California peony is fairly common in the Santa Monica Mountains and other lower elevation, open space areas of Southern California. It can be found in a variety of habitats, including Coastal Sage Scrub and Chaparral.

It is a perennial, and has adapted to our demanding climate by dieing back when conditions become hot and dry.   Its leaf growth tends to parallel that of annual grasses, and as these grasses become long, lush and green following early Winter rains, you'll usually find flowering peonies somewhere in the area.

From Saturday's trail run in Malibu Creek State Park.

While running the Phantom Trail a couple weeks ago, it occurred to me that the Grassland, Talepop, Liberty Canyon and Phantom Trails could be combined with the Bulldog Loop to create a challenging -- and very scenic -- twenty-something mile trail run.

Just how much longer than twenty depends on which trails you use to connect the Phantom Trail to Crags Rd. I opted to use the Cistern, Lookout, Yearling, and Deer Leg Trails. This variation works out to a little more than 24 miles. Tack on an out and back to the Mesa Peak overlook and you have a marathon length scenic tour of Malibu Creek State Park!

Here's a Google Earth browser view of a GPS trace of my route.

The title photo is a view west from the Cistern Trail to the former site of the Reagan Ranch.

Note: Check for ticks when running here -- particularly in the Winter & Spring!

Related post: Malibu Creek State Park Shadow & Sun

One of about a dozen vernal pools in the Rocky Peak area. More than just a puddle, these rainy season pools form as a result of the area's unique geology.

In my experience, excessive rainfall is not necessary for the pools to form. Normal month-to-month seasonal precipitation is usually sufficient. Their persistence depends on several factors, but in a season with normal to above average precipitation, the pools can last for several months.

From Wednesday's run on Rocky Peak.

Related post: Vernal Pool at China Flat

From this evening's run on the Hummingbird Trail in Simi Valley, California.

There's snow in just about every mountain range of Southern California following last week's series of storms. This subdued sunset view is of the Simi Valley and the Topatopa Mountains.

From this evening's run in the Simi Hills.

Running down the service road toward the polo field, the lawn of the historic 31-room ranch house was impossibly green. Several inches of rain and the low angle of the Winter sun combined to produce a green of remarkable vibrancy.

I was about 10 miles into a 21.5 mile trail run in the Santa Monica Mountains, winding my way through Will Rogers State Historic Park. The popular park consists of the ranch house, polo field, stables, riding arenas, picnic areas, and hiking trails. Built in about 1926, the ranch was deeded to the State of California as a historic park in 1944.

And about that green lawn; I guess it just makes sense that a western ranch with a polo field would have a four hole golf course that doubles as a front lawn.

Here's a brochure and a self-guided tour from the Park's web site.

Some related posts: Will Rogers - Temescal Loop, Los Angeles Basin Fog, Curvilinear

Six days of rain had finally come to an end. Soaked hillsides steamed in the morning sun; but still in shadow, tussocks of grass along the dirt road wore a thick coat of frost. Running west on the main drag in Ahmanson Ranch, we were working our way over to Cheeseboro Canyon.

Whether the conditions were imperfect or perfect was a matter of perspective. Yes, it had been a little muddy and wet, but that was part of the experience, and part of the morning.

In some places droplets of water refracted and reflected tiny spectra of color, while in others flat plates of frost glittered in the sun. Running along a rejuvenated creek, the smell of wet earth mixed with the rich organic odors of old willow leaves and other vegetation.

Away from the trailhead there was not a hiker, runner, rider or mountain biker to be seen. Remarkably, even in Cheeseboro Canyon no one was on the trail.

Sometimes I'm asked,"What are you training for?" Being able to enjoy a run like today's is my reply.

In the lower elevations of Southern California, miner's lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata) usually sprouts in mid Winter. It is typically found in shady areas of the chaparral understory. It grows in nearly every county of California, and probably occurs in all but the most arid parts of the western U.S.

Miner's Lettuce was reportedly eaten by Gold Rush miners to help prevent scurvy.

From today's run on the Garapito Trail, in the Santa Monica Mountains, near Los Angeles.

Today I did the kind of running I most enjoy -- the "not sure which trails I'm going to run; I'll figure it out when I get there" kind.

Starting at Malibu & Mulholland in Malibu Creek State Park, I headed north on the Grassland Trail, and then ad-libbed from there. The result was a meandering route involving the Grassland, Talepop, Liberty Canyon, Phantom, Cistern, Lookout, Yearling, Deer Leg, and Cage Creek Trails, as well as Crags Rd.

It had been at least a couple of years since I was on these trails, and I'd forgotten just how varied and scenic they are.

If there has been adequate rainfall, shooting stars (prob. Dodecatheon clevelandii ssp. patulum) can germinate and bloom in early January at some lower elevation areas of Southern California.

From a run earlier this week in the Simi Hills.

Related post: Shooting Stars

Computer models and other tools continue to forecast a shift to an "El Nino like" upper flow pattern next week that could result in an extended period of wet weather in Southern California. I'll be updating Southern California Weather Notes on Wednesday with additional info.

The photograph of patterned altocumulus clouds is from this afternoon's trail run along the northern boundary of Ahmanson Ranch, near Los Angeles.

Following the little bit of wet weather we had at the end of the year, Southern California has been enjoying idyllic weather with highs in the 70's and 80's. Southland cities recorded the highest temperature in the continental U.S. several days this week. Tuesday San Diego recorded a high of 84 degrees, tying Kalaeloa, Hawaii for the warmest temperature in the nation.

The weather's been great for trail running -- and for the chaparral plants. Alternating periods of wet weather and warm weather have encouraged growth and flowering, and I've been seeing a number of rainy season wildflowers. In addition to the milkmaids in the photograph above, some of the early bloomers include nightshade, peony, shooting star, woolly blue curls, prickly phlox, chaparral mallow, rattlesnake weed, and several others.

Rainfall totals in Southern California this rain season to date have generally ranged from an inch or so above normal to an inch or so below (WRCC). As of yesterday, Downtown Los Angeles (USC) precipitation was 0.56 inch above the norm for the water year to date. Although January has been dry so far, it looks like we may see a shift to more seasonable -- and wetter -- weather around midweek next week.

The precipitation pattern we've seen on the West Coast so far this rain season has a bit of an El Nino flavor to it, and that pattern may become better defined in the coming weeks. Today's 6-10 day and 8-14 day precipitation outlooks from the Climate Prediction Center indicate above average rainfall for Southern California. We'll see!