Southern California winter hillsides tend to weather to a dormant gray-brown before infrequent rains come, but even brief storms leave the hills thriving with short, bright emerald grasses and other native plants, vetch and mustard among the most common.  The new burst of greenery inspired us to set out into the hills again.

The Satwiwa visitor center (red building) houses displays of native Chumash culture, and also hosts Sunday afternoon presentation by artists, storytellers and musicians from a number of different tribes.

Heading up into the hills from the visitor center, the hiker passes through fields of grasses and native plants.  Hillsides are covered with drought-tolerant chaparral.  Here, the tops of willows peek above a ravine in the foreground.

Looking back at the winter landscape, and the trail traveled,
from the top of the first ridge

Behind the first ridge and down into the
canyon, the trees are nearly leafless now.
Two weeks earlier the sycamores were
bright, tracing a yellow-gold trail down
the canyon toward the ocean.

Three days of relentless, hot Santa Ana winds before this hike did their work, leaving mostly-barren, gray-barked trees with only the occasional bright leaf clinging to them, and the creek filled with fading willow leaves.

In the shadows of the first ridge, small flowers are beginning to bloom along the trail.  Judging from the leaves, this plant with its tiny sprays of pink flowers is probably related to the mallow family.

On shadowed hillsides, several kinds of
ferns thrive in the cool, damp shade.

Heading up the steep trail along the second ridge sometimes requires rest stops.  Here, as the trail turns, you seem to be climbing straight to the sky.

Under its fragile surface soil, the hillsides
are rocky, breaking easily into irregular geometric shapes.  But hearty plants thrive anyway, sprouting up in any convenient, 
hospitable niche.

Two-thirds of the way up the second ridge, the hiker is rewarded with this amazing panoramic view.  From this height, the volcanic nature of the local mountains is obvious.  It's a great place to stop and admire the area.  The visitor center roof, by the way, can be seen here as a white spot amid the green about 1/4 of the way across the picture from the left.  

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON OUR HIKE
  

Intro    |    December hike - 1     |     December hike - 2     |     December hike - 3     |     January hike

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