Walking on Santa Lucia Granodiorite sand: the white sand of Carmel Beach

Carmel Beach with Arrowhead Point

Carmel Beach interfaces California's Carmel-by-the-Sea with the Pacific Ocean. A sandcastle contest is held annually at this beach, during which amazing architectures and sculptures are constructed from its white sand. The public beach arc between Pebble Beach and Carmel Point attracts locals and tourists on sunny as well as foggy days for relaxing shoreline walks—combing over silvery white Santa Lucia Granodiorite sand.

Granodiorite is a rock rich in quartz. It is similar to granite, but granodiorite contains more plagioclase feldspar (calcium and sodium feldspar) than orthoclase feldspar (potassium feldspar). Granodiorite is an intrusive igneous rock that forms in magma chambers underground and slowly cools, resulting in the formation of visible crystals—visible to humans once the rocks rise to the surface. Santa Lucia Granodiorite formed more than 80 million years ago along the west coast of North America. It then rose to the surface over millions of years. Granodiorite rocks that became available to the erosive action of marine waves were and are transformed into gravel and sand. 

The Shifting Sands of Carmel Beach originate from Santa Lucia Granodiorite. An interpretive panel at the western end of Carmel's Ocean Avenue explains:

Carmel's unique white sand comes from offshore rocks called Santa Lucia Granodiorite. Ocean waves pound these rocks into fine sand granules that wash onto the beach. The power of the waves changes with the season, alternately removing and replacing the sand.

The shifting of the intertidal-zone sand by the seasonally changing activity of ocean wave is enhanced by the foot traffic of beachcombers and beach volleyball players. Overall, the sand shifting is naturally balanced: High-energy winter waves scour sand from the beach and lower-energy summer waves return sand back to the beach. However, severe winter storms sometimes remove so much sand that underlying bedrock is exposed. Therefore, sand is artificially redistributed. The panel labels this process as Beach Housekeeping, performed in the following way:

Carmel's beach sand is essential for protecting the shoreline from erosion. Bulldozers push sand uphill every spring to cover exposed rocks and counteract the downhill movement of sand from foot traffic. By mid-September, the sand is returned to the lower beach, ready to absorb the impact of winter waves.  

Keywords: California coast, granodiorite erosion, destructive waves, constructive waves, beach engineering.

More about granodiorite
[1] National Park Service: Granite and Granodiorite FAQ [http://www.nps.gov/goga/forteachers/granite-and-granodiorite-faq.htm].
[2] Encyclopaedia Britannica: Granodiorite [www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/241730/granodiorite].
[3]: World Heritage Encyclopedia: Geological History of Point Lobos [community.worldheritage.org/article/WHEBN0026945648/...].

A shooting star ballet next to Gabilan Trail in Garland Park

A cluster of shooting star flower heads

Shooting stars (Dodecatheon spp.) of the Primulaceae family are among the first flowers to appear on montane meadows and forest opening as the snow melts or some rain water trickles through. Species such as the Sierra shooting star (D. jeffreyi), alpinum shooting star (D. alpinum) and Padre's shooting star (D. clevelandii) are native to California. For the latter, which is also called the Lowland Shooting Star, the flower season is winter and early spring. This year, in Garland Ranch Regional Park east of Carmel, Padre's shooting stars were already in bloom in January. The shown flowers were found on January 25, 2015, next to Gabilan Trail—on a small meadow about half-way between Gabilan Trail's junction with Spring Trail (upper end) and with Saddle Trail (lower end).

Open and closed shooting star flower heads

The five-fold symmetry of the flower heads is not always immediately recognized since the petals often take on curly or helical forms. The petals have a purple base. Above the base appears a yellow band. The petal color above the yellow area towards the petal tip is sometimes white, but often changes from white to pink. The open flower heads typically nod—base sidewise or completely down—such that the soft, streamlining petals give the appearance of the trailing tail of a shooting star. The calyx is light-green colored.

At the Garland Park's visitor center, we found a shooting star specimen at display with the following introduction:

Padre's Shooting Star
(Dodecatheon clevelandii ssp. sanctarum)
A native of Western California, this striking flower is one of the first to appear in Spring. It derives its name from the backward-facing position of the petals, giving it the appearance of a shooting star. Its common name of is “Padre's”comes from its subspecies name of  “sanctarum”, meaning holy in Latin.

