Category Archives: upper las virgenes canyon open space preserve

ahmanson ranch, nature, nature|wildflowers, photography, trails, upper las virgenes canyon open space preserve, wildflowers, wildflowers

Ahmanson Ranch’s Green Hills And Early Spring Wildflowers Will Soon Be Gone

published
Click on thumbnails for more info & larger image.

Invasive mustard covering a hillside in Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (Ahmanson Ranch)

Before you know it, the green hills of Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (Ahmanson Ranch) will have turned brown, and many of the early Spring wildflowers blooming along the area’s trails will be just a memory.

At the moment, all of the wildflowers mentioned in my previous post can still be found, but the earliest bloomers — such as goldfields  — are  gradually going away.

Catalina mariposa lily (thumbnail)
Catalina mariposa lilies

Some additional wildflowers that may currently be seen along Ahmanson Ranch trails include: Catalina mariposa lily, blue Dicks, monkey flower, fiddleneck, miniature lupine, and arroyo lupine.

Invasive mustard has become very prevalent, not only in the Kenneth Fire burn area, but throughout Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve. It is picturesque when blooming, but fields and slopes covered in mustard increase the fire hazard when the stalks and leaves dry out under the hot summer sun.

Some related posts:
– Ahmanson Ranch Poppies, Goldfields, Red Maids, and a Rattlesnake
– Weekday Wildflowers
– The Problem with Mustard

ahmanson ranch, landscape, nature, photography, photography|landscape, photography|wildflowers, smmc open space, trails, upper las virgenes canyon open space preserve, wildflowers, wildflowers

Ahmanson Ranch Poppies, Goldfields, Red Maids, and a Rattlesnake

published
Click on thumbnails for more info & larger image.

California Poppies at Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve

At first glance you might think there aren’t any wildflowers at Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (Ahmanson Ranch). The grasses, mallow, mustard and other invasives tend to crowd them out, but the wildflowers are there.

As seen in the title photo, there are a few nice patches of California poppies. Unless you have a sharp eye, you probably won’t see them from the parking lot. They like warm, west-facing slopes. If it’s early morning or chilly, their blossoms will be tightly furled to protect against the cold.

Goldfields on Lasky Mesa (thumbnail)
A patch of goldfields on Lasky Mesa

Individual goldfields (Lasthenia gracilis) may go unnoticed, but it’s hard to miss the bright yellow patches of goldfields scattered around Laksy Mesa.

Red maids is another vibrantly-colored wildflower. Its rose-lavender blossoms stand out from the green of the grasses. Small patches of the flowers can be seen just about anywhere at Ahmanson in late Winter and early Spring.

Also grabbing my attention during a recent run was a small rattlesnake on the fire road in East Las Virgenes Canyon. It may be young and small, but it’s just as venomous as an adult snake. With warming temps, more encounters with snakes are likely.

Some related posts:
– If Running at Ahmanson Could Always Be Like This…
– After the Kenneth Fire: The Theme is Green
– Weekday Wildflowers
– Big Southern Pacific Rattlesnake at Ahmanson Ranch

ahmanson ranch, clouds, green, landscape, los angeles, nature, nature|clouds, nature|weather, photography, running, smmc open space, southern california, trails, upper las virgenes canyon open space preserve, weather, weather

If Running at Ahmanson Could Always Be Like This…

published
Click on thumbnails for more info & larger image.

Green hills and clouds in Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve

Cool weather, light winds, picturesque clouds, and Dales-green hills… If running in Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (Ahmanson Ranch) could always be like this.

Here are a few more photos from the run.

Some related posts:
– After the Kenneth Fire: The Theme is Green
– Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (Ahmanson Ranch) After the 2025 Kenneth Fire

ahmanson ranch, green, landscape, los angeles, nature, nature|weather, nature|wildfire, photography, photography|landscape, running, smmc open space, southern california, trails, upper las virgenes canyon open space preserve, weather, weather, weather|southern california, wildfire

After the Kenneth Fire: The Theme is Green

published
Click on thumbnails for more info & larger image.

Green hills in Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (Ahmanson Ranch), nearly two months after the Kenneth Fire.

The theme is green in Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (Ahmanson Ranch), nearly two months after the Kenneth Fire.

This photo contrasts unburned and burned terrain along a firebreak and containment line in East Las Virgenes Canyon.

Some related posts:
– Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (Ahmanson Ranch) After the 2025 Kenneth Fire
– Mountain Lion Tracks in Upper Las Virgenes Canyon
– 2025 Kenneth Fire Perimeter and Some Area Trails

ahmanson ranch, climate change, drought, los angeles, nature, nature|trees, nature|weather, nature|wildfire, photography, photography|landscape, smmc open space, southern california, trails, trails|smmc open space, trees, trees, upper las virgenes canyon open space preserve, weather, weather, wildfire

Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (Ahmanson Ranch) After the 2025 Kenneth Fire

published
Click on thumbnails for more info & larger image.

Ahmanson Ranch after the 2025 Kenneth Fire

The Kenneth Fire started at about 2:30 PM on January 9, 2025, near the Victory Trailhead of Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (Ahmanson Ranch). The Los Angeles Fire Department issued an alert about the Kenneth Fire at 2:39 PM.

According to the CAL FIRE Kenneth Fire Incident Page, the fire burned 1,052 acres, and was contained on January 12, 2025. The Kenneth Fire is the third significant fire to affect this area in the last 20 years — the other two being the 2005 Topanga Fire and 2018 Woolsey Fire.

At about the time the fire started, a personal weather station near the Victory Trailhead recorded the wind from the ENE at about 11 mph, gusting to 22 mph. At this station, the wind moderated somewhat over the course of the afternoon and early evening, but picked back up overnight.

The vegetation within the burn area is oak savanna — a plant community characterized by grassland and scattered oaks. In the case of Ahmanson Ranch the oaks are valley oaks and coast live oaks. The last known blue oak in the Preserve died in the Winter of 2022-23.

Taking into account their respective populations, the percentage of valley oaks destroyed by the Kenneth Fire far exceeded the percentage of coast live oaks. As the climate has warmed, the mortality rate of valley oaks in the southern part of their range has been increasing and their range retreating northward.

Although the wind was not as strong as it was on January 7-8, it was exceptionally dry. Prior to January 2025, Downtown Los Angeles only recorded 0.16 inch or rain for the Rain Year starting July 1 and  Water Year beginning October 1. As of January 9, the period July 1, 2024 to January 9, 2025 was tied with 1962-63 as the driest on record.

Here are some photos and notes from recent runs in Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (Ahmanson Ranch) following the 2025 Kenneth Fire.

Some related posts:
– 2025 Kenneth Fire Perimeter and Some Area Trails
– Very Dry Start to the Downtown Los Angeles 2024-2025 Rain Year
– After the Woolsey Fire: Ahmanson Ranch
– The Topanga Fire, Part I: Rain, Wind and Fire

ahmanson ranch, nature, nature|wildlife, photography, smmc open space, trails, upper las virgenes canyon open space preserve, wildlife

Mountain Lion Tracks in Upper Las Virgenes Canyon

first published & last updated
Click on thumbnails for more info & larger image.

Mountain lion tracks on the fire road in upper Las Virgenes Canyon, January 28, 2025.

While doing a run from the Victory Trailhead of Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (Ahmanson Ranch) yesterday, I came across the tracks of mountain lion headed (north) up the fire road in Las Virgenes Canyon.

My initial impression was that the tracks were on the smaller side for a mountain lion, but that was mistaken. On a recent run, I measured the stride length (toe tip to toe tip) at about 40 inches. Comparing the front track to my shoe width, it appears to be around 4 inches — so, not that small.

Some related posts:
– It’s Raining Mountain Lion Tracks!
– Mountain Lion Tracks on Rocky Peak Road
– Mountain Lion Saga