With temperatures more than 30 degrees higher than just one week ago, we head for the Pinnacles Read the rest of this entry »
March at the Pinnacles
March 5, 2011
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Gabilans, On Foot, Plants, Wildflowers | Tagged: Pinnacles National Monument | 
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Posted by xasauan
On the Little Sur
November 14, 2010
The North Fork of the Little Sur River, El Río Chiquito del Sur, passes between the lower slopes of Pico Blanco and Bixby Mountain on its way to the sea. Read the rest of this entry »
5 Comments | Big Sur, Insects, On Foot, Plants, Santa Lucias | Permalink
Posted by xasauan
Exploring Mansfield Ravine
November 11, 2010
80 acres of Mansfield Ravine, containing some of the most extensive redwood forest at the extreme southern end of the redwood range, were recently purchased by the Save the Redwoods League and added to the Los Padres National Forest. Today we went to have a look. Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted by xasauan
September on Mt. Manuel
September 19, 2010
A walk up the Mt. Manuel Trail (or Manuel Peak Trail, if you prefer) can be brutal on a hot summer day. That’s why we waited for a mild autumn day to make the trip. Notice how the deerweed (Lotus scoparius) that turned these hillsides yellow when it was in bloom a few months ago has now turned the hills a rusty brown as the flowers dry out. Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted by xasauan
Wired in the Wilderness
August 22, 2010
GPS can help pinpoint your location on a map (saving you the trouble of actually observing, and paying some attention to, the surrounding terrain), but in the Ventana Wilderness that isn’t necessarily useful in getting you to where you want to go. Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted by xasauan
Above the Fog: Boronda Trail & Cisco Creek
May 16, 2010
The Boronda Trail begins next to this debris flow barrier about half a mile south of the Coast Gallery. Read the rest of this entry »
12 Comments | Big Sur, On Foot, Plants, Santa Lucias, Wildflowers | Tagged: Big Sur Trail, Coast Ridge, Cold Springs, Logwood Creek, Logwood Ridge, Timbertop | Permalink
Posted by xasauan
Mt. Carmel in May
May 9, 2010When we visited the summit of Mt. Carmel (AKA Boulder Mtn.) two years ago, it seemed that the place had been forgotten and that all traces of the trail were destined to disappear into the brush. It hasn’t happened. Today, the climb from Bottcher’s Gap to Mt. Carmel has emerged as one of the most popular day hikes in the Ventana Wilderness (something we can easily see in the ever-increasing number of unwary net surfers who stumble onto this site by searching for “Mt. Carmel” or “Bottcher’s Gap to Mt. Carmel”). A summit register has even appeared!
When we visited again yesterday (May 8, 2010) we found a virtual parade of hikers lining the trail between Bottcher’s Gap and the summit. The trip seems especially popular among couples – and couples ranging in age from early twenties to late sixties were sweating their way up the hill.
Here’s a little of what we saw along the way …
A Canyon Oak (Quercus chrysolepis) blooms near Bottcher’s Gap. Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted by xasauan
Pt. Lobos Wildflowers
May 2, 2010
Seaside Painted Cup (Castilleja latifolia) blooming on the South Shore. Read the rest of this entry »
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Blue Rock Ridge Wildflowers
April 26, 2010
Blue Rock Ridge starts in Cachagua near the Los Padres Dam, quickly enters the Ventana Wilderness, and rises all the way to the Big Pines area at the headwaters of Danish Creek. But it’s not a smooth ascent. There’s a lot of up and down along the way. The “Big Box” fireline, created during the Marble Cone Fire and reopened twice since, runs along the top. It’s a great place for ticks, poison oak and, outside of the dozer scar, for wildflowers. Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted by xasauan
Garzas Creek Wildflowers
April 17, 2010
Garzas Creek flows through Garland Regional Park. We didn’t see any garzas today, but if you look carefully you’ll see a couple of patos.
Here’s some of what’s currently blooming in the Garzas Creek area … Read the rest of this entry »
4 Comments | On Foot, Plants, Santa Lucias, Wildflowers | Tagged: Carmel Valley wildflowers, Garland Park wildflowers | Permalink
Posted by xasauan
Xasáuan Today 