I guess, January is a spring month in California. January 25 of this year, indeed, was a day with spring-like weather, on which shooting stars were shining at their selected spots in Garland Ranch Regional Park.

Keywords: Carmel Valley, botany, flowering plants, Dodecatheon (doh-dek-ATH-ee-on), shooting stars, mad violets, sailor caps.

References and more to explore
[1] The American Southwest: Dodecatheon Clevelandii, Padre's Shooting Star [www.americansouthwest.net/plants/wildflowers/dodecatheon-clevelandii.html].
[2] Calflora Taxon Report 2753: Dodecatheon clevelandii [www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-taxon=Dodecatheon+clevelandii].
[3] Calflora: http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/shootingstar.html.
[4] Native Plants: Padre's Shooting Star [nativeplants.csuci.edu/dodecatheon-clevelandii.htm].
[5] Natural History of Orange County, California: Padre's Shooting Star [nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/plants/Primulaceae/Dodecatheon%20clevelandii.htm].

Gabilan Trail: a hikers-only trail in Garland Ranch Regional Park

Mossy wood next to Gabilan Trail

Gabilan Trail in the southeastern pocket of Garland Ranch Regional Park is a hiking trail through oak forest and patches of chaparral. This single-track trail descends—or ascends, depending on your hiking direction—a northwest-facing slope of the Santa Lucia Range.

Gabilan Trail may be included in a three to four miles long loop hike including Laureles Trail, a few steps on Vasquez Trail and Spring Trail, the lower section of Saddle Trail and the River Trail alongside Carmel River. Gabilian Trail shortcuts the descend from Spring Trail to the River Trail by a fifth of a mile—by comparison with proceeding via the Spring Trail/Saddle Trail junction. Spring Trail and Saddle Trail are open for hiking and equestrian use.

Doing the loop
Once you have climbed the steep Laureles Trail and arrived at the bench overlooking Vasquez Ridge, you want to take Vasquez Trail. At the Y-junction where Vasquez Trail forks left continue on Spring Trail for about hal a mile to its junction with Gabilan Trail. The descend on Gabilan Trail is less than a mile long. Half-way downhill, you will find another bench with magnificent vistas of western Carmel Valley, including the fields of the Carmel Valley Trail & Saddle Club. Continuing downhill, turn right at the junction of Gabilan Trail with Saddle Trail to get to the River Trail.

Larger loops
The topographic park map will help you plan longer loop hikes that may include the upper Vasquez Trail or East Ridge Trail and Veeder Trail. 

Getting to the River Trail 
See the directions for Laureles Trail or take Paso Hondo Road from Carmel Valley Road in Carmel Valley Village. Find parking near the baseball fields and cross the foot bridge over the Carmel River to access the River Trail.

Western Carmel Valley seen from Gabilan Trail

Vasquez Trail in the southeast section of Garland Ranch Regional Park

Vasquez Ridge in Garland Park, California

Vasquez Trail is a short trail following Vasquez Ridge across a meadow towards a forested hilltop summit at the southeastern boundary of Garland Park. While climbing this trail, hikers and horseback riders enjoy various views of Carmel Valley to the north and into Hitchcock Canyon, cutting the mountain range further east.

Vasquez Trail is best reached by climbing the steep Laureles Trail from the Carmel River up to the forest opening on Vasquez Ridge. Turning right at the junction with the bench, the Vasquez-Spring trail fork is soon reached. Vasquez Trail leads up to Cougar Ridge and to Saddle Trail. The latter trail descends to a junction with East Ridge Trail and further downhill to a junction with Spring Trail, from where one can loop back to the grassy ridge and Laureles Trail or take Saddle Trail all the way down and back to the River Trail alongside Carmel River.

A forested hillside trail in Garland Park: steep Laureles Trail

Ascending on Laureles Trail to a grassy ridge 
in the southeast section of Garland Park

Laureles Trail in Garland Ranch Regional Park, California, connects the Carmel River Trail with the Vasquez Ridge. This one-and-a-quarter-mile-long trail winds uphill through oak and laurel woodland. Forest openings alongside the upper section of the trail offer magnificent views of Carmel Valley Village. Once you are arriving at the grassy ridge, you'll find a bench near the trail junction, from which you may want to check out the short dead-end trail to the left. Otherwise, there are various west-bound hiking options including a Vasquez Trail, Saddle Trail, Spring Trail loop hike and a downhill-and-return hike on Gabilan Trail, leading back to the River Trail. 

Carmel Valley Village seen from Laureles Trail

Getting there
While driving east on Carmel Valley Road, pass the central part of Carmel Valley Village and turn right onto Esquiline Road. Cross the Carmel River via Rosie's Bridge and turn right onto De Los Helechos Road. Find a parking spot close to the end of this dead-end road. Parking space in this residential area is limited. Walk through the Lazy Oaks right-of-way section towards the park entrance. Follow the River Trail until you see the post at which the left-forking Laureles Trail begins.

A perennial hiking & nature-study destination: Garland Ranch Regional Park, California

Open space of Garland Ranch Regional Park

Garland Ranch Regional Park is located about 10 miles southeast of the Monterey Peninsula. The park landscape includes a section of the Carmel Valley floor as well as scenic canyons and ridges of the northern tip of the Santa Lucia Mountains—a coastal mountain range that stretches from Carmel Valley south to San Luis Obispo County. The park was established in 1975 and is preserved and protected by the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District.

The topographic Garland Ranch park map provides an excellent overview of the park trails and locations of interest, including a seasonal waterfall and historic sites. The Garland Visitor Center offers docent-led hikes. Depending on season, plants and mushrooms are featured at the visitor center. On January 25, 2015—a warm and sunny mid-winter day—we found a specimen of the native Padre's Shooting Star (Dodecatheon clevelandii ssp. sanctarum) and of the non-native Death Cap (Amanita phalloides) displayed. The latter was introduced as follows:

This deadly poisonous mushroom is a non-native import from Europe. Its cap grows between 3.5-15 cm, stem 4-18 cm long, 1-3 cm thick. Color is usually olive to yellow, rarely white, often with a metallic sheen.

Death Cap (Amanita phalloides)

It occurs scattered to gregarious [open-cluster growth] under coast live oak and other hardwoods, early fall through mid-winter.
The Death Cap contains both phallotoxins and amanitins which are responsible for poisonings in humans and domestic pets. Contrary to popular belief poisonous mushrooms are not dangerous to handle, only to ingest. DO NOT EAT!

Garland Ranch is a dog-friendly park. Just keep your dog away from those mushrooms!

Getting there
The main parking area close to the visitor center is found next to Carmel Valley Road, about 9 miles east of Highway 1. This area includes equestrian parking and also is the starting point for bicyclists, who are—according to the general information given in the foldable park map—only permitted on the 144-acre Cooper Ranch addition west of Lupine Loop and the Kahn Ranch Addition. The park has various other access points for hikers, which can be reached via Robinson Canyon Road (near Carmel Valley Ranch Resort) and via Carmel Valley Village roads: Boronda, Paso Hondo and Esquiline Road.

Icy Hunter Creek Falls near Reno on a warm day in January

Hunter Creek Falls near Reno in winter

So close to Reno in northern Nevada, Hunter Creek Trail from the Michael D. Thompson Trailhead to Hunter Creek Falls is a popular hiking route for people and dogs, any time of the year. In summer, blue bellies watch the hikers and joggers, who climb and pass the many rock outcrops.

It is a five-and-a-half-mile round trip; some say, in unforgiving terrain. But this is not usually the case, unless you are going to hike the trail after lots of rain or during snow melt, when mud or rock avalanches are possible along the steep slopes. Most of the trail is traversing open slope areas. The mostly leveled trail sections make it an enjoyable hike with scenic views of wild ridges—occasionally snow-crusted in winter. 

The final stretch towards the waterfall leads you through dark forest. Finally, after crossing Hunter Creek you will find yourself between high conifers in front of the waterfall. And you will probably not be alone. I wasn't surprised to see so many hikers there around noon on January 18, 2015, a sunny day with temperatures above 60 °F. White water was rushing down the steps of the fall. Snow and ice covered the sides and the wood trunk, which is stubbornly leaning against the middle of the fall channel.

The upper parts of the waterfall are closed. A sign reads “Closed for revegetation. Please help protect and restore sensitive resources in this area. Do not climb to the top of the waterfall and camp at least 200 feet from the creek.” At the east side of the waterfall grove the trail continues on, uphill and deeper into the Mount Rose Wilderness.

The steep slopes of Hunter Creek