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Bear on the Trail in Towsley Canyon

Let's Go Outside | Commentary by Evelyne Vandersande

Evelyne Vandersande | Thursday, Jul 24, 2014

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We tend to forget that 30 minutes from the Valencia mall, we have areas of wilderness where it’s possible to encounter a bear.

Towsley Canyon borders East Canyon, and the two add up to a large piece of safe territory for a bear to survive. While a bear is mostly content eating berries, roots, foliage, acorns, ants, eggs from nests and carrion, we also know they can catch young deer fawn. There are many of those in East and Towsley right now. A bear was killed a few years ago trying to cross Interstate 5 in the same area, so we know they are there, but they do not look for human confrontation and are seldom seen.

They are known as California black bears, and their color varies from tan to brown to black, with an occasional white chest patch.

My husband spent his childhood in Amsterdam and I spent mine in Paris. After one year living in New York City, we were giddy to explore the entire wild, open wilderness the U.S. had to offer us, and we went on vacation to one of the most remote areas in Maine. After days of driving on dirt roads and seeing so many moose that we stopped counting them, we arrived at an almost empty campground.

Some signs in the camp showed precautions to take against the bears, and with the presumption of youth and a total lack of experience, I asked the ranger who was picking up the garbage bags if the signs were really there to impress the tourists.

This picture was taken on the trail in Towsley Canyon by two hikers.

“Jump in the truck. We are going to the dump,” he said. We quickly jumped in the back of the truck between the garbage bags for a short ride to the dump. A few minutes before we arrived, the ranger cut off his head lights and drove slowly. A mother and two cubs were busy searching though the garbage. When the ranger put his lights on again, we saw with total amazement how fast they could climb a tree.

This encounter was a total revelation, and the beginning of a long love story for me.

A few years later, we were on a trail on Vancouver Island that ended up in a little cove. We were looking at the rocks when we suddenly noticed a bear, taking the same trail, arriving on the cove. We were trapped. After hiding behind some rocks, we slowly crossed the water to escape to the next cove.

Black bears rarely attack humans, but we were keenly aware that the bear knew we were there. A black bear has better eyesight and better hearing than a human, and their best sense is their sense of smell, seven times greater than a dog. They are highly dexterous, able to open screw-top jars and door latches, and they can learn to recognize shapes such a triangles, circles and squares.

Lost in my deep attraction for bears, I went to see the polar bear migration in Churchill, Manitoba. But I found that polar bears are altogether different creatures, even if they are still called bears. They are killers: large, powerful and extremely intimidating.

I also saw many bears in Alaska and got quite close to black bears and grizzly bears. In Denali Park, I found myself close to bears in a few circumstances, but it was in September – and at that time of the year, the bears are eating machines, getting reading for hibernation and reaping both foliage and berries from the blueberry bushes with total concentration. Many times on the trail, I saw proof of their passage just before we came: bear scat still warm in the cool air of the morning, full of blueberries as evidence of their last meal.

To mark their territory, they rub their body against trees, leaving handful of hair behind. Or they claw the bark, and you can sometimes even smell their musky scent hanging in the air.

I took a small water plane to visit a good salmon fishing spot frequented by bears. It was away from all civilization, with no roads and hardly any hard ground. It was a mixture of marshland and mud, one of those places far off the beaten track that you still find in Canada, where nature has been undisturbed. The bears were swimming around us, not disturbed in the least by the few humans because they were concentrating on the task at hand, which was catching as much salmon as possible.

We could see what strong swimmers they are and how clever and quick they are at fishing. We witnessed a mother teaching her cubs to fish: Each time she caught a fish, she would eat her part first, then give the rest to the cubs. One tried to steal her fish and was quickly reprimanded with a smack on the head. The mother had to stay strong and healthy to feed both of her cubs and teach them to survive. The mother growled and grunted to tell them to pay attention.

Cubs stay with the sow up to two years before they are able to go off on their own. Bears mate in June and July, but they have a great adaption system if food is not plentiful – like this year, due to our 5-year-long drought. It is called “delayed implantation.” The female can carry the fertilized egg for awhile, until she feels is safe to reproduce, and only then does the egg start to grow into a fetus. If she is not fat enough by the time she starts to hibernate, the egg will spontaneously abort.

