Falcon Group Campground, Cleveland National Forest. November 10, 2018

Back on the conifer quest again after a few weekends off. Rebecca and I decided to head up to Falcon Group Campground located nearby in the Cleveland National Forest. Reluctantly, I admit that after 13 years of living in Orange County I had never been to Falcon Group Campground before. I have been close to the area several times to mountain bike the famous San Juan Trail so I knew there were some pines in the area, and I was curious to see what was up there.

Entrance to Falcon Group 

Campground.

After a quick curvy drive up Ortega Highway (State Route 74) we arrived at Main Divide Road and turned left. After a very nice 10 minute drive up Main Divide Road, past Blue Jay Campground, then past the San Juan Trail trail-head, we arrived at Falcon Group Campsite. This area has a good cover of coast live oak, sage scrub, and  grassland and a few stands of Coulter pine. Turns out there are some knobcone pine in the area as well. After spending some time with the two pines I ran into local botanist Ron Vanderhoff who told me that the knobcones at Falcon Group Campground were planted some time ago. 

Rebecca in front 

of a knobcone pine. 

Ron reminded me that the only native stands of knobcone pine in the Santa Ana Mountains were associated with serpentine soils on Pleasant's Peak. He then went on to say he thought the Coulter pines had been planted too but was not too sure. After a few days of pondering I decided that I would count the Coulter pine for now with the thought that I will see it again later during the year but sadly the knobcone would have to wait for another trip.



6. Coulter Pine (Pinus coulteri) 
The distinctive needles of Coulter pine are 9-12 inches long, stiff, pointy and in bundles of three. The large, heavy "widow-maker" cones are amazing and are easily my favorite aspect of the tree. The huge sappy cones are about the same length as the needles and have hooked scale tips that give it a sticky, dangerous look. The bark is slightly furrowed and more brown than gray. I did not really have any thoughts on what the tree looks like from a distance, obviously the large cones are distinctive as well as the long needles.  

9 to 10-inch needles and large cones of Coulter pine. 
I really liked the unopened cone at  the top.

  

Me with two Coulter pine cones in front of a Coulter pine.
Note large widow-maker pine cones at the top of the tree. 

A small stand of Coulter pine near
 the campground. 

Me with cone and bark of mature Coulter pine.