Brian Powell
Brian Powell
  • 1 428
  • 159 276
10/10/24: Hiking Goat Peak (1,728') in Poway
Poway- San Diego County, Southern California. Sometimes you just want to challenge yourself! I was in the mood for a more rigorous hike this week, so I chose Goat Peak in Poway, just west of the Iron Mountain area. I pulled up to a quiet cul-de-sac in a peaceful suburban neighborhood and within minutes, I was in a wild and rugged canyon on my way to an even more rugged ridgeline, on a trail with several small, but steep, rock scrambles to gain the peak! It was about 3 miles, out-and-back with a respectable 1,150' elevation gain, and I sure underestimated this one. It was all worth it, for the canyon, the ridgeline, and the peak held an unforgettable wild beauty, a mini wilderness within the suburban city of Poway!
Переглядів: 226

Відео

10/2/24: Hiking Mt Helix (1,373') near La Mesa, Ca
Переглядів 47День тому
Casa De Oro/Mt. Helix- La Mesa area- San Diego County, Southern California. Mt. Helix is a prominent hill overlooking the La Mesa/Spring Valley areas, south of El Cajon, California. Being pretty close to where I live (Santee), I do occasionally drive up there to enjoy the scenery and views. However, I have wondered if I could HIKE to the top! I have found a way, using other people's ascents fro...
9/26/24: Twin Peaks Poway (Both Summits!) from Silverset Park
Переглядів 5914 днів тому
Silverset Park to Twin Peaks- Poway- San Diego County, California. Twin Peaks is a relatively well-known double summit hill in the area accessed from the neighborhood Silverset Park, so I felt it was time for me to take a trip up there. It was a lovely romp in the sage scrub and chaparral! The air was overcast, and foggy high on the hill, so there are not any views I could point out, and it mad...
9/19/24: Mission Trails Regional Park- Hiking to Hill 787 and Hill 875
Переглядів 12014 днів тому
Mission Trails Regional Park- San Diego, California. Enjoying even more nice weather (cooler!!), I make a nice triple loop hike, about 7 1/4 miles, with about 1,170' elevation gain total. I start at Deerfield Ct, off Mission Gorge Rd, near the Jackson Av. parking area, loop around Deerfield Loop Trail, up to Hill 787 from the San Diego River Crossing Trail, head to the Rim Trail to Corte Playa ...
9/19/24: Upper Navajo Canyon North- Allied Gardens- San Diego
Переглядів 12121 день тому
Navajo Canyon- Allied Gardens- San Diego, California. Join me on a very short walk on the north rim of Navajo Canyon in San Diego, and check out with me the various, awesome native and exotic plants here!
Trees of San Diego: Water Gum (Tristaniopsis laurina)- 9/11/24
Переглядів 57Місяць тому
Black Mountain Ranch Park- San Diego, California. Water Gum, AKA Kanooka is a small evergreen tree in the Myrtle Family (Myrtaceae). It is native to coastal eastern Australia and is an uncommon street tree in milder parts of Southern California.
Trees of San Diego: African Sumac (Searsia lancea)- 9/11/24
Переглядів 61Місяць тому
Black Mountain Ranch Park- San Diego, California. African Sumac, AKA Karee is a small evergreen tree in the Cashew Family (Anacardiaceae). It is native to southern Africa and is a common street tree in milder parts of Southern California
9/11/24: Hiking Doug BM (820')- Rancho Peñasquitos/Black Mountain Ranch Area, San Diego
Переглядів 35Місяць тому
Rancho Peñasquitos/Black Mountain/Rancho Bernardo area- San Diego, California. Having parked at Black Mountain Ranch Park off of Carmel Valley Rd., just east of Black Mountain Rd, I take a meandering multi-loop hike that tops out at a hill (Doug Benchmark- 820' ) and loops around the general vicinity, a mellow, easy affair that totaled about 3.3 miles round-trip with only a few hundred feet of ...
9/11/24: West Shepherd Canyon Revisited- Tierrasanta- San Diego
Переглядів 41Місяць тому
Tierrasanta neighborhood- San Diego, California. Join me on a nearly 2 mile tour of West Shepherd Canyon as I explore the main canyon bottom like last time on April 25, 2024, but also take the branched paved path up to the northern head of the canyon up to a few cul-de-sacs and up to its northern end at Antigua Blvd. Enjoy the native and exotic plants and trees along the way with me as well!
9/4/24: Hiking Hill 820 and Peak 921 Rancho Bernardo, San Diego
Переглядів 22Місяць тому
Rancho Bernardo- San Diego, California. At the start of a major heatwave, I decided on a much shorter, early morning hike so that I could beat the hot temperatures. The community of Rancho Bernardo has some small hills and peaks surrounded by suburbia, and so, I figured I would create a small hiking route using suburban streets as a hub to connect a few hill climbs! I start by a failed attempt ...
8/28/24: Cleveland N.F.- Hiking Agua Dulce, Red Tail Roost, and Wooded Hill Areas- Mt. Laguna, Ca
Переглядів 98Місяць тому
Cleveland National Forest- Laguna Mountains- San Diego County, California. On a late August morning, I decided to hike to a couple random peaks near Agua Dulce Trailhead, which I would soon find out to be in habitat restoration areas, closed for hiking. So, I decided to follow the legit trail down into Agua Dulce Canyon in a lush, tall forest of Cedar, Pine, and Oak. Seeing a loop opportunity, ...
8/28/24: Cleveland National Forest- Hiking Peak 5933 off Kitchen Creek Rd.- Mt. Laguna, Ca
Переглядів 45Місяць тому
Cleveland National Forest- Laguna Mountains- San Diego County, California. On a late August morning, I decided to hike to a hilltop just above Kitchen Creek Road- Peak 5933, a small provisional hill also listed on Peakbagger. To get to the 5,933' peak, I parked at the first pullout immediately after joining Kitchen Creek Rd. (for a little more distance!), walked down Kitchen Creek Rd. to the ne...
8/21/24: Cleveland National Forest- Hiking to Oasis Spring- Mt. Laguna, Ca
Переглядів 69Місяць тому
Cleveland National Forest- Laguna Mountains- San Diego County, California. On a warm August morning, I decided to try my luck at reaching Oasis Spring again! I do make it this second time, but it was a struggle at times over several spots of off-trail gully walking and bushwhacking! The effort was worth it as I reached a small, lush spot hanging precariously over Storm Canyon and the nearby ari...
8/21/24: Cleveland N.F.- Hiking to Galaxy Way Hill HP near SDSU Observatory- Mt. Laguna, Ca
Переглядів 38Місяць тому
Cleveland National Forest- Laguna Mountains- San Diego County, California. On a warm August morning, I decided to hike to a hilltop next to the San Diego State University Observatory named on Peakbagger "Galaxy Way Hill (6,128'). To get to the 6,128' peak, I would leave the observatory road after the southernmost building and head south a few yards to the peak. However, I mistakenly left the ro...
8/21/24: Cleveland N.F.- Mt. Laguna Short Walkabout
Переглядів 18Місяць тому
Cleveland National Forest- Laguna Mountains- San Diego County, Southern California. Here, I take a short walk on a paved road and point out the lovely scenery, botany, and even some lovely cattle grazing!
8/14/24: Cleveland National Forest- Scouting for Oasis Spring- Mt. Laguna, Ca. A LOT OF WIND NOISE!
Переглядів 31Місяць тому
8/14/24: Cleveland National Forest- Scouting for Oasis Spring- Mt. Laguna, Ca. A LOT OF WIND NOISE!
8/14/24: Cleveland National Forest- Storm Canyon Vista to Laguna Meadow- Mt. Laguna, Ca
Переглядів 39Місяць тому
8/14/24: Cleveland National Forest- Storm Canyon Vista to Laguna Meadow- Mt. Laguna, Ca
Spotlight on Plants: Cleveland Horkelia (Horkelia clevelandii var. clevelandii)- 8/14/24- Mt. Laguna
Переглядів 552 місяці тому
Spotlight on Plants: Cleveland Horkelia (Horkelia clevelandii var. clevelandii)- 8/14/24- Mt. Laguna
Another Ode to Jeffrey Pine (Pinus jeffreyi)!- Mt. Laguna, Ca
Переглядів 492 місяці тому
Another Ode to Jeffrey Pine (Pinus jeffreyi)!- Mt. Laguna, Ca
8/7/24: Mission Trails Regional Park- Spring Canyon and Hill 619- Hiking San Diego
Переглядів 682 місяці тому
8/7/24: Mission Trails Regional Park- Spring Canyon and Hill 619- Hiking San Diego
8/1/24: Hiking Peak 590 and Cypress Canyon- Sabre Springs San Diego
Переглядів 1742 місяці тому
8/1/24: Hiking Peak 590 and Cypress Canyon- Sabre Springs San Diego
7/24/24: Hiking Hoyt Park-Scripps Ranch, San Diego
Переглядів 522 місяці тому
7/24/24: Hiking Hoyt Park-Scripps Ranch, San Diego
7/24/24: Exploring Hendrix Park and Hendrix Pond- Scripps Ranch, San Diego
Переглядів 582 місяці тому
7/24/24: Exploring Hendrix Park and Hendrix Pond- Scripps Ranch, San Diego
Trees of San Diego: Bottletree (Brachychiton populneus ssp. populneus)- 7/24/24
Переглядів 1082 місяці тому
Trees of San Diego: Bottletree (Brachychiton populneus ssp. populneus)- 7/24/24
7/10/24: Mission Trails Regional Park- Mission Gorge Hike- Hiking San Diego
Переглядів 943 місяці тому
7/10/24: Mission Trails Regional Park- Mission Gorge Hike- Hiking San Diego
Spotlight on Shrubs: Heartleaf Beardtongue (Keckiella cordifolia)- 7/10/24- San Diego, Ca
Переглядів 623 місяці тому
Spotlight on Shrubs: Heartleaf Beardtongue (Keckiella cordifolia)- 7/10/24- San Diego, Ca
Spotlight on Plants: Chalk Dudleya (Dudleya pulverulenta)- 7/10/24- San Diego, Ca
Переглядів 893 місяці тому
Spotlight on Plants: Chalk Dudleya (Dudleya pulverulenta)- 7/10/24- San Diego, Ca
7/3/24: Marian Bear Memorial Park- San Clemente Canyon- Central Portion (Regents Rd to Genesee Ave)
Переглядів 683 місяці тому
7/3/24: Marian Bear Memorial Park- San Clemente Canyon- Central Portion (Regents Rd to Genesee Ave)
6/26/24: Mission Bay Park- Hiking and Botanizing Southern Fiesta Island- San Diego
Переглядів 443 місяці тому
6/26/24: Mission Bay Park- Hiking and Botanizing Southern Fiesta Island- San Diego
6/26/24: Hiking Tecolote Canyon (Central)- Clairemont, San Diego
Переглядів 653 місяці тому
6/26/24: Hiking Tecolote Canyon (Central)- Clairemont, San Diego

КОМЕНТАРІ

  • @pablotanja2405
    @pablotanja2405 3 дні тому

    nice

  • @LACalifornia-qt5jp
    @LACalifornia-qt5jp 13 днів тому

    Is it better let in grow into a multi trunk tree for a yard? or can I grow it into a single trunk?

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 6 днів тому

      These are way better as multi-trunk specimens, and trimming the lower branches to expose the gorgeous trunks will only enhance its appeal for a yard! They do occasionally grow single trunked, sometimes even in nature, but not commonly, so with careful trimming at a young age, you may get away with a mini single-trunk tree! As it ages, you will have to remove crown sprouts and near base stems that will almost inevitably arise to maintain that single trunk tree! You cannot go wrong with our native scrub oaks!!

  • @GlennaRedcliffe
    @GlennaRedcliffe 13 днів тому

    Love all the palms! Thanks for taking us along, Brian. 🌴🌱🌿

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 13 днів тому

      Thanks for checking it out! Sometimes the exotic ornamentals provide the neatest parts of the adventure!

  • @swithinbarclay4797
    @swithinbarclay4797 Місяць тому

    Well, Brian, that Pepper tree, means maybe 6 Bushels of Peppercorns--enough to stock a big grocery store's spice shelves for maybe 9 months running, if everyone gets a Pepper Jones for seasoning their foods! Just wild guesses, but a whole lotta peppercorns at any rate, that I like coarse ground.

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 13 днів тому

      I bet that tree has been there since mission times! This was a great suburban find!

  • @ervinslens
    @ervinslens Місяць тому

    Lovely scenery my friend, this looks really nice!

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 Місяць тому

      Thanks! it was such a mellow day out there!!

  • @danieldow3094
    @danieldow3094 Місяць тому

    Love that someone is hitting and botanizing these small peaks. Still would like to get together for a hike sometime! I remember you mentioned being in east central San Diego. Should I drop my Instagram here? I think we have a lot of fun spots we could share lol

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 14 днів тому

      It would be fun collaborating for a hike! I don't have any other social media except UA-cam, but I have e-mail: bripowell008@gmail.com !

    • @danieldow3094
      @danieldow3094 13 днів тому

      @@brianpowell5082 Hell yes! I shot you an email for a proper introduction and also a separate with info on the Acer!

