| Santa Cruz Mountains | |
| Range | |
 Skyline Blvd runs through the Santa Cruz Mountains, here near Palo Alto.
|
|
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | California |
| Highest point | Loma Prieta Peak |
| - elevation | 3,786 ft (1,154 m) |
| - coordinates | |
The Santa Cruz Mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are a mountain range in central California, United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Loma Prieta (from Spanish loma -hill prieta -dark is a Northern California mountain with elevation 3786 feet (1154 m and located at approximately A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International The Pacific Coast Ranges are the series of Mountain ranges that stretch along the west coast of North America from Alaska to northern and central Mexico A mountain range is a chain of Mountains bordered by highlands or separated from other mountains by passes or valleys California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the They form a ridge along the San Francisco Peninsula, south of San Francisco, separating the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco Bay and the Santa Clara Valley, and continuing south, bordering Monterey Bay and ending at the Salinas Valley. The San Francisco Peninsula in California separates the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions San Francisco Bay is a shallow productive Estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento See Silicon Valley for a discussion of the technological aspects of the Santa Clara Valley This article is about the bay near Monterey CA For other uses see Monterey Bay Aquarium, California State University Monterey Bay The Salinas Valley in the Central Coast region of California, USA that lies along the Salinas River between the Gabilan Range and The range passes through San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey counties, with San Francisco at the northern end and Salinas as the southern end. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city San Mateo County ( "san muh-TAY-o") ( Spanish for: St Santa Clara County is a County located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U San Benito County is a county located in the Coast Range Mountains of the U Monterey County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city Salinas is the County seat and largest municipality of Monterey County in the U
The highest point in the range is Loma Prieta Peak 3,786 feet (1,154 m), near which is the epicenter of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Loma Prieta (from Spanish loma -hill prieta -dark is a Northern California mountain with elevation 3786 feet (1154 m and located at approximately The Loma Prieta earthquake, also known as the Quake of '89 and the World Series Quake, was a major Earthquake that struck the San Francisco Bay Other major peaks include Mount Umunhum 1,063 m (3,486 ft), Mount Bielawski 985 m (3,231 ft), El Sombroso 914 m (2,999 ft), Eagle Rock 758 m (2,488 ft), Black Mountain 853 m (2,800 ft), and Sierra Morena 737 m (2,417 ft). Mount Umunhum ( Ohlone, meaning resting place of the hummingbird) is the fourth-highest peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California (after Mount Bielawski Some snow falls on the mountain during winter To help compare different Orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 100 m and 1 km. Black Mountain is also a peak near Milpitas California that is part of the Diablo Range in the east of Santa Clara County. The San Andreas Fault runs along or near the ridge line throughout the range. The San Andreas Fault is a geologic Transform fault that runs a length of roughly 800 miles (1300 km through California in the United States. The east side of the mountains drops abruptly towards this fault line especially near Woodside and Saratoga. Woodside (pop 5352 is a small incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, United States, on the San Francisco Peninsula.