In California, the females reproduce when they are 4 to 5 years old, and they have two to four cubs per litter. They are born in February when the sow is hibernating, and they stay together nursing in the den until April or May. In the wild, the life span of a bear is about 18 years.

Bears hibernate; female bears definitively have to hibernate if they have cubs. In the Sierras, at higher elevations, both males and females will hibernate. Food is not available in the middle of the winter, so there is no other option available. I am not sure about Towsley Canyon, since food is available year-round. In doing my research, I read that “if the winter is mild enough, males may wake up and forage for food.” Until some research is done on the local population, I will refrain from any conclusion.

What to Do

The peaceful encounter with a bear in Towsley Canyon was not on the little loop trail used by many hikers, but way up on the ridge. I do not think you are in any danger if you go hiking there, but I feel it’s useful to repeat some precautions.

Basically, the behavior you would use if you encounter a bear is the same as for a mountain lion. If the black bear approaches, try to show that you could be dangerous. Make yourself big, raise your arms and open your jacket. Yell at the bear; make noise with whatever you have at hand, perhaps pots and pans from your campsite. Although it is unlikely, if the bear attacks, you should fight back using branches, rocks or camping equipment.

If you are visiting bear habitat and you are hiking, make noise to give a bear a chance to go away. Most black bears try to avoid confrontation, so give both of you a chance to avoid it. Never keep food in your tent, and use a bear-proof garbage can.

Do not run from a bear; it triggers a reaction where you become the prey. Face the bear. If you have small children, pick them up. If you can, put them on your shoulders.

We do not see them often, but they are here and doing fine. Surveys conducted in 35 states show they are in every one of those states and are even increasing in population except in Idaho and New Mexico, where black bears were not found. They tend to remain in sparsely settled and forested areas. Their range is continuous in the northeast from the Appalachian Mountains all the way to Virginia. We know they are in all the mountainous areas of the Sierras. They have even been spotted in Ohio.

I can tell you that coming from western Europe where it is totally impossible to see a bear, driving to Sequoia Park for the weekend and being able to see one from the safety of our car is a wonder you cannot comprehend if you have had that opportunity all your life. We really are surrounded by the miracles of nature, even in Santa Clarita.

Evelyne Vandersande has been a docent at the Placerita Canyon Nature Center for 28 years. She lives in Newhall.

Comment On This Story

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111 Comments

Patti Morgan Palominos says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Gregory – isn’t this where you hike?

Reply
Diana Darus says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Be careful

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Dréa Rewal says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Emily Fischbach

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Cathryn Annmarie Walsh says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Jerry, Stephanie isn’t this where you guys go?!

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Dave Edeburn says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Amy Kim O_o

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Christy Brossett Lee says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Rosario Hayes this is where you run! Yikes!

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Rosario Hayes says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Oh crap!

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Elizabeth Ocasek Malone says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Emily Barodte I remember your post from the other day !

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- Emily Barodte says:
  
  Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at
  
  Haha The guy totally warned me about the bear and he was right. They are mostly harmless to humans though. Thanks for letting me know, babe!
  
  Reply
Mario Contreras says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Azul Palacios

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Ramon Carranza says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

My homies parents live off tournament n Wiley n neighbors have seen a bob cat roaming around the area too

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Amanda Lundberg says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Mike Rafferty Jawn Moose

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Andres Martinez says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Brogan Allardice oh snap!! Isn’t this where u hike sometimes? Scary!

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Stephanie Holgren says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Awesome!! Glad I don’t run with head phones in! Thanks Cathryn Annmarie Walsh!!

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Mike Rafferty says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Kyle Robinson, Travis Hobbs, Jared Scardina, Jawn Moose…wow

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Mike Rafferty says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Amanda, someone claimed to have seen this last Sunday too. Crazy!

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Kory Rolls says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Sara Wilke

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- Sara Wilke says:
  
  Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at
  
  That’s nuts!
  
  Reply
Karla Elizabeth says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Jeff Shorey Billy Bond

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Travis Hobbs says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Wow!!!

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Ismael Gonzalez says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Alyshia Deanna Garry Marc who wants to go for a hike?

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Deanna Josing Phillips says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

I’m not scared of a bear…. you my Otis? ?????

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Andrea Ward says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Jaimie Lyn Mickalson! Be careful!

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Jenny Martinez says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Nestor Iván Martinez

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Sara Mawhorter says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

John C. John C Mawhorter

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Billy Bond says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

I saw it too!

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- Gina Stewart says:
  
  Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at
  
  When did you see it?
  
  Reply
- Billy Bond says:
  
  Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at
  
  July 7th
  
  Reply
- Megan Perez says:
  
  Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at
  
  Great pic Billy!
  
  Reply
- Debbie Hanna says:
  
  Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at
  
  OMG! Was that on small trail or big trail?
  
  Reply
- Billy Bond says:
  
  Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at
  
  Big I think
  
  Reply
Tom Dehn says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Sometimes you eat the bar, and sometimes the bar eats you!

Reply
Yarely Donis says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Londy Aguilar Sindy Aguilar Yanira Gutiérrez ya me dio miedo

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Jaimie Lyn Mickalson says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Why is my reaction… Awww!? Lol and I run this thing solo all the time

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Mozqueda Maria says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Daniel Sotelo Ivan Gonzalez omg

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Mozqueda Maria says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Marcial Ledesma

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- Marcial Ledesma says:
  
  Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at
  
  What’s that? A bear?
  
  Reply
- Mozqueda Maria says:
  
  Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at
  
  Yes Marcial
  
  Reply
Jerry Beran says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Nice, make sure you feed him, but only red meat….. and baby’s

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Bonnie Mc Laughlin Segraves says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Lillian Spitz Cruz

Reply
Hiway Gotti says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Any poachers on your friends list? They would appreciate this info.
Especially since they came and killed my bear friend, Jeffrey 2 years ago on the outskirts of Santa Clarita.

Reply
Leslie Johanna Orellana says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Jaimie Lyn Mickalson its because it’s a baby bear

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Maurice P Lacson says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Joey Buslon

Reply
Maurice P Lacson says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Joey Buslon

Reply
- Joey Buslon says:
  
  Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at
  
  Thanks Maurice for sharing
  
  Reply
Jaisha Birch Reddick says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Tyrone Reddick

Reply
Joey Buslon says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Wow! Dolores Buslon

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Helen Gunther says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Art Tom

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Helena J Selkirk says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Omg that’s amazing

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Debbie Spaethe says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Brian Ends did you see a bear on your hike?

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Esteban Vazquez says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

bear steak… Yum

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Dianna Hemmi says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Makes me sad when people want to kill a beautiful creature. Especialy when its “peoples fault” when the athorities have to kill them.

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Jillian Bouchard says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Brittany Elward definitely NOT hiking here when you come to visit

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Cyndie Lange-Peddicord says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Your hiking in there territory. PLEASE BE AWARE. .

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Gregory Smith says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Omg Patti Morgan Palominos !! Yes I hike here often. I’m more afraid of snakes than bears though. I would wrestle a bear to the ground lol

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Aimee Choi says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Edward Han

Reply
Edgar Ruiz says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Sandra V Ruizquiez

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Brian Ends says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Holy crap NO… Thank god! See, and you were worried about snakes Debbie… Pshhhhhh

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Tasha Pereyra says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Veronica Mendoza Pereyra

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Laura Langen says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

My husband was attacked by a bear in the High Sierras about 10 years ago. Still has the scars to prove it.

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Kerri Rodriguez says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Tiffany Adler-Gallo

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Kimberly Petroski Anderson says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Toni Erickson Trujillo !!!

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Amy Zelch says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Yesenia Zelch

Reply
Debbie Hanna says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Lindsey Hanna Bob Edwards OH MY!

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Cristine Anthony Butler says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Jeff Butler, we didn’t have to go all the way to Alaska! Lisa Miller Siemantel, Kim Spargur Siebe, Tricia Fleischaker Fossa be big if you see him!

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Tricia Fleischaker Fossa says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Wow! That is so cool!

Reply
Megan Happ says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Shannon Etheridge and Cheryl Bain

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Cindy Savage Bordelon says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

I was on that trail yesterday!!

Reply
Ryan Roehn says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Holly is back there all the time

Reply
Shannon Etheridge says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Jamie Van Ness

Reply
Shannon Etheridge says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Jamie Van Ness

Reply
Yvonne N Danny Segura says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

John Lazar!!!! Tracy Judson!!!!

Reply
Yvonne N Danny Segura says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

John Lazar!!!! Tracy Judson!!!!

Reply
John Lazar says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

So do they poop in the woods?

Reply
John Lazar says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

So do they poop in the woods?

Reply
Michelle Contreras says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Sarah Cadena

Reply
Michelle Contreras says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Sarah Cadena

Reply
Katie Dunn says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

not the first time haha

Reply
Katie Dunn says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

not the first time haha

Reply
Veronica Mendoza Pereyra says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Tasha Pereyra I saw the article this morning

Reply
Veronica Mendoza Pereyra says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Tasha Pereyra I saw the article this morning

Reply
Christina Poe says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

That’s a big boy. What a surprise

Reply
Christina Poe says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

That’s a big boy. What a surprise

Reply
Veronica Mendoza Pereyra says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Hector Arriaga

Reply
Veronica Mendoza Pereyra says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Marcy Castaneda

Reply
Laurie Stangland Plumlee says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Reply
Sherry Prevatt Leach says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Kara Guillory Stierman, Steffany Hicks Marshall whoa!

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Kim Spargur Siebe says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Ummmmmm that’s why I haven’t been hiking Jeff Butler Lol..it was really to keep you safe :)

Reply
Kara Guillory Stierman says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Omg!! Sherry Prevatt Leach and they make fun of me for bringing protection

Reply
Sherry Prevatt Leach says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Kara Guillory Stierman, I do too, it’s called sunblock. ;P

Reply
Carole Swanston says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

SCV you have bears… PMC does also…

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Sarah Jean says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Nathan de los Reyes lets do this…

Reply
Ilene Leventhal Anderson says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Seth Anderson

Reply
Ilene Leventhal Anderson says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Christy Anderson

Reply
Laura Tombline-Faridi says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

OMG, used to hike there all the time. Always knew there was a possibility of mountain lion but never thought about a bear!

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Budder Arcturus says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Dimitri Maxwell

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Budder Arcturus says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Radical

Reply
Judy Belty says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

Lorraine Coffey Solomon Shannon Dolan Jennerson

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Lorraine Coffey Solomon says:

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014 at

They do not want to be near us… Just be aware of your surroundings at all times.

Reply
Angela Fatta says:

Friday, Jul 25, 2014 at

Awww a teddy bear..

Reply
Jacqueline Lough Staats says:

Friday, Jul 25, 2014 at

Oh, no, that’s where I hike a lot…maybe not, now!

Reply
Christine Badgley says:

Friday, Jul 25, 2014 at

Deborah Bruce-Hull take CoCo with you.

Reply
Christian Lazore says:

Friday, Jul 25, 2014 at

Kris Doyle

Reply
Kevin Meyer says:

Friday, Jul 25, 2014 at

Awesome

Reply
Georgia Woodward Silverman says:

Friday, Jul 25, 2014 at

Holy crap Shanele Stoll Kelly Nave. Snakes aren’t the main concern anymore

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Cecelia Noble says:

Friday, Jul 25, 2014 at

We ran into fresh mountain lion tracks nearly also those rattlesnakes are everywhere.

Reply
Jennifer Krouse says:

Friday, Jul 25, 2014 at

Christine Headlee OMG! We missed out

Reply
Christine Headlee says:

Friday, Jul 25, 2014 at

Ohhhh no, shucks!
See Ike Kendrick, lions AND bears ?!!

Reply
John W. Noble says:

Friday, Jul 25, 2014 at

And don’t forget about Cougars as well.

Reply
Tamara Collins Mitchell says:

Friday, Jul 25, 2014 at

Lol. I was going to tag Jeff Solomon and Lorraine Coffey Solomon too!!!

Reply
Helen says:

Tuesday, Jul 29, 2014 at

He was on the big trail on the Wiley side. Walk with friends or make noise if you’re alone.

Reply

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