Stoney Point (California)
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Stoney Point, also known as the Stoney Point Outcroppings or Chatsworth Formation, is a Los Angeles City park near the north end of Topanga Canyon Boulevard ( State Route 27) in
Chatsworth, Los Angeles Chatsworth is a suburban neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, in the San Fernando Valley. The area around the town was home to Native Americans, who left caves containing rock art. Chatsworth was explored and colonized by the Spanish Empire ...
,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, part of the city of
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
. Stoney Point is a popular destination for hikers, equestrians and also with
rock climber Rock climbing is a climbing sports discipline that involves ascending routes consisting of natural rock in an outdoor environment, or on artificial resin climbing walls in a mostly indoor environment. Routes are documented in guidebooks, and ...
s because of its large boulders, which afford many opportunities to practice the sport of
bouldering Bouldering is a form of rock climbing that is performed on small rock formations or Climbing wall, artificial rock walls without the use of ropes or Climbing harness, harnesses. While bouldering can be done without any equipment, most climbers ...
. The top of the rock formation offers excellent views of Chatsworth, the
Santa Susana Mountains The Santa Susana Mountains are a transverse range of mountains in Southern California, north of the city of Los Angeles, in the United States. The range runs east-west, separating the San Fernando and Simi valleys on its south from the Santa ...
, Coyote Pass, and the entire
San Fernando Valley The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, Los Angeles County, California. Situated to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it comprises a large portion of Los Angeles, the Municipal corpo ...
. Wildlife including
coyotes The coyote (''Canis latrans''), also known as the American jackal, prairie wolf, or brush wolf, is a species of canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the gray wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely relat ...
,
rattlesnakes Rattlesnakes are venomous snakes that form the genera '' Crotalus'' and ''Sistrurus'' of the subfamily Crotalinae (the pit vipers). All rattlesnakes are vipers. Rattlesnakes are predators that live in a wide array of habitats, hunting small an ...
,
red-tailed hawks The red-tailed hawk (''Buteo jamaicensis'') is a bird of prey that breeds throughout most of North America, from the interior of Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West Indies. It is one of the most common members of ...
,
golden eagles The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known birds of p ...
,
turkey vultures Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
,
rabbits Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also includes the hares), which is in the order Lagomorpha (which also includes pikas). They are familiar throughout the world as a small herbivore, a prey animal, a domesticated form ...
, and
skunks Skunks are mammals in the family Mephitidae. They are known for their ability to spray a liquid with a strong, unpleasant scent from their anal glands. Different species of skunk vary in appearance from black-and-white to brown, cream or gin ...
can all be found at Stoney Point. When visiting the park, dogs should be kept on a leash for their own safety and a watchful eye should be kept for africanized "killer" bees.


Geology

Geologists know Stoney Point as the Chatsworth Formation, which are the giant rock outcroppings in
Simi Hills The Simi Hills are a low rocky mountain range of the Transverse Ranges in eastern Ventura County, California, Ventura County and western Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, of Southern California, United States. The range runs ma ...
. They are
Upper Cretaceous The Late Cretaceous (100.5–66 Ma) is the more recent of two epochs into which the Cretaceous Period is divided in the geologic time scale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous Series. The Cretaceous is named after ''cret ...
outcroppings, which means they are more than 65 million years old. They originated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, possibly on the
continental shelf A continental shelf is a portion of a continent that is submerged under an area of relatively shallow water, known as a shelf sea. Much of these shelves were exposed by drops in sea level during glacial periods. The shelf surrounding an islan ...
near Central America, or even near Baja California. They were formed by
turbidity current A turbidity current is most typically an Ocean current, underwater current of usually rapidly moving, sediment-laden water moving down a slope; although current research (2018) indicates that water-saturated sediment may be the primary actor in ...
s, giant “gravity slides” that deposited sand in the ocean at the depth of 4,000 to 5,000 feet. These turbidity currents were often “tens of miles in length and a half a mile or more in width” which explains the size of the mountains around the Chatsworth Formation, and makes them
turbidites A turbidite is the geologic Deposition (geology), deposit of a turbidity current, which is a type of amalgamation of fluidal and sediment gravity flow responsible for distributing vast amounts of clastic sediment into the deep ocean. Sequencing ...
. In between this activity, in quiet times, silt from the ocean would settle on the formation, and because silt erodes more quickly, the different turbidity currents that formed the rock are visible. The Chatsworth formation is part of the Pacific Plate, which grinds against the North American Plate, and therefore is continuously pushed northwest at a rate of 2.5 inches per year. The Chatsworth Formation was pushed out of the ocean, and, as part of Simi Hills, created part of the
Transverse Ranges The Transverse Ranges are a group of mountain ranges of Southern California, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region in North America. The Transverse Ranges begin at the southern end of the California Coast Ranges and lie within Santa Ba ...
. Because any fossils left in the ocean were ground up on the journey up, there are very few fossils to be found in the area. The sandstone is a medium-grained variety, and was originally light gray; however, the mica and clay in the rock oxidizes and turns a tan color. Not all of Chatsworth Formation has oxidized yet, and some is still light gray.


