Coyote Trail

I thought that I’d start my first blog post with the closest hike to my house. This hike is an old coyote trail that runs from my home down into Mias Canyon, just outside Banning, CA.  I’ve kept it clear over the years, so has the Cal Fire inmate crew. It’s a short trail, but steep as hell! With about a 200 ft. elevation gain it’ll keep you in shape. It was overcast with some drizzle, which is the perfect time to see wildlife here in this arid region of Southern California.

Obviously I’m not the only one hiking today. This coyote scat was still relatively fresh. You can tell because as the scat ages it turns gray and this was dark black, plus it looked moist. I wasn’t about to touch it or to ruin my pen though. If you look closely you can still make out seeds embedded in there.

I’m no bird expert, but I looked this hummingbird up and it looks like its a Calliope Hummingbird, the smallest bird in North America! It lives in coniferous forests and wooded canyons. May-Sept. these birds are found in N, NE, and S California and the Sierras. April-May and July-Sept. they can mostly be found in S California.

Found this pack-rat home at the bottom of the trail, hidden under a big oak tree. Anyone have any clue what animal makes these? I don’t think pack-rat is the official name, but that’s what I’ve always called them.

Name- Coyote Trail
Time/Date- 1625 05-18-2011
Hdg- 114 degrees true
Round Trip- 465 ft.
Elevation- 3353 to 3153. 200 ft. Gain/Loss
Temperature- 63 F
Wind- NW 280 Degrees @ 8-12mph
Clouds- Cumulus 8/8 coverage
Barometer- 840.5
Other- Light drizzle