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 second draw - lucky people who had family in the area generations ago and were able to take advantage of the Special Use Permit more than a hundred years ago. Some of the cabins, mostly confined to the lower canyon, have not fared well and have been destroyed or seriously damaged, but further up descendants of the original permit holders have maintained their hand-me-downs well - American flags flying from several, in recognition of this Memorial Day weekend. And that cannot be an easy thing - case in point, we had met a couple of brothers, one considerably older than the other, both nice enough. We said so long after a bit and they went on ahead. Next thing we know the older one is atop a stone wall, then up on the roof of a clearly still occupied cabin, and walking all around it. We couldn't believe it and Tamera asked him why he did that. Just for fun. I tell you, no respect for other peoples' property.

A little while later, a rattlesnake, maybe an 18 incher made his way slowly across the trail. A bit of a bulge in his midsection may have been the reason for his easy-as-they-go pace, giving the foot traffic, including myself, plenty of time to snap a photo before he made it across and into the grass.

Unlike some other waterfalls I have been to, that have become severely defaced with graffiti, Sturtevant Fall and the pool at its base is surprisingly clean. I mean, you can see where some markings have been painted over, but mostly i was pleasantly surprised.

Good day and a good hike at the start of a long weekend. Enjoy it, but also take a moment to remember those who gave all in the fight against kings, despots, dictators and those who would dismantle democracy.