January 15

Sunday, my wife, Caroline & I hiked in the 399-acre, Portuguese Bend Reserve, located on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, south of Los Angeles. The early morning weather was sunny with a temperature of 60 degrees and a gentle sea breeze. Leaving the car parked on a nearby residential street, we entered the preserve and followed an earthen trail south as it descended past a wall of exposed bedrock with well-defined layering. These sedimentary layers were formed millions of years ago as marine deposits before being uplifted and eroded. Next, we paused and faced west to gaze afar at the vast Pacific Ocean along with the islands of San Clemente and Catalina. Continuing our descent, I spotted a familiar Chipping Sparrow and an unfamiliar Sage Sparrow. Despite the barren winter landscape, I managed to find a few wildflowers including the tube-like yellow blossoms of Tree Tobacco. This invasive plant is native to South America while its leaves are still smoked and used for medicine by some Native American tribes. Also, I found a few small white blossoms of Hayfield Tarweed whose name comes from its foliage which has an odor reminiscent of tar. Moving off the main trail, we followed a narrow, rugged, hilly trail through what is described as Coastal Sage Scrub terrain where we came upon a Black Sage bush and paused to crush a few leaves to enjoy the herbal aroma. After turning around to retrace our steps, I noticed some pine branches covered with a strange lichen call Usnea or Old Man’s Beard. Continuing our ascent, the red berries of a Toyon bush caught my eye. While the berries are toxic to humans they can be a food source for birds. Nearing the trailhead, I spotted a fruiting Prickly Pear Cactus. This red fruit can be made into juice that tastes like a cross between bubble gum and watermelon. Finally, we reached the top, found the car and headed back to Redondo Beach.

Eyes on the coast

End of the land

Forces of nature

Bedrock to sand

Eyes on the coast

Gray windy sky

Marine layer

Pelicans soar by

Eyes on the coast

Turbulent sea

Beyond the surf

Cetaceans swim free

D. DeGraaf