Over the next few months, I’ll be hiking the 67-mile/108-km Backbone Trail in easy chunks. Annette and I started with section one on New Years Day, Will Rogers to Trippet Ranch. It was a gorgeous day, and we were tired and happy at the end. A great way to start the year!
Thank you, nature, for the best gift — a bobcat sighting!
I hiked up to Parker Mesa Overlook from Los Liones yesterday. I‘ve only been to the overlook once before, on Nov 9, 1997 (according to my hiking book). My friend David and I did a sunset/night hike that evening, and we saw a rocket launch from Vandenberg Air Force (now “Space Force”) base. We actually didn’t know wtf we were seeing, but we read about it next day in the news. It looked like a massive translucent zeppelin. Amazing sight!
Delairea odorata is a perennial vine (family Asteraceae) native to South Africa. It is problematic in some of our coastal riparian areas, moist forests, and oak woodlands. The vines form dense mats of vegetation over trees and shrubs, killing plants underneath. It is toxic to animals and fish can be killed when plant materials are soaking in waterways. Unfortunately, it’s completely taken over Los Liones Canyon within Topanga State Park.
We hiked a new-to-us trail in Malibu Creek State Park, steep and almost overgrown in parts. It’s unclear why it’s called Phantom, except perhaps that hardly anyone goes there? We didn’t encounter any ghosts, but we did see some out-of-season wildflowers in the wetter areas to the north of the ridge.
Annette and I have hiked to Tropical Terrace in Solstice Canyon many (many) times. But today was our first foray up the Sostomo Trail and around the Deer Valley Loop. We have declared it our new favourite hike. The creek crossings are delightful and the views from the top make the climb worthwhile.
We saw a hedge nettle (Stachys bullata) blooming out of season. What’s up with the common name? This member of the mint family neither grows in a hedge nor stings like a nettle. 🤷🏻♀️
We hiked Nicholas Flat for the first time since spring. The new bridge has remarkably high sides; Vic says it’s to make it safe for horses.
This could be the poison oak encounter that I won’t be forgetting for a while. It can take several weeks for the rash to appear, but I’m already feeling (psychosomatic?) tingling on my forearms.
However, the Humboldt Lilies were fab!
They say virtue is its own reward, but I got a bonus 😊.
Stream orchids are widespread in North America, and ranked secure in conservation status, but they are rare and vulnerable in our mountains.
I was thrilled to see my first horned lizard on this morning’s hike with Vic and Annette. Huge kudos to A. for spotting this guy in the shadows. The Blainville’s Horned Lizard is a flat-bodied lizard with a wide oval-shaped body. Adults can vary in length from 2.5-4.5 inches / 6.3-11.4 cm (snout to vent) and have enlarged pointed scales scattered on the upper body and tail, and a large crown of horns on the head. Their biggest claim to fame is that they can squirt an aimed stream of blood from the corners of the eyes for a distance up to 5 ft / 1.5 m.
We also spotted a pair of side-blotched lizard having a cuddle in the middle of the trail. Ah, spring!
Viola pedunculata, the Johnny jump-up, California golden violet, or yellow pansy, is a perennial yellow wildflower of the coast and coastal ranges in California and northwestern Baja California. The plant grows on open, grassy slopes, in chaparral habitats, and in oak woodlands. We see its cheerful yellow flowers in the Santa Monica Mountains from early to late spring.
hashiworks 