History

Stoney Point was the site of a
Tongva The Tongva ( ) are an Indigenous peoples of California, Indigenous people of California from the Los Angeles Basin and the Channel Islands of California, Southern Channel Islands, an area covering approximately . In the precolonial era, the peop ...
Native American rancheria until the arrival of the Spanish during the late 18th century. It is believed that the village of
Momonga Momonga may refer to: * Japanese dwarf flying squirrel (''Pteromys momonga''), one of two species of Old World flying squirrels in the genus ''Pteromys'' * Momonga (village), a Tongva village located at what is now Chatsworth, Los Angeles * Ain ...
was located at Stoney Point. It was used as a marker by the Southern Pacific Railroad during construction of the railroad through the
Santa Susana Mountains The Santa Susana Mountains are a transverse range of mountains in Southern California, north of the city of Los Angeles, in the United States. The range runs east-west, separating the San Fernando and Simi valleys on its south from the Santa ...
. The formation is believed to have been used as a hideout by the outlaw
Tiburcio Vasquez Tiburcio, the Spanish form of Tiburtius, may refer to: * Tiburcio Carías Andino (1876–1969), Honduran military strongman * Tiburcio de León, Filipino general (the Philippine Revolution and Philippine-American War) * José Tiburcio Serrizuela ...
in the 1870s.


Historic Site

It was designated a historical Los Angeles Historic and Cultural Monument in 1974, because of its historic and cultural value as well as being deemed one of the "most picturesque places in Los Angeles." The facility features 81 acres of land, including a five-acre equestrian center which was purchased by the City in 2007 and is home to the Annual Chatsworth Day of the Horse Festival hosted by the Chatsworth Neighborhood Council each Spring. During the land grab that resulted from the McKinley Act, Stoney Point was claimed by the Charlton Family of New York. Stoney Point was the site of the Charlton Quarry, one of three Chatsworth Quarries that was operated by the Bannon Mining Company. "Dimension Stone" was quarried for the nearby train tunnel. Remnants of the quarry can still be found on the eastern side of Stoney Point along the Santa Susana Creek.


Railroad History

Stoney Point functions as mile marker on the
Southern Pacific Railroad The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials) was an American Railroad classes#Class I, Class I Rail transport, railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was oper ...
, which links much of Southern California to Northern California. Stoney Point is located at the base of the Simi/Santa Susana Grade. Stone that was quarried at Stoney Point was used in Chatsworth's train tunnels. When inhabited by the Gabrielino-Tongva tribe and the missionaries in the early years, the land was prime for agriculture including fruit, vegetables, wheat, and barley. However, once the railroad was in place, the heavy iron from the tracks and constant land disruption altered the availability of wilderness. Forests and vegetation had to be eliminated in order to lay the track and Native Americans had to be relocated from their homelands. Natives were forced to lose all that they had worked on when they had to leave their fertile soil and efficient irrigation. After the turn of the Century, dry farming resumed and most of the land surrounding Stoney Point was planted with citrus and olives. Today, it is surrounded by horse boarding stables and equestrian homes. Because of a blind curve caused by Stoney Points rock formations, train operators would sound the whistle as they approached the bend. Residents complained and today's engineers sound the whistle either from the Chatsworth train depot or as they exit the tunnel at the top of the grade. The easement that connects Rinaldi Street to Andora Avenue by crossing the railroad tracks was once the "Old Mission Trail" and was the primary route to the San Fernando Mission from Chatsworth and later became known as North Andora Avenue. Later, the street name was changed to Rinaldi, but an equestrian easement remains. In 1998, Councilmember Hal Bernson included the easement in his "Guide to Equestrian Trails" and stood behind the community by keeping the easement open when the MTA tried to restrict access. In 2001, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority cut down the ancient Eucalyptus trees that lined the railroad tracks in Stoney Point out of concern for the safety of park visitors should one of the trees fall on the tracks. On September 12, 2008, at 16:22PST, a 2008 Chatsworth train collision, Metrolink Commuter Train collided with a cargo train resulting in 25 fatalities in what was declared the worst train wreck in U.S. History in over 40 years. The crash site is on the Northeast side of the park and is accessible through the park. In September 2009, then-Councilmember Mitchell Englander hosted a memorial at Stoney Point and a marker was placed in memory of the victims. Civilian first responders from the local community and passengers who survived the crash were in attendance.


