Month: May 2015

Church Creek & Pine Valley

I have always been intrigued by the Church Creek and its massive sandstone formations. This canyon is rich in history and significance dating back to the Essalen Native Americans. I finally got around to visiting this awesome corner of the Ventana Wilderness on a beautiful spring day with patches of thick lupine on the ridges, a diverse…

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Salmon Creek & Mount Mars

Mount Mars is one of my favorite spots in coastal Big Sur. Despite being the furthest destination along the coast when approaching from the Bay Area, I find myself returnign to this region time and time again.  The incredibly steep west ridge of the Mars rises over 2,600 ft in a little over 1.25 miles as the…

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Boronda and Coast Ridge Lupine

Last year was a prolific bloom on the Big Sur coast that I called the mother of lupine blooms since it occurred around Mother’s Day. Locals told me then that the last time the hillsides were covered with such density of lupine was back 1999, fifteen years prior. Last year was truly remarkable and I…

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