Western Railroad Discussion > Heads up on Cajon

In a sad but interesting news story, Victor Valley News Group reported that a large brown bear was struck on the I-15 freeway in Cajon Pass.
I knew there are a few in the SoCal mountains, but surprising that one would be in relatively open terrain/lower elevation.
Anyway, something to be aware of besides rattlesnakes when you frequent the pass.

I've been told by a naturist that a bear can cover 100 miles per day easily if it wants to.

Except for semi-dometicated Yosemite Valley bears who routinely break in to cars, I'd still pay more attention to rattlesnakes. All bears I've encountered always ran from people, except in Yosemite where I saw a mom and two cubs trying to break in a car that might have had food or food smell inside.

Just before I took up railfanning, I'd occasionally go camping in the High Sierras - always carried food inside bear-proof canisters.

If people reading the news are using any brains, the real advice is don't litter, especially food items on Cajon Pass - that might attract the bears.

cchan006 Wrote:
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> I've been told by a naturist that a bear can cover
> 100 miles per day easily if it wants to.
>

A naturist?! Or a naturalist? Or a naturist naturalist?! ;-)

We've had black bear problems in the foothill communities east of LA for a while now. Places like Sierra Madre, Monrovia, Arcadia and Glendora. 
They seem to go for the trash cans and the hot tubs!

Well, the hot tubs would explain the "naturist" encounters, I suppose.

I almost stepped on a rattlesnake the last time I was at Cajon last year. Scared the crap out of me. 




cchan006 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've been told by a naturist that a bear can cover
> 100 miles per day easily if it wants to.
>
> Except for semi-dometicated Yosemite Valley bears
> who routinely break in to cars, I'd still pay more
> attention to rattlesnakes. All bears I've
> encountered always ran from people, except in
> Yosemite where I saw a mom and two cubs trying to
> break in a car that might have had food or food
> smell inside.
>
> Just before I took up railfanning, I'd
> occasionally go camping in the High Sierras -
> always carried food inside bear-proof canisters.
>
> If people reading the news are using any brains,
> the real advice is don't litter, especially food
> items on Cajon Pass - that might attract the
> bears.

This past February, my wife and I were driving south on I15 through Victorville in the dark.  Within a half mile of passing over the Cajon Sub I noticed a TON of blood on the road in the lane I was in and then we suddently rolled over something quite large, to the point where we got off at the next exit to check for damage.   We didn't get a great look at what we ran over, but we both thought it was a bear.   I feel much more convinced of that after seeing this post. 

exhaustED Wrote:
> A naturist?! Or a naturalist? Or a naturist
> naturalist?! ;-)

I think the place where the naturists hang out is south of Keenebrook, north of Devore.  At least according to the famous 1970's Trains Magazine article about Cajon. 

I don't know about naturists, but there was a report this week about an Idaho man kicking a bison in  Yellowstone Park. 

The bison was not amused, and the guy suffered injuries.  In addition to getting several summonses from the police.  Police suspect alcohol may have been involved.

zchcsse Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This past February, my wife and I were driving
> south on I15 through Victorville in the dark. 
> Within a half mile of passing over the Cajon Sub I
> noticed a TON of blood on the road in the lane I
> was in and then we suddently rolled over something
> quite large, to the point where we got off at the
> next exit to check for damage.   We didn't get a
> great look at what we ran over, but we both
> thought it was a bear.   I feel much more
> convinced of that after seeing this post. 

Yep - early one morning in the pass a few years ago I had to swerve quickly into another lane because of the huge (dead) mass of fur in my lane. I would never have believed bears on the freeway until then.