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29-620: The Ventana Wilderness is named for the unique notch called "The Window" (ventana in Spanish) on a ridge near Ventana Double Cone . According to local legend, this notch was once a natural stone arch. Archaeological evidence shows that the Esselen lived in Big Sur as early as 3500 BC, leading a nomadic, hunter-gatherer existence. The indigenous people lived near the coast in winter, where they harvested rich stocks of mussels , abalone and other sea life. In

58-494: A black tea substitute during the American Revolution. In garden use, most are simply called by their scientific names or an adaptation of the scientific name, such as 'Maritime ceanothus' for C. maritimus . As of December 2023 , accepted species are: The status of the following species is unresolved: The following hybrids have been described: The status of the following hybrids is unresolved: The majority of

87-567: A few Santa Lucia Firs near the summit. There is a metal ammo box containing a summit register under some rocks at the peak. The peak is at the center of three watersheds: the Big Sur River watershed to the south, the Little Sur River watershed to the west and north west, and the Carmel River watershed to the east and south east. The largely inaccessible Ventana Cone is a few miles to

116-464: A large slot, or window in the ridge about 1 mile northwest of the summit. Ceanothus See text Forrestia Raf. Ceanothus is a genus of about 50–60 species of nitrogen-fixing shrubs and small trees in the buckthorn family ( Rhamnaceae ). Common names for members of this genus are buckbrush , California lilac , soap bush , or just ceanothus . "Ceanothus" comes from Ancient Greek : κεάνωθος ( keanōthos ), which

145-682: A supply trail that connected the lookout via Rattlesnake Creek to the Carmel River Guard Station. The lookout was situated on the southern of the two peaks, offering the lookout staff a wide view over the region. When the Bottchers Gap Guard Station was built in 1950, the Double Cone Trail was constructed that connected to the Rattlesnake Creek trail. Supplies were then brought in for summer fire lookout season by

174-469: A twice-monthly pack train. The Forest Patrolman who resided at Bottcher's Gap led the train over Skinner Ridge and the Ventana Double Cone trail. The mule train usually spent one night of the trip at the old Comings Cabin. The lookout tower was decommissioned in the mid-1960s. The structure was struck by lightning or deliberately set fire by USFS personnel and burned to the ground in 1967 to 1977. Only

203-401: Is estimated that there are about two million seeds per acre in forest habitats. Seeds are dispersed propulsively from capsules and, it has been estimated, can remain viable for hundreds of years. In habitat, the seeds of plants in this genus germinate only in response to range fires and forest fires. Native Americans used the dried leaves of this plant as an herbal tea, and early pioneers used

232-487: Is found throughout the area. Deep narrow canyons cut by the fast moving Big Sur and Little Sur rivers support stands of coastal redwood (some old-growth forest ), big leaf maple , and sycamore . Small scattered stands of the rare, endemic bristlecone fir may be found on rocky slopes and canyon bottoms. Mountain lion, bobcat, bear, deer, fox and coyotes range the wilderness, as does the California condor , reintroduced to

261-488: Is less drought-resistant, having bigger leaves. The evolution of these two clades likely started with a divergence in the niches filled in local communities, rather than a divergence on the basis of geography. The Californian species of Ceanothus are commonly known collectively as California lilacs, with individual species having more descriptive common names. Species native elsewhere have other common names such as New Jersey tea for C. americanus , as its leaves were used as

290-705: Is one of the tallest peaks in the Ventana Wilderness within the Monterey Ranger District of the Los Padres National Forest in Central California. The summit is a difficult 14.7 miles (23.7 km) hike from the nearest trail head, making it one of the more distant locations in the wilderness. The last 4 miles (6.4 km) portion of the trail from Little Pines to the summit is not well used and often overgrown with chaparral . There are

