On all three of my recent visits to the Castle Rock trail area, I spent a little time along the beginning of the Pine Knot trail where Gina Richmond had told me that there was a small pebble plain habitat. The trail starts at the Aspen Glen Picnic Area on Mill Creek Road (2N10) a few miles south of Big Bear Blvd. I had never hiked this trail before so I decided to take it to Grand View Point. It is 3-1/4 miles over the ridge, starting as you ascend with beautiful vistas of Big Bear Lake, and ending at a fantastic lookout that affords one tremendous views down into the drainage of the Santa Ana River and across to San Gorgonio Peak and Sugarloaf Mountain. At this late date in June the area is beginning to dry out but there were still many flowers in evidence, and this is a lovely trail at any time of the year. An asterisk indicates a non-native species. Thanks to Hartmut Wisch for the insect id's.

Ashy-gray paintbrush
Castilleja cinerea
Orobanchaceae
[Named for Domingo Castillejo Muñoz, 1744?-1793]