Skinny Bear Lake

Actually it's Oso Flaco Lake; oso flaco is skinny bear in Spanish.  I have been lagging at posting my hike pictures.  I would like to say it's because I have been too busy but that wouldn't entirely be true.  So this set is from well over a month ago.  The day was quite gloomy but I enjoy that type of weather for outdoor activities.  My sister and I packed some Micheladas and burritos for our lovely trek out to the beach.

***Warning this blog post has a lot of pictures!***

The trail before you reach the boardwalk has a very Blair Witchy feel to it.

 

 The start of the boardwalk.

Some poison hemlock sprouting.

Random honey bee resting.  I am shocked how close it let me get.

Part of an arroyo willow.

Ruddy duck

Flower of the silver dune lupine.

 This is not a lift sign, it is a restroom sign.  My sister and I had a hearty laugh reminicing about the confusion of restroom/lift signs.  Good times!

 Did you know if you bust open a Sand Dollar (our variety is Dendraster excentricus) there are what appear to be little doves inside of them?  Don't break open the live ones though, let them live out their lives and wait for the skeletons to wash up on shore.

 

A variety of ice plant.

 

 Did you know people with pale skin are more susceptible to skin irritation from poison oak than darker skinned?  Also younger people are more susceptible than the elderly to skin irritation from poison oak contact.

A sprouting giant stinging nettle.

Some younger poison oak.

Don't be fooled and think that I know so much about the flora and fauna of the area.  There are several informational signs along the trail that identify everything for you.  Also living so close to Oso Flaco lake, it was a field trip for me in grade school AND again when I took a marine biology class at Uni.  Random side note, my brother helped build some of the original boardwalk as part of a school field trip.

For those with pets; no dogs allowed!  On this walk out to the beach and back I was not lucky enough to spot a snowy plover.