We have enjoyed the Christmas break in Idyllwild a short 2 hour journey from Los Angeles and one recommended to anyone needing to recharge their creative battery. Idyllwild is a small town that enjoys a diversity of terrain and climate. The altitude ranges from 4,000 to 7,000 with snow covered mountains on the northern front and dessert dry chaparral on the south.
Located in the San Jacinto mountains there are plenty of trails for exploring the habitat and we chose the Perimeter and Hillside trails in Idyllwild Park to spend our first day knee high in snow.
For a change of scenery we took the South Ridge trail which is on the southern Hemet side and which offers the hiker a steep hike over sandy rocky soil surrounded by Manzanita trees and shrub oaks and holly bushes. While the trail was dry there was enough moisture for the lichen and moss to take root on rock surfaces to form a variegated green collage.
The trail was deserted but paw prints and scat marked the path traversed by the native coyotes.
The trail was deserted but paw prints and scat marked the path traversed by the native coyotes. If you compare the photos here it is clear that the Manzanita berries are part of this coyotes diet.
Small red brown remnants of the manzanita berries
Bright red berries before consumption
Other indications of the wild life could only be appreciated by our pit bull Iris who savored the scent of the local population with her hovering focused snout.
Our oak leaf cabinet pull is based on the leaves of the Live Oak the inspiration for which came from the wine country of Paso Robles.
