EISPIRATEN

When I hike alone on trails that are not well used, I now carry bear spray. I probably should learn how to use it, right?

Nice trip report. I hiked it yesterday 8/12/23. It was windy, rainy, hailing, snowing, and clear and sunny. Started at 6 and on the summit by 10. The climb above tree line with the large step-ups and thin air really slows you down. There was an injured hiker on the descent about 1/2 mile from the pa...

Seeing snow plants always makes me happy

Just to be clear, the amatoxin is in the flesh of the mushroom and it doesn't rub off by handling them.

There have never been reports of poisoning from that, only from eating the mushroom. Still why lick your fingers after digging in the dirt?

You have to eat it. Touching is not a problem with any mushroom. It doesn't take a lot, but a single mushroom can be your last. The toxin, amatoxin, is neither water not heat soluble, so there is no preparation that makes it other than deadly. The same toxin is in the destroying angel that GirlHiker...

Continuing the theme of really pretty things that will kill you -- along the Hondo Canyon Trail in the Santa Monica Mountains, a death cap (Amanita Philloides)

Not Amanita Phalloides (wrong coloration and shape) nor Bisporgera (not found here, but common back East), Correct about it being one of the most deadly mushrooms out there. You found Amanita Ocreata, the Western Destroying Angel.

The unknown flowers are Purple Chinese Houses (Collinsia Heterophyllia)

Did a nice figure 8 loop this weekend up the Mt. Lowe Road, over the summit and down to the base of San Gabriel, back by the road to Inspiration Point and down the Castle Canyon Trail. The trail is in surprising good shape after the winter. Here are a few of the pics I took: Deer Colored Trametes (T...

Mojave suncups, sand blazing star, notch leaf scorpion weed, desert fivespot and ghost flower

I was a little bit south. The desert wildflowers are awesome this year. Thanks for posting yours. Here are mine

The apricot jelly (very pretty) seems to be the likely id. They are not very common.

Try taking pictures of the underside of the mushroom as well. That tends to be more important in identification than the cap by itself.

Jack O Lantern mushrooms. They will glow in the dark, but it has to be very dark. Cool find

nice finds! I don't think that is a Russula. It is missing some of the characteristics and the pocket stalked russula fruits under Monterey Pine. The pics are great though. You might be right. I was looking them up on a mushroom app. There are many names for the mushrooms. It was just a guess. righ...

nice finds!

I don't think that is a Russula. It is missing some of the characteristics and the pocket stalked russula fruits under Monterey Pine. The pics are great though.

It is a huge mushroomy year with all the rain. This one is a milk cap -- Lactarius Alnicoli. When they come out they are huge and in large numbers...and they are out

I know some of them from the pictures. The yellow jelly is commonly called witches butter (tremella aurantia). It is parasitizing the false turkey tail ( stereum hirsutum) which is the small orange shelf fungus in one of the other pictures. The cute yellow one is called yellow field cap (bolbitius t...

The top one only has four toes, so dog or coyote. the second one seems to have five with claws so bear

Most likely: shaggy parasol (chlorphyllum brunneum) and Witch's Butter (dacrymyses crysospermus)

The fire went through there September 2020. There is quite a bit of new growth in the area. The Foresee trail is trashed but the San Bernardino trail is in good shape

I have been wanting to get back to San B. since the trail reopened. Though there is a lot of hiking through the fire zone, nature is recovering nicely. The trail is in great shape and the spring above Limber Pine is flowing. All in all we had a great hike to the summit. Some pics of the upper mounta...

dima wrote: ↑DId you see lots of fat marmots??

The first time we went it was fat marmot city,
This time not so much. I wonder if the drought is taking its toll?

We have not hiked White Mountain Peak for awhile and we decided it was time. This is not a hard hike except for the elevation. The thin air will get to you. The weather was perfect for the hike and the views great. We camped at the gate and headed out early morning. 15.1 M 3,300' of gain The gate an...

That bright red one is a Fringed Indian Pink, right?

i did Olancha a couple of years ago on a 2 day. Easy peak to summit and a nice hike. This TR brought back good memories.

Thanks for sharing. The beauty of hiking for all of us is that we each hike our own hike. And what we get for that is priceless

I used to hike this when I lived on Busch and the 4200' sounds right. You can always bail at the bottom of Zuma Canyon by going out through Bonsall and back up Busch.

likely coprinus comatas -- they are called shaggy manes or inky caps. You can see the black on the cap. In short order it will turn all black and gross.

Nice report. I've done Elbert a couple of times. great views from the summit