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Page Revised: 2/18/05 |
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Available Sites Circle X Ranch |
Date of Review 2/15/05 & 2/12/05
& 2/4/05 & 1/22/05 |
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See the photo gallery of
What’s Blooming at: http://www.nps.gov/samo/bloom/bloom.htm |
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The recent heavy rains
have damaged some of the Rec Area’s trails.
If you are not up to mud, stream crossings, and climbing into and out of
washouts you might want to call the park office to
check on trail conditions. |
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Circle X Ranch |
Mishe Mokwa and
Sandstone Peak Trails |
Date: 2/15/05 |
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This six mile loop is quite popular,
and while it often lags the nearby Canyon View trail in flower diversity, it
more than makes up in grandeur of views. If you don't want to do the whole
six mile loop and are mostly interested in flowers then the section from the
trailhead to split rock usually shows three-quarters of the flowers of the
whole loop. However, this same section can have significant mud even several
days after a rain. In places the mud is unavoidable and located on steep
slopes where footing can become slippery and treacherous. In this case a walking
stick can be quite helpful. Highlights include a massive display
of Shooting Stars, both Hoary and Hairy-leaved Ceanothus, much Wild Cucumber,
Prickly Phlox, Mustard Evening Primrose, both Eastwood and Bigberry
Manzanita, Blue Larkspur, Blue Dicks, a few early Woolly Blue Curls,
Skullcap, many Chaparral Current still going strong, and California Peony. It
is worth mentioning that a few of the many Chocolate Lilies are getting very
near blooming. Other species found in bloom include
many Woolly Lomatium, Deerweed, Black Sage, Small Evening Primrose, Popcorn
flower, Yellow Monkey Flower, Hollyleaf Cherry, Hollyleaf Redberry, Purple Nightshade,
Narrow-leaved Fringe-pod, Peppergrass, Narrow-leaved and Annual Bedstraw,
Two-tone Everlasting, Virgin's Bower, Southern Tauschia, Wild Sweet Pea,
California Saxifrage, Coast Goldfields, Golden Yarrow, Turkey Pea, a few
stray California Laurel blossoms, Eucrypta, Arroyo Willow, Milkmaids, Common
Fiddleneck, Red- and White-stem Filaree, Long-beaked Filaree, Common
Groundsel, Black Mustard, Bur Clover, a couple of Bigpod Ceanothus, Chamise,
and Redshank, and one Pitcher Sage blossom. All told 52 species but many
still only lightly represented. (TV) |
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Naturalist's rating: Good |
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Rocky Oaks |
Various trails |
Date: 2/13/05 |
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Winter
storms have filled the pond at Rocky Oaks to the highest level seen in years.
The picnic table that was formerly beside the water is now in the water which
did not seem to bother the ducks floating on the pond. Most of the trails
were pretty muddy and only a few flowers were starting to bloom. The
highlights were seeing several large buckbrush
(ceanothus cuneatus) in full bloom and several giant chocolate lilies. These
lily plants that are generally less than a foot tall were two feet tall and
just about to bloom. The area will definitely be worth a trip back to see
those blooms. (SB) |
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Naturalist's rating: Just
beginning |
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Zuma/Trancas Canyons |
Bonsall Trailhead |
Date: 2/13/05 |
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The Bonsall Trailhead for Zuma Canyon
Trail was re-opened this week. A rough new trail now bypasses the washed out section.
We checked out the by pass and found many things already in full bloom here.
