Springtime

Here's a short video from my backyard, full of Monarch butterflies going crazy with the blossoms.  Feels good in that California sunshine!  And if you can't get a good quality feed, believe me, there were tons of butterflies for most of February flying around the eucalyptus grove behind my house and when those blossoms came out, they went nuts.

Hiking time!

Another epic day of hiking in Big Sur.  I checked off 4 hikes from the amazing "Day Hikes Around Big Sur" guidebook in one day.  Almost 4000 feet elevation gained over 8+ miles in those hikes.  Great views, sights, sounds and smells along the way.  On an overcast day that turned quite sunny, there was almost no one else hiking, making for a perfect experience with nature.  Always good to get away from everything, lose that cell service and get your hike on.

Big Sur is a perfect blend of the dry Southern California hikes, mixed with the foresty hikes of Northern California.  There are those tall redwoods, the wild sage shrubs, yucca, numerous California oaks and the classic state flower, the California Poppy.  The coastline is rugged, and heads straight up hills and mountains, going inland through canyons filled with trees and creeks.  It's an area that no matter how many times you visit, you have to pull over and enjoy the view numerous times.  Love that place.

The first hike was the Boronda Trail, a "very strenuous" hike that gained 2,500 feet in 2.5 miles straight up to a camp overlooking the ocean.  The sweat was pouring, and in between green meadows full of wild mustard and poppies, there were scattered oaks on the way up.  Here are some pictures:

Big Sur: California coastline and Poppies

Straight up!

More pictures

More visuals from the day down in Big Sur:

Stormy, rough tide at Garrapata Beach in Big Sur, with the waves kicking in crazy aqua blues every few sets.  It was going on high tide, and the waves kept taking over the beach and rolling around the beach with a strong current, mesmerizing the viewer.

Big Sur Coastline

100+ year old tunnel through a mountain to the beach