The May Interlude: Sturtevant with a Side of Rattler
Last time we tried going up the road into Big Santa Anita Canyon, we couldn't. I thought it had reopened after the fire that burned through the area, but no, there was still no public access. We were overdue for a visit then, having not been into those mountain depths since the mid-2000s maybe - tack on another couple years since that failed attempt puts the last hike there into the distant murky past. I don't know what kind of fire damage the canyon itself sustained, but judging by how lush it all seemed, i suspect the fire most affected the higher slopes of the mountains. Alder fills the canyon bottom, crowding around the stream, along with Big Leaf Maple, Sycamore and the oaks a little further afield. Wildflowers still abound, lorded over by the majestic Humboldt Lily. It is no wonder this area is a favorite among locals, even more so with a waterfall at the "end" of the trail a mere two miles in from the trailhead. The cabins along the way have always been a se...
