Robert and I got to the trailhead thirty minutes before our departure time. So we hung out, enjoying the cool morning air, while we waited for the rest of the group. We finally met up with Dumbcaliblonde, her daughters, and Friedcactus at 10:00. We waited a bit more for Deborah, then decided to head on.

Sturtevant trail drops into Santa Anita Canyon via an asphalt road. The grade isn't too steep, but enough to notice. After a few hundred yards the asphalt ends and the dirt begins. The trail is broad and well shaded once into the canyon. Just after a quaint bridge which crosses the Santa Anita Canyon River is Robert's Camp. At Robert's camp you will find camp sites, a set of outhouses (moderately kept clean) and a choice of trails: the Lower Winter Creek Trail to the west, the First Water Trail to the south and Sturtevant Falls Trail to the north. We headed north to the falls.

Sturtevant Trail basically follows the Santa Anita Canyon River. This river (more of a stream, really) flows pretty much year round, except during exceptionally dry years. I'd heard rumors that there were fish in the San Gabriel Mountains, but I'd never seen one until this trip.

The trail passes by several quaint cabins at Fern Lodge. They were all well maintained, but waaayyy too close to the river for my comfort. One good rainy year equals the potential not only for flooding, but also debris flows. It is during flooding and debris flows that the canyon, and the mountains as well, are eroded away. Rocks are ripped from the canyon walls by the torents of water to be deposited further down stream. Boulders litter streambeds in active canyons. We found one boulder lodged in an oak tree; the oak had been happily growning around it for years.

At Fern Lodge, the trail spilts again. The Gabrielino trail is to the west and will take you to the top of the falls or onto Spruce Grove, Sturtevant Camp and eventually Mt. Wilson. We choose to continue on to the falls.

Sturtevant falls plunges roughly fifty feet over a granite ledge into a small pool. The pool is fairly shallow, about two to three feet deep, although the plunge pool created by the force of the falls is much deeper. Sturtevant Falls' best feature is that, despite being a realatively popular and easy hike and realatively easy to get to, the canyon is not full of litter and graffiti. Throughout most of the trail the hiker is treated to a shady walk through a canyon full of oaks, sycamores, ferns and other trees and shrubs. In the spring the area is full of wildflowers. It's enough to make you wonder if you're still in Los Angeles.

The hike back to Chantry Flats was pleasant - except for the exit out of the canyon, which was in full sun and suddenly seemed MUCH steeper than it had in the begining. We had tentative plans to try to hike to Hermit Falls (located about three miles south of Robert's Camp) but Dumbcaliblonde's youngest child was, after doing an admirable job all morning, starting to poop out. So we decided to come back and do that one another day.

We made it back to Chantry Flats just before noon. Once home I discovered two things: 1) had I checked my email BEFORE heading out, I would have discovered Deborah's email letting me know her knee was bothering her and wouldn't be joining us and 2) both my husband and I had left our wallets at home. Good thing we lived close by!

Bibliography

Robinson, John W.1998. Trails of the Angeles: 100 Hikes in the San Gabriels. Berkeley, CA: Wilderness Press.

Schad, Jerry. 2000. Afoot and Afield in Los Angeles County. Berkeley, CA: Wilderness Press.