Chaparral sunflower has large burst of yellow flowers, a few elderberry are
starting as are deerweed, mustard, and wild cucumber. As soon as the new
section joins the old trail, the trail becomes very muddy. We re-traced our
steps and enjoyed good views of the new streambed and flowing water. (SB) |
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Naturalist's rating: Just
beginning |
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Zuma/Trancas Canyons |
Newton Trailhead |
Date: 2/13/05 |
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Most people are taking this trail to
see the Newton Waterfall, and as they walk down the trail beside the north
facing rock face, you can certainly hear the waterfall. You may also notice
the beautiful greenbark ceanothus bushes and wild cucumber vines, but unless
you make a point to look down, you will pass by some of the most interesting small plants
seen in some time. These small plants, mosses, lichens and ferns are
beautiful, delicate and well worth looking at. Little white flowers of California
lace pod and shepherd’s purse stand out against the background of dark
rock. Lichens, mosses, and ferns (goldback fern,
bird’s foot fern, and coastal wood fern) look like a tropical rain
forest. Interspersed among them are larkspurs (delphinium patens),
miner’s lettuce, saxifrage and small flowered meconella,
a quite small white flower with six petals that is a member of the poppy
family. Virgin’s bower and canyon sunflower are ready to bloom, but not
out yet. (SB) |
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Naturalist's rating: Just
beginning |
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Circle X Ranch |
Canyon View Trail |
Date: 2/12/05 |
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This trail, running from the
Sandstone Peak trailhead to the campgrounds passes through several ecosystems
and consequently often has a wide variety of flowers represented. The trail
drains well and is mostly dry and pleasant going even a few hours after a
heavy rain, although the grass is now getting high enough in places to get
shoes wet if done immediately after a rain. As it crosses a rock-bottomed
creek and follows above the West Fork of the Arroyo Sequit it is frequently
serenaded by the sound of running and falling water. Be sure to take a quick
side trip of a few hundred yards and walk part way down the Grotto trail just
below the small falls. This short “flower alley” is worth any
flower enthusiast’s time. Highlights include masses of Blue
Dicks, a large patch of Globe Gila, a small but dense patch of Skullcap,
California Peony, frequent scatterings of Wishbone Bush, many Wild Cucumber,
Hollyleaf Cherry, masses of Greenbark Ceanothus, what my wife and I call
“The Valley of the Blue Curls,” a nice spray of Virgin's Bower,
Shooting Stars, both Purple and White Nightshade, both Succulent and Stinging
Lupine, Blue Larkspur, several Collarless California Poppy, a few Owl Clover,
and a single Parry's Phacelia. It is always fun to see a new flower for the
first time and for me it was the Twining Snapdragon. Completing the list we saw Wild
Morning Glory, Common Fiddleneck, Popcorn Flower, Mule Fat, Miners Lettuce,
Black Sage, Common Groundsel, Black Mustard, Woolly Aster, Henbit, Eucrypta,
California Black Walnut, California Laurel, Mustard Evening Primrose,
Narrow-leaved Fringe-pod, Golden Yarrow, Yellow Monkey Flower, Chaparral
Current, Hollyleaf Redberry, California Saxifrage, Pineapple Weed, Mountain
Mahogany, Elderberry, Western Sycamore, Deerweed, Pacific Sanicle, Telegraph
Weed, Small Evening Primrose, California Buckwheat, Strigose Lotus, both Bush
and Canyon Sunflower, both Yellow Sweet and Bur Clover, both Red-stem and
White-stem Filaree, both Shiny and Woolly Lomatium, Felt-leaved, California,
and Two-toned Everlasting, and Narrow-leaved, Climbing and Annual Bedstraw.
We also saw several examples of Poison Oak in bloom -- a good reason to stay
safe by staying on the trail. All told a count of 65 different species in
bloom but since many have not yet really hit their stride we can't give as
high a rating as we otherwise might. (TV) |
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Naturalist's rating: Good |
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Circle X Ranch |
Grotto Trail |
Date: 2/4/05 |
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The trail is dry except for a few
muddy patches that are easy to avoid. Getting to the grotto itself is a little
different than a month ago because the stream bed has shifted a bit and a few
sections are still flooded. We counted forty three different
species in bloom but most are only lightly represented. Highlights include
many Greenbark Ceanothus, Purple Nightshade, and Wild Cucumber. In the reds
the California Peony is well along while the Crimson Pitcher Sage is just
beginning. Chaparral Currant, Milkmaids, scatterings of Wild Sweet Pea and a
few Winter Vetch blossoms add pink to the landscape. In the blues a large
patch of Stinging Lupine is close to the almost open buds of the Wishbone
Bush. Near the first waterfall several Blue Larkspur are open with a promise
of many more to come. Blue Dicks were plentiful in the grassy meadow. For
yellows we have along the lower trail both Bush Sunflower and Canyon
Sunflower with Telegraph Weed and Deerweed near the upper end. The whites
were well represented by Wild Cucumber, Wild Morning Glory, Virgin's Bower,
White Nightshade, and Popcorn Flower. Also in bloom along this trail were
California Everlasting, Two-tone Everlasting, Felt-leaf Everlasting,
California Buckwheat, Red-stem Filaree, Redberry, Bur-clover, Woolly Aster,
Elderberry, Yellow Sweet Clover, Pineapple Weed, Poison Oak, Mountain
Mahogany, Mule Fat, Miner’s Lettuce, Narrow-leaved Bedstraw, Black
Sage, Oxalis, Southern Tauschia, Arroyo Willow, Common Groundsel, and Black
Mustard. (TV) |
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Naturalist's rating: Fair |
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Leo Carrillo / Arroyo Sequit |
Nicholas Flat / Arroyo Sequit Loop
Trail |
Date: 2/3/05 |
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On 2/3/05 we hiked two areas just a
few miles apart, Nicholas Flat and Arroyo Sequit. We first entered the trail
off Decker School Road and made a clockwise loop around the Nicholas Flat
Area. We found the large pond to be full but extremely muddy, but with none
of the water plants yet revived. We did find purple nightshade, wild
cucumber, wild sweet peas and even some Vinca major
blooming. Miner's lettuce was plentiful and snake root was starting to
flower. A few fuchsia-flowered gooseberries, poison oak and hedge mustard
also were in flower. Greenback ceanothus, both white and blue blossomed were
conspicuously positioned along the way. In the grassy areas many fiddlenecks
and some horehound were blooming along with slender oats and Calif.
