Holy Jim Canyon is a tributary canyon of Trabuco Canyon south of Santiago Peak in the Santa Ana Mts of Orange County. It is the location of the well-known and well-travelled Holy Jim Trail to Holy Jim Falls, and of course Trabuco Canyon was where the last California grizzly was killed in 1907. I have been curious about this trail for years, having heard many stories about the famous beekeeper Cussin' Jim Smith, and finally had an opportunity to visit it in the company of my friends Tom Chester and Bob Allen. A 1/2-hour ride on a bumpy washboard road brings you to the trailhead. We were looking in particular for the rare Orobanche vallicola which has its main population much farther north, but were also introduced on this hike to a fascinating taxon of Ceanothus I had never heard of, and saw the abundant seed pods of Calochortus weedii var. intermedius, two things that will definitely bring me back in the spring. An upside-down V next to the common name indicates a taxon that was new to me when I photographed it on this field trip.

Wartleaf ceanothus ^
Ceanothus papillosus
Rhamnaceae

Intermediate mariposa lily ^
Calochortus weedii var. intermedius
Liliaceae

Valley broomrape ^
Orobanche vallicola
Orobanchaceae

Chaparral whitethorn
Ceanothus leucodermis
Rhamnaceae

Giant chain fern
Woodwardia fimbriata
Blechnaceae

Maidenhair fern
Adiantum capillus-veneris
Pteridaceae

Big leaf maple
Acer macrophyllum
Aceraceae