R: Pinecone Amanita?
Today I visited a place I’ve never been to before. It’s a place I learned about during the early years of the pandemic. Maybe through a Bay Nature article?
The San Vicente Redwoods is next to Big Basin and was affected by the CZU Fires in 2020. I read about the property and signed up for a free pass online somehow. The parking pass has been sitting in my car for years. Waiting to be used. Today was The Day.
But it was HOT TODAY. A high of 76 degrees, and it felt like in the ‘90s in direct sun. So we opted for the shortest loop that had the most shade. The Great Horned Owl Trail. Nope, no GHOs heard or seen.
I’ve been curious about what the forest looked like post-fire. And after a couple of years, too. Wish I’d seen it before, but it seemed like a lush understory was happily in place. Soaking up all that sunshine.
Despite the heat in the early afternoon, there were many birds out and about! Perhaps enjoying what must’ve been tons of insects and the oodles of Pacific Madrone berries?
We were initially greeted by Acorn Woodpeckers and Cedar Waxwings and Band-tailed Pigeons. An American Kestrel sat quietly at the edge of the parking lot. Until we approached the start of the GHO Trail. And it was gone in an instant.
Dark-eyed Juncos and American Robins were further in. And a Ruby-crowned Kinglet we heard but couldn’t find. Ditto for a Northern Flicker.
Saw some newtome flora, Coast Whitethorn (which I’d have never gussed was a Ceanothus plant). So much of it! Wartleaf Ceanothus. And a hybrid of both! And familiar California Yerba Santa. Trailing Blackberry and some Pacific Poison Oak and Ocean Spray.
ONE Butterfly fluttered into view and immediately disappeared.
But what’s most memorable were the Trees. Impacted by fire. And a bizarre stand of what looked like a Coast Redwood fairy ring. But the tree trunks were skinny. And without long branches. Like someone had sheared off the outer layers of branches and leaves. And new growth close to the skin was exposed.
So. Utterly. Bizarre.
Bonus was finding some Fungi along the way. And even seeing that Fungi Fairies had been through prior.
An Amanita-looking thing was proudly up and out of the ground. I love seeing their caps out with still a tiny pile of fresh earth on top. Like the mushroom is a little kid that just burst through dirt and is ohsopleased with itself. “Look what I just did!”
Because of the heat, we didn’t stay long. There was also Penny Ice Creamery in our future…. You understand.
But it was nice to see exactly where this place was finally. A bit of what the fire impacts were. A taste of what the area was like, since I have only ever driven through or past it before. Back in my old SCruz days.
And as with so many places I’ve only been to once, looking forward to getting to know it better!
