matilija poppies and coastal sequoia

We are lucky the Santa Monica Mountains edge Los Angeles, and there are easy ways to get a quick hike in nature without driving far. On the weekends, however, it can be like Disneyland at times in terms of crowds on the easier hiking trails.

It was foggy and overcast in the morning, a perfect day for a hike, in my opinion. But the clouds melted away very early, leaving blue sky. Either way, foggy or blue, both are good excuses for a hike. Today, I find the Matilija poppies are still in bloom and as photographic as ever. I puzzled over the water drops. Are they dew drops? We haven't had rain in the last 24 hours.

The coastal sequoia planted near the hiking trail show new growth as light green against a dark background. Unfortunately, these shots do not do justice to spurt of new growth on the tips of the branches.

I purposefully did not take photos of the kazillion hikers on the trail, thus leaving the illusion of being out communing with solitary nature.

local hike in the santa monica mountains

There be flowers blooming though these are native plants placed by either the state park or the local conservancy along the hiking trail. I love how the setting sun highlights these Matilija poppies. Family: Papaveraceae, Genus: Romneya. These perennial tree poppies are good for drought tolerant plantings. I was told these can be difficult to start but once they take, they grow like mad. My neighbors call them the eggs sunny side up flower.

These cute furry tips are likely to be the seed pod.

These flannelbush plants, now flowering, were also planted by the state park or local conservancy. Family: Malvaceae, Genus: Fremontodentron. Needless to say, these native plants are also great for water conserving gardens.

Amazingly enough, there is still running water, albeit algae-ridden, at the top of the hiking trail. It is still shady and green along parts of this hike.

What's up, bobcat?

Sunday was a beautiful day to go for a hike in the Santa Monica Mountains up Sycamore Canyon. Here, the main path is a wide fire trail, shared with horses and bikers.
There was a wildfire approximately 16 years ago which wiped out most of the vegetation in this canyon. You can see how the fire burnt this oak.

Indian paintbrush along side the path

Fossils in the rock set next to the path.

The highlight of our hike: we spied a bobcat resting on a tree trunk next to the main fire trail road.

Santa Monica Mountains hike

Mallows were in full bloom in Solstice Canyon. I used to be quite the fanatic about keying and id'ing flowers while hiking but I can't seem to find my books.

We spied developing walnuts in the trees.
Juglans californica, black walnut, family Juglandaceae

It was sometime after 1903 that a homesteader named Henry Keller built this hunting cabin originally of stone and tin to withstand wildfire; however, in the years following, wood porches were built, meaning it was no longer fire-proof. The Corral Canyon fire of 2007 destroyed this cabin.

This sycamore was scorched by the Corral Canyon fire of 2007 fire but it has survived.

There is still a running stream traversing Solstice Canyon, complete with minnows.

These lizards were checking us out, one eye cocked on us while sunning on a log.