For much of the length of the range on the San Francisco Peninsula, State Route 35 runs along its ridge, and is known as "Skyline Boulevard". State Route 35 (SR 35 in the US State of California, generally known as Skyline Boulevard, is a 2-lane Road running along the western ridge State Route 35 (SR 35 in the US State of California, generally known as Skyline Boulevard, is a 2-lane Road running along the western ridge The major routes across the mountains are (from north to south) SR 92 from Half Moon Bay to San Mateo, SR 84 from San Gregorio to Redwood City, SR 9 from Santa Cruz to Saratoga, SR 17 from Santa Cruz to Los Gatos, SR 152 from Watsonville to Gilroy, SR 129 from Watsonville to San Juan Bautista, and US Highway 101 from Salinas to Gilroy. Route description Between Half Moon Bay and Interstate 280 Route 92 winds through the Coast Range as a narrow mainly undivided two and three lane highway with a switchback Half Moon Bay is a Coastal city in San Mateo County, California, USA. San Mateo ( "san muh-TAY-o") is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States State Route 84 is a split-section California State Highway consisting of two sections San Gregorio is an Unincorporated community in San Mateo County California, with a Population of 287 people Redwood City is a suburb located on the San Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area of California State Route 9 in the US state of California is mainly a rural and mountainous route that travels 35 miles (56 km from SR 1 near Santa Cruz Santa Cruz is the County seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California, United States. Saratoga (ˌsærəˈtoʊgə is a city in Santa Clara County, California, USA. State Route 17 commonly known locally as Highway 17, is a Freeway and Expressway that runs between San Jose and Santa Cruz in the Santa Cruz is the County seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California, United States. State Route 152 is a State highway that runs near the latitudinal middle of the U Watsonville is a city in Santa Cruz County, California, United States. Gilroy (ˈgɪlrɔɪ is the southernmost city in Santa Clara County, California, USA State Route 129 (SR 129 is a State highway in the US state of California in Santa Cruz County. San Juan Bautista ( Spanish: Saint John the Baptist) is a city in San Benito County, California, United States. In the US state of California, US Route 101 (also known as Highway 101, The 101, or simply 101) is one of the last remaining and
The Santa Cruz Mountains have been a legally defined American Viticultural Area since 1981. An American Viticultural Area is a designated Wine Grape -growing region in the United States distinguishable by geographic features with boundaries The Santa Cruz Mountain AVA has emerged as premier producer of top wines, recognized in the historic Judgement of Paris on May 26, 1976. The Santa Cruz Mountains AVA is an American Viticultural Area centered around the Santa Cruz Mountains and three counties in California: Santa The Paris Wine Tasting of 1976 or the Judgment of Paris was a Wine competition organized in Paris on 24 May 1976 by Steven Spurrier, a British [1]
Contents |
Geology
The Santa Cruz Mountains are largely the result of compressive uplift caused by a leftward bend of the San Andreas Fault.
Ecology
The Santa Cruz Mountains are a region of large biological diversity, encompassing cool, moist coastal ecosystems as well as warm, dry chaparral. The Bobcat ( Lynx rufus) is a North American Mammal of the cat family Felidae. Almaden Quicksilver County Park is a 4147 acres (17 km² Park that includes the grounds of former mercury ("quicksilver" mines adjacent In valleys and moist ocean-facing slopes some of the southernmost coast redwoods grow, along with Douglas fir, coast live oak, Pacific madrone, wax myrtle, and California bay laurel. Sequoia sempervirens is the sole living Species of the Genus Sequoia in the cypress family Cupressaceae (formerly Douglas-fir is the common name applied to coniferous Trees of the Genus Pseudotsuga in the family Pinaceae. The Coast Live Oak ( Quercus agrifolia) is an Evergreen Oak, highly variable and often shrubby native to the California Floristic Province The Pacific Madrone ( Arbutus menziesii) is a species of Arbutus found on the west coast of North America, from British Columbia (chiefly Myrica is a genus of about 35-50 species of small Trees and Shrubs in the family Myricaceae order Fagales Umbellularia californica is a Tree native to coastal forests of western North America. There do exist several small and isolated stands of old growth forest, most notably at Big Basin, Henry Cowell Redwoods and Portola Redwoods State Parks. Ancient Woodland Old growth forest, (also termed primary forest, ancient forest, virgin forest, primeval forest, frontier At higher elevations and on sunny south slopes a more drought-resistant chaparral vegetation dominates: manzanita, California scrub oak, chamise, and chaparral pea. Chaparral is a Shrubland or heathland Plant community found primarily in the U The Manzanitas are a subgenus of the genus Arctostaphylos. They are evergreen Shrubs or small Trees present in the Chaparral Adenostoma fasciculatum ( Chamise or Greasewood) is a Flowering plant native to California and northern Baja California Pickeringia is a monotypic genus containing only the legume Pickeringia montana, which is known by the common name chaparral pea Spring wildflowers are also widespread throughout the range.
The area welcomes a tremendous number of species of birds. Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. (see: bird list). This seasonal checklist was developed from records compiled by the Santa Cruz Bird Club, updated most recently September 30, 2002. California Mule Deer are common, as are gray squirrels, chipmunks and raccoons. California Mule Deer, Odocoileus hemionus californicus, is a subspecies of Mule Deer whose range covers much of the state of California. Foxes, coyotes, bobcats, and mountain lions also inhabit the region but are rarely seen. Rattlesnakes are also habitants, mostly in the high, dry chaparral.