  • @curiouskitten4351
    @curiouskitten4351 Місяць тому

    It's beautiful that you caught them flowering! And the baby seed pods! Those wicked thorns look like the could be used as nails or sewing needles. The bipinately compound leaves are so pretty. Honey Mesquite beans ground into flour are delicious. I mixed the sweet flour with spices to stuff my artichokes. I want to use the flour to bake more. Have you observed them create rain? My tree was receiving so much water during the superbloom that it was dropping beads of dew. And it wasn't just Honeydew from the many insects they host. It shocked me something fierce! It seemed to be sweating off the excess liquid, if you will. I would prep my trimmings by removing the thorns for BBQ.

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 Місяць тому

      I've not witnessed the tree-rain phenomenon, but I will pay attention when I next see them! I was also curious about the taste of the legumes, too!

    • @curiouskitten4351
      @curiouskitten4351 Місяць тому

      @@brianpowell5082 It is such a trippy phenomenon! I thought I was going crazy the first few times I witnessed it. Until my friend filmed it. I felt so validated! The tree was really getting way more water than they needed. If you wanna try Mesquite flour, go to a desert town. The first time I got some it was in a desert grocery store. I've seen it in Grocery Outlet for really cheap, but only in desert towns. You can mix it with other flours too. I'm going to research recipes to expand my horizons. I think that's a good launching point for you too, if you are as curious as a kitten 😺 The beans can be ground if they're totally dry, but they can be a little sticky sometimes. Better to pluck them from the tree; if they drop the get filled with worms. The seeds are too tough to grind, so don't break your coffee grinder or your mortar and pestle. Industrially ground beans are processed with hardcore equipment to deal with the seeds. Also, try germinating them if you can. They are such a major resource, and a potential source of reforestation, and possibly extra income.

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 Місяць тому

      @@curiouskitten4351 I would be most interested in germinating them, since I love growing native plants!! I would have to scarify that hard seed coat first, but I know it would be fun to get them to sprout!

    • @curiouskitten4351
      @curiouskitten4351 Місяць тому

      @@brianpowell5082 That was definitely my implication. Assuming you don't break your grinders, you should be able to sufficiently scarify those babies! I accidentally lost a primo batch of genetic potential once because I failed to scarify them. Have fun 😉 Natives are definitely the best.

  • @garyashby8894
    @garyashby8894 Місяць тому

    There is black sage growing all over the Peninsular and Transverse mountain ranges. I live near the mouth of the San Jacinto River (Hemet) and have seen black sage over four-foot tall growing in the wash.

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 13 днів тому

      Every now and then, I come across some very old growth specimens in mature sage scrub with large stems and it never fails to amaze me!! I never tire of seeing this awesome native!

  • @danieldow3094
    @danieldow3094 Місяць тому

    Was literally out there yesterday! Pretty nice blooms going on! Real aster disaster there 😂

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 Місяць тому

      Definitely, especially the fleabanes and the rare Mt. Laguna Asters!! What an awesome area!

  • @raphlvlogs271
    @raphlvlogs271 Місяць тому

    large scars can often end up becoming tree hollows in longer living hardwood trees

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 13 днів тому

      I've seen some doozy scars in otherwise healthy-looking trees. I've seen monster hollows in Sequoia trees where you could fit a large tree inside it!

  • @raphlvlogs271
    @raphlvlogs271 Місяць тому

    other willow species tend to grow wide instead of tall since their wood isn't too robust and they self propagate by shedding branches on to wetlands

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 13 днів тому

      What's crazy is that many willows produce insane amount of seeds, yet seem to far better establish vegetatively! I've propagated many willows (and related cottonwoods/poplars) simply by cutting small twigs and placing them in water waiting for them to root!

  • @swithinbarclay4797
    @swithinbarclay4797 Місяць тому

    Gee, Brian, towards the beginning, throughout the ravines complex, aside from the novel appearance of Incenses, I was really hoping, praying that you'd get all gobsmacked, by some other big and pleasant surprises of not only Sugars, but BC Douggies, White Firs, and more frequency of Coulters . . . "NO WAY!! REALLY RIPPIN'!! HOW COOL IS THAT?!" That stuff's lotsa fun!! Does that huge meadow seen before one gets to the Laguna [crest] Plateau have a name? About that early onset of Autumn color . . . not even the end of Astronomical/Calendar Summer, yet--that is, in respect to Equinoxes and Solstices--and I likewise have also noticed that deciduous domesticated ornamentals (for example, Crepe Myrtles, some Sycamores, and Liquidambars) in my community's landscaping (NorCal S.F. Bay Area) has been going through EARLY colors, too. Besides night coolness, lowering sun angle and duration, there is some trigger unbeknownst to me, that the plants use, to get themselves through an especially sharp and prolonged winter, and, perhaps we may be having another doozy upcoming, as we did two winters ago. Meteorological Summer just closed, with the month of August; it starts at the close of May. I was pleasantly surprised to see all of that verdure at ground level, when this province is so danged close to Anza Borrego. Foolproof Ponderosa ID: Ponderosa bark scales are very flimsy; you can easily flick them off the trunk with the slightest pressure of your pinkie. For Jeffrey, you'd really need to jam in a knife blade and pry like the dickens to get those scales off the trunk.

  • @chili1593
    @chili1593 Місяць тому

    So much great hiking near San Diego

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 13 днів тому

      You can turn a corner in suburbia and quickly find a sweet adventure! Then, you have the backcountry and find epic hikes anywhere!

  • @danieldow3094
    @danieldow3094 Місяць тому

    Epipactus gigantea is whats growing with the woodwardia and lupine! Edit: you got it 😅 I also didnt find the maple when i was out, its a bit sketch but not as bad as some of the other ridges of laguna. The umbellularia is super rad in there.

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 Місяць тому

      I wonder if the crazy fire history in that area has extirpated the maples! I would one day like to see if I could get to the pumphouse below, maybe when it gets colder (no rattlesnakes), and see if I can get any historical data as well! It's cool to see another like-minded individual out there checking for the same stuff!!

    • @danieldow3094
      @danieldow3094 Місяць тому

      @@brianpowell5082 From my understanding is there was one tree remaining at the pumphouse for a long time, and collections and observations of it stopped in 2012 coinciding with a fire that ripped up that whole canyon in I believe 2013? Could never get conclusive evidence on if it was planted or naturally occuring, but there's healthy populations of Acer negundo tucked around to the S and SW of Laguna, so it's not lunacy to think there could be more.

