Thanks to a tip from the inveterate San Gabriels "Hiker Bob" Cates, Richard Sapiro and I hiked from Chilao to Charlton Flats across an area that was burned by the Station Fire. The Station Fire began as a result of arson Aug. 26, 2009, near the USFS Ranger Station on the Angeles Crest Highway above La Canada, and burned 160,577 acres (251 sq. mi.). It killed two firefighters and was not extinguished until Oct. 16. It was the 10th largest fire in the modern history of California and the largest in the modern history of Los Angeles County. The landscapes of that part of the San Gabriel Mts are, in a word, incredible. I was amazed at the open vistas that never appeared before when the hills were more covered by their piney blankets. No doubt in a few years the generally brown appearance of the slopes and gullies will be made green again, but the burned and blackened trees will remain for decades as a reminder of the fire. Right now there are many species that are often seen as fire-followers, and one particular small drainage area had at least 25 species in bloom, something that is fairly amazing considering that this is August. The rain we got this past winter and spring, plus the coolness of the summer and the nutrients from the fire, has produced a display that will likely not reappear again at this time of the year for a long time. An asterisk next to the common name indicates a non-native taxon.

Palmer's monkeyflower
Mimulus palmeri
Phrymaceae
[Named for Edward Palmer, 1829-1911]

Yellow-throated phacelia
Phacelia brachyloba
Boraginaceae

Leafy daisy
Erigeron foliosus var. foliosus
Asteraceae

Spike primrose
Epilobium densiflorum
Onagraceae