Wildfires
The Santa Cruz Mountains have experienced wildfires from time to time. A wildfire, also known as a wildland fire, forest fire, brush fire, vegetation fire, grass fire, Peat fire, For the most part, these have been human-caused, although lightning is sometimes the cause.
On May 22, 2008, a large fire, dubbed the "Summit Fire", occurred in the Santa Cruz Mountains, prompting mandatory evacuations of homes in the area. The Summit Fire was a Wildfire that started on May 22, 2008 in the Santa Cruz Mountains, near Corralitos California, United Some structures have already burned, and more are threatened. [1] Dry, northerly winds up to 50 mph have been whipping up the fire.
Slides
The Santa Cruz Mountains are the site of considerable slide activity. Mudslides are often the result of heavy rainfall during the rainy season. Rock slides also occur, set off by mudslides, earthquakes, and more often, simply by the gradual forces of erosion on the steep slopes.
Climate
The Santa Cruz Mountains have a Mediterranean type climate typical of most of California, with the majority of the annual precipitation falling between November and April. According to the National Weather Service, this totals more than 127 cm (50 inches) annually. The National Weather Service ( NWS) once known as the Weather Bureau is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Heavy summer fogs frequently cover the western ocean-facing slopes and valleys, resulting in drizzle and "fog drip" caused by condensation on the redwoods, pines, and other trees, which sustains the moisture-loving redwood forests. Due to a rain shadow effect, precipitation on the eastern side of the range is significantly less, about 28 cm (15 inches) a year. For the Australian television series see Rain Shadow (TV series. Snow falls a few times a year on the highest ridges, and more rarely the higher valleys receive light dustings.
The National Weather Service's cooperative weather stations in the mountains have included Black Mountain 2WSW - average annual rainfall 36. The National Weather Service ( NWS) once known as the Weather Bureau is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Black Mountain is also a peak near Milpitas California that is part of the Diablo Range in the east of Santa Clara County. 65 inches, maximum annual rainfall 80. 66 inches, average annual snowfall 0. 7 inch, maximum annual snowfall 8. 0 inches; Los Gatos 5SW - average annual rainfall 26. 45 inches, maximum annual rainfall 103. 23 inches, average snowfall 2. 7 inches, maximum annual snowfall 9. 0 inches; and Wrights - average annual rainfall 46. Wrights California, also known as Wrights Station is a locale in Santa Clara County California in the Santa Cruz Mountains, at, near Summit Road east of 09 inches, maximum annual rainfall 87. 65 inches, average annual snowfall 1. 2 inch, maximum annual snowfall 10. 6 inches. No temperature records were kept at these stations. [2]
Normal winter temperatures range from the upper thirties °F (~3-4°C) to the middle fifties °F (~13-14°C), with valley frosts common but rarely widespread or deep. Summer temperatures regularly reach highs in the eighties °F (~28-29°C) with nighttime usually in the upper forties to lower fifties °F (~9-12°C). Thermal inversions can occur any time of the year where cool air sinks and gets trapped in the valleys.
Recreation
The Santa Cruz Mountains are home to an unusual abundance of parks and protected open spaces, notable among them is California's oldest state park: Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Big Basin Redwoods State Park is a State park in the US state of California, located in Santa Cruz County about 36 km (23 miles Other state parks include Castle Rock State Park, Portola Redwoods State Park, Butano State Park, The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park and Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. Not to be confused with Castle Rock Park located in the East Bay Castle Rock State Park, located along the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains, Portola Redwoods State Park is a California State park, located in San Mateo County. Butano State Park is a California State park located in San Mateo County near Pescadero. The Forest of Nisene Marks is a State Park located in Aptos California (37 Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park is a California State Park located in Santa Cruz County, primarily in the area in-between the cities of Santa Cruz, Additional land is protected by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), the Sempervirens Fund and local county parks districts. The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD is a Special-purpose district that manages over 50000 acres (200 km² of Open Hiking, horse-riding, mountain biking, rock climbing, and backpacking are popular activities. There are two long-distance trails in the range: the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail, which winds 58 km (38 miles) from Castle Rock State Park through Big Basin to the Pacific Ocean, and the Bay Area Ridge Trail, which, while still disjointed, here roughly parallels Skyline Boulevard along the spine of the range. The Bay Area Ridge Trail is a proposed 500-mile (800 km long multi-use Trail encircling the San Francisco Bay Area, USA There also exist several backcountry campsites in many of the state parks that enable long distance multi-day outings. Castle Rock State Park has open rock faces suitable for rock climbing and bouldering.
