Java Overlooking Burned Out Las Virgenes Canyon

 

Foraging for Fungi & Other Fun Stuff

Hi. I hope you have been enjoying the holiday season,
and that it has been full of friends family and loved
ones.

I thought I'd take advantage of a few minutes to share
about the outdoor activities Java and I enjoyed
earlier this month.

Several weeks ago I participated in a mycology class -
For those of you wondering what that is, it's the
study of fungi. The focus of the class was
identifying safe edible wild mushrooms. The
instructor did a nice job of providing the background
on the medical and gastronomical history of wild
mushrooms, and then proceeded to explain the many ways
you will suffer, an alternatively, slow and painful,
or quick and pleasant death from eating the wrong
fungi. With names like Death Angel, Death Cap,
Death's Wings, Blue Ringed Death, and many other
equally disturbing names of toxic mushrooms found in
nature, few of us left confidence in making wild
mushrooms a viable source of nourishment. My take
away was to pack lots of food when backpacking and
leave the shrooms alone!

That same weekend Java and I went for a day hike on an
apparently unnamed trail in the Santa Monica National
Recreation Area. It was a relatively short hike,
about 6 miles with less than 1200 ft of elevation
gain, that took much longer that it should have, had
we not gone off-trail and done some extensive
bush-bashing. After slogging through forehead high
tangles of fragrent white sage, tall grasses, immature
trees, and thorny brushes, I and presumably Java too,
were glad to be back on the trail. Prior to making it
back to the trail head we crossed paths with a pair of
coyotes and a deer; all of which after giving us a
glance bounded away, up the hillside and eventually
disappeared as they blended into the foliage.

Several weekends ago Java and I did a day-hike to
previously unvisited sections of Chesboro Canyon.
This was my first time back to the canyon since fires
tore through it and neighboring canyons several months
ago. Of course, the canyon was remarkably
transformed; instead of finding lush green oak groves,
and rolling amber thickets of billowing dry grasses,
there were stunningly large areas of blacken dead
brush and ash covered barren land. Nevertheless, it
was a great experience.

In all it was an approximately 11 mile hike with more
than a 1000 ft of ascent, that provided beautiful
views of various cloud-filtered, sunlit hills, canyons
and mountains. The remarkable thing about hiking
through the canyon, was not so much appreciating it
for what i found: a bleak landscape; but instead
imagining how nature will eventually rebound, and
reclaim the land to restore it to its former lush and
vibrate condition. It was a remarkably reassuring
feeling that provided a real sense of enjoyment
throughout the hike. That plus we got to see another
coyote - This one was more stubborn that the previous
pair we encountered. This one stood it ground on the
trail, and did not budge until we were within less
than 50 ft from it. Like I said: A nice hike.

A small moment of reflection: I'm suddenly struck
that as the year draws to a close I've had an
incredibly large number of wonderful experience to
reflect on and to be happy about. I hope you find
yourself, in a position to be able to say the same.
I'm loving life, and hope you are too.

I wish you and everyone you care for, a safe and Happy
New Year!

-Manny

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Return to Harbor - Sunset Over Santa Cruz Island

Santa Cruz Island and Horn Canyon

Hi everyone.

I hope all of you enjoyed the long Thanksgiving
weekend - I sure did. Food, shopping, food, football,
and for good measure, more food. Not a bad weekend at
all; especially when you throw in a small bit of wine
on the side.

:-)

However prior to going home this past weekend Java and
I were up to our old tricks the prior weekend. The
Friday before last I took a vacation day to make my
way out to a spot that has captured my imagination
continuously since I moved to the area. The place I'm
referring to, is one that I've mentioned frequently
but never previously visited - Santa Cruz Island.

The Channel Islands, which Santa Cruz is a part of,
are widely regarded as "America's Galapagos" and
although not really comparable, they do have a rich
number of species found no where else, and where home
to various now extinct endemic species; in addition to
being the ancient home of the Chumash.

Regrettably, all but one trail is currently closed on
the island to allow for a joint National Park Service,
and Nature Conservancy feral pig eradication program.
The good news is the trail is one that you are not
normally allowed to go on, so I was fortunate to go
when I did. The hike itself was very moderate - a
little over 5 miles with minimal elevation gain, but
with a total of 10 canyon crossings.

After spending as much time as I now have hiking the
mainland, seeing the differences in the trees, brush,
grasses and flowers of Santa Cruz was impressive. For
example imagine pine forests that are essentially at
sea level - Sounds normal, but it's not.

What I found most special was taking in a view of the
mainland, about 20 miles in the distance, across the
Santa Barbara Channel; standing in spots that showed
archaeological evidence of the Chumash that inhabited
the island for more than 13,000 thousand years, prior
to their subjugation by missionaries.

Two days later Java and I were once again admiring
Santa Cruz Island, but this time from more familiar
territory at the top of Horn Canyon, near the boundary
of the Sespe Wilderness. A fairly strenuous hike, 10
miles with more than 4000 ft of elevation gain.

I'm glad to be alive - I hope you are too!

-Manny