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 Місяць тому

      @@danieldow3094 I will have to check out if I can find the negundo's near Laguna! I have seen a few at Palomar Mtn State Park along Doane Creek and Doane Valley Nature Trail, but just a few. Interestingly, there is a decent sized population pf Acer negundo californicum near where I live in Santee along the San Diego River, several of which are seen along Ca-52. There are several in a remote part of Mission Trails Regional Park as well, along with a medium sized tree in the popular Mission Dam Trailhead parking lot! There is a large population of negundo's in the San Jacinto Mtns Riverside Co near Lake Hemet, along the early part of the Cedar Springs Trail, accessible from Morris Ranch Road off Ca-74 (Pines to Palms Hwy)!

    • @danieldow3094
      @danieldow3094 27 днів тому

      @@brianpowell5082 I was wrong about the macrophyllum... We went out to the spring again looking for lobelia cardinalis and sure enough I stumbled upon the Acer...

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 26 днів тому

      @@danieldow3094 Interesting! What kind of shape is it in?

  • @swithinbarclay4797
    @swithinbarclay4797 Місяць тому

    Wow, Brian, you just hit ANTHOER one, out of the park with your magisterial Laguna Series and Sagas! Sadly, no Maria Muldaur to be found at this oasis. Sigh, oh well(Laughs!!). Isn't amazing, how the seeds and spores of Riparian species, found their way to this spring? In addition, I'd have expected Alders, Sycamores, Poplars/Cottonwoods to have found their way here, too. A strong lush fortress right at the threshold of the harsh desert! Springs are nearly always the genesis of brooks and creeks, and, ultimately rivers. Is there a stream issuing from this spring? Does Storm Canyon proper have a reliable creek, or does it have only a flash flood Wash? All of the Eastern Sierra has creeks and rivers that start out gangbusters, only to eventually disappear into the Sinks of the Great Basin or Mojave. Geographically speaking, could the Lagunas be considered to run all the way to the Eastside of Cuyamaca Basin, even Julian's Eastside, where they turn into the Volcons at the North Bank of Banner Canyon? All an impressive rampart, palisade, to be viewed from Anza Borrego. Could there also be an uncharted frontier--for you, at any rate--to explore in the WESTERN branch of the Laguna Range--for example, West of Laguna Meadows & Big Lake, a little Northeast of Pine Valley? Your Series is overwhelmingly comprehensive, for what you've currently explored thus far for us. Who would have used that old pumphouse? This abandoned roadbed looks too modern--the culvert's construction details--for old time stagecoach & freight wagon use--more suitable for motor vehicles. Might it have been part of the initial alignment for Sunrise Highway, say, 110-115 years ago? Or a Forest Service Road for FS workers to canvass The Forest? We should be learning history as well as botany, geology, geography, and being knocked out by your stunning views. I would like to call you a Video Docent--bar none--among the topmost presenters of this format on YT. For being an extremely astute and disciplined layman, it's HIGH TIME that you receive some sort of official recognition of your work here, from Academia, the Scientific Community, Environmentalists, and Natural Resources Managers. You can channel that inner John Miur like no one else, Brian. Open a PayPal PayPoint, and I'll chip in. In a thumbnail picture above, is this waterfall really in the Lagunas, the Cuyamacas?

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 Місяць тому

      Thanks for the kind words!! Since we are on the topic of the Lagunas, I have another couple of hiking videos upcoming from Mt. Laguna this week too! Yes, I went there for a third week in a row, as there is a lull in the mountain heat, and I am taking FULL ADVANTAGE of that! The first 2 weeks of September look like one extended nasty heatwave, so I really "went to town" with 2 hikes yesterday: a short mini warm up, and a much longer loop, so expect a short hiking video for the former, and expect a LONG video, a sort of a tour hiking video in yet another area of the Lagunas! Stay tuned; the videos should be up in a couple of days!!

    • @danieldow3094
      @danieldow3094 Місяць тому

      @@swithinbarclay4797 I believe the Cuyamaca Laguna area is a set of 4 or 5 shelves that runs down to Davies valley and skull valley past valley of the moon. I can't remember if it's the roadside geography book, or the Anza borrego desert book that talks about it. However the layout of the coinciding rims and peaks is pretty well illustrated if you can find it.

  • @AlbinoAxolotl
    @AlbinoAxolotl Місяць тому

    Wow timely video! We just hiked that upper PCT trail today and were super curious about that Oasis trail. Thanks for posting! It looks like it would absolutely be worth the bushwhacking to see those native orchids in bloom in the spring.

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 Місяць тому

      I've only come across that plant twice, and both times were unfortunately well past bloom! I'd love to catch them in flower so I can do a plant video on them! I'm glad you liked the video; thanks for watching and commenting!

  • @swithinbarclay4797
    @swithinbarclay4797 Місяць тому

    Well, Brian, I'm glad that "Bossie" and "Bessie" didn't get TOO bossy with you!

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 Місяць тому

      LOL! They were very weary the second time I saw them, and they scuttled off into the woods! Very lovely cattle!

  • @swithinbarclay4797
    @swithinbarclay4797 Місяць тому

    Those cattle have me thinking . . . first thing that comes to mind is, is the scuffed, barren, cratered patch in the middle of the meadow. That has to be a dust wallow. they probably roll about as do Bison, to get rid of lice, mites, and ticks. Next thing, they weren't too far from the vernal pool(s). Those typically are special ecological preserves; the reason for the boardwalks. And the paucity of cattle--my guess is that this could be a cooperative tract of range, this expanse would likely be impractical for commercial ranchers out for profit. Forest Service employees and local residents graze their personal beasts together until it's time for given individual beasts to meet slaughter, to fill smokehouses, freezers, and people's bellies, so they don't have to be at the mercy of butchers and grocers. One steer(?) could last 'em many weeks, if not months. Perhaps, horses could be grazed out there, too. And. it's probably just a matter of time, before there's cougar/coyote/wolf conflicts. That already may now be happening.

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 Місяць тому

      I would bet on the cougars being a concern! It would be cool to see horses there! I have not yet chanced upon horses, even trail equestrians in the area!

  • @swithinbarclay4797
    @swithinbarclay4797 Місяць тому

    Graffiti?? Back '59, '60 or so, Yosemite's Tenaya Lake had campgrounds, and our family had a tradition, a few years running, of always going there over Labor Day. A couple of camp spots over, Dad espied a young punk attempting to chop down a Lodgie with his hatchet. His sluttish girlfriend, scantily dressed, as my Father tells it, was splattering her nail polish everywhere. This could have been the first time my tender 4-, 5-year-old ears had heard profanity, coming from the punk, plus the inane, "adoring" giggling from the bimbo. He told Dad that it was HIS tree to cut for firewood, if he wanted it. Evidently, no Rangers around--if THEY had caught him, he and his moll would at least have spent a few nights in The Valley Village's "Greybar Manor", on a DISORDERLY. Yet, with my Dad's WW II Army training, he must have done or said something to those kids, putting THEM in order, 'cause they vamoosed! Dad told it to me later, as they were also menacing my Mother and us kids, too. Back in the day, you could at least scrounge amongst deadfall, for your campfires, which are now all against the law. No more s'mores, I guess.

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 Місяць тому

      Cool vignette! Good on your father for getting those misfits in line! No cutting down trees nor messing with his family on his watch! Good on him! I want to check out Tenaya Lake for the Mountain Hemlocks!

    • @swithinbarclay4797
      @swithinbarclay4797 Місяць тому

      @@brianpowell5082 I belonged to a kid's ski club out of the Bay Area, and most every weekend in "the season", we went to Alpine Meadows to get lessons or strike out on our own, about the mountain. There were profuse "Mounties" lining the chair lift's daylighting, so they got to be good friends as I was floating up the mountain. Nothing in the world quite like those weepy leaders, unless you go to the Northern Indian Subcontinent to view Deodar behemoths, with their weepy foliage drooping off of their heavily-tiered limbage.

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 Місяць тому

      @@swithinbarclay4797 I really want to experience them! I've never seen them! I bet those old-growth Deodars are massive, making the ones planted here look like saplings!

  • @swithinbarclay4797
    @swithinbarclay4797 Місяць тому

    Oh, that WIND!!!! Simply TERRIBLE, the absolute LIMIT!!

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 Місяць тому

      Sounds so much louder on camera! Felt great though!

  • @swithinbarclay4797
    @swithinbarclay4797 Місяць тому

    Hmm, an old roadbed; has me thinking, it's possible that in the 19th Century, that there may have been regular stagecoach service, between Julian, and say, Descanso, Pine Valley, Alpine, etc., with an intermediate stop at Laguna? Possibly that would have been a freighter's and logger's highway. Nearly any road back then of consequence, those were toll roads, unless you paid your stage ticket. Ultimate ends-of-the-line, would have been San Diego, Coronado, La Jolla. Sunrise could be following in part, those old rights-of-way.

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 Місяць тому

      I believe that that road may have been used for transporting water from Oasis Spring, but I am not sure. There is an old pumphouse near the spring. I figured out how to get to the spring, so I will be visiting it on my next Laguna Mountains adventure; hopefully I can reach the pumphouse as well!

  • @swithinbarclay4797
    @swithinbarclay4797 Місяць тому

    With that silly song stuck in your head, I'd get some other hopefully less silly ones stuck in mine. For "sugar"--Sugar Pines, anyone(?)--I'd get 1963's "Sugar Shack", or, more preferably, Cream's "Spoonful"--another even still yet better than the Archies, would be "A Spoonful of Sugar", from Mary Poppins. If we'd seen Bison in Big Laguna Meadow, it would be that heavenly soundtrack from "Dances with Wolves"! But . . . since we are discussing here, an OASIS, why not Maria Muldaur's "Midnight at The Oasis"? Dang, she was so cute, that chirping voice with the dusky looks!! I sorta had a crush on her, but so did a bazillion other guys--sigh, oh well--take a number, Swithin, and stand in line.

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 Місяць тому

      Maria Muldaur quite a looker! LOL!! I now have Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs' "Sugar Shack" in my head now!! I may now hear that in my head around Sugar Sumac OR Sugar Pines!! LOL!!

    • @swithinbarclay4797
      @swithinbarclay4797 Місяць тому

      @@brianpowell5082 If, I happen to return to a Giant Sequoia Grove on a day with low drizzly clouds/fog sifting through the Sequoias, one song that's sure to be stuck in my head, will be Robin Trower's "Long Misty Days", with that heavy ethereally distorted drone to his guitar. I'd surely welcome THAT, to do me a "brain-sticky", as surely as I would NOT welcome Looking Glass' "Brandy"--uggh, I just HATE THAT song!! I was working for the Park Concessionaire back in '73 at the same time that Led Zeppelin had released their smash song, "The Song Remains The Same", so I had a most fortunate brain-sticky, to carry me through all of that summer, with nothing else really, to "intrude", upon that, as I traversed much of the Giant Forest Grove--barefoot--I liked the prickly tickle of Sequoia duff, upon my soles and toes, though they often got sticky with sap!

  • @GlennaRedcliffe
    @GlennaRedcliffe Місяць тому

    Nice hike! 🥾🥾

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 Місяць тому

      Thanks for checking out my latest romp in the mountains! It's been a while since I've been up there!

  • @swithinbarclay4797
    @swithinbarclay4797 2 місяці тому

    Wow, Brian!! These are DEFINITELY like "my" Sierran "bully boys" that you may recall me rhapsodizing to you about! I would guess that this tree's leader was lost, oh, say 1890-1920 or so. Maybe this meadow is in large part sheltered from regular scouring from prevailing strong winds, but there's always exceptions to rules. When conifers grow as "lone wolves" away from competition, they do tend to wear their limbage all the way to the ground, as with these two you'd pointed out for us. No competition from forest mates, no hand of man--nor the natural attacks of wind, lightning, nor snow loadings--with great water tables in meadows. Even Giant Sequoias could grow like this! The legendary TV series, "Bonanza", was NEVER, ever shot in the Sierra. It was invariably shot in SoCal's mountains, with the Pacific Ocean once "standing in", for Tahoe (above Big Sur). This meadow reminds me, of the show's opening sequence, when Ben and his lads come charging in on horseback across the meadow, out of the burning map, though I've been told that this particular sequence was actually done in Lockwood Valley under the shadows of Frazier Mountain and Mt. Pinos (The rest was done at Republic/Paramount Studios). Michael Landon did a lot of his "Little House" in that same locale, too, a VERY poor "stand-in" for relatively flat and heavily forested and prairied Minnesota. Shirley Temple movies ("Heidi", "Now and Forever", & "The Blue Bird"), "J.A.G." (Siberian/Russian forests), "Star Trek", "Dr. Quinn" (Colorado?! NOT!!), and "Combat!" (to double for far-Eastern France, near the Swiss & German borders in WW II), were all shot in the SoCal mountains.

