High-Marking Blinn Ranch Trail

Today I took an 11-mile hike on the east and north sides of Santa Margarita Lake (Salinas Reservoir) within the Santa Margarita Lake Park boundaries. The temperature was unseasonably mild but nonetheless warm. For years I had never traversed the Blinn Ranch Trail beyond a certain point and today I significantly breached that boundary. Most of the images shown here (all but the first two) were taken in the "new" territory.

There are Native America grinding holes in some nearby rock formations including just to the left of this image.

When I was here last spring at this very spot there was clear, standing water of significant depth.

This is the view east showing Blinn Ranch Trail

The eastward extension of the lake is a mere ribbon of water.

I've always seen these interesting rock formations from the main area of the park on the south side but today I was actually with them.

There are many rigorous ups and downs for most of Blinn Ranch Trail.

This image was captured from atop one of the rock formation pictured elsewhere in this column.

As you can well see this is extreme fire country due to the terrain and the fuels and now add our ongoing drought.

Note the rock formations all tilted up diagonally in the same orientation.

Currently this reservoir is at 26.7 % capacity.

These pine trees are "Gray Pines" formerly called "Digger Pines".

These are old riverine deposits forming the most interesting rock formation I encountered all day.
All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).