Most of the stories in the media about hiking are bad news. But that's the nature of the news media. I will say that the San Gabriel Valley Tribune has done a good job of doing some excellent feature stories focusing on the Angeles National Forest.
In spite of the various stories of hikers being lost or injured, hiking is still a safe and healthy recreational activity. Most of the time, when a hiker gets lost, I believe it's because he or she was simply careless or ignorant. Likewise, most injuries that make the news are because city folks do stupid things in the outdoors. But even experienced and well equipped outdoors persons can experience serious injury.
We can learn from the trials and woes of others. And we should stay informed about our forest and how we can be involved in protecting it for ourselves and for the generations to come. Here's some articles primarily from the San Gabriel Valley Tribune covering stories in and about the San Gabriel Mountains and the Angeles National Forest. This is not exhaustive list, and I have not cited stories about vehicles driving off the highway and plummeting down steep slopes, often ending in fatalities. It seems that an accident of this type happens about every month or two. So while driving to and from the trailhead, respect the mountains and drive safely.
In the News
