The incident highlights the continuing parties that take place in the Corral Canyon area, causing concern about future fires. State Parks officials now have continuous shifts of active patrolling, and illegalized parking zones at the top of Corral.
By Olivia Damavandi / Special to The Malibu Times
State Parks officials put a damper on plans for a rave party at a cave located on state parkland at the top of Corral Canyon, the area where November’s Corral Fire started and burned more than 50 homes.
The rave, called “Cyber-stock,” was scheduled to take place at the top of Corral Canyon on Aug. 2, but was forcibly cancelled by California State Park officials at the last minute after they learned of the arrangements.
The party had been planned and posted on the web site, www.community.icontact.com, an e-mail marketing site where newsletters and events can be posted and e-mailed.
In an email to The Malibu Times, Craig Sap, public safety superintendent of the Angeles District, wrote, “While monitoring the user groups and party web sites we found that a rave party was scheduled to take place Aug. 2nd, 2008 at the top of Corral Canyon. I contacted the promoter and advised him that it was in his best interest to cancel the event.”
The organizers of the party, who call themselves the “Fateless Music Team” wrote on the icontact site, after they were contacted by Sap, “Due to complications this year with the California Parks and Recreation Department, as well as residents in the area, Cyberstock 19 will no longer be held at Corral Canyon on August 2nd.”
The organizers postponed their party to Aug. 9 and now plan to have it on the cliffs of the campus of Loyola Marymount University.
Neither the Cyberstock party organizers nor officials from Loyola Marymount University responded to phone calls and e-mails about this story.
“The party may appear legitimate from the way it is portrayed on its Web site, but the fact of the matter is that its organizers did not obtain permission to throw it in Corral Canyon,” Sap said. “Throwing a rave at the top of Corral is incongruent with State Park regulations, and would adversely affect nocturnal animals and residents.”
Defined on its Web site as “live electric music under the stars,” the rave combines electrical lighting effects with elements of nature, making the top of Corral an ideal location for it.
“It’s [the area] isolated, would provide the desired visual aspects due to its darkness, is quiet and close to Los Angeles,” Sap said, adding that most documented illegal encounters that occur up there involve mostly non-Malibu residents from the Santa Monica, Culver City and Los Angeles areas.
Such parties have concerned residents of the Corral Canyon area for years. Resident Scott Palamar has long complained about lack of patrolling by state parks rangers in the area, citing the frequent parties that take place there.
Palamar had taken a reporter from The Malibu Times up to the area known as The Cave, where the parties take place, in April of 2007. Seven months later, the Corral Fire erupted, burning 4,900 acres and destroying 53 homes.
However, since that fire, State Parks has upped its patrolling.
Longtime Corral Canyon resident Molly Brumagin said she has noticed an increase of police security and park rangers passing through the canyon since the last fire. Though she does not frequent the top of Corral, Brumagin has hiked there during the daytime.
“People shouldn’t be up there,” she said, “But any problems that have ever existed [at the top of Corral] have been immediately dealt with [by state authorities]. I feel absolutely safe living here.”
Among the problems listed by Brumagin were those involving transients, illegal camping and alcohol drinking.
In response to safety-concerned Corral Canyon residents, State Parks has provided residents with dispatching privileges, in which they can directly contact a ranger about problems. In addition, there are now continuous shifts of active patrolling, and there are now illegalized parking zones.
Prior to the illegalization of parking at the pinnacle, anybody could park in any position, at any time, for however long they wanted without receiving a citation or getting towed. Signs that prohibit parking between the hours of 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. have recently been installed at the top of the canyon with the intentions of keeping visitors away from the area at night and reducing the chance of another fire.