Picture of the Day - Rinconada Changes

Today I took a hike on the Santa Lucia District of the Los Padres National Forest on one of my favorite trails, Rinconada Trail. My hiking wing-man had never been on it and I had not been on it since reaching the weight of 280 lbs. Needless to say, it was a first for both of us. After struggling with my first wind I felt great through my second and third winds. Of note on the ascent was the huge die-off of an invasive vine that had thrived in a sheltered drainage in the lee of the mountainside. Also, some other adjacent plants had died along with the vine colony. The cause was obvious: the spring which had supported much growth in that drainage including the vine had dried up since I last hiked this path last spring.

After getting back to the car parked at the trailhead I took my buddy around the mountain a short distance to see what remains of the Rinconada Mine adits and retorts and other mine artifacts. Since last I visited this site graffiti artists had desecrated the already violated site with much more substantial graffiti and target practice refuse.
Both photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved)