It’s not Wrightwood. It’s not Big Bear. It’s not even Mt. Baldy. But we do have winter here. Thus far, no snow and frost melts before noon. But Jack’s been painting: blazing yellow foliage, rust colored hillsides. California winter.
In the lowest third of the Marshall Canyon system in La Verne, the trail runs along a whispering creek and the remains of the Sierra La Verne Golf Course. You wouldn’t expect to find ripe figs and fine art as you hike under the forest canopy, but there it was. Marshall Canyon is a lively urban trail system populated by Saturday hikers, high school cross country teams and many, many cyclists. During the week, we see signs of deer, bear, coyote, even mountain lions. We all seem to co-exist. With artists who also seem to love this forest.
Some of the art is left by Mother Nature, some by quick graffiti artists and some that can only called fine art. The puma on the tunnel below Golden Hills is a finely drawn chalk sketch and the bear is an installation made of thin strips of printed material. Check them out before the park rangers or the weather take them down!
If you are the artist who decorated the little fall or the tunnel, please message me! I want to hear your story and in return, I’ll tell you where the wild figs grow…for next year.