The official
California State Animal is the grizzly bear (Ursus horribilis
californicus), so designated by the state legislature in 1953. Once
common in California, the grizzly bear was exterminated in the
state because of its reported ferocity. The last reported
California grizzly was killed in 1922. Among the largest bears in
the world, grizzlies grow up to eight feet long and weigh more than
eight hundred pounds. Their name comes from the white-tipped fur
that gives them a grizzled or gray-streaked appearance. Their
overall color varies from creamy-brown to almost black The grizzly
bear was feared and honored in many Native American cultures.
During the Spanish and Mexican periods, grizzlies were hunted for
meat and captured for sport. A favorite symbol for California, the
grizzly bear appears on the state seal and flag.
Grizzly Flat is a rather conspicuous sloping bench on the
mountainside south of Big Tujunga. There was once a healthy forest
here, but fire burned most of it away in 1959. Grizzlies once
abounded in these mountains, and oldtimers’ recollections are full
of excting encounters with these forest behemoths, which seemed to
favor the Big Tujunga region particularly. The last verified
grizzly bear south of the Tehachapis was killed in lower Big
Tujunga in 1916. (Robinson, Trails of the Angeles)
If you take the Angeles Crest Highway approach, you will find a
couple of guidance caches along the way. Park at the small turnout
opposite mile marker 30.02, 6.1 miles from La Cañada. At the south
end in the trees is a small trail where you start your journey.
Cache is a 10" diameter biscuit tin containing typical swag:
frisbee, Jaguar XK220, antenna booster, antenna ball, keychain,
wooden snake, Kraftwerk CD, bubbles, grow animals and parents,
lizard, wrist bands, etc. Logbook and pen. If you are having
trouble due to the tree cover, stand between the Y and the F and
sight 115 feet due north.
Enjoy the pleasant hike, but as always, forewarned is forearmed.
Trail is shaded much of the way, but summer months are nevertheless
hot and no water is available anywhere. Poison oak is prevalent at
these altitudes, albeit easily avoidable if you stay on trails and
roads. Snakes, ticks, coyotes and mountain lions have been observed
nearby recently.