Tag: flowers

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Bear Creek Canyon

To celebrate one of my friend Howard’s important landmarks we went for a hike down Bear Creek Canyon in the San Gabriel Wilderness and survived.

Howard wanted an adventure and I went along without checking the details too carefully.  Here are some things you should know about the Bear Creek Canyon Hike that we didn’t know when we set off.  Some because we are bad planners some because the guidebook is wrong.

  • It is beautiful and wild.  We didn’t see another person all day.
  • It starts with a 1000 foot elevation gain in the first three miles.
  • The next three miles is on a very narrow talus trail clinging to the edge of a cliff.
  • There are thickets of poison oak and I got a large exposure on my butt. Why ask why.
  • After the first six miles mentioned above you reach beautiful Bear Creek and find out that there really isn’t even a bad trail anymore.
  • Boulder hopping and wading in the creek is much slower and more strenuous than walking on a trail.
  • You never bring enough water.
  •  The guidebook says it is 11 miles.  It is really about 16 miles.
  • Lizards and flowers everywhere.
  • Sunset in the mountains can be quite beautiful.
  • Howard is slow but steady.
  • I am ready for my hike in the Alps at the end of this month.

We were late getting home and made our wives anxious and therefore angry.  You can see many more photos of this great adventure and the beautiful Bear Creek Canyon on Flickr here.  You better look because you will never hike there to see it for yourself.

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Mimosa Tree

This tree in our neighborhood has the same name as the orange juice and champagne drink and is beautiful when it flowers.

It is unclear which came first the drink or the tree.

They are roughly the same color.

Again this was taken just around the corner from our house near where the Passion Fruit Vine is growing.

The fruit of the passion flower looks like this before it turns purple/black and becomes edible.

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Lotusland

It is spring in Southern California and to massacre a metaphor the low hanging fruit are nature pictures.

We visited Lotusland in Montecito, near Santa Barbara last Friday and learned a little about Ganna Walska the garden’s creator and got some great photos.

The best single word for Lotusland is eclectic.

or maybe eccentric.

If you like gardens Lotusland is definitely worth a visit.  Reservations required.

Many more photos on Flickr

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Wild Flowers 2012

In preparation for our hike in the Alps for my 65th birthday I have been doing some practice hikes in the San Gabriel Mountains.  As you can imagine I take great pleasure in being able to write that I am going hiking in the Alps.  Yes life is good.  On these training hikes I’ve taken a few good photos of the spring wild flowers.  Here are a few:

Wild Mustard on a hillside

a close up of the mustard

Orange Flowers

See lots more spring flowers in my Flickr album

Volunteer Vincas?

Even the desert can bloom.

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Mallow

One of the best flower photos I have taken in a long time.

Click on the photo and look at it full screen you can see the pollen on the bee’s back.

I’d say National Geographic quality.

Life is good!