Sugar Pine

This magnificent tree may grow above 200 feet tall in ideal conditions. Found from 5000 to about 8000 feet in mountainous areas. Cones to 25 inches long. The sugar supposedly was used by indians as a sealant. Resin has a nice sugary smell. Young trees have a top. The older ones flat topped. May live well above 300 years. Branches dangle out to 50 feet from the trunk. Trunk may be 18 feel in circumference. Often you will find this tree intermixed near Ponderosa Pine, incense cedar, fir, spruce, and sequouia.

Plants that show by November in SoCal

Examples shown are the euryops...this smaller shrub produces hundreds of yellow sunflower type flowers about 1-2 inches across. Butterflies like this plant. Needs ample water and more than half sun. Good drainage and soil food. The bird of paradise has a flower the shape of a bird's head. This needs water but less than the euryops. Full sunlight. Both need maintenance. One can do a low cut of the bird of paradise and it will grow back pretty quick. The pyrocanthus comes out with red to orange berries throughout. May have needles. Also included is the toyon a California native. These berries come out in early November and may last to February. Low water for this but full sunlight.

Happy New Year 2009

Wishing all (and all in greater spirit) a better, more loving and more spiritually enlargening New Year!

Old West Pix

Some cowboys with the outlaws like Jesse James and Billy the Kid.

Rim of Valley Trail today's hike

The recent snow on Mt Lukens. Excellent example of a toyon in good "berry bloom."

Thanksgiving (Yuletide Season)

Some attracting pictures. What are you thankful for? EG are your needs met? For example, it could be having a home to go to, enough money, food/clothing/water/shelter, good problems, friends, being needed and wanted, doing what you love to do, spiritual growth and plateaus, those people you've helped to grow in the past year, opportunities, intellectual growth, dreams accomplished, goals achieved, better integrity, ...the list can go on and on.

More Earl Canyon

Here's a "first saddle" area about 1.5 miles up. Good lunch spot. It has a view of Gould mesa. The small white thing may be a teepee for stayovers. This trail can also be accessed from Oak Grove Park in Pasadena and the Earl Canyon trail...going east to southeast. One elevates about 1500 feet to get to the saddle and another 1800-2000 feet to access Mt. Lukens. An interesting route would be to start at the ball fields in Big Tujunga Canyon mouth...traverse the Rim of the Valley trail...up Haines Canyon to Mt Lukens and go east across the fire road and down to Oak Grove Park...about 21 miles for this loop. A car shuttle would make it easier.