Dipsea Trail Part III--from Chaparral to Beach

We back-tracked to the descending trail head we had previously missed and paused for a break to take in the view and contemplate the distance we had left to travel! (Links Part I and II of our Dipsea Trail hike)

Photo credit:  Wendy Pitts Reeves     That's me, enjoying a leisurely rest with coastal scrub and a bit of the trail in view behind me.  

Below you see the stairs we are about to descend that add to the challenges of trail racing.  We encountered trainees running up these stairs as we went down.  You can also see why the trail is so popular.  In addition to the changing habitat, the views are stunning.

Photo credit:  Wendy Pitts Reeves

To the left in the image below, you can see the trail winding through the coastal scrub as it descends to the Pacific Ocean. Here we were among low-lying, draught-hardy shrubs with Anna's Hummingbirds hovering over our heads as they approach the spring blossoms.      

 Photo credit:  Wendy Pitts Reeves

From the hillside, a pair of coyotes surveyed the hikers on the trail, waiting for dusk to begin their hunt.  They were surprisingly unbothered by the presence of humans, perhaps because the area is protected by the state park system and people are a common sight.  Clever and adaptive to a variety of habitats, coyote populations are flourishing bringing them into frequent conflict with people and making them one of the most persecuted predators in our world, next to the wolf.

A young hiker alerted us to their presence.  It was a pleasure to witness this peaceful co-existence between humans and this intelligent canine in a protected shrub habitat.

Above and below, views of Stinson Beach and Bolinas Lagoon, located to the east of the beach.

At the base of the hills, we again entered a forest habitat and followed a winding trail through live oak and fragrant, arching bay laurel.

Photo credit:  Wendy Pitts Reeves

Here we found more flowering trillium.  The trillum in the next image was impressively the size of a dinner plate!  That's no exaggeration!

As we came out of the woods, a short trek through town brought us to the beach.

Photo credit:  Wendy Pitts Reeves

Above, one tired but happy hiker as we finish our Dipsea Trail hike only a short distance from our beach house accomodations.  Once there, with shoes and packs discarded, we settled into beach chairs on the dunes to enjoy a glass of wine and the beautiful sunset--a lovely ending to our first day!

Photo credit:  Wendy Pitts Reeves

All my posts on Stinson Beach, California.  The first post will be last in order.
Dipsea Trail hike

Dipsea Trail 
Wendy Pitts Reeves and Wendy's website
Coastal chaparral is an ecosystem dominated by woody-stemmed shrubs that are draught and saline tolerant.
Bay Nature
Coyote

The Dipsea Trail Part II--Coastal Chaparral

At the end of the Muir Woods portion of the Dipsea Trail we emerged onto open chaparral hills offering spectacular panoramic views of the coastal shrub habitat, the Pacific Ocean, Stinson Beach and Bolinas Lagoon. 

As we slowed to take in the change in habitat we discovered flowers in bloom along the trail banks, sometimes nearly hidden by the dry shrubby plants.

Above, Fremont's Star lilies reaching up from the base of woody coyote brush.

Star Lilly (Zigadenus fremontii), Star Zigadene or Fremont's Star Lily is also called "deathcamas" because of its poisonous properties.  According to the Bay Nature website this creamy white star flower is one of the earliest to bloom in the spring and "is found on open summits or in brushy draws".

The plant is named after a famous western surveyor and map maker, John Fremont (1813-1890) who collected plants on several exploratory visits to western states.  He later became a California senator and a candidate for president.

It was our enjoyment of these spring flowers and preoccupation with identifying sparrows flitting around the base of shrubs that caused us to miss the connecting trail and wander, for a brief time, along the hillside headed westward and away from our destination.  Our high position on the chaparral made it easy to see that Stinson Beach was slowly drifting away from us!

Even with the certain realization we were headed the wrong way, we pushed on just a little farther to visit a lone Eucalyptus tree sporting a plank-seated rope swing and Wendy hopped on for a ride.

Despite the fatigue that was settling in on this last mile of our journey, I would not have wanted to miss the Star Lilies or the silvery lupines growing in bushy mounds as we back-tracked along the trail. 

As we progressed further, I was delighted to find that some of the lupines were opening their showy blossoms.   In no time, these vast coastal scrub hills will be covered with mounds of purple flowers.

Silver Lupine (Lupinus albifrons), white-leafed bush lupine (pronounced lupin) or evergreen lupine is native to California and one of three lupine species that are the crucial food source for the Mission Blue Butterfly. Unfortunately the lupine's toxicity to livestock has caused ranchers to remove it on grazing lands which has contributed to the rapid decline and endangerment of the California endemic Mission Blue Butterfly (Aricia icariodes missioniensis).  This butterfly is found in limited areas and depends entirely on three native lupine species that support its life cycle.

The video below discusses the Marin County area, which includes Stinson Beach, and describes the many factors contributing to the butterfly's decline.

Next:  The beach at the end of the trail!

Visit this link to see all my posts on Stinson Beach, California
Dipsea Trail hike posts

Dipsea Trail 
Coastal chaparral is an ecosystem dominated by woody-stemmed, draught tolerant shrubs
Wendy Pitts Reeves and Wendy's website
Mission Blue Butterfly conservation and life history
More on the Mission Blue Butterfly and Mission Blue Butterfly from Berkeley
The El Segundo Blue Butterfly, another endangered California blue

Bay Nature
Star Zigadene lily or Fremont's Star Lily