Outdoor Adventures with Ancient Brit
PCT 2002 - May 3rd
Day 24: Friday 3rd May Cleghorn Picnic Site – Crowder Canyon
I was kept awake at night by the many animals and birds, which took advantage of
the extra food they could find at a picnic site. The Blue Scrub Jays were particularly
noisy. “Kiwi” had bowed to the inevitable and decided to take a few days off, so I was
back on my own again.
This stretch of the PCT through chaparral was not very interesting and was just a
relatively low level link between the San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains. I had
not seen much Poison Oak, but now every gully was full of it, growing in the shade of
Oak trees which survive in the damper ground found in the gullies. In places the
Poison Oak encroached onto the path and I had to take great care. Even getting some
poison onto the trousers had to be avoided as it could be transferred later to the hands
or legs.
I hadn’t seen any rattlesnakes since the first day but I saw several today. I passed
through Horsethief Canyon, which was named to commemorate Captain Gabriel
Moraga’s pursuit of an Indian band of horse thieves in 1819. The trail approaching
Cajon Canyon passes through land, which was eroding badly, mainly due to the sparsity
of vegetation growing on it. I reached Crowder Canyon by 1.30 pm, having walked just
over 13 miles. The next reliable water was at least a hilly 23 miles away so I decided to
camp beside the small creek and leave early in the morning. The temperature in the
afternoon reached over 100ºF in the shade, not that there was much shade.
Day 24: 13.4 miles 5.14 hours Camp: Crowder Canyon
I was kept awake at night by the many animals and birds, which took advantage of
the extra food they could find at a picnic site. The Blue Scrub Jays were particularly
noisy. “Kiwi” had bowed to the inevitable and decided to take a few days off, so I was
back on my own again.
This stretch of the PCT through chaparral was not very interesting and was just a
relatively low level link between the San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains. I had
not seen much Poison Oak, but now every gully was full of it, growing in the shade of
Oak trees which survive in the damper ground found in the gullies. In places the
Poison Oak encroached onto the path and I had to take great care. Even getting some
poison onto the trousers had to be avoided as it could be transferred later to the hands
or legs.
I hadn’t seen any rattlesnakes since the first day but I saw several today. I passed
through Horsethief Canyon, which was named to commemorate Captain Gabriel
Moraga’s pursuit of an Indian band of horse thieves in 1819. The trail approaching
Cajon Canyon passes through land, which was eroding badly, mainly due to the sparsity
of vegetation growing on it. I reached Crowder Canyon by 1.30 pm, having walked just
over 13 miles. The next reliable water was at least a hilly 23 miles away so I decided to
camp beside the small creek and leave early in the morning. The temperature in the
afternoon reached over 100ºF in the shade, not that there was much shade.
Day 24: 13.4 miles 5.14 hours Camp: Crowder Canyon
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Horned Lizard
Rattlesnake
Hummingbird feeding
at Coulter's Lupines
at Coulter's Lupines
Badlands above
Cajon Canyon
Cajon Canyon