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 Місяць тому

      Interesting bits of showbiz info there! With that in mind, I would love watching Airwolf with Stringfellow Hawk and Dominic Santini flying the chopper over the mountains, and I would see them flying over steep slopes of Jeffrey Pine, White Fir, Incense-Cedar, and of course, Sugar Pine, likely either the San Bernardino or San Gabriel Mountains! Stringfellow's cabin was shot at Lake Hemet in Garner Valley, Riverside County! I also remember part of an episode of Columbo (season 1, 1971), filmed at a "San Diego Mountain Cabin", which was actually at Big Bear Lake (I recognized the mountains behind the lake!)! About Bonanza, the "Ponderosa Ranch" is a misnomer, since the pines are Jeffrey Pines!!!! Ha Ha! In fact, the actual town Ponderosa (7,100') off Hwy 190 is actually full of Jeffrey Pines instead of the Ponderosas found lower by Camp Nelson, or whatever is left after the 2020 fires!

  • @Jason_Voorhees.
    @Jason_Voorhees. 2 місяці тому

    I go there every once in a while, my first time going there was when I was 12, I'm now 40 and still make my way over there every other month atleast, I've caught a nice 2.5lb largemouth there recently

  • @Facilitate.Inform
    @Facilitate.Inform 2 місяці тому

    Love me a Jeffrey... love how their branches twist and gnarl, they are beasts!, have those gentle unprickly cones, and course smell of vanilla nature goodness. Thx for the Jeffrey tribute B

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 Місяць тому

      Thanks for watching! I hope to find more old ones next time at Mt. Laguna!

  • @annavitaperenna452
    @annavitaperenna452 2 місяці тому

    They are quite delishous. Similar to blueberries but a softer texture.

  • @ChristopherSingleton-d1c
    @ChristopherSingleton-d1c 2 місяці тому

    It smells so good when I went past it

  • @MarioCañez-v1t
    @MarioCañez-v1t 2 місяці тому

    Be careful with the migra😂😂😂

  • @raphlvlogs271
    @raphlvlogs271 2 місяці тому

    Ive seen Brachychitons planted in central London as well

  • @ervinslens
    @ervinslens 2 місяці тому

    Beautiful presentation my friend, such a cheerful atmosphere!

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 2 місяці тому

      Thanks for watching! The scenery here is impeccable!

  • @michaelzorro2738
    @michaelzorro2738 2 місяці тому

    Thank you again for sharing

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 2 місяці тому

      Thanks for watching and commenting! I am glad you enjoyed the video and hike!

  • @juliankrzysiak7816
    @juliankrzysiak7816 2 місяці тому

    Very good video, I have my own Chalk Dudleya I am growing in a container!

  • @juliankrzysiak7816
    @juliankrzysiak7816 2 місяці тому

    Fascinating!

  • @swithinbarclay4797
    @swithinbarclay4797 2 місяці тому

    Brian, this setting looks so "authentically" Australian, that CAMPS of Pteropus Poliocehpalus could fit RIGHT in. Now, if those naturalized here, you'd have a very hard time prying me away from this place!! Such sweet-looking faces on these.

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 2 місяці тому

      There are SO MANY of places like this area around this area! It sure had an exotic vibe especially around the pond! For such a short outing, it sure packed an awesome wallop! These outings get me out early in the morning to keep me getting out even during heat waves, still allowing me to get some adventure for little effort. However, once the mountain areas start cooling off, be assured that the longer, more adventurous hikes will resume. I am hoping for some greater adventures. especially during my October vacation! I looked up that Pteropus, and what a beautiful mega-bat! I would love to see one; I guess I need to go to Australia one day!!!

  • @migell
    @migell 2 місяці тому

    Do you know if there are any nurseries in SD where these can be sourced?

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 2 місяці тому

      I haven't been to any nurseries yet in the San Diego area since moving out in 2022. If I get a lead on it, I will surely post another reply!

  • @michaelzorro2738
    @michaelzorro2738 2 місяці тому

    July 20, 2024 Mr. Powell have you heard the lastest focus on the Palmer Oaks in the Jurpura Valley area of Riverside? It's the oldest plant in California. Looking forward to your reply.

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 2 місяці тому

      I have heard of the ancient Palmer Oak! Isn't it over 11-13 thousand y/o? I think it is the only one remaining in the area, likely a remnant of a larger range! I rarely ever get to see them, and really enjoy when I do!

  • @michaelzorro2738
    @michaelzorro2738 2 місяці тому

    Thank you for sharing this informative video. At age 73 I learn something new watching UA-cam videos.

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 2 місяці тому

      Thanks for watching! I also learn a lot from UA-cam, as I spend much time on here as well!!

  • @brucemay8166
    @brucemay8166 3 місяці тому

    Thanks for more Dudleya Brian! I’m forever looking for Dudleya plants in my travels around Southern California and your spotlights are helping me become better informed what I’m looking at. Keep ‘em coming! Ladyfinger next?

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 3 місяці тому

      I am glad you enjoyed this Dudleya episode! I wanted to do Lady Fingers, but I JUST missed their blooms! I still plan on getting them, but hopefully I will catch them next spring! I am working on a spotlight on Pacific Dogwood for a release this autumn! I did the first part, where I showcase the leaves, bark, and flowers (and flower bracts). This fall, I hope to get them in fruit and fall leaf color. Some spotlights take me months due to drastic seasonal changes! I will do a few clips one month, and some more in later months! Hopefully by late October/early November, the dogwood episode will be up!

  • @chili1593
    @chili1593 3 місяці тому

    Your hikes remind me of my college botany class. Really amazing how much we pass by out there. Thanks!

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 3 місяці тому

      Thanks for watching! If I can keep beating the heat with these early hikes, I will keep pumping these videos out!

  • @swithinbarclay4797
    @swithinbarclay4797 3 місяці тому

    Brian, now, I shall not take those large vacant lots for granted, but one's got to be cautious, with private property rights--ALWAYS. Is this a naturally occurring, estuarine island, or did the Navy/Marine Corps construct this as landfill, perhaps commencing as early as 155 years ago? San Diego, as we know, is one of our Navy's/Marine Corps' long-time crown jewels. And Camp Pendleton's a colossal, vast piece of real estate. The International Airport in SD is a major curiosity, noted for the extremely low landings and takeoffs--usually right over Balboa Park and the zoo--so low, you might just see the passenger's faces inside the airplane's windows! If, you were NOT using your field guides, your memory completely blows me away, how you casually rattle of scientific names, and the lore surrounding particular species. "Tuckerroo" . . . I just love those cute Aussie names. Would kangaroos be known to eat these in their native settings? Hence the cute Aussie term, "tucker". How have you been coping with the widespread, intense, long-lived, monster heat wave? It's so bad, that at Yosemite's Tuolumne Meadows, at 8,500', +or-, it's regularly been hitting around 90F. Wildfires in the Sierra have now been slopping over The Crest, burning through heretofore "unburnable" subalpine/alpine vegetation, above timberline, right over into the Eastern deserts! It's a shame that the "authorities" are now starting the practice of shutting down public swimming during heat waves, a combination of liability issues, and the AMA's harping that people's health is unable to withstand the "severe" shock/contrast of temperatures, of jumping into swimming venues--they even recommend against drawing cold-tap-water baths to soak in, during these "sunstorms"--better, they say, to start out with a lukewarm SHOWER--NOT A TUB BATH-- for 2 minutes, gradually increasing to tap-water-cold. Complete Immersion, they now say, can trigger cerebral strokes, respiratory arrest, cardiac events, and, disorientation leading to drownings, even with experienced swimmers. Avoid ice cubes in your cold drinks too, that's silly! They say to avoid seashores, as the "fog machine" that suppresses higher swells and waves is absent, during heat events--that will NOT stop the surfboard fanatics--the higher the waves, the better--more power to 'em!! Just too much Nanny-ism these days. Sigh, oh well.

