“... and then, I have nature and art and poetry, and if that is not enough, what is enough?” – Vincent van Gogh
COBB, Calif. – Although southern Lake County's Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest is still closed to the public because of the Valley fire, there is a small and wondrous portion – about 50 acres – that was relatively unscathed, and is open to the public.
This little corner is located behind Cobb Mountain Elementary School, 15895 Highway 175.
There are two trail loops, between a quarter- and a half-mile long, which give hikers time to refresh and reboot their minds while soaking up the sights and fresh scents of a forest.
"Friends of Boggs Mountain" volunteers have been busy with trail work and replacement of interpretive signs on the paths.
Lake County and, hence, Boggs Forest is considered to be a Mediterranean climate zone, with hot and dry summers and warm, wet winters.
The temperature ranges from 100 degrees F in the summer down to 13 degrees F in winter at Boggs, with an average annual rainfall of 71 inches in typical years.
Due to Boggs' elevation of 3,720 feet the forest can experience light snowfall several times a year.
A grand feature of the little forest is the geology. Boggs is considered to be complex in geologic terms, as it is assembled on a large lava cap with slopes and rock outcrops.
Evidence of rock which is volcanic in nature can be seen throughout the forest, with igneous rock such as andesite and basalt.
Details in the report from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection state that the sedimentary rock seen in the soils are sandstones and mudstones.
For more information see the Friends of Boggs Mountain Web site at www.boggsmountain.net .
Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is a retired educator, potter, writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.” She also writes for NASA and JPL as one of their “Solar System Ambassadors.” She was selected “Lake County Teacher of the Year, 1998-99” by the Lake County Office of Education, and chosen as one of 10 state finalists the same year by the California Department of Education.