Gabrielino-Tongva Natives Occupy the Land

Stoney Point was occupied by Gabrielino-Tongva (Gabrielino) Natives beginning in 6000 BC. The Gabrielino homeland offers an area rich in natural resources as well as an effective system of trade. This tribe was widely known as skilled hunter-gatherers. Faunal and floral resources were abundant and offered a wide variety based on location and season. Food sources were available year-round, including rabbits, roots/bulbs, and shellfish. Some crops sprung up only once a year, such as acorns, and were collected in large numbers. Winter was the only time of the year that brought up food stresses in inland communities due to lack of fresh vegetation. The communities closer to the coast, however, fared just fine with the marine food resources. The diversity of resources for the Gabrielino Natives was mainly due to the wide range of biotic zones in their territory. These included beach and coastal regions, fresh and salt water regions, chaparral and grassland zones, and even woodland and mountain regions. Faunal resources included land mammals, fish, insects, reptiles, and sea-mammals. Floral resources included trees, plants, seeds, bulbs, and sea grasses. Mineral resources included obsidian, chert, and other types of stones to make tools and caulking or adhesive compounds. These three resource categories satisfied all the material needs of the Gabrielino Natives. The Gabrielinos developed sustainable diets by using the resources available to them at different times of the year. They were excellent hunters that effectively used their weapons and technology to develop strategies to utilize available resources. Meat hunting was prominent during the winter when fresh plant food wasn't available. Fishing and sea-mammal hunting took place in the spring and summer seasons and was avoided during the fall and winter when the fish retreated to the south. At a ritual called the Mourning Ceremony, food and manufactured items were destroyed to restrict the amount of goods available. This Ceremony took place in hopes to maintain the demand for the services as well as skills of the craftsmen of the village. Gabrielino Natives believed that greediness and food hoarding were reprehensible traits and thus the proper management of food resources was evident in their culture. Fishermen and hunters were prohibited from consuming their own kill in order to discourage hoarding. At certain times of the year, large populations of people would get together to collect seasonal crops or collaborate in large-scale hunts. It was important to the Gabrielino Natives that the entire village population participated in harvesting seeds in the plain. The Gabrielinos made sure to minimize their ecological footprint as much as possible to follow their beliefs. These Natives were very interested in the spiritual world, and members of the communities called shamans would interpret the environment. They believed that the universe was always in a state of flux, which explains their desire to maintain the preservation of the environment and the resources it provides them with. They turned to these shamans to continue the proper alignment of forces in the universe as well as tap into heavenly bodies to perform sacred rituals. The only main way they left a significant impact on the land was through rock art, which was harmless to the environment. They used two different techniques: petroglyphs (rock carving) and pictographs (rock paintings). Pictured here is a petroglyph of a rabbit or squirrel, it can be found to the left of the "X" that is carved into the face of the rock that is at the center of the photo. Most art was created during ceremonies as elaborate rituals. Following generations have preserved the remaining artwork in museums around the region, but some ancient rock art sites of the Gabrielino Natives can still be visited in the area throughout Stoney Point. Water catch basins and mortars used for grinding nuts and seeds can still be found on the uppermost boulders at Stoney Point. It wasn't until the creation of the California Missions, built by the Spaniards beginning in 1769, stripped the Natives of their land and turned it into an urban dwellers’ area. The creek bed on the West side of Stoney Point was the western boundary of the San Fernando Mission. By 1834, Ranchos of California were also being created on Native land. It was actually the construction of railroads and other forms of industrialization by settlers other than the Natives that created the greatest amount of harmful change to the land around Stoney Point.


Movies and Television

Stoney Point has been the backdrop in many movies and television shows since the silent film era. Dollhouse (TV series), ''Dollhouse'', ''Seinfeld'', and ''CSI: Las Vegas'' have all used Stoney Point as a location.


Rock climbing

Climbing development began at Stoney Point in the 1930s when it was discovered by young climbers then active in the Sierra Club. In the '50s and '60s pioneering rock-climbers Royal Robbins and Yvon Chouinard learned to climb at Stoney Point. Other famous climbers such as Bob Kamps, Ron Kauk, John Long (climber), John Long, John Bachar also started to climb at Stoney Point. From 1959 to 1995 one of Americas most accomplished climbers Bob Kamps was a regular, as was free-solo climber Michael Reardon. The rock is sandstone, which makes it less painful on the hands while bouldering, allowing climbers to boulder for long periods of time without worrying about the pain. But after it has rained, and soaked the rock, parts of the rocks are prone to break away. Because of this, it is recommended to wait for a minimum of 48 hours after a light rain and between 5-7 full days after a heavy rain before returning to climbing Otherwise, the climbing season at Stoney Point lasts all year. Some people have taken advantage of the easiness of the rock to chip, and have created their own chips by breaking off pieces. Climbers look down upon this practice. There is a great variety of bouldering routes to choose from, ranging from easy to hard, based on the Yosemite Decimal System for rock climbing, and the Grade (bouldering)#Hueco scale, Hueco scale for bouldering. Beginners and advanced climbers will find something for them from among more than 150 routes.


See also

*:Tongva settlements, Tongva settlements *History of the San Fernando Valley to 1915 *List of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments in the San Fernando Valley *Browns Creek Bike Path


References


Notes

*''Note: need placement above as citations after text in reference to'':


Sources


External links


Stoney Point website

Stoney Point Documentary
{{Clear Parks in the San Fernando Valley Rock formations of California Climbing areas of California Geography of the San Fernando Valley Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments Parks in Los Angeles Native American history of California Railroad tunnels in California Santa Susana Mountains Chatsworth, Los Angeles Landforms of Los Angeles County, California