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Santa Margarita Road

Small boulder next to the dirt road in the Santa Margarita river basin.

Santa Margarita Road Turn-around Point

Santa Margarita Road starts out as a paved road, becoming a dirt road spur, then a trail before disappearing completely.  The map doesn’t differentiate this progression which might explain all the traffic we saw recently.  Also, a turn-off onto the dry riverbed appeared recently closed.  The drivers of the four-wheel drives may have been used to making their way through the area in the past.  This day they drove in and soon after drove back out, the drivers looking apologetic.  Further on, several trucks passed us although the road was rocky and washed away in parts.

We encountered a pick-up truck turning around in this section.  The driver asked if we’d seen his dog.  We heard the dog later but didn’t see him.  Hopefully that meant they found each other, especially since we didn’t see the dog wandering around later.

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Shadows across the Santa Margarita Road

Shadows dapple the road not because the trees had lost their leaves in autumn.  They are oaks with lots of dead branches.  Otherwise, they looked quite healthy, just wild and unpruned.  Perhaps this is typical of live coast oak in drought conditions.  What this means to the health of the trees or the forest is unclear.  The dead branches did make photogenic patterns.

 

Black and white image of shadows across Santa Margarita Road.
Shadows across the Santa Margarita Road.

Small Boulder on Santa Margarita Road

More obstacles on the road that didn’t deter the truck traffic.  Honestly a very small boulder but visually arresting and something for little ones to practice their balance.  The terrain was just ragged enough to keep us on the road and amplified the impact of everything located on it.  The boulder was now a real point of interest for the kids, both having to jump on it walking each direction.

Black and white image of a small boulder next to Santa Margarita Road in the Santa Margarita river basin.
Small boulder next to Santa Margarita Road in the Santa Margarita river basin.

 

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Santa Margarita River basin flowers

Wild fennel

Santa Margarita River basin flowers still abound even if it is mostly dry right now.  Walking through the river basin showed a variety of foliage, even as dry as it is right now.  Besides the trees, grass and cactus, I found many kinds of flowers.  It wasn’t my thought I would find arid flowers, but it was surprising what appeared.  The tall, fragrant, yellow stands of fennel dominated the landscape in some areas.  While these are considered invasive since they are not native to southern California, they are pleasant smelling, add a welcome splash of color and apparently are good for cooking.  Might be something to try…

Wild fennel growing in a bend of the road, one of the many Santa Margarita River basin flowers.
Wild fennel growing in a bend of the road, one of the many Santa Margarita River basin flowers.

Chalk LiveForever (Dudleya)

A rather unusual-looking plant was the chalk liveforever, perched on cliffs next to the road.  This native plant has the subtle color and texture that blends it into the landscape.  The glowing rosettes looked like part of the cliff-side and I almost missed it at first.  The papery outer leaves contrast with the cooly smooth interior.  Earlier in the summer they also had stalks with small chains of flowers.

Dudleya or chalk liveforever makes a rosette flower and is native the the southwest US,, one of the many Santa Margarita River basin flowers.
Dudleya or chalk liveforever is native the the southwest, one of the many Santa Margarita River basin flowers.

White sage

Another native plant is the white sage.  It disappears as well into the landscape, its smooth, silvery leaves glowing among the other foliage.  This plant, like the fennel, is also aromatic.  These are two examples of the many fragrant plants in the southern California area.  There are many; a walk on the trails is like wandering through a spice cabinet.  Perhaps this is how they repel insects or other predators, but it creates a soothing aromatherapy effect which is very pleasant.

Black and white image of white sage growing by the side of the road, one of the many Santa Margarita River basin flowers.
White sage growing by the side of the road is native to the southwestern US, one of the many Santa Margarita River basin flowers.