The Coy Pond

View of Little Lakes Valley from Rock Creek

Pinecones with mountains in background

Paintbrush with 1st lake in foreground

More paintbrush

2nd Lake with mountains in background

Blue butterfly!

A profile shot

Matilija Poppies are Christy's favorites

Last weekend Christy and I took our last trip out of town before baby Cecily makes her debut. I originally had an entire week off for a large adventure up in the Sierras, but that was before I knew about the little girl’s coming. Anyway the trip morphed into a fun long weekend trip. In May my dad and I took a short hike up into Little Lakes Valley, up above Rock Creek Lake. I decided I wanted to go back on this trip. And was rewarded with some beautiful scenery, though I did not count on all of the mosquitoes. The mosquitoes were so bad, it almost made this hike a liability, especially since I forgot the bug spray. I should have known better since the hike is nicknamed “Mosquito Flat”

Little Lakes Valley is really high, it starts at 10,300 feet and then goes up about 500 feet or so, with the peaks all around at 13,000 feet. So the elevation is high, and spring is late, basically in July. The place bursts with wildflowers during this time. Lots of Penstamon, paintbrush, aster, and a lot of others. Driving up the road to get there I had to pull off a couple of times to take some photos of roadside flowers. Little lakes valley, pretty well describes it. The creek runs up the valley creating many little lakes, separated by small rises and meadows. It’s a pretty amazing place, God touched.

Off the roadside on the way home a caught a view of a whole field of Matilija poppies. Christy loves these flowers. She says they look like fried eggs. They are big and happy. I have only seen them in recently burned areas up in the Sierras. So maybe they are a sign of new life coming back. Anyway I hope you enjoy.