  • @seniorsue
    @seniorsue 3 місяці тому

    Oh gosh! I love chalk Dudleya. One of these days I will have to buy one and add it to my garden. Thanks for this video.

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 3 місяці тому

      I'm glad you liked the video! I also love dudleyas!

  • @cardiffchris
    @cardiffchris 3 місяці тому

    My Neighborhood Canyon. Nice Video

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 3 місяці тому

      I love it there! San Clemente Canyon was my childhood canyon, but I really love Tecolote! Thanks for watching!

  • @brucemay8166
    @brucemay8166 3 місяці тому

    Hey Brian - Just finished watching your video. Lots of great information that I’d like to commit to memory. I’m going to scroll through it again and take notes this time. Thanks for sharing your encyclopedic knowledge of the plants and topology! I’ll try to pay it forward and share all this with future visitors to Tahquitz Tower. Thanks again and happy trails to you! (Bruce - San Bernardino Forest Service volunteer lookout)

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 3 місяці тому

      Thanks Bruce! I am honored that you would use my video as a reference for visitors at the tower! I hope I run into you again on the trail or at the tower!! I really enjoyed our visit!

  • @ykhan831
    @ykhan831 3 місяці тому

    Keep up the brilliant work Bryan

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 3 місяці тому

      Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed the video!!🙂

  • @swithinbarclay4797
    @swithinbarclay4797 3 місяці тому

    I really do wonder, where the name, "Airplane", derives from? Summit register on Cuyamaca Peak? I should be very sure there WAS one at one time, but some DOOFUS mistook it for trash! SHAME on them! Poison Oak here?? You're growing way too high here, GO AWAY!! Poodle Dog?? It's probably been 5 or so years since it's burned here. YOU should be on the wane, yourself!! If, Brian, you had that supernatural inclination to summit Half Dome, some of THIS hike's parameters are not too far outside of those of YNP's Half Dome. Thirteen and a Half Miles for this hike total? HD's at 18, +or-. CP's 2.6K' upwards elevation (the height of NorCal's Mt. Tamalpais from ocean to top), from your trailhead this day . . . HD's almost a mile from Valley floor to the summit. Yet, that most INFERNAL thing about HD, is that LOTTERY Permit. Even planning that out at least a year in advance, is no guarantee, probably 55% positivity at best. And, who knows how farther yet to go, to what lengths may PS go, to allow simple entrance into The Park, by anyone, for whatever reason imaginable?? It's already a felony to enter, by foot, vast tracts of The Park, that possess some of its most spectacular features. "Look, but do not touch; do not comment."

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 3 місяці тому

      Yeah, I am trying to sneak in some longer treks so I can get towards some goals of some big-ticket peaks this year (San Gorgonio, San Jacinto??) I remember a few years ago I would do 15-20+ mi day treks with over 4K gain, and would like to get back to my "glory days" of hiking! Airplane Ridge gets its name from an airplane engine monument off a trail on the ridge's east slope. The engine is from a U.S. Army Airforce plane crash in the area from 1922. The USAAF officers killed in the crash!

  • @swithinbarclay4797
    @swithinbarclay4797 3 місяці тому

    These Jeffreys . . . are simply . . . fat, Sassy, and BRASSY!! So many of these that you show us in SoCal's mountains--and they are grand, indeed--are a mite on the lanky side, as compared to those that you will find upon the Sierra's centra/Western slopes. These Sierran Jeffreys are true "WOLF" trees!! Their crown spreads may approach and sometimes surpass their heights. Sometimes, even if the first significant limb may occur at 20-40' above ground level, their crown may droop and graze the ground. Those lower limbs can be colossal, up to a YARD/METRE in diameter. Sierran Jeffreys can grow up to 200' sometimes, yet rarely exceeding that. Trunks of 9' DBH, maybe a few inches more. And often prominent buttressing like Sequoias! I think their crown personality shows the pagoda tiering of primary limbs, just a little more prominently than the "average" Ponderosa might. Rarely do all of these dimensional factors coincide together, but the Sierra IS where you'll find all of the Jeffrey CHAMPIONS, one in Yosemite NP along the 120, a little West of Siesta Lake, and another along the South Rim of the Eureka Valley--as much as a facsimile of Yosemite Valley, as is Kings Canyon. This is along the 108, which takes you up to the Sonora Pass. Give Sugars and Ponderosas a run for their money, sizewise?? I think so!! You'll find Jeffrey Wolf-Bulls galore, throughout the Central Sierra, including the East Slope. Ponderosas are famous for forming vast savanna flattish forests, throughout Oregon and Arizona. Well, Jeffreys do, too. The best and vastest one, is along the U.S. 395, between the interchange that takes you to Mammoth City and the turnoffs for the June Lake/Grant Lake Loops. There is another splendid savanna that lines the volcanic cinder cones, lining the East 120, off of the 395, lasting until Sagehen Summit. Past there, for potential hiking pleasure, the scene flashes over almost immediately to SL Pinon/Juniper Woodland, with tons of rimrock and slickrock, just like what's most familiar to Utah and Arizona

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 3 місяці тому

      I really want to see those behemoths! I am hoping for a trip along the 120 this fall into Yosemite for a back-door visit (to see Mtn Hemlocks and Whitebarks for the 1st time!), so I hope to see these bigguns!! If it pans out, expect an unprecedented amount of adventure video and more spotlight videos than ever!