everlasting. Red stem filaree and blue dick were also present in the
grasslands mostly. Some arroyo willow were sporting their catkins and the bur
clover held aloft its tiny yellow flower. Some hold-over Western ragweed was
seen and the canyon sunflower was starting to bloom. Scarlet pitcher sage,
bush monkey flower, black sage, deer weed, bush sunflowers and morning glory
were also encountered. The masses of shooting stars continue to delight as
does the coast paintbrush. Some hog fennel was spotted as well as popcorn
flower, dandelion, several yucca, chaparral current and bigpod ceanothus and
the tiny common groundsel. The trail was dry but deeply rutted with loose
stones from the recent rains, requiring more attention to the trail than one
would really like. This loop is about 3.5 miles and the bloom rating is still
fair with about 22 species found to be in bloom. The second part of the hike was over
the 1.5 mile loop at nearby Arroyo Sequit. Many of the same plants seen at
Nicholas Flat were also seen on this part of the hike, but additionally wooly
lomatium, holly-leaf redberry, Calif. peony, and Bermuda buttercup. Also seen
were gum plant, prickly phlox, chamise (budding), and shiny lomatium. Two-tone
everlasting and felt-leaf everlasting were found as were elderberry,
telegraph weed, and eucrypta. The prize, for me, was several Indian warriors,
the first that I have found. The bloom rating was fair and the two creek
crossings which had been washed out were found to be significant obstacles
since they were sheer eight foot banks that someone had hacked some foot
holds in to aid in descending and ascending. (RMW) |
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Naturalist's rating: Fair |
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Rancho Sierra Vista / |
Wendy and Upper
Sycamore Canyon Trails |
Date: 1/25/05 |
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On Jan. 25, 2005 we hiked down the
Wendy Trail and made a 5.5 mile loop around the area returning from the South
along the Upper Sycamore Canyon Trail with a stop at the Waterfall before
returning to the trail head on Portrero Canyon Rd.
The weather was cool and comfortable, the trail dry in most places and the
flowering species observed numbered 54 warranting a good rating for the first
time this year. Across the grasslands the wild radish dominated with colors
of lavender, lavender and white, white, yellow and rose observed. The usual
hedge mustard was present, but the less frequently seen hog fennel and
Johnny-jump-ups were also seen. Blue dick, big-pod ceanothus, morning glory,
deerweed and a single rose in a large stand of wild rose were observed along
the way. Red stem filaree and quite a few shooting stars were on display as
well. Amongst the grasses in flower were both wild and slender oats and
foxtail barley. Bush lupine were seen as well as stinging lupine. Several
small stands of fiddleneck were in bloom as was the
arroyo willow. Other trees blooming were an eucalyptus globulus,
Calif. laurel and what appeared to be a domestic apricot along the trail to
the waterfall. Bush sunflower and canyon sunflower were passed as were three
of the everlasting: Calif., velvet leaf, and two-toned. The ubiquitous telegraph weed, common
groundsel and some coyote bush and ragweed were still hanging around from
last year. Horehound and black sage were both starting to bloom and the
green-bark ceanothus was thick on the hillsides with a few adding their
bouquet along the trail. The first popcorn flower, wishbone bush, and golden
yarrow for this year were starting to bloom. The sow thistle and wild
cucumber were still blooming as well as a couple of wooly asters and purple
sage. There was a lot of wild sweet pea seen and a few scarlet pitcher sage
blooming. Holly leaf redberry, and chaparral current and poison oak displayed
their blooms in various locations. Seen for the first time this year was
miner's lettuce and fiesta flower. Virgin's bower was blooming wildly as it
crawled over the adjacent chaparral. Milkmaid and blue larkspur and eucrypta
was spotted along the trail to the waterfall. Also seen in passing were some
bur clover and Calif. collarless poppy. The water fall was pouring copious
quantities of water down its cascade and the babble of the running water in
the stream was a constant sound to be heard throughout the hike up the Upper
Sycamore Canyon trail. Even the accursed "macadam road" was a
pleasant walk since we chose to go down it and hike back up via the Upper
Sycamore Canyon Trail. (RMW) |
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Naturalist's rating: Good |
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Circle X Ranch |
Backbone Trail below
Triunfo Peak |
Date: 1/22/05 |
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This Hike ran from the Eastern
intersection of the Backbone trail with Yerba Buena Road to the Sandstone Peak
trailhead, a distance of about 5.5 miles. We are now seeing new flowers every
trip out and counted twenty-four species in bloom (including the weedy ones
like black Mustard and Common Groundsel). Ceanothus were represented by
Bigpod, Greenbark and the beginnings of a few Hairy-leaved Ceanothus. Bush
Sunflower, Hollyleaf Redberry, Wild Cucumber and Chaparral Current were
plentiful in spots as were Woolly Lomatium and Purple Nightshade. The
diminutive Bur Clover, Small Evening Primrose and Popcorn Flower were only
seen in only a few scattered locations and required a sharp eye. Black Sage
and Deerweed had begun to bloom in several locations and although already
blooming elsewhere I saw my first Morning Glory, Wild Peony and Yellow Monkey
Flower blooming here at Circle X this day. Just below the Mishe Mokwa trail
we encountered a good-sized field of Shooting Stars. Scattered holdouts from
the last blooming season included a few Twiggy Wreath Plants, some Coyote
Brush, and even a Rock Rose. (TV) |
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Naturalist's rating: Fair |
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Point Mugu State Park |
La Jolla and Loop
Trails |
Date: 1/18/05 |
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We got back on the trail again on a
beautiful warm and dry weekday morning. The trails of choice were the La Jolla
and Loop Trails on Jan. 18, 2005. During the hike of about 5.5 miles we
encountered 39 different species exhibiting blooms. Starting right from the
trail head we spotted bush sunflower, giant coreopsis, bladder pod, bush
mallow, mulefat, deer weed and morning glory. There
were spots of coast paintbrush throughout the hike with red-stem filaree,
black sage, fountain grass and Calif. everlasting also seen. Blue dicks were
seen sporadically all along the trails and some mustard was already showing
color. The lemonade berry bush was starting to bloom as well as a single
chaparral yucca and several bush monkey flowers. A single coast wallflower
was found and a lot of Southern Tauchia and wild sweetpea. Amongst the usual pink and white sweetpeas was one plant with all pure white blooms. A few
wild blackberries were present and purple nightshade as well as one white
nightshade plant. Several Fuchsia flowered goose berries were in bloom as
well as a lot of chaparral current. Only a few bigpod ceanothus and greenbark
ceanothus were flowering. A few sweet fennel and Calif. sagebrush showed
their flowers as did the two-toned everlasting and purple sage. Several
lupines were seen that may have been of the foothill variety. Snakeroot,
poison oak and common groundsel was seen , but the special treat was a large
group of shooting stars. The large pond at the trail campsite was full and
overflowing, but muddy as could be. The last time we had been here the pond
was completely dry. The two waterfalls on the La Jolla Trail were flowing
with copious quantities of water and the little pond at the foot of the upper
fall was full and inviting. (This pond was also dry during our last visit). The trails were mostly dry, but were
like small river beds full of rocks from the water flow during the heavy
rains. Rating for blooms is a fair approaching good with lots of promise for
the weeks ahead. (RMW) |
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Naturalist's rating: Fair |
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Rancho Sierra Vista |
Satwiwa garden |
Date: 1/15/05 |
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Satwiwa garden has nice early spring
blooms in a very small space. Many golden currants are in bloom along with a
few hummingbird sage plants. There is one small yellow monkeyflower
along with one or two fuchsia flowered gooseberry with multiple flowers. Both
of these are great plants for home gardens. Several blooming sugarbushes make a nice backdrop for the garden. (SB) |
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Naturalist's rating: Fair |
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Santa
Monica Mountains National Recreation Area 401 West
Hillcrest Drive Ph.
805-370-2301 web. www.nps.gov/samo |
Thank
you for your
contributions: Sheila
Braden |
If you
would like to contribute to the wildflower report: e-mail: or phone
him at 310-457-6408 |
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