Cultural History
The previous historic Old Almaden Winery was located on the eastern slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The Old Almaden Winery is an Historic wine production site in Santa Clara County California situated on the eastern slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Film director Alfred Hitchcock and his wife Alma had their primary residence near Scotts Valley, the Cornwall Ranch, purchased in September of 1940. Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE (13 [3]
In the 1960s, the Santa Cruz Mountains developed a strong counterculture atmosphere. Counterculture (also " counter-culture " is a sociological term used to describe the values and norms of behavior of a Cultural group, or [4]
Jerry Garcia's family owned a house in the small town of Lompico where, at the age of four, Garcia had his right middle finger chopped off by his brother. Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia (August 1 1942 &ndash August 9 1995 was a Musician, Songwriter, Artist, and Lead guitarist and Lompico is an unincorporated community within Santa Cruz County, California, United States, sharing the 95018 ZIP code with Felton Local legend has it that Garcia's finger is still somewhere in Lompico. Lompico also served as a residence for Janis Joplin and her group, Big Brother and the Holding Company. Janis Lyn Joplin ( January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American singer songwriter and music arranger from Big Brother and the Holding Company is an American rock band that formed in San Francisco in 1965 as part of the psychedelic music scene Joplin often spoke of the Santa Cruz Mountain's redwood forest as being divine inspiration for her music. The "Redwood National and State Parks" (RNSP are located in the United States along the coast of northern California.
Author and psychedelic advocate Ken Kesey owned a house in La Honda, which served as a home base for his Merry Pranksters. Modern psychedelia For "psychedelics" see Psychedelic drug. Kenneth Elton Kesey ( September 17, 1935 &ndash November 10, 2001) was an American Author, best known for his major novels La Honda is a small unincorporated town in San Mateo County in the state of California The Merry Pranksters are a group of people who originally formed around American Author Ken Kesey in 1964 and sometimes lived communally at his He frequently entertained friends there with LSD parties he called "Acid Tests". These parties were noted in some of Allen Ginsberg's poems and are also described in Tom Wolfe's The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, as well as Hells Angels: The Strange and Terribe Saga by Hunter S. Thompson. Irwin Allen Ginsberg (ˈgɪnzbɝg (June 3 1926 &ndash April 5 1997 was an American Poet. Thomas Kennerly Wolfe Jr (born March 2, 1931 in Richmond, Virginia) known as Tom Wolfe, is a Best-selling The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test is a work of Literary journalism by Tom Wolfe, published in 1968 Hell's Angels The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs is a book written by Hunter S Hunter Stockton Thompson ( July 18, 1937 &ndash February 20, 2005) was an American Journalist and Author, most
In 1965, science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein constructed a compound in Bonny Doon, and lived there until shortly before his death in 1988. Robert Anson Heinlein (July 7 1907 – May 8 1988 was an American Novelist and Science fiction Writer. Bonny Doon California is an Unincorporated community,northwest of Santa Cruz California. [5]
References
- ^ Taber, George M. (2005). Judgement of Paris: California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting That Revolutionized Wine. Scribner.
- ^ Central California
- ^ Hitchcock had Link to Santa Cruz Co
- ^ SonsofEternity.html
- ^ http://www.nndb.com/people/710/000023641/, including quoted passage from San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen. The San Francisco Chronicle was founded in 1865 as The Daily Dramatic Chronicle by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H For the hockey player please see Herb Cain. Herbert Eugene Caen ( April 3, 1916 &ndash February 1, 1997
External links
- peaklist.org Santa Cruz Mountains ranked by prominence
- summitpost.org Santa Cruz Mountains entry
- Bay Area Hiker South Bay Hikes
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic