EISPIRATEN

I went up the Grizzly Flat trail today from Stonyvale. I've stayed away from this trail previously because I had heard about how overgrown it was. And how much poison oak there was. Poison oak and me don't love each other. One of us always ends up getting hurt, and it ain't the poison oak. But, I saw a comment on All Trails that some work had been done on the trail and poison oak was now avoidable so I figured I'd give it go.

When I parked at Stonyvale, there was only one other car their. It belonged to two ladies who said that they had tried to go up the Grizzly Flat trail, but got turned back when the path petered out in the creek bed. They were leaving for something more promising. Ugh. An inauspicious start. But I figured I was there so I may as well see if I could find my way through.

So I followed the obvious path for a short distance before sure enough, I came to a place where the path seemingly disappeared into the creek and an overgrown tangle of plant growth. This must have been the place where the ladies from the parking lot called it quits. But the guy on All Trails who posted just 8 days ago said he was able to go all the way to the ridge, so I figured maybe I was on the wrong side of Big Tujunga Creek. So I found a place to cross, bashed through some brush, and immediately picked up the tread again.

The trail here in the lower section hugs and then crosses the creek a couple of times and is a little overgrown in spots, but nothing terrible. I saw poison oak, but it was avoidable (I think - check back with me in a couple of days).
After spending some time in the creek bottom, the trail tacks south-ish and you begin climbing Dark Canyon. The path is rocky and narrow and brush intrudes often. I spent a fair amount of time ducking through brush tunnels or climbing over downed trees. But the way is obvious and navigation is easy despite the fact that this trail doesn't see much travel or attention. In a few spots, windows open up and afford good views back down Big Tujunga Canyon.
Eventually, the trail crosses Vasquez Creek just below Grizzly Flat. Here, I heard rustling in the brush up ahead and figured I was maybe going to have an encounter with Ursus Americanus. I started clapping and making noise, and then two guys came around the corner. I wasn't expecting to see anybody because the parking lot at Stoneyvale was empty, so I was surprised to see them. I also felt like an dork for hooting and hollering and clapping my hands to ward off the non-existent bear. The guys said they went to Grizzly Flat but not further because they were tired of bush-whacking.

I kept going and almost immediately popped out at Grizzly Flat where things opened up a bit on account of the fact that I was now on Grizzly Flat Road. It wasn't entirely smooth sailing to the ridge (it was still quite brushy in places and there were a number of downed trees to negotiate), but the tread was wider here which made travel easier. A short while later, I topped out on the ridge where I stripped off my shirt for a tick check and had a snack while enjoying the view back into Grizzly Flat and Big Tujunga Canyon. Fortunately, no one came by while I was on the ridge shirtless. Otherwise, their retinas would have been burned.

This is a nice, uncrowded area. It would be hot in the summer. If the brush was trimmed back a bit and the downed trees cleared, it would be really nice.

Nice TR. I've never seen pictures of Grizzly Flats despite the many mentions of the place.

Did you find your football?

I do this as a loop up Stone Canyon to top of Lukens and then jog down the boring fire road to the flats. The worst part of the trail down to Big Tujunga is at the start as far as overgrowth. This also is much easier navigation as you exit into Big Tujunga and finding the wash and trail up is a non-issue. Grizzly Flats was wrecked by the fire and is not very inviting other then at the very end near where the trail starts.

I used to do that trail as a night hike. Kinda spooky back there. If you listen closely you can hear Vasquez's ghost fleeing from the law on horseback.

That saddle where upper dark canyon trail meets grizzly flats road is like a case study in invasive total takeover and domination - that stuff is pinching out the trail on both sides - However, I'm always confused between the names Scotch broom and Spanish broom and which one is the greater threat - I think it's Spanish broom in your picture there, right? -

By the way, anybody ever explore the old tractor trails on the slopes of Hoyt above grizzly flats to the east of there - some old tractor-trail switchbacks faintly visible and a traverse path from a saddle over to what Brennan called Ganja Gulch - Was there logging back in there ages ago? Going for a joyride while grading the SCE road? Firebreak construction gone out of bounds? Otherwise, what would they be doing plowing around to scar up the chaparral for decades to come - I guess grizzly flats was the site of a cabin or homestead?

I think it's Spanish broom in your picture there, right?

I'm certainly no expert, but I believe you are correct. https://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/specie ... ecnum=7704

Either way, it is completely out of control.

If you listen closely you can hear Vasquez's ghost fleeing from the law on horseback.

I don't know what the Vasquez Creek drainage looked like back in the late 1800s, but if it was as brush-choked then as it is now, that must have been one hell of a ride by Vasquez and his boys down to the floor of Big T.

Who was it that reportedly found Vasquez's pistol in there?

Uncle Rico wrote:I don't know what the Vasquez Creek drainage looked like back in the late 1800s, but if it was as brush-choked then as it is now, that must have been one hell of a ride by Vasquez and his boys down to the floor of Big T.

It was. The most famous story about the escape has Vasquez's horse falling in the brush and breaking a leg, plus Vasquez himself thrashing and losing his saddle and gun in the mess. It was so bad that the sheriff's posse turned around at the pass where the Dark Canyon Trail ended.

walker wrote: ↑Who was it that reportedly found Vasquez's pistol in there?

Phil Begue, a teenager from La Crescenta. He sold it to Will Thrall.

Went up there today via Stone Canyon which is a mess. The middle and upper section is really overgrown. I met two groups going up on the lower section, which is in decent shape. Top of Lukens had Koreans cooking lunch, I love how they bring up little burners to warm up their food. Run down to Grizzly was long and I was a bit stiff from the brush crashing. Grizzly has a bunch of pine saplings growing which is really cool to see. Trail down from Grizzly has consistent brush and lots of downed trees but not too bad. More annoying is on the ridge with all the loose rock to negotiate through. The trail up the wash is in excellent shape and indication of trail is the most evident I've seen. Large group near campground by the river screaming and hooting I think they may have been doing baptisms or something. Got home took a shower and found a tick on the back of my head who was just getting attached, sorry guy no blood for you.

Uncle Rico wrote: ↑http://www.lawesterners.org/wp-content/ ... R-1982.pdf

I dont believe any of that. I cant follow Thrall, based on reports.
Was the Soledad turnpike a myth? https://www.jstor.org/stable/41169354?seq=1
Here is Vasquez creeek...http://ropewiki.com/Vasquez_Creek
There was a lot of BS sold in newspapers then.

The (in)accuracy of Thrall is noted in the book "Bandido: The Life and Times of Tiburcio Vasquez"
On page 371

AW, the article was written by John Robinson. Also, that bit in your source about needing a guide sounds misleading. Vasquez needed a guide to reach the Repetto Ranch robbery, because it was one of his men who had scouted it and Vasquez hadn't been there before. I don't think the guide was there for the flight into the mountains. And I bet Vasquez took Dark Canyon because he knew that the brush might stop the posse chasing him.