add some mexican food, warm weather and good company….need I say more?
ps- (yeah, okay i do need to say more) don’t forget to check sunset times , bring a camera, and look out for sea otters playing in the kelp!
Monthly Archives: April 2011
Native Plants of SLO County: Happy California Native Plants Week!
Happy California Native Plant Week! In celebration of this week (April 17-23) ”dedicated to the appreciation, education, and conservation of California’s fabulous landscape,” as the California Native Plant Society so beautifully puts it, here is a short snippet of some of the native plants you can find in San Luis Obispo County! Also, if you want to participate in the Native Plant Week festivities, visit the San Luis Obispo Botanic Gardens on Saturday April 22nd to learn more about native plants in garden.
Toyon
photo credit: briweldon
Annual Hairgrass
photo credit:Carol W. Witham
California Poppy
photo credit: docentjoyce
Yellow Wildflowers
taken on Madonna Mountain
Lupine
Mustard Plant
Telegraph Weed
photo credit: lynnwatson
Seaside Daisy
photo credit: vanbloem.com
Spotted Hideseed
photo credit: ron wolf
Milk Thistle
photo taken on Ontario Ridge
These are just a few of my favorites. There are thousands of native plants you can find along the Central Coast!
A little jog on Johnson Ranch Trail
Well, I just got back from exploring another trail, Johnson Ranch. It was a nice, easy trail in the grasslands next to the freeway and South Higuera St. in SLO. Unfortunately I forgot my camera this time, so there are no pictures to share.
We got off the 101 South at Higuera and right there was a nice little parking lot at the start of the trail.
This trail is very people-friendly with a big bulletin marking the beginning and displaying a map of the trail and describing the history behind this Open Space path. All along the trail are little creeks and footbridges crossing them, and on any slippery or muddy parts cement blocks are laid across the path to help hikers keep their footing. Every so often signs marked the trail, warning about conditions, or pointing the right direction. Like I said, this hike is very welcoming to people.
The one picture I took with my phone before we set off on the trail...
It was a fairly short hike, there are two loops, but we only did the first big one. The path is easy for hikers, and we decided to run it. Johnson trail is awesome for cross-country running; we saw many other joggers and runners out there, with dogs and families accompanying them. There were people of all ages on the trail this morning.
The only downside to this trail is that for a portion of the time it is right next to the freeway, so any “natural escape” sounds are muffled by the loud noise of cars rushing by. However there is still plenty of wildlife, including cows (watch out for droppings!!), lizards, birds, poppies, wildflowers, and keep a look out for wild pigs- I saw lots of signs warning about them!
Tomorrow I plan to go back and try running the full two loops of the trail!
Ontario Ridge and Sycamore Crest Trail, Avila Beach
The view from Ontario Ridge
I was told about Ontario Ridge by another hiker we met at the top of Madonna Mountain and decided it would be a fun new trail to try. The hike was a total of 4.73 miles (check out the googlemap snapshot to see the trail loop from above!), and we started at 12:50 p.m. and got back to the car around 3:50 p.m.
google map of hike
We parked at Pirate’s Cove and started the hike through the gate that dead-ends the road. This brush-filled path led us to a cul-de-sac street lined with ocean-view mansions and a walking path.
Following the long row of grand houses, we turned left onto shell beach drive, where there was a little parking area. This was the beginning of the real hike.
The beginning of Ontario Ridge Trail
The start was a short but very steep climb up to the ridge that followed some telephone lines to the left side of the trail. The entire Ontario Ridge hike is literally on the “ridge” of the hill, and follows the steep dips, and peaks of the ridge. While the terrain is challenging, the view is spectacular. To our left we saw the ocean and a bird’s eye view of shell beach and all the large homes adjacent to the hill. And to our right, trees shading the ground and plants covering the hillside.
bottles should be in recycling, not on the trails! grrrr....
We saw a tiny Monterey Ring-Neck snake on the trail, and lots of pretty flowers along with the occasional butterfly.
Monterey Ring-Necked snake photo credit: Brad Alexander
In the middle of the hike we passed through what looked like a radio tower of some sort.
After a few miles along the ridge, the path came to a fork. We decided to go right, heading gradually downhill into the shady tree-lined path. There were quite a few other hikers on this path, and even a couple biking. Halfway down we found a bench at the side of the trail. Eventually we found ourselves at the bottom, where, much to our surprise, we discovered that the trail ended at the Avila Hot Springs.
So, we turned around and headed back up, taking a little break at the bench on the way.
Sycamore Crest Trail
It turns out that the shady trail we turned onto at the fork is a different trail called Sycamore Crest trail, and is three quarters of a mile each way.
The resting bench
Back at the top and once again in the afternoon sun, we took the left side of the fork. This took us straight down the steep hill to the parking lot of Pirate’s Cove.
The hill down to Pirate's Cove
Going down the hill was a slow process, complete with a few slips and slides along the way.
yellow wildflowers with Avila in the background
But we had the ocean in front of us, a view of Avila to the right, and tall yellow flowers lining the trail the whole way down.
not quite the yellow brick road...
At the very bottom we hopped over some low barbed wire, but I’m pretty sure that there is a gate located a little further to the right at the bottom of the path, away from the parking lot.
There are three places that you can park if you want to do the entire hike:
- Pirate’s Cove (that’s where I parked)
- Shell Beach Road at the start of Ontario Ridge
- Avila Hot Springs (next to the green bridge that goes over the road)
Best part: all the parking is free!
Don’t forget sunscreen and a camera, the hike is exposed to the sun but the views are amazing!
First-time hike up Madonna Mountain
Today my hiking buddy and I decided to spend our beautiful, early morning hiking up Cerro San Luis, more commonly known as Madonna Mountain.
This was my first time up the mountain, so we did not know exactly which paths to take, but whichever way we went must have worked because we definitely made it to the top!
We began around 9:10 am, got to the top at 10:30, and finished the hike about 11:30. I would say it’s a little over a two-hour hike, but that is including all the times we stopped to take pictures and admire the view as we headed up. So, the total time could be shorter/ longer depending on your hiking style.
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The hike started at the Laguna Lake Dog Park off of Madonna Rd. At first we walked along a grassy, flat trail that was surrounded by these tiny yellow flowers that just blanketed the fields. The openness here was absolutely unreal, and my buddy even remarked that the beginning of the hike looked like a completely different country.
After sliding through some muddy spots and winding up a little (compared to the mountain itself) hill with a fun rock to play on halfway up, we made it to the bottom of Madonna Mountain.
We hiked up the backside of Madonna, with Laguna Lack at our backs pretty much the entire way up. It was a fairly steep hike, but the view from the top was worth it.
Along the way we passed many other hikers, got passed by a few bikers, and even had a run-in with a little snake in the middle of the path. I’m pretty sure it was a garter snake, but I’m not very knowledgeable on the topic of snakes, and it weaved its way out of sight before we could get a better look.
Anyway, at the very top of the mountain, there are some rocks you can climb on top of, and then the entirety of San Luis Obispo is in eyesight. It’s the perfect spot for getting breathtaking pictures. The sight up there is incredible, and we just sat and took it all in for a little while before heading back down the mountain.
The hike ended in the field of yellow flowers and an accompanying slight breeze, a peaceful ending to a picture-perfect hike.
Paradise close to home? look no further than Catalina Island.
Back in late February I took a weekend trip to Avalon, Catalina with my family and explored the dive park, walked around town, and took on the surrounding hills via golfcart. Here’s a little slideshow of my visit!
Pirate’s Cove: a little more booty than you’d expect, but still a coastal gem
I’ve been to Pirate’s Cove a few times, and it’s always been a treat.
Pirate's Cove
Parking is free, and there’s a few different fun spots you can go to from the trails. There is a cave overlooking the water and tide-pools to explore (both found by heading right on the trail and following the signs), but most recently I’ve gone down to the beach area.
Once you make your way down the steep little trail leading to the beach (be careful climbing down–I’ve watched someone fall and have to get carried up firefighters), you’ll find yourself on a skinny stretch of sand sandwiched between the cliffs and the waves.
beach photo credit: R. Seidman
It’s very pretty there, and when I went in the mid- afternoon on a weekend day it was not crowded at all. There is plenty of room to stretch out a big blanket and relax on your own or with friends. Don’t be alarmed when a less-than clothed body walks by- this beach is also a nude beach, though the boldly undressed tend to stay at the far end of the beach.
