The route I take home goes through the city of Chatsworth. The last time I went out that way I tried to find the location of the old Chatsworth Park BMX track. I failed the first attempt a few weeks ago because of time constraints and the fact that there are actually two Chatsworth parks. (North and south) I went to the wrong one that first time. This time I hit it right and I brought my camera along. Now if you are a person that has been around these boards for any length of time you most likely have seen what I like to refer to as “The Picture.†(And yes it will be shown again in this post!) It’s the pic of me jumping my old Sting ray BMX bike. It is also the only pic of me on a BMX bike for that matter. That pic was taken at Chatsworth Park in 1974. It was also one of the last BMX rides that my fellow Sodbusters and myself took all together.
I should have brought the old pics I have with me for some sort of reference bit I didn’t. I just went from memory. I parked my car and took a walk around. It wasn’t too long before I realized I was standing on the top of the course at was once the starting line area. I started walking down the hill to what I hoped would be the river crossing. I found just that! Just a small trickle of a creek at the bottom of the hill. I crossed the creek and went up the other side and found the area where most of the old pics I have were taken. So just using my “minds eye†I started taking pictures. Most of the area has really gotten overgrown with plants and trees and none of it looks the same. The spot where I crossed the creek most of all was not what I remember. So I walked around a little more and I found a spot where I believe the tracks water crossing was. After looking around a little more I left the park and paid a visit to Kevin and Kristy (Kristevin) before I went home.
When I got home I got out my old pics from Chatsworth and compared them to the pics I took that day. I was amazed at how close I was to standing in almost the very same spots the original pics were taken from. Have a look! And enjoy!
First a Google earth image of the area.
Now for some then and now pics.
In this first pic you can see a boulder in the background under the tree in the shadow just behind my rear tire. You can see the same boulder under the tree in the second pic too.
Larry and Mike jumping toward the camera and the same general view today.
Mike hits the water crossing. And how it looks today. I believe that big boulder you see in the new pic was still buried under the dirt and made the mound that Mike is jumping off of in the old pic. Remember it is a creek bed. You just need to add 32 years of erosion.
Chatsworth Park is still a very nice park. Next time I go I am bringing something to ride! I also think it would be a great place to have a gathering or BMX get together of some kind in the future. What do ya’ think?