    • @swithinbarclay4797
      @swithinbarclay4797 3 місяці тому

      @@brianpowell5082 If I remember correctly, the Whiteys are all pretty tight around Tioga Pass proper, so you'll have to do a lot of moseying around at the Gateway parking lot, sans a "Powellmobile". Skiing at Heavenly Valley, at the top of Summit Chair/THAT Monument Peak, 10K', there is a small forest of fairly prostrate Whiteys. But the grandest, most erect ones that I ever saw, were in Idaho's Sawtooth Range, at, say 9K'(?), and they had FAT trunks, spired & thick crowns, and stood well-nigh on 70'! On a lee-side slope, obviously. For Tioga, I imagine that you'll be coming in via the 395/Lee Vining way. Boy, oh boy, that's on UNFORGETTABLE drive, up the flank of Lee Vining Canyon, alongside of a very "unstable" scree-slope, with an infinity plunge to one side. Across the canyon is the HUGE massif of Mt. Dana, with its MANY sub-summits, 13K'. This mountain will dominate your drive, left-hand side and is one half of the Pass' Portal with Gaylor Peak on the right, at Tioga Pass Meadows. Such a subtle terrain/geographical feature, it's hard to determine where the waters for the Tuolumne River commence (into the Pacific), and where those of Lee Vining Creek commences (into desert sinks, including Mono Lake). Past these meadows, the scenery changes handily, for your entrance int Tuolumne Meadows. If your bod's up to it, I believe Dana's a surprisingly short day hike of less than 10 Miles(?). Short-ish anyhow. I understand that the constructed trail will take you to the RIGHT summit, so none of the usual inane guess-work, amongst that plethora of summits! I've never done that trail, but, as you may recall, I've twice summited Half Dome. Actually, easier DONE than said, "back in the day", but now, with lottery permits, easier SAID than done. I'm not entirely sure, but Park Service no longer allows THRU-DRIVES on 120 any longer--you must have a bona fide Reservation, overnight, at one of the Concessionaires' fine hostelries, AND, declare a verifiable itinerary of the attractions that you plan to view--Big Brother is Watching . . . if a through drive is what you want, skip the 120 altogether, and drive the 108 over Sonora Pass, instead. Commercial vehicles must place their deliveries/pickups intents at least 2 weeks in advance, then wait for PS vehicles to convoy a group of them, during non-peak traffic hours. So, all these semis gather at assembly points at Lee Vining in the East, and, Second Garrote--East of Groveland--in the West, for their PS "escorts" to show. These truckers are then supposed to overnight in The Park and await more assembly instructions, to exit The Park. I say that ALL STINKS, for our greatest highway-bound servants, the Truckers!!

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 3 місяці тому

      @@swithinbarclay4797 Sounds like a logistics nightmare! I guess I will have to look into it a little more before trying to set up a trip there!! Mt. Dana also sounds inviting, if I can get my body used to such altitude!!

  • @swithinbarclay4797
    @swithinbarclay4797 3 місяці тому

    It seems, Brian, that you devoted more helpful time here than usual, the overlaps of Ecological Communities, to be found, starting with the Northernmost Transverse Range of the Tehachapis, running all the way down to the Peninsulars. Those separate, distinct ranges, are big islands set for the most part, in the middle of deserts, as opposed to the far vaster feature of the Sierra Nevada, so, that to my reckoning, not one of these Communities, that you show us, of your SoCal stomping grounds, is entirely "pure". That's okay, for the result is far more Species DIVERSITY, than you can find in nearly any other place in California, and perhaps Arizona. These overlaps are very broad and deep. Onyx is only a shade lower than Tuolumne Meadows, yet TM's more "purely" subalpine setting, that gets plenty of summertime t-storms--NorCal's famous maritime fog flows, orographically/adiabatically transformed by the very broad Western Sierra Slope, plus some Monsoonal additions, later on. Onyx still possesses a bit of a little desert component, to my reckoning, from what you'd shown us. Even along the "Tahquitz Headwall" & its peaks, in spite of nominally being "subalpine"--as shown in your previous Video--displays just a smidgen of desert to it. And, the Southernmost Sierra exhibits some of this selfsame Ecological behavior/display, throughout the Southeast Kern River country. Where else can you find Jeffreys and some Sugars/Red Fir, mingling with SL Pinons, Yuccas, Joshuas, and . . . high-elevation Mourning Greys?? I ought to know; I've been there . . . and so have you, in perhaps a slightly different area of that province. I would suggest that you, and-or you and Brett, ought to show us, feature for us, the Domelands Wilderness, in one of your Videos. There is a little bit of lack of Ponderosa action, in this general province except at the Sherman Pass/Great Western Divide Highway Wye (a stringer of Ponderosas amongst the general prevalence of Mourning Greys, in the mainstem Kern River Canyon), where the Ponderosas increasingly represent the lower Yellow Pine constituent, going towards Camp Nelson. There's been a little bee in my bonnet, lately, that's growing, and that's the increased reliance upon many Internet venues, to use AI, for the "writing" of prose--if you can call THAT, true writing--and for its use of arguably faulty algorithms, in making various compilations and photos sets. Photos are often reversed, mis-cropped, automatically photoshopped, and there's "facts" that obviously are not true. On the Microsoft Edge Homepage, I saw a piece about the Rim of The World Highway. They said that you can find THE GENERAL SHERMAN TREE, not far from The Lake, at Bluff Meadows! They're OBVIOUSLY mixed-up, concerning the VERY CHAMPION LODGEPOLE, which you'll REALLY find there. And, these same nitwits sometimes place HALF DOME, in Sequoia/Kings Canyon NP's! Sigh, oh well; nobody checks their facts anymore. They honestly believe that they're honestly addressing adults, but grade-schoolers, from back in my day, would be gravely insulted, believing themselves profoundly patronized! Part of the decline of a once-great civilization. Probably too much LSD in the '60's, to begin with.

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 3 місяці тому

      Amen to the AI business! I am somewhat "old school" myself, and I love to rely on the "old methods", or at least relatively so! I do use Google Earth for hiking research, but then use my old sense of direction in off-trail navigation, as seen in the early part of this hike! That Western Divide HWY area and western Sherman Pass, it does ring true with the Ponderosas! That Kern River Canyon has some HUGE Gray Pines, the largest of which are just upslope from the river itself! I am always amazed when I drive M99 highway!

  • @tubekpful
    @tubekpful 3 місяці тому

    I was there last week on fathers day, before going there watched your old video and how this area is a Jeffery Pine central. Thank you for making another video. Visitor center was open on Sunday, they have added some campsites near the visitor center. Also, now we need to buy big pine / mountain high pass to park in that general area.

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 3 місяці тому

      Some huge Jeffreys there! I've always enjoyed that area! Thanks for watching!!

  • @ervinslens
    @ervinslens 4 місяці тому

    Such a beautiful hike my friend, 👏👏

    • @brianpowell5082
      @brianpowell5082 3 місяці тому

      Thanks for checking it out and commenting! It is a special place!