319-771: The Big Sur River leaves the Wilderness, to about 5,750 feet (1,750 m) at the wilderness boundary near Junipero Serra Peak . Marked vegetation changes occur within the Wilderness, attributable to dramatic climatic and topographic variations coupled with an extensive fire history. Much of the Ventana Wilderness is covered by dense communities of chaparral , a group of fire-prone plant species, consisting largely of chamise and various species of manzanita and ceanothus . Other plant communities found in area include oak woodland ( coast live oak , valley oak , etc.) and pine woodlands ( Coulter pine and Knobcone pine ). Poison oak

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348-648: The Royal Horticultural Society 's Award of Garden Merit (as of 2017 ): Other cultivars available include:- There are also more cultivars and hybrids of Ceanothus arboreus , Ceanothus griseus horizontalis (groundcovers), and Ceanothus thyrsiflorus in the nursery trade. Propagation of ceanothus is by seed , following scarification and stratification . Seeds are soaked in water for 12 hours followed by chilling at 1 °C for one to three months. It can also sprout from roots and/or stems. Seeds are stored in plant litter in large quantities. It

377-716: The West Coast of the United States . However, the leaves are not as nutritious from late spring to early fall as they are in early spring. Porcupines and quail have also been seen eating stems and seeds of these shrubs. The leaves are a good source of protein and the stems and leaves have been found to contain a high amount of calcium. Many Ceanothus species are popular ornamental plants for gardens. Dozens of hybrids and cultivars have been selected, such as flexible ceanothus, Ceanothus × flexilis ( C. cuneatus × C. prostratus ). The following cultivars and hybrids have gained

406-630: The Los Padres Condor Range and River Protection Act created the approximately 14,500-acre (5,900 ha) Silver Peak Wilderness and added about 38,800 acres (15,700 ha) to the Ventana Wilderness. In 1998, the Ventana Wilderness Alliance was organized. At their founding, they conducted an inventory of public lands within the Los Padres National Forest Monterey Ranger District. Their goal

435-573: The Monterey Ranger District to establish the Ventana Primitive Area. It originally consisted of 45,520 acres (18,421 ha) and was enlarged in 1937 to about 55,884 acres (22,615 ha). When the U.S. Congress passed the Wilderness Act of 1964 , the Ventana Primitive Area was formally designated as wilderness by law, rather than by a Forest Service regulation, which made the area's status subject to change at will. The Ventana Wilderness Area

464-628: The Rocky Mountains from British Columbia south through Colorado, the Cascades of Oregon and California, and the Coastal Ranges of California. Ceanothus velutinus is perhaps the most widespread member of this genus, occurring through much of western North America. The plants in this genus often co-occur with one another, especially when they are more distantly related. Ceanothus is a good source of nutrition for deer, specifically mule deer along

493-493: The eastern edge of the wilderness is managed by the Bureau of Land Management . The topography of the Ventana Wilderness is characterized by steep-sided, sharp-crested ridges separating V-shaped youthful valleys. Most streams fall rapidly through narrow, vertical-walled canyons over bedrock or a veneer of boulders. Waterfalls, deep pools and thermal springs are found along major streams. Elevations range from 600 feet (180 m), where

522-495: The leaf. The leaves have a shiny upper surface that feels "gummy" when pinched between the thumb and forefinger, and the roots of most species have red inner root bark. The flowers are white, greenish–white, blue, dark purple-blue, pale purple or pink, maturing into a dry, three-lobed seed capsule. The flowers are tiny and fragrant and produced in large, dense clusters. A few species are reported to be so intensely fragrant they are almost nauseating, and are said to resemble

551-506: The odor of "boiling honey in an enclosed area". The seeds of this plant can lie dormant for hundreds of years, and Ceanothus species are typically dependent on forest fires to trigger germination of their seeds. Fruits are hard, nutlike capsules. Plants in this genus are widely distributed and can be found on dry, sunny hillsides from coastal scrub lands to open forest clearings, from near sea level to 9,000 feet (2,700 m) in elevation. These plants are profusely distributed throughout

