Tuesday, May 7. I began at the Santa Lucia Memorial Park. The Arroyo Seco trail starts as a road to the Sportsman's Club. The real trail begins at the left.

About 15 minutes in, the trail crosses Arroyo Seco.

Calochortus albus. White fairy lanterns were just finishing up.

Away from the creek, this was only a so-so area. A little brushy. Some burnt trees. And right here, an eroded trail.

False Forks Camp is just a rough opening in trees and brush.

Allium amplectens. Narrow leaf onion. Not 100% positive of the species but this looks right. By Forks Junction.

Up the Rodeo Flats Trail. It's an old road/firebreak: steep, rocky/sandy, mostly clear (as here) or filling in with scattered low plants.

A view down, towards Memorial Park, from part way up the Rodeo Flats Trail.

Neat rock formations on the Rodeo Flats Trail. This is *not* a so-so trail.

Pinus lambertiana. The first sugar pine. No forest, but there were several of these on the ridge above the trail.

Clouds started to spill over the coast ridge.

Paintbrush (and a few lotus) on the trail.

Penstemon centranthifolius. The first scarlet bugler, with a little bush poppy on the side.

More low clouds.

Interesting light just below the cloud level.

Hesperoyucca whipplei. Our Lord's Candle.

The junction between the Coast Ridge Trail and the Rodeo Flats Trail. Bad visibility ... and it got worse.

I made it to Volunteer Camp (pictures later) about 1/4 mile north of the junction. After dinner I hiked north on the Coast Ridge Trail.

My goal was Redondo Spring, about 1 mile north of Volunteer Camp. This was my water source for the trip.

This picture, taken the next day, gives the larger context.

The Coast Ridge Trail on my walk back. On the horizon at the left are The Window and Double Cone. At the right, Black Cone. Lost Valley is below.

Wednesday, May 8. Today I dayhiked north on the Coast Ridge Trail to find Upper Bee Camp. This post is all that marks the Lost Valley Connector junction.

Looking back from south of the LV Connector Junction. The firebreak goes up the ridge while the Coast Ridge Trail contours. The Connector (hidden) goes left.

A view down to the creekbed that is the supposed to be the beginning of the Lower Bee Trail. I didn't follow this one.