year the Team sends members to various meetings and workshops around the US and Canada. Recent locations have included the Canadaian Rockies and Alaska. As part of our regular training program, each year we organize 2 backpacking trips (typically spring & fall) and a backcountry ski trip in the Sierras. Additional trainings have taken place at in Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, and the Inyo Mountains to name a few. 

                                                                                  

Team Member Susan McCreary on Mount Rainier, Cascade Range, Washington.