While driving with my son to Nuccio’s Nurseries in Altadena, CA I happened to notice something interesting on Google Maps. It was referred to as the Historic Working Payphone of Altadena.
Up in the Verdugo Mountains, alongside Chaney Trail, not terribly far from Jet Propulsion Labs and in the broad general vicinity of Mt. Wilson Observatory, as well vaguely near the Angeles Crest Highway (a favorite ride among motorcyclists of all stripes), is…well, a payphone.
How completely random. Sort of like the lamp-post in the Wood Between the Worlds.
Very mysterious. Very Twilight Zone-ish. Or Harry Potter-ish. Payphones are few and far between in urban areas, practically non-existent in airports, but a solitary payphone standing alone in such a remote location? Come on, that’s weird.
Google Maps links to the Los Angeles Explorers Guild website for more information and they do it justice. There’s also a YouTube video that does a wonderful job adding to the intrigue and general WTH quality of this curious attraction the Los Angeles Explorers Guild calls The Last Payphone Before the Forest. Oh, and of course, if you call the number, it only rings once.
So, you’re walking along Chaney Trail minding your own business. It’s hot. You’re thirsty. The sun is burning down. Is that a…payphone? Out here in the middle of nowhere? Can’t be. You’re just a couple of strides past the phone and it rings. Understandably, you’re startled. How weird is that? Do you pick up? Or keep walking?
What Then? 