Riley Wilderness 1

Posted on June 8, 2003 in Biomes Hikes and Trails Hiking Photos The Orange

Riley’s not much of wilderness when you count the acres, just like its namesake wasn’t much of an environmentalist. It was set aside, mostly, for two purposes: to deflect criticism that land wasn’t being preserved in its natural state and to give the people of Coto de Caza a park where they could ride their horses.

Throughout the reserve, you find traces of the old cattle ranching days and of the adjacent urbanality of Orange County’s great gated community where within the larger secured fence, I am told by a friend, you find smaller secured fences around each micro-estate — as if people could not trust their paid security guards at the border checkpoints from keeping out the riffraff. Or maybe it is their neighbors they fear. Or themselves.

The live oak woods subdued me — a fine tranquilizer in the aftermath of yesterday’s encounter with the snake. And in this one photograph of a coast live oak, spreading its arms like a Hindu goddess, I chose to desaturate the image. We’re entering the real and prolonged California autumn, when the grasses dry out and some of the trees begin to drop their leaves. That photo is a poem as all my favorite photos are.

Click on the image to view more of my light songs.

For other pictures and a trail description, click here