First Ascent

First climb to the top of the mountain that would become my future backyard. Not too long after this hike I was fortunate to live at the top of that large riparian canyon that sprang from that majestic mountain for almost 3 years. Searching through all of the images from all of the various treks and explorations is very rewarding. To not only relive walks like this one, but to also be reminded of what the place looked like before the massive fire and a 3-year drought.

The images above display a vibrant Spring, and I truly don't think I've seen things this green since these were taken in the Spring of 2009. And 2009 was not even a really wet year, but certainly a wet year compared to the ones we've been having lately! However, things are starting off pretty good this early Winter. We'll see if we can get everything to green up like this once again. I would really like to see that.

To see massive florets from the Hummingbird Sage glowing all fuschia, and giant aqua leafed Dudleyas pouring out of the moist cracks in the rock, and with little orange newts crawling below, out from their high Chaparral winter homes eventually winding their way down to the little pools hundreds of feet below. And you must watch your step on the way back down, where you'll see them walking across the trail headed downhill, just before the full moon begins to rise!

Beneath the Cliffs

I don't think I could ever get tired of this place.

Chaparral is Cool

Chaparral is the most dominant plant community in California, yet myths abound on its 'dependance on fire' to its aesthetic and ecological value. To get your facts straight the Chaparral Institute has done the homework for you. They advocate that we change some of our Southern California National Forests names to National Chaparral Recreation Areas because over 75% of these 'forests' can be made up of chaparral. The USFS is also known to plant pine trees where chaparral has occupied the hillsides for centuries. I particularly like the idea of establishing a Grizzly Bear National Monument in the Cleveland National Forest in San Diego county. Giving the California Grizzly Bear and the Chaparral the respect and designation they so deserve.

We have some great stands of chaparral in the Santa Monica Mountains and fortunately for us, for the most part, the manzanita, the red shank, ceonothus, and the chamise get the respect the deserve here in the SMMNRA.

Dog Days of Summer

What better way to beat the long days of summer than doing a 12 plus mile 2000 feet elevation gain hike during the heat of mid-day? That's exactly what I did yesterday and although I was beat from the trek it sure did help to take up a big chunk of the day. I followed a new steeper route up to the Boney Mountain region of cliffs and big boulders and it proved interesting trying to carry my camera gear and tripod while scrambling up the narrow crumbling chutes. I was stoked to have found that neat cave pictured above which was a perfect rest location near the summit and I was even more delighted to find that it even had a log book organized by a lady calling herself Nighthawk. That's now three logbook locations I know of and have been to just in this small area.

I was also trying to photograph dragonflies and swifts this day and those two creatures have to be some of the most difficult things to capture. The dragonflies never stop moving and the swifts are just amazingly fast like little fighter jets you can hear them swoosh by. Needless to say I didn't get any great dragonfly or swift shots but I did stumble upon a fence lizard duel in progress. Both of their bodies were totally flared out and they looked like little komodo dragons the way they were posturing and moving about.

I have to remember to start hiking either really early or later in the afternoon so that I can catch the better light and cooler temperature for the ascents.

From up There

"Boney Mountain is a sacred spiritual area, a shaman's retreat, and a place for vision quests. It is a place for meditation. From up there, you can see everything."

          -Charlie Coke, Tiq Slo' 'Eye of the Eagle"
              A Hereditary Chumash Chief

Mt. Boney

Finally made the hike up to the top of Boney Mountain, and it was well worth it. One of the coolest things about my Nikon Digi is that it works so well with my old film lenses, especially my 60mm macro that becomes like a 100mm on the D300. We were able to see lots of great views of the Santa Barbara Channel and the islands as well as a mass newt migration (we saw like 5 or 6 newts all crossing the trail in front of us right before dusk), and all of the native plants were glowing in the afternoon light. So the wildflowers are out, but not for long, get it while you can.