Wildflowers and Hikes in the Bay Area

Going back in time..... Here's a fresh start to the 2018 new year (which could apply to 2020 haha), with a nice hike at Sempervirens Point of Castle Rock State Park (see the location data on the side). Some of my posts will be like this, where I just walk you through the hike.... Path Profile of Hike:  HeyWhat'sThat Profile  (sorry, the link is reallllly long!!) Stats of Hike: Distance  ~1.9 miles Elevation Profile:  Max Elevation 2615 ft Min Elevation 2372 ft Difference: +243 ft Difficulty: Easy  ( short distance, moderate elevation gains) Trail Routing  Summit Meadows Trail, then back on Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail Parks Covered  Long Ridge Open Space Preserve, then Castle Rock State Park Trail Profile First, we start off at the  Sempervirens Point  parking lot, and see our first view as we head on the Summit Meadows Trail: We arrived at the afternoon, so the scenery wasn't as clear as it would...

In the cities - the busy, buzzing metropolis in the Bay Area - it is easy to find grasses turn golden, wild pea plants ( Lathyrus)  begin to dry and turn dark brown, marking the transition from spring to summer...... .....yet, it's just starting to blossom up here in the mountains, when you begin to see lupines and California poppies begin to break free from their cages..... A California Poppy ( Eschscholzia californica ) is still in its cap, waiting to escape from its protective layer..... and get pollinated by bees and butterflies alike.... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Major Flora and Fauna (Genus; if known, species) (Notes for plant/fruit explorers) - California Poppy  (Eschscholzia californica): found in grassy/rocky areas with serpentine soil Here, on the  junction between   Ipiwa Trail and  Butano View Trail , a bundle of poppies surround a picturesque v...

Did you mean Ca u liflower, the vegetable we sometimes eat, with the extra "u"? Source:  http://www.picserver.org/pictures/cauliflower01-lg.jpg Or, Cali - Flower ? Self-taken picture at Long Ridge Open Space Preserve, Palo Alto, CA on the Achistaca Trail on  May 12, 2018 .  Mini dandelions (yellow) and California poppies (orange) dot the Long Ridge Grassland. Facing west, towards Portola Redwoods State Park.  Clouds hover over the Pacific Ocean. Coordinates:  https://www.google.com/maps/place/37°16'02.7"N+122°08'26.5"W   Self-taken picture at Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve on the Harkins Ridge Trail on April 21, 2019. Closer view of bright orange California Poppies with a c learer view of the Pacific Ocean, facing west towards Half Moon Bay. Coordinates and Street View of Location:  https://www.google.com/maps/@37.4422837,-122.3450463,2a,75y,305.28h,81.25t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1srQMrw2X9ZDWL2dcyc...