California SR 39, Azusa segment: Curses! Foiled again!

[M3100]

California SR 39 currently exists in two separate segments.  In October 2020, I attempted to drive the northern segment out of Azusa, after I had heard news reports that "highways were reopened" after the Bobcat fire was brought under control.  While some mountain and canyon roads were reopened, highway 39 was still closed at the time.  Last weekend I tried again, and got much further up the canyon.  This time, a medical emergency blocked the highway; 'clinching' the open segment of SR 39 will have to wait for another day.

Here are some pictures.  The first two are from October 2020; the next three are from November 2020.

1. This sign, on northbound CA 39, has an unusual silver patch; maybe it covers an arrow?


2. This sign is near where the canyon first narrows. Note that one cannot connect to SR 2 to drive to Wrightwood or Glendale on this route; the northernmost segment of this highway has been closed since 1978 and never reopened.  Some rockslides occurred in the closed segment of SR 39, and evidently it is too costly to make repairs. The segments to East Fork and Crystal Lake were open in November.


3. This shows some of the recent burns from the Bobcat fire.


4. Traffic came to a halt at this location, somewhere around postmile 33.4.  This helicopter had flown up the canyon and landed on the road above.  I don't know the details of what type of accident occurred.  Even after the helicopter flew back out, the road remained closed, and additional emergency vehicles arrived on the scene. It did not appear that the road would reopen for some time, so I ended up heading back downhill.


5. This construction area was further down the canyon; I did not note the postmile location.

[ClassicHasClass]

CA 39 to CA 2: it's dead, Jim. 

[Max Rockatansky]

Depending how things go with the rumored "curfew" I might be heading that way in December or January.  From what I'm told heading north towards the closure doesn't restrict pedestrian access.  Not so much the case from CA 2 on Islip Saddle:

IMG_1696 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

Even still, 39 gives off one of the coolest vistas of a highway in the state from CA 2:

IMG_1708 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

[M3100]

Thanks for posting; that picture of the closed segment of SR 39 near SR 2 looks really narrow.

Still, I agree it is definitely a scenic area. SR 39 was posted 20 in the construction zone but otherwise was 35 / 40 I think, in the upper reaches (with some reduced speed advisories for sharp curves).

In recent weeks I have been exploring some of these canyons in So Cal that I have never visited before, despite living here for years...

[sparker]

Thanks for posting; that picture of the closed segment of SR 39 near SR 2 looks really narrow.

Still, I agree it is definitely a scenic area. SR 39 was posted 20 in the construction zone but otherwise was 35 / 40 I think, in the upper reaches (with some reduced speed advisories for sharp curves).

In recent weeks I have been exploring some of these canyons in So Cal that I have never visited before, despite living here for years...

I remember my dad driving me to a scout day camp near Wrightwood in the spring of 1961; at that time SSR 39 was open and operating all the way to SSR 2; driving past the junction it certainly didn't seem that 39 was any narrower than other mountain state highways -- but in the picture shown above it looks as if quite a bit of the slope on the highway ledge has simply fallen onto and encroached upon the ROW -- the type of thing that happens on mountain roads absent maintenance.  I'm just sorry I didn't have a chance to travel on 39 while it was still functional.