Stoddard

Post by **JeffH** » Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:36 pm

As I was sitting on Stoddard Peak last Sunday I had plenty of quiet time to think about what a perfect day it was up in the mountains. I could look down and see the overcast near the ocean, in fact I couldn't see the ocean, and out in the valleys a thin cloud of dusty haze was gathering. But it was peaceful and clear where I was sitting. That is, until sirens of a CDF truck, paramedics, fire truck and ambulance moved up Baldy Road.
I only had a few hours for myself before we had company arriving at the house so I was going to hustle up Sunset Peak. Unfortunately I hadn't read any stories on this fine site and GMR was gated closed at Baldy Village. Not wanting to waste the day I stopped and walked up to Stoddard Peak. I know it's not much but I didn't feel like driving any distance and Potato Mountain didn't seem like enough distance.
There is water in the creek at the trailhead, a tiny little trickle at the group of houses and nothing in Cascade Canyon. I walked up the use trail a bit trying to find some but I couldn't even hear any dripping under the rocks.
In the two and a half hours I was out there I encountered just one person and a dog on the trail, as I said lots of time to just think and look around and remember how lucky we are to be this close to the mountains.

Bridge crossing, water flowing well.

Shady section. Lots of bugs here.

It gets hot fast once you reach this part. Bugs disappeared though.

Summit. No one else had signed the register since August 12.

Me hanging out. I had a snack, spent about 20 minutes sitting up there.

I thought it was interesting to see this stuff blooming all over since it's been so dry and hot.

SGBob · Post by **SGBob** » Mon Aug 31, 2015 7:10 am

JeffH wrote: I thought it was interesting to see this stuff blooming all over since it's been so dry and hot.

The drought tolerance of rabbit brush is pretty amazing. There are a few native plants that still look great after four years of serious drought and record heat. I don't know how they can sit out there and bake in the sun for years on end with little rain and still be green.