Ring Mountain
In search of the rare Tiburon Mariposa Lily
The toxic serpentine soil of Ring Mountain produces
conditions that allow for only specially adapted plants to thrive, and several wildflowers are unique to this preserve.
One of the most unusual and complex is a subspecies of the Mariposa Lily,
found only in a fairly small patch of blueschist outcroppings on the northern face of the ridge.
It was discovered in 1971 by an amateur botanist shortly after the land
was acquired by Marin County and converted into a preserve.
Ring Mountain is an excellent place to check out spring wildflowers
with waves of different varieties growing as the season progresses.
Below are pictures from three rides in spring and early summer.
Photos
Click to expand
Ring Mountain in the early spring, looking toward Mount Tam, and shortly therafter southward toward Tiburon.
Not to many wildflowers out right now. Guess is just too early in the Spring.
Here is one California Poppy making an early entrance.
Back to the Miwok petroglyphs, on the western side of the saddle. The second shot is gazing back across Richardson Bay
toward San Francisco.
Although the hills were freshly green and beautiful, not many wildflowers this time around. I hear the wildflowers
are something else, so decided to return a month later to check them out.
Riding back to Ring Mountain though Bothin marsh.
Wild flowers are everywhere in late April, particularly dense around the peak.
A busy little bumblebee is making the best of it.
Surely this time I will find the Tiburon Mariposa lily!
This is along the Phyllis Elman trail, where the Tiburon Mariposa Lily is supposed to be.
Hmmmm, where to hide my bike so no one will rip it off while I go looking?
I know, I'll just hide it on this Blueschist boulder where it camouflages perfectly.
Could this be it? This is where it is supposed to be. Lilies grow near water, don't they, you know, like lily pads?
Ahhh, the Tiburon Mariposa Lily, unique to Ring Mountain!!
No, this wasn't it.
Looking at pictures and reading about it on the web,
the damn thing doesn't even bloom until late May and June.
Guess I should have researched it better.
Riding back up Ring Mountain, first week of June, on a hot and windly day.
All this work for a stupid flower.
The bloom is still going. Magenta, white and deep purple flowers nicely accent the yellow grasses.
This is back at the peak, still no Tiburon lilies anywhere to be found.
Hope I find some this time.
Wait, is this it? Finally, the Tiburon Mariposa Lily! Kind of hard to find at first-- they look
a lot bigger in the macro shots. But this makes it all worth it!
Once I saw one of them I started noticing them all over the place. I took a whiff and they have a very
subtle perfume aroma. Here's one in early bloom.
Paying last respects to the petroglyphs before heading home.
Now that that's done it will probably be a little while before I make it back here.
Ahhh, the last few moments of mountain biking innocence...
...anyway, hit the back arrow and read the second paragraph of the description to find out what happened as I returned home,
if you haven't done so already.
Reviews of
Big Basin and
Bolinas Ridge
describe the next two rides where it still weighed heavily upon my mind,
and the final tally of damages is listed in the
camera description.
The Tiburon Mariposa Lily I hear begins to bloom in late May and continues through most of June. To find
it, head down the Phyllis Elman trail, which starts at the saddle near the petroglyph rock. Pass sign post #13,
which is where I started to notice them. A trail will branch to the left and they are all over the place.
They are about one inch in diameter, and grow in clusters between the Blueschist boulders. Here's another
link about it from San Diego
(I guess it's famous),
and other unique flowers found only in the rare soils
of Ring Mountain.
(b. April 6, 2002; April 27, 2002; June 8, 2002)
Back to top.
Back to Tiburon Peninsula.
Back Gatetrails.com.
Ring Mountain in the early spring, looking toward Mount Tam, and shortly therafter southward toward Tiburon.
Not to many wildflowers out right now. Guess is just too early in the Spring.
Here is one California Poppy making an early entrance.
Back to the Miwok petroglyphs, on the western side of the saddle. The second shot is gazing back across Richardson Bay
toward San Francisco.
Riding back to Ring Mountain though Bothin marsh.
Wild flowers are everywhere in late April, particularly dense around the peak.
A busy little bumblebee is making the best of it.
Surely this time I will find the Tiburon Mariposa lily!
This is along the Phyllis Elman trail, where the Tiburon Mariposa Lily is supposed to be.
Hmmmm, where to hide my bike so no one will rip it off while I go looking?
I know, I'll just hide it on this Blueschist boulder where it camouflages perfectly.
Could this be it? This is where it is supposed to be. Lilies grow near water, don't they, you know, like lily pads?
Ahhh, the Tiburon Mariposa Lily, unique to Ring Mountain!!
Riding back up Ring Mountain, first week of June, on a hot and windly