From a run last week at Ahmanson Ranch -- now Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve.

Updated 03/13/08.

My run of the "keyhole loop" at Ahmanson Ranch started out as a tempo run -- not so much as being part of a rigorous training program, but because of a dead battery in my car remote. It felt good to push the pace a bit.

Part way through the loop, running up a short hill into the sun, I was struck by a repetitive pattern of backlit leaves in the new growth on and alongside the road. Like little green satellite dishes, hundreds of the round leaves of mallow (Malva neglecta) were facing directly into the late afternoon sun.

Mallow (Malva spp.) is an invasive plant from the Mediterranean area that has flourished in Southern California's Mediterranean climate. In most years, it is very common. I've run and hiked past thousands of these plants, but never noticed this synchronicity.

Tracking the sun makes sense. Our climate has an extremely variable and relatively short growing season. A plant that maximizes its intake of solar energy and growth by orienting its leaves toward the sun would have an advantage over a less adaptable species. This is probably one of the reasons mallow is such a successful invasive. Another invasive that grows alongside mallow, black mustard, also appears to exhibit heliotropism as it is growing. It creates a rosette of leaves facing into the sun by raising leaves on the side of the stalk away from the sun, and lowering leaves on the side of the stalk toward the sun.

From a run during the week at Ahmanson Ranch -- now Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve.

Technical papers:

Diaphototropic Movement of the Leaves of Malva Neglecta
H. C. Yin
American Journal of Botany, Vol. 25, No. 1 (Jan., 1938), pp. 1-6

HELIOTROPISM AND WATER AVAILABILITY EFFECTS ON FLOWERING DYNAMICS AND SEED PRODUCTION IN Macroptilium lathyroides
ARMANDO MARTINS DOS SANTOS, LUIS MAURO GONÇALVES ROSA, LUCIA BRANDÃO FRANKE, CARLOS NABINGER

In normal to wet rain seasons vernal pools can be found throughout the Simi Hills. The pool pictured above is near the sheep corral at China Flat, and another small pond was found nearby, along Albertson Motorway fire road. I've also found vernal pools in the Rocky Peak area and near Sage Ranch.

Geologically, the Simi Hills are characterized by the sandstone rocks of the Chatsworth formation. These inclined layers are of varying hardness, and erode at different rates. It's my guess that water collects in sandy soils between, or at the base of, the more resistant layers.

The photographs of the ponds at China Flat are from Sunday's Scenic Route to Simi Peak run.

When the rainy season turns wet and the grasses green, all routes to Simi Peak are scenic, but the varied trails and terrain, and the wilderness feel of the more remote sections of this 21.5 mile run makes it one of my local favorites.

It is a longer variation of the route described in the post Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Backcountry. The run starts at the Victory (or Vanowen, or Las Virgenes) trailhead of Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve and explores the headwaters of Las Virgenes Creek. At the junction of the power line service road and "backcountry" trail, instead of turning south up the power line service road, this option works west over to Albertson Motorway fire road, and on to China Flat and Simi Peak.

Here's a Google Earth image and Google Earth KMZ file of a GPS trace of the route.

Lasky Mesa from a ridge near Bell Canyon. Low clouds from a rapidly advancing marine layer are moving into the San Fernando Valley. Saddle Peak can be seen in the distance, on the right.

From a run earlier earlier this week.

Wow -- what a great ride! That was my impression the first time I used the Salomon XT Wings trail running shoes. That continues to be my feeling after using the shoe for a couple of weeks and doing several runs in the 15-20 mile range. For my particular trail running requirements, this shoe has a near perfect balance of comfort, smooth ride, cushioning, traction and support.

Southern California can have inclement Winter weather. This January downtown Los Angeles experienced a streak with 8 days of measurable rain, and last year temperatures in the suburbs plunged to a frigid 20°F. Maybe this doesn't compare to Seattle's 2005-2006 rain streak of 27 days, or International Falls' recent record low of 40° below zero, but it qualifies as rainy and cold none the less.

Today it was not rainy and cold. It was just about as pleasant as a day could be. Skies were blue, winds were light, and the temperature was in the mid-seventies. Starting at the Wendy Dr. trailhead on Potrero Rd., we enjoyed the perfect weather by doing a 14.5 mile variant of the Boney Mountain Half Marathon Course.

The photograph above is of the Hidden Pond Trail near Hidden Pond -- recently restored by Winter rains.

Related posts: Boney Mountain Half Marathon, Big Sycamore Canyon Circuit, Boney Mountain - Big Sycamore Canyon Circuit

From a run at Ahmanson Ranch -- now Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve.

From a run at Ahmanson Ranch -- now Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve.

What a fantastic morning! Taking advantage of a break in a series of Southern California rain storms, I was running on Fire Road #30 near the entrance of Topanga State Park. The sun had found its way through a broken layer of clouds, and bright patches of sunlight highlighted the rugged terrain. Down in a steep canyon on my left, wisps of steam wafted from the chaparral.

Following an  "On your left!" a group of mountain bikers swept past. Working up the hill toward the Hub, good morning's were exchanged with other runners, hikers and cyclists.

Many of us live and work in California because of its diverse open spaces, parks and wilderness areas. Incredibly, this popular urban park, along with Will Rogers State Historic Park, Santa Susana SHP, Los Encinos SHP, Mt. San Jacinto SP, and forty-four other California State Parks have been slated for closure in the fiscal year 2008-09 California state budget.

According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, the selection was made according to the dour formula of those parks "that had the fewest visitors, produced the least revenue and would be the easiest to close off to visitors."

This formula necessarily targets less developed parks, such as Topanga State Park, ignoring those intrinsic values that make a park a park. The formula targets walk-in parks, and the hikers, cyclists, riders, and runners that simply enjoy the outdoor experience. The formula targets day use parks in urban areas that don't need campgrounds or additional services. And, the formula targets those with less to spend on recreation.

So is this how we are to appraise the value of our public lands? Closing our state parks would be astonishingly short-sighted. Their varied trails, terrain, and habitats are accessible to millions, providing a therapeutic escape from the rigors of city life, and experiences and insights that can only be gained from the out of doors.

Today I was doing one of my favorite runs in Topanga State Park. It links several trails and visits several popular destinations in the park -- the Hub, Parker Mesa Overlook, Trippet Ranch, Eagle Rock, and the Musch, Garapito and Bent Arrow Trails.

This two minute slide show is a compilation from a few such runs. It is a small selection of photographs from one set of trails, in just one state park. What is the value of a flower gold, or woodland green, or the sight of a deer grazing along a trail? Apparently in the state's point of view -- not much.

Take action now to save our state parks! Go to the California State Parks Foundation's savestateparks.org web site and send a letter to your lawmakers today!

For more information regarding Topanga State Park, see the Campaign To Save Topanga State Park, Topanga Canyon Docents and California State Parks web sites.

Technorati Tags: slide show, California state budget, California State Parks, Topanga State Park

It's about time -- all the rain in Southern California is finally turning our hills green! Last year the hills of East Las Virgenes Canyon were sun bleached and rain starved.

According to preliminary NWS data, Downtown Los Angeles (USC) recorded measurable rain on each day from January 21 to January 28, 2008. Based on this NWS ranking for 1921-2006, this puts this eight day period in the top six of the station's wettest streaks from 1921-2007.

So far this water year Downtown Los Angeles has recorded 11.73 inches of rain, which is 4.77 inches above normal. Last year on this date Los Angeles had recorded only 1.5 inches of rain. Even if Los Angeles were to receive no rain through the entire month of February (not likely), we would still go into the month of March ahead of normal.

The photograph is from a muddy run at Ahmanson Ranch -- now Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve.

Silhouetted rock formation at sunset in Dayton Canyon in the Simi Hills.