I started my walk from the North side of Rios Canyon for the first time. Since I know there is not much or any parking near the actual entrance on this side of the reserve, I decided to park and walk through a school ground to gain access to a very narrow trail with a steep uphill incline.
The chaparral is very much dried up by now and it can be a challenge to recognize some species curled up by the heat. This might have been my last walk a Crestridge for a while, at least until the first few rains that will rejuvenate and regenerate growth.
The advantage of living in San Diego is that, as soon as the first rains come in October or November, vegetation is revived and Spring starts much earlier than other parts of the US. Unfortunately, by the beginning of August most plants of the Chaparral have bloomed and fruited and not much other than oaks will manifest visible changes such as producing acorns.
Luckily, in a few weeks, I will be visiting the Lake Atitlan area of Guatemala. I hope to be able to see and record numerous plants, butterflies and birds. The difficulty might be to have other people reconfirm my observations. :-)
