Читать книгу Hiking & Backpacking Big Sur. Your complete guide to the trails of Big Sur, Ventana Wilderness, and Silver Peak Wilderness онлайн

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Wild Boars

Hunters introduced these destructive, nonnative animals to the Santa Lucia Range as game in the 1920s, and their population has since exploded. Boar hunting is permitted within the Ventana and Silver Peak Wildernesses, but regulations govern how far hunters must keep from trails and roads. For more information, contact the Los Padres National Forest Headquarters: (805) 968-6640 or www.fs.usda.gov/lpnf.

Plant Hazards

Poison Oak

Poison oak is a common trailside companion in Big Sur country. It grows as a low-lying bush, shrub, or vine along stream banks, rocky canyons, mountain flanks, and coastal bluffs from sea level to below 5000 feet (it’s only absent on the highest rocky summits). Learning to identify this toxic plant is the first step toward avoiding a painful, annoying rash.

Poison oak leaves are clustered in threes. Shiny when young, the leaflets usually range from half an inch to 2 inches long. In fall the leaves turn a brilliant red, while branches are bare in winter. Unfortunately, all parts of the plant (the leaves, flowers, stem, roots, and fruit) are toxic year-round.