Of course, the water is icy cold, so try going for a walk along the sand, enjoying the view of the ocean. Occasionally you will catch a sea lion playing near the rocks or a sailboat drifting by the cove.
a beautiful afternoon with the parking lot in the background overlooking Pirate's Cove
About halfway down the beach are some rocks that are fun to climb on and explore. There is not much life to see here, though, so for the real tide-pools walk all the way to the rocks down the beach or head back up the trail towards the cave.
google satellite view of Pirate's Cove
There’s only one thing about Pirate’s Cove that I don’t like, and it has nothing to do with the natural cove itself. It’s the trash. People leave behind things like food wrappers, bottles, cans, shoes, boxes, plastic bags and I’ve even seen a display of undergarments adorning the brush along the trail. All the trash takes away from the beauty of the cove, and quite frankly, it’s just gross. So, I encourage visitors of this little central coast gem to leave behind only footprints on the beach, instead of trash.
When I went last weekend, my friends and I just threw down a couple towels and lounged around in the sun for a few hours. It was much quieter than Avila Beach or Shell Beach on a weekend. Pirate’s Cove is a wonderful escape, and a laid-back, secluded beach perfect for a lazy afternoon– whether you’re clothed or baring it all!
Little Falls, Big Adventure
To celebrate the Cesar Chavez holiday, my roommate and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful Thursday weather and go for a hike to some waterfalls near Lopez Lake.
This was my first visit to the falls, so the drive there was half the adventure.
Little Falls Trail
After driving past quintessentially central coast vineyards and around Lopez Lake, we turned right onto a skinny road called Hi Mountain Road, then headed past the end of the lake, turning left onto Upper Lopez Canyon Road- an even skinnier, windier drive. This road traveled up and around the hills for about six miles. The view from here was absolutely spectacular (and a bit frightening!)
Eventually the road took a steep turn downhill and we kept driving until we hit a turn in the road. We found that at this point the straight path was actually private property and not the right road to the falls. Instead, we had to turn right and begin the next part of our journey- on unpaved paths.
For a while we drove through lush, green tree canopy shading the road. Horses caroused the ranches on either side of the road, and we rolled down the sunroof and hummed along to mellow tunes on the radio.
Crossing four little streams gave way to bouts of laughter as water splashed up next to my car. At that point, we thought that was the extent of any water-crossing adventure for the day.
…That is, until the road hit an actual creek- we bounced along over the rocks and water, screaming and laughing even more. This happened at least four more times, each time an adrenaline rush leading to fits of laughter on the other side. The creeks were a couple feet deep, some wider than others. (One creek we literally had to drive upstream to get to the other side of the road.)
sign marking the beginning of Little Falls hiking trail
About 1.5 miles of off-roading later, we saw a sign on the right of the road that read “Little Falls,” so we pulled over, jumped out of the car, and began the second part of our adventure.
One of the creeks we crossed
The hike itself was fairly easy, and not very long. We splashed through about four ankle-deep streams, cooling off our feet in the crisp water, and then found our first little waterfall. It was tall but delicate, and ran down the slate rock in such a way that it made the most tranquil sound while falling into the small pool below.
The second waterfall on the hike
We turned left and trekked up a steep path following the creek on our left below, until approaching a the top of a bigger waterfall. This one was powerful, and plunged into what looked like a fairly large pool about 35 feet below. Further upstream, little waterfalls fell into tiny ponds, all traveling towards the larger waterfall.
To our right, massive walls of slate rock towered above us, the white rock contrasting the dense greenery surrounding the falls.
The entire hike was relaxing and full of nature. We saw salamanders, California poppies, bugs bugs bugs, and incredible geography in the rock structure.
This hike was not even the extent of what the falls offers, and I am excited to come back and explore deeper into the trails, including Big Falls, which is a couple more creek crossings down the road.
Driving Directions:
To get here from San Luis Obispo, we took the 101 South, exited at Grand/ 227 in Arroyo Grande, and turned left heading on the 227. This took us around Lopez Lake until we turned right onto Hi Mountain Rd. Further down, turn left onto Upper Lopez Canyon Rd. Then the real adventure begins. The pavement ends after about six miles, and after some creek crossings and about 2 miles, you will see the sign for Little Falls.
Some tips:
- bring bug repellant!!
- there is no phone service here, so don’t rely on phones for navigation
- a car with 4-wheel-drive is highly recommended
- wear shoes you don’t mind getting wet
- there is a lot of brush, so wear clothes that will protect you (like long pants)
Happy exploring!
