Ridge / Tie Camp / Merry-Go-Round Trail Loop Mt Madonna County Park, 17 October 2010 |
||||
|
||
| Trailhead, Ridge Trail, Sprig Pond Day Use Staging Area. | ||
|
||
| An old split-rail fence along a shaded avenue. | ||
|
||
| Yummy looking crimson berries of the Hairy Honeysuckle, unfortunately inedible. | ||
|
||
| Snowberry, which produces a tiny pink flower in spring so small it often goes unnoticed. | ||
|
||
| "And I awoke in rainy autumn and walked abroad in a shower of all my days." -Dylan Thomas | ||
|
||
| Trail-side Leather Oaks were heavy with acorns. | ||
|
||
| Numerous patches of Buckwheat along the trail some still producing nectar to attract insects. | ||
|
||
| Hillside Tarweed, a late summer/early fall nectar source for butterflies and other insects. | ||
|
||
| Close-up photo of Coyote Brush which flourishes at this time of year. | ||
|
||
| Ridge Trail climbs nearly a mile before reaching the Tie Camp Trail junction. | ||
|
||
| A light rain steadily falling. | ||
|
||
| Drier conditions beneath the redwood canopy along the Tie Camp section of the trail loop. | ||
|
||
| Very still, quiet in the redwood sections of the trail, felt like a thousand eyes were watching. | ||
|
||
| Emerging into the light - a breath of fresh air after the oppressive closeness of the redwoods. | ||
|
||
| Along a mixed oak forest avenue. | ||
|
||
| Spanish Moss hangs low along a serpentine section of the Merry-Go-Round Trail. | ||
|
||
| Lots of seasonal color. Lots of leaves slowly spiralling from tree tops to the ground. | ||
|
||
| Buckeye leaves, their color slowly fading with the season. | ||
|
||
| Ever present trail-side poison oak. | ||
|
||
| California Fuchsia, a late summer, fall bloomer. A rich nectar source for hummingbirds. | ||
|
||
| At times, Poison Oak becomes vine-like, clinging to branches, entwining tree trunks to reach sunlight. | ||
|
||
| Trailside color near parking lot. | ||
|
||
| "Sing a song of seasons - | ||
|
||
| Something bright in all - | ||
|
||
| Wildflowers in spring, leaves aflame in fall." -Robert Luis Stevenson | ||
| Return to Top. |