Category Archives: photography|wildlife

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Las Llajas Longhorns

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Longhorn or Corriente bull and heifer on the Las Llajas loop.

Part of the appeal of trail running is that even on a short weekday run, close to home, on a familiar trail, stuff happens.

The plan for today’s trail run was a simple one — run up and down the Chumash Trail in Rocky Peak Park. By the time we were done, a 5 mile run would morph into a loop of nearly 10 miles. We would encounter a rattlesnake and a longhorn bull, and we would run short on water. But we would also have a great run!


Southern Pacific rattlesnake on the Chumash Trail
I’ve run in the Rocky Peak area for decades, and from time to time have encountered cattle near the end of Rocky Peak road. In recent years, the herd has been hanging out in the oil field and oaks between Las Llajas Canyon (near Poe Ranch) and a small mesa east of Rocky Peak road.

Seems to me most of the stock used to be Brahman, but these days there are many longhorns in the mix and according to an expert, these could be Longhorn, Corriente, or a Longhorn/Corriente cross.

When they heard us coming down the road most of the cattle just moved to another area — except for the big guy in the title photo. He made it very clear that no one should be messing with his heifers. He was a little agitated. While he didn’t charge us, it seemed possible he might. Avoiding any appearance of confrontation, we kept moving, and after a few moments were well away from the herd.

Here’s a Cesium browser View of a GPS trace of the Chumash – Las Llajas loop.

Some related posts: Chumash – Las Llajas Loop, Las Llajas Hill 2484, Exploring Las Llajas

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Born to Run

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Mule deer at Trippet Ranch in Topanga State Park

Deer seem to be plentiful in the Trippet Ranch area, and are frequently seen at this pond near the parking lot, or grazing among the oaks.

Barefoot trail runnerRunning the Trippet Ranch Loop in Topanga State Park was a pleasant way to unwind after doing the Mt. Disappointment 50K last weekend. This 12.5 mile trail run from the End of Reseda is on a mix of fire roads and single track trail in chaparral and live oak woodland. I like to do the fire roads out to Trippet Ranch, and single track Musch and Garapito trails back. The elevation gain/loss on the loop is about 1800′.

Running up the hill to the Hub on the way out to Trippet Ranch we noticed some barefoot prints mixed in with the mountain bike and running shoe tracks. Based on the gait, the tracks were from a runner — and from the speed they worked up the hill, the runner was feeling pretty good.

At the Hub the bare feet continued on our route, down Eagle Springs fire road, and about 10 minutes later they ended — at a smiling runner wearing Vibram Five Fingers. Returning to running after a year and a half hiatus to start a family, Chris had recently read Christopher McDougall’s Born to Run, and been inspired to try barefoot running.

Here’s a Cesium browser View of a GPS trace of the Trippet Ranch loop from Marvin Braude Mulholland Gateway Park at the southern end of Reseda Blvd., in the San Fernando Valley.

Some related posts: Ferns Along the Garapito Trail, Musch Trail Mule Deer, Garapito Trail Green

nature, nature|wildlife, photography, photography|quirky, photography|wildlife, running, running|adventures, trails, trails|san gabriels

Bear Cubs on the South Fork Trail

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Bear cub clinging to a tree on the South Fork Trail in the San Gabriel Mountains.

The thing about a dangerous situation is that you almost never see it coming. In an instant a pleasant adventure can turn really serious. We were in the San Gabriel Mountains about 2 miles down the little used South Fork Trail, and 20 minutes from Islip Saddle, when my running partner shouted, “Do you see that!”


Adventurous running on the South Fork Trail
From the tone of her voice I knew it was something serious. My first thought was a mountain lion, but then I saw it — a bear cub clinging to a tree on the trail ahead. Sh*&! How many times had I told friends that I didn’t worry too much about black bears, “unless, of course, it’s a mother with her cubs.”

Where was Mom? She had heard us coming down the trail, but apparently only had enough time to send her cub up the tree, and take cover. Not good, and potentially very dangerous. We couldn’t see Mom, we couldn’t hear Mom, but knew she was nearby. Most likely she was in the thick brush on the steep slope below the trail.

Suddenly, the cub scurried higher in the tree, its long claws digging noisily into the bark of the tree. That’s when we saw that there were two cubs! The noise startled me, and I wondered if Mom — wherever she was — would react.


The gnarled and twisted roots of the Wally Waldron Limber Pine
After a quick assessment, we walked quietly by the tree, and in a second or two started to jog. In a matter of seconds we were out of danger. It was fortunate that there were two of us and we were relatively noisy. A solo runner would have almost certainly surprised the mother with her cubs.

After a time the adrenalin subsided, and the rest of the run went very well. Temps were not quite as hot as expected on the low part of the course, and were pleasantly cool on Mt. Baden-Powell. Both the South Fork Trail and Manzanita Trail had been recently maintained. Some slides and washouts remain, but these are an integral part of the adventure and character of this trail run.

Update October 8, 2009. Here’s a video of the cubs and Mom taken a couple of months after our encounter. The cubs have grown! The video is from Johanna Turner’s YouTube Channel, which has fascinating footage of mountain lions, bears, deer, bobcats, foxes and other animals found in the mountains near Los Angeles.

More info about the approximately 23.5 mile course can be found in the post Islip Saddle – Mt. Baden-Powell South Fork Loop.

Related post: Wally Waldron Limber Pine

nature, nature|wildlife, photography, photography|wildlife

Trickster

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A coyote blends into the brush at Ahmanson Ranch.

Observant, clever, mischievous and adaptable, the coyote often plays the role of Trickster in American Indian mythology.

This short Chumash story is from the course notes of an Introduction to Classical Mythology class at the University of Texas:

“Coyote begs to accompany the Sun one day, promising to behave himself. Coyote persuades Sun to let him carry the torch, and Sun warns him not to let it get too close to Earth. Coyote (of course) forgets, drops the torch, and almost burns up the world before Sun rescues it. Thereafter he stays meekly behind Sun.”

From a run at Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (formerly Ahmanson Ranch) on May 15, 2007.

Related link: Native American Trickster Tales

nature, nature|wildlife, photography, photography|wildlife

More Musch Trail Mule Deer

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A young buck and a doe along the Musch Meadow Trail near Trippet Ranch in Topanga State Park.

When running in the Trippet Ranch area of Topanga State Park, more often than not, I see mule deer browsing among the oaks along Eagle Springs Fire Road, or along the Musch Meadow Trail.

On Sunday’s Trippet Ranch loop, these deer were near the Musch Meadow Trail. The young buck appeared to be taking more than a passing interest in the doe. The breeding season for mule deer varies widely, and begins as early as mid-September in some locations.

Here is a zoomed view of the doe and buck.

Related post: Musch Trail Mule Deer

nature, nature|wildlife, photography, photography|wildlife

Chumash Trail Racers

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Red coachwhip snake (Masticophis flagellum piceus) on the Chumash Trail, near Simi Valley, California.

Encountered this red coachwhip/racer (Masticophis flagellum piceus) as I was running down the Chumash Trail today. It was a long snake — at least 5′.

In June 2005, I found a California striped racer (Masticophis lateralis lateralis) on the Chumash Trail that appeared to have suffered some sort of fatal trauma. It was a much smaller snake than the red racer.

Note: There was a handwritten notice posted at the Chumash trailhead warning of a mountain lion sighting on July 18, 2008. I haven’t been able to obtain any additional details.