The rain is falling, the ground is wet, and the mushrooms are pushing upward.
Coccora (Amanita calyptroderma). Highly esteemed by many, but closely resembles its deadly poisonous cousins – unless you really do know the difference, do yourself a favor and don’t try it. Read the rest of this entry »
As photographed by Jeff Norman, February 15,1970
15 Comments | 
Carmel River, History, Santa Lucias | 
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Posted by xasauan
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
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 »
3 Comments | Big Sur, On Foot, Santa Lucias | Permalink
Posted by xasauan
A Hallowe’en sonnet …
In Fall tarantulas walk slowly on
The acorn scattered ground beneath the oaks.
The thirsty deer eat buckeye bark at dawn.
They do not dare to drink where shadow cloaks
The hidden pools along the drying creek.
They smell the soft and shallow breath of pale
Gold lions, crouching silent, there to seek
A kill beside the narrow creekside trail.
The leaves of poison oak turn red and whirl
In drifts along the paths like burning snow.
Beside their dens the foxes stand and curl
Their whiskers back as wind begins to blow.
Tarantulas turn acorns with their feet,
Big spiders slowly walking in the heat.
1 Comment | Santa Lucias | Permalink
Posted by xasauan
We don’t know why so many people scramble up the sides of the Arroyo Seco Gorge into places they can’t get down from – or why so many people crack their heads diving into shallow water there – but they’ve been doing it for years. Here’s a video someone shot of this weekend’s rescue … Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted by xasauan
Storm cells bring rain and lightning to San Luis Obispo County this evening, as seen across Lake San Antonio from a hillside near Lockwood. Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted by xasauan
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 »
3 Comments | Big Sur, Insects, On Foot, Plants, Santa Lucias, Wildflowers | Permalink
Posted by xasauan
A good deal of the 1974 film Zandy’s Bride – based on the book The Stranger in Big Sur, by Lillian Bos Ross, and starring Gene Hackman and Liv Ullman – was filmed at Molera State Park, on a set constructed on the coastal terrace near the mouth of the Big Sur River.
Here are some photos we came across while cleaning out a closet yesterday … Read the rest of this entry »
10 Comments | Big Sur, Coastal Development/Erosion, History, Santa Lucias | Tagged: Big Sur | Permalink
Posted by xasauan
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 »
9 Comments | On Foot, Santa Lucias | Permalink
Posted by xasauan
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