580-593: The plant as a substitute for black tea. Miwok Indians of California make baskets from Ceanothus branches. Ceanothus integerrimus has been used by North American tribes to ease childbirth. Ceanothus is actinorhizal , meaning it fixes nitrogen through a symbiotic relationship with Frankia . Six genera within Rhamnaceae are actinorhizal, but Ceanothus is the only genus not in the monophyletic tribe Colletieae. This suggests that actinorhizal symbiosis may have evolved twice in Rhamnaceae. Frankia forms nodules on

609-614: The region by the Ventana Wildlife Society . During the 1930s, the United States Civilian Conservation Corps constructed an extensive network of trails and trailheads that provided access to the Wilderness. A number of these are no longer in use. The Pine Ridge trailhead at Big Sur Station near Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park is by far the most popular starting point. Ventana Double Cone The Ventana Double Cone at 4,856 feet (1,480 m)

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638-524: The southeast. The view from the Ventana Double Cone is notable, enabling individuals to view the Pacific Ocean to the west and Chew's Ridge 30 miles inland. The summit is often covered in fog during summer months and hikers need to arrive at the peak in the morning to maximize chances of a clear view. A forest fire lookout was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1934-35 along with

667-405: The species are evergreen , but the handful of species adapted to cold winters are deciduous . The leaves are opposite or alternate (depending on species), small (typically 1–5 cm long), simple, and mostly with serrated margins. Ceanothus leaves may be arranged opposite to each other on the stem, or alternate . Alternate leaves may have either one or three main veins rising from the base of

696-535: The stone and concrete foundation remains today. The lookout atop the Ventana Double Cone was one of six active fire lookouts in the Monterey Ranger District of the Los Padres National Forest. The others were located on Chews Ridge , Cone Peak , Junipero Serra Peak, Pinyon Peak , and Three Peaks. Ventana means 'window' in the Spanish language . Early explorers gave the Ventana Double Cone its name for

725-513: The summer and fall they moved inland to harvest acorns gathered from the black oak , canyon live oak and tanbark oak , primarily on upper slopes in areas on the upper slopes of the steep canyons. Pico Blanco , which splits the north and south forks of the Little Sur River , was sacred in the native traditions of the Rumsien and the Esselen, who revered the mountain as a sacred place from which all life originated. The Spanish mission system led to

754-536: The virtual destruction of the Indian population. Estimates for the pre-contact populations of most native groups in California have varied substantially. Alfred L. Kroeber suggests a 1770 population for the Esselen of 500. Sherburne F. Cook raises this estimate to 750. A more recent calculation (based on baptism records and density) is that they numbered 1,185-1,285. U.S. Forest Service Chief Forester R. Y. Stuart ordered

783-656: Was applied by Theophrastus (371–287 BC) to an Old World plant believed to be Cirsium arvense . The genus is native to North America with the highest diversity on the western coast. Some species (e.g., C. americanus ) are restricted to the eastern United States and southeast Canada, and others (e.g., C. caeruleus ) extend as far south as Guatemala. Most are shrubs 0.5–3 metres (1.6–9.8 ft) tall, but C. arboreus and C. thyrsiflorus , both native to California, can be small multi-trunked trees up to 6–7 metres (20–23 ft) tall. There are two subgenera within this genus: Ceanothus and Cerastes . The former clade

812-603: Was formally established on August 18, 1969. The Ventana initially included 164,554 acres (66,593 ha) acres of primarily extremely rugged terrain within the Santa Lucia Range of the Monterey Ranger District. In 1978, the Endangered American Wilderness Act added 61,000 acres (25,000 ha), increasing the total wilderness area to about 159,000 acres (64,000 ha). The California Wilderness Act of 1984 added about 2,750 acres (1,113 ha). In 1992,

841-604: Was to assess the suitability of land in the region for inclusion in federal wilderness. Their findings persuaded US Congressman Sam Farr to sponsor the Big Sur Wilderness and Conservation Act. On December 19, 2002, the Act added 33,967 acres (13,746 ha) to the existing wilderness bringing it to a total of 240,026 acres (97,135 ha)., increasing the total acreage of the wilderness to its present size of 240,026 acres (97,135 ha). A very small part, 736 acres (298 ha), on

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