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45-517: The original Chalon homeland area is the subject of some local controversy. Initial studies in the early twentieth century placed them in the portion of the Salinas Valley that surrounds the modern town of Soledad, as well as in the adjacent lower Arroyo Seco area to the west and Chalon Creek are to the east. In contrast, a late twentieth century study gives the Spanish-contact period Chalon people

90-599: A thermal low that draws the marine layer into the valley, with fog and low clouds near Monterey Bay, sometimes extending farther down the valley. The climate is ideal for the numerous vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands, promoting growth of winetasting along the River Road Wine Trail . The California Rodeo Salinas , California International Airshow, the National Steinbeck Center , and

135-687: A bus carrying Mexican migrant workers collided with a train in September 1963, killing 32 passengers and injuring 25. It was the most serious road accident in U.S. history, and helped spur abolition of the bracero program . Agriculture dominates the economy of the valley. Promoters call the Salinas Valley "the Salad Bowl of the World" for the production of lettuce, broccoli, peppers and numerous other crops. The climate and long growing season are also ideal for

180-669: A southeast to northwest alignment. It begins south of San Ardo , framed by the central inner California Coast Ranges , continues northwestward continuously defined on the west by the Santa Lucia Range , on the east by the Gabilan Range , to its end and the river's mouth at the Monterey Bay . It is also known for being the setting of the novels East of Eden and Of Mice and Men , both by John Steinbeck . The Salinas Valley runs approximately 90 miles (145 km) southeast from

225-632: Is characteristic of the Ventana Wilderness region: steep-sided, sharp-crested ridges separating valleys. At the mouth of the Little Sur river are some of the largest sand dunes on the Big Sur coast. About 50 streams flow out of the mountains into the sea. A few of them, including the Big Sur and Little Sur Rivers, Big Creek, Garrapata Creek, and Salmon Creek, are large enough to support anadromous and resident fish. California State Route 1 runs along

270-577: Is just north of the Salmon Creek trailhead. The southernmost tree is about 15 feet (4.6 m) from Highway 1 at the approximate coordinates 35°49′42″N 121°23′14″W  /  35.82833°N 121.38722°W  / 35.82833; -121.38722 About 57 plants are only found in the Santa Lucia Mountains. This range is the only known habitat of the Vortriede's spineflower . The rock of

315-508: Is located in between the Gabilan and Santa Lucia mountain ranges, which border the Salinas Valley to the east and the west, respectively. Before colonization, the valley was inhabited by indigenous Salinans who lived by hunting and gathering and spoke the Salinan language . The Salinan people are believed to have lived south of Junipero Serra Peak , perhaps ranging from Slates Hot Springs on

360-425: Is never more than 11 miles (18 km) from the coast. The range forms the steepest coastal slope in the contiguous United States. Cone Peak at 5,158 feet (1,572 m) tall and three miles (5 km) from the coast, is the highest peak in proximity to the ocean in the lower 48 United States. The range was a barrier to exploring the coast of central California for early Spanish explorers. The Santa Lucia Range

405-550: Is part of the Outer South California Coast Ranges , in the Pacific Coast Ranges System. The coastal side of the range rises directly from the shoreline, with oceanfront ridges rising directly 4,000 to 5,000 feet (1,200 to 1,500 m) to the crest of the coastal range. The crest of the range is never more than 11 miles (18 km) from the coast. Cone Peak is the steepest coastal elevation in

450-650: Is the southernmost native location of about 225 plant species including the coast redwood trees and the northernmost home for about 90 species. The southernmost naturally occurring grove of redwoods is found within the Big Sur region in the Southern Redwood Botanical Area , a 17 acres (6.9 ha) reserve located in the Little Redwood Gulch watershed adjacent to the Silver Peak Wilderness. It

495-486: Is to reduce pumping of groundwater and slow down seawater intrusion. The Salinas Valley's weather varies from north to south. Proximity to Monterey Bay and the cool coastal waters of the Pacific cools the northern part of the valley in summer, and keeps it relatively mild in winter. The southern portion of the valley has greater extremes of temperature, hotter in summer, and colder in winter. In summer, inland heating creates

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540-584: The Big Sur coast on the coastal slopes of the range, while U.S. Route 101 lies in the Salinas Valley to the East, and crosses the southern Santa Lucia Range over Cuesta Pass to reach San Luis Obispo . California State Route 41 crosses the range from Atascadero to Morro Bay and Route 46 crosses from Templeton to Cambria . The only other paved road across the Santa Lucia Range is Nacimiento-Fergusson Road , connecting Lucia to Jolon . Since at least

585-592: The Los Padres National Forest . The first European to document the Santa Lucias was Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo in 1542 while sailing northward along the coast on a Spanish naval expedition. Cabrillo originally named the southern portion of the range the Sierras de San Martín , as he was passing the area on November 11, the feast day for Saint Martin . He named the northern part Sierras Nevadas because there

630-557: The Monterey AVA . Although agriculture forms an economic base, more than 100 manufacturing firms call Salinas home. Some of the largest employers in the area include: Dole Fresh Vegetable , the County of Monterey , and Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital . Supplying Salinas Valley farms is an underground water supply fed, in part, by the large watershed in surrounding mountains. Two reservoirs – Nacimiento and San Antonio —store and release

675-501: The Salinas Valley before arriving at Monterey Bay, where they founded Monterey and named it their capital. Like other Pacific Coast Ranges , the mountains' close proximity to the Pacific Ocean cause moisture to be deposited on the west-facing slopes, creating a suitable environment for conifers. This creates a rain shadow over Salinas Valley to the east, which is considerably drier. The higher peaks receive some snowfall during

720-506: The San Andreas and associated fault systems. The Palo Colorado and Church Creek faults are prominent features influencing the linear northwest–southeast alignment of primary drainages. The Palo Colorado-San Gregorio fault system transitions onshore at Doud Creek, about 7 miles (11 km) south of Point Lobos, exposing the western edge of the Salinian block. Stream canyons frequently follow

765-655: The San Andreas Fault from an original position. It is predominantly Mesozoic granitic and pre- Cretaceous metamorphic rocks . There is some Cretaceous sedimentary rock of the Great Valley Sequence , considerable Miocene marine sediments, and some other Cenozoic sediments. Units west of the Sur-Nacimiento Fault are dominated by rocks of the Franciscan Assemblage . The basement rocks of

810-755: The 1930s, accounts of encounters with Dark Watchers or Los Vigilantes Oscuros have been associated with the Santa Lucia Range, described as shadowy figures which watch hikers from atop mountain ridges. The Lost Padre Mines of the Carmel Mission have become part of local folklore, with their legacy recounted through various accounts, including those within Randall Reinstadt's works such as Ghosts, Bandits, and Legends of Old Monterey, Carmel and Surrounding Areas and Tales and Treasures of California Missions. These narratives suggest that indigenous communities held knowledge of abundant gold deposits concealed within

855-725: The Chalon language area, presumed that it entirely surrounded Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad on the Salinas River; he mapped the specific village of Wacharo-n adjacent to the mission itself. A recent alternative analysis places the Eslenajan local tribe of Esselen language speakers as the inhabitants of the Soledad vicinity at the founding of the mission, places the Guachirron local tribe as Rumsen speakers farther north near Monterey Bay, and places

900-470: The Salinas River mouth near Castroville and Salinas towards King City and San Ardo . The valley lends its name to the geologic province in which it is located, the Salinian Block . Cities and populated places in the Salinas Valley include Bradley , Castroville , Chualar , Gonzales , Greenfield , Jolon , King City , Salinas , San Ardo , San Lucas , Soledad and Spreckels . The Salinas Valley

945-710: The Santa Lucia Range contain Mesozoic Franciscan and Salinian Block rocks. The Franciscan complex is composed of greywacke sandstone and greenstone , with serpentinite bodies and other Ultramafic rocks present. Small areas of marble and limestone lenses form resistant outcrops that are prominent landscape features, often white to light gray in color. The Salinian block is made up of highly fractured, and deeply weathered meta-sediments, especially biotite schist and gneiss , intruded by plutonic (granitic) rocks such as quartz diorite and granodiorite. Both formations have been disrupted and tectonically slivered by motion on

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990-587: The Santa Lucias is dominated by granitic basement of the Salinian Block , between the San Andreas Fault and Sur-Nacimiento Fault . The core of the Salinian block formed as part of the same batholith which forms the core of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Peninsular Ranges of Baja California . It was separated from the North American Plate and transported north by the action of

1035-638: The Spanish Portolá expedition , camped on the coast near Ragged Point in present-day San Luis Obispo County on September 13, 1769. The expedition was forced to bypass the inaccessible coast and travel inland through the San Antonio Valley. The rough trail required much improvement by the scouts, and it was September 24 before the party emerged from the mountains at the San Antonio River near today's settlement of Jolon . They traveled north through

1080-534: The Steinbeck Festival are major attractions in Salinas . On August 30, 2007, 8,000 cartons of spinach (from Metz Fresh, a King City -based grower and shipper, Salinas Valley, California ) were recalled after Salmonella was discovered on routine testing. The incident led to a call from some consumer advocates and lawmakers for greater oversight in food safety, even if 90% of the suspect vegetable did not reach

1125-501: The coast to Soledad in the Salinas Valley and into northern San Luis Obispo County. The Spanish colonial missions of San Miguel Arcángel , San Antonio de Padua and Nuestra Señora de la Soledad were all founded within the Salinas Valley in the late 18th century; from the last grew the city of Soledad . The Franciscans baptized the native population at the missions. The Native Americans had no immunity to European diseases like smallpox and measles , so many died and their culture

1170-654: The contiguous United States, rising nearly a mile (1,609 m) above sea level, only three miles (5 km) from the Pacific Ocean. The range's northern section runs parallel to the southern section of the Diablo Range , part of the Inner South Coast Ranges, which lies to the east across the Salinas Valley . The range's highest summit is Junipero Serra Peak , 1,784 metres (5,853 ft) in Monterey County and

1215-652: The ethnographic California culture area. Chalon territory was bordered by the Mutsun (another Ohone division) to the east, Rumsen (another Ohlone division) to the north, Esselen in the Salinas Valley to the west, Salinan to the south, and Yokuts in the San Joaquin Valley to the east. During the era of Spanish missions in California , the Chalon people's lives changed with the founding of Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad in 1791. Most Chalon speakers were forced into

1260-415: The flower industry and grape vineyards planted by world-famous vintners. In particular, a large majority of the salad greens consumed in the U.S. are grown within this region. Strawberries, lettuce, tomatoes, and spinach are the dominant crops in the valley. Other crops include broccoli, cauliflower, wine grapes, artichokes, and celery. Due to the intensity of local agriculture, the area has earned itself

1305-475: The mission between 1795 and 1814, where they were baptized, lived and educated to be Catholic neophytes , also known as Mission Indians . At Mission Soledad many Chalon married local Esselen speakers, while others married Yokuts who were brought into the mission between 1806 and 1834. The Soledad mission was discontinued by the Mexican Government in 1835 during the period of secularization , at which time

1350-467: The mountains near Cayucos on December 7, 1987 after a gunman killed both pilots, causing the aircraft to crash. A total of 43 people were killed with no survivors. The Santa Lucia Highlands AVA , an American Viticultural Area and producer of California wine , is located on the southeastern slopes of the mountains, above the Salinas valley. Like the well known Santa Ana winds of Southern California or

1395-591: The nickname "America's Salad Bowl." The flower industry, grown in greenhouses, is now dominated by Matsui Nursery , which has been a major philanthropic benefactor to Salinas. Salinas Valley is also an important viticultural area. Three American Viticultural Association " American Viticultural Area " domains are located within Salinas Valley: the Arroyo Seco AVA , the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA , and

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1440-716: The north-westerly trending fault lines, rather than descending directly to the coast. The Salinian block is immediately south of the Monterey Submarine Canyon , one of the largest submarine canyon systems in the world, which is believed to have been an ancient outlet for the Colorado River. The region is also traversed by the Sur-Hill fault, which is noticeable at Pfeiffer Falls in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park . The 40 feet (12 m) waterfall were formed when

1485-477: The northwest or 'up' along the principal axis and the length of the valley. The valley was named during the late 18th-century Spanish colonial Alta California period, and in Spanish Salina is the term for a salt marsh , salt lake , or salt pan . The seasonal Salinas River had brackish tule ponds in broad depressed areas, and more salinity during summer and when drought lowered flows. The valley runs in

1530-569: The rugged Coast Range valleys centered farther to the east, including upper Chalon Creek, the San Benito River east of the Salinas Valley , and the small creeks around San Benito Mountain . The latter study assigns most of that Salinas Valley area to the Eslenajan local tribe of Esselen speakers. Specific Chalon material culture was never documented, but beyond doubt it was a hunter-gatherer culture based upon deer and acorn harvest, typical of

1575-523: The shelves. 36°45′55″N 121°47′30″W  /  36.7654°N 121.7918°W  / 36.7654; -121.7918 Santa Lucia Range The Santa Lucia Range (sæntə luˈsiːə) or Santa Lucia Mountains is a rugged mountain range in coastal central California , running from Carmel southeast for 140 miles (230 km) to the Cuyama River in San Luis Obispo County . The range

1620-440: The stream flowed over the hard gneiss of the Salinian block and encountered the softer Santa Margarita Sandstone. The falls were formed when the softer sandstone was worn away. The interior canyons are typically deep and narrow, and even in the summer sunshine only reaches many of the canyon bottoms for a few hours. The land is mostly steep, rocky, semi-arid except for the narrow canyons, and inaccessible. The Little Sur River canyon

1665-546: The summer, except for some perennial streams in the wetter areas in the north. The western slopes of the range facing the Pacific Ocean are moist with growths of coast redwood , Douglas fir , ponderosa pine , Pacific madrone and the local endemic species such as Santa Lucia fir (Abies bracteata) and Gowen cypress (Cupressus goveniana var. goveniana) . The east side is drier, with chaparral and open woods of pine (including Coulter pine and gray pine ) and oak woodlands of several Quercus species. The range

1710-531: The survivors scattered. Most went to work on the farms and ranches of west-central California, while many with Yokuts ancestry moved east into the San Joaquin Valley. The term Chalon was documented by the Franciscan priests in their Mission Soledad ecclesiastical records. The term definitely applied to a region, since individuals were baptized from specific villages such as " Ponojo del Chalon " and " Zusotica del Chalon ." Anthropologist A.L. Kroeber, who first mapped

1755-530: The untamed terrain of the Santa Lucia Mountains. As legends of these riches were passed down over time, the Lost Padre Mines attracted attention. Versions of these legends appear to have originated from long-time residents of Carmel Valley . The stories if ghosts may be attributed to descendants of and the last residents of the native people who remained hidden deep in the mountains after the missions failed. Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 1771 crashed in

1800-720: The valley is drawing seawater into the freshwater aquifer. The Salinas Valley Water Project, now under construction by the Monterey County Water Resources Agency, will use an inflatable dam near Salinas to capture more water during wet periods. Monterey County Water Recycling Projects, a combination of the Castroville Seawater Intrusion Project and the Salinas Valley Reclamation Project, started delivering recycled water to fields near Castroville in 1998. The project's goal

1845-626: The villages of Chalon to the east of the Salinas Valley. Salinas Valley The Salinas Valley ( Spanish : Valle de Salinas ) is one of the major valleys and most productive agricultural regions in California . It is located west of the San Joaquin Valley and south of San Francisco Bay and the Santa Clara Valley . The Salinas River , which geologically formed the fluvial valley and generated its human history, flows to

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1890-403: The water for groundwater recharge , flood control and farming. Wells access the groundwater to irrigate about 275,000 acres (1,110 km ) of fruits and vegetables and to supply the valley cities. The Salinas River itself is a sand river, so water appears on the surface only during heavy rains or when water is released from the upstream reservoirs. Increasing demand for water near the mouth of

1935-438: The winter. The climate is classified as dry summer subtropical , or Mediterranean . Rainfall varies from 16 to 60 inches (41 to 152 cm) throughout the range. Most of the precipitation falls during the winter on the higher mountains in the north. During the summer, fog and low clouds are frequent along the coast up to an elevation of 2–3,000 feet. Surface runoff from rainfall is rapid, and many streams dry up entirely in

1980-455: Was devastated. Many of the remaining people assimilated with Spanish and Mexican ranchers in the nineteenth century. The commercial farming sector of the Dust Bowl era forms the backdrop for several John Steinbeck stories including East of Eden , Tortilla Flat , Of Mice and Men , The Chrysanthemums , and Johnny Bear . At a railroad crossing about one mile south of Chualar ,

2025-473: Was snow on it. The present name for the range was documented in 1602 by Sebastián Vizcaíno , who had been tasked by the Spanish to complete a detailed chart of the coast. Passing by the range around December 14, he named the range Sierra de Santa Lucia in honor of Saint Lucy of Syracuse , for whom many Christians celebrate a feast day on December 13 . The first European land exploration of Alta California ,

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