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Monday, July 14, 2003
Sunday Up Forest Road 202
Six miles uphill. Six miles downhill. Started around 10:30 AM and returned to car about 4:45 PM.
Here is a plant I would dearly love to know the name. I first became aware of it hiking the old railroad right of way west of Farragut Park. There is a bunch of it near the top of Red Horse mountain and even larger patch on the hillside here at the top of Road 202. Almost always, I notice the odor of the plant before I see the plant. The odor has been moved off a bit by the air currents. I look around and find the plant. I walk up to it and sniff the leaves:
no smell! Crush a leaf: no odor. Sniff the branches: no odor! Yet every time I encounter the odor, warm, sweet, strong, the plant found is near by.
The hike was too long and the road surface too monotonous, but I was trying to establish
in my mind the parameters, for me, of the hiking area anchored by the Marie Creek parking lot.
Road 202 goes beyond the area. There are many roads within the area I traversed today left to explore.
By the last couple of miles I was over-tired, my heels dragged, and I consciously put myself into an hypnotic state to ease the ache.
Without a blade of grass to lean on,
the weight of this blossom
would have broken its stem.
Other flora: Indian Paint Brush; Fireweed and Ocean Spray; Unknown Pink Cluster;
Unknown berries
Here is the gallery of photos from this hike. There are only fourteen pics.
If you can name any of the unknow (to me) flora, please email. Thanks!
John 2:27 PM
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