Category Archives: photography

Golden Yarrow

Perfectly sized to work the minute central disk flowers of golden yarrow, a tiny insect -- perhaps a species of bee fly -- hovers a few millimeters from the plant.

Perfectly sized to work the minute central disk flowers of golden yarrow, a tiny insect — perhaps a syrphid fly — hovers a few millimeters from the plant, assessing the risk of continuing to feed.

The compound flower head of the golden yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum) is about the size of a green pea (10mm), and the individual disk flowers at its center are about 1/5 as large (2mm).

From a run at Sage Ranch Park on May 28, 2007.

Related post: Bee Fly on Western Wallflower.

Rocky Peak

Rocky Peak in the Santa Susana Mountains

Each year, thousands hike, ride or run the 2.3 miles up Rocky Peak fire road to a high point with a nice view of Simi Valley. This is near the point marked “ROAD” in this overview photo. Many turn around here, but some continue along the main road to the Johnson Trail, Chumash Trail, Fossil Point, or beyond.

Another option is to follow a spur trail that branches off the main road at the high point about a quarter-mile to an airy overlook. From this viewpoint you can see the San Fernando Valley and surrounding mountains, and trace your route through Rocky Peak Park’s unique sandstone formations.

The overlook marks the end of the “easy” trail and the beginning of a rough, rudimentary trail that leads east-northeast through large boulders and outcrops to the summit of the Rocky Peak (2714′).

The summit of Rocky Peak is one of the points that defines the border between Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Last year, I was surprised to find evidence that a coyote had recently visited this summit!

Here’s a Google Earth image and Google Earth KMZ file of a GPS trace of my route to the summit.

Some related posts: San Fernando Valley from Rocky Peak, Rainy Morning on Rocky Peak Road.

Lasky Mesa Prickly Pear

Prickly pear on Lasky Mesa in Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (formerly Ahmanson Ranch).

This prickly pear on Lasky Mesa appears to have many of the characteristics of the Engelmann prickly-pear, Opuntia engelmannii, but is more likely a cross involving O. engelmannii. One such cross is O. littoralis X (O. engelmannii X O. phaeacantha ) which is referred to as O. ×occidentalis in the Jepson Manual. Here’s a closer view of the stamens and pistil.

From a run in in Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (formerly Ahmanson Ranch) on May 23, 2007.

Little Jimmy Spring Incense Cedar

A large incense-cedar (Calocedrus decurrens) near Little Jimmy Spring in the San Gabriel Mountains of Southern California.

This is the large incense-cedar (Calocedrus decurrens) mentioned in the post Snowless San Gabriels. It is located on a northeast facing slope near Little Jimmy Spring at an elevation of about 7460′ in the San Gabriel Mountains of Southern California. A vertical panorama better shows the size of this tree.

The scar from the 2002 Curve Fire can be seen on the left side of the tree. The black and white cap is about 7 inches wide and suggests a diameter of perhaps 70-80 inches. According to the species information in the FEIS database, in Southern California the largest incense-cedars generally have a diameter at breast height (d.b.h.) of 36-48 inches, but in the Sierra Nevada frequently reach diameters of 84 inches. According to the database, trees over about 200 years old are subject to dry rot, but large trees are often over 500 years old.

Related posts: Pine Mountain Juniper, Heat Wave, Lightning Tree

Snowless San Gabriels

Ridge between Mt. Baden-Powell and Mt. Burnham in the San Gabriel Mountains. 
Ridge between Mt. Baden-Powell and Mt. Burnham

Standing on the summit of Mt. Baden-Powell (9399′), I squinted through the haze at Mt. Baldy (10,064′). Nope, no snow.

It’s not often that the highest elevations of the San Gabriel Mountains are snowless on Memorial Day weekend. If nowhere else, there will usually be a patch of white on the north side of Mt. Baldy. Two years ago there were 10-15 ft. drifts on Baden-Powell that persisted into July. Not this year.

This year, usually dependable water sources might not make it through the Summer. On the way to Baden-Powell I  stopped at Little Jimmy Springs. Descending to the spring, I didn’t hear the usual splitter-splatter of water streaming onto the rocks. For a worried moment I wondered if the spring could already dry.

It wasn’t dry, but the spring was nearly as low as it was in August 2002, following the driest water year ever recorded in Los Angeles. Whether Little Jimmy Spring will last through this Summer, after what is likely to be an even drier year, we’ll just have to see. To date, Los Angeles has received only 3.21 inches of rain since July 1, 2006, and will very likely break the record set in 2001-2002.

When on the trail between Islip Saddle and Mt. Baden-Powell, I almost always visit Little Jimmy Spring. The area surrounding the spring is lush and green, and in midsummer is accentuated with the yellows and reds of wildflowers. There are several impressive Incense Cedars nearby, and one huge tree must have enjoyed the idyllic setting and refreshing waters for at least a few centuries. The tree was threatened by the 2002 Curve Fire, but fortunately only a part of its fire-resistant trunk was burned.

At the spring, I filled my Camelbak to the brim. On the way back from Mt. Baden-Powell, I was planning to climb Mt. Burnham, Throop Peak, Mt. Hawkins and Mt. Islip. Most of these peaks are relatively easy ascents requiring short detours from the main trail. Mt. Islip requires a little more effort, and is about a mile by trail from Windy Gap.

According to my Forerunner 205, the distance from Islip Saddle to Mt. Baden-Powell is about 8.1 miles. Depending on how Islip is done, the total mileage including the five peaks is in the neighborhood of 17-18 miles, with an elevation gain and loss of about 4700′.

Note: Angeles Crest Highway (SR2) was open to Islip Saddle.

Related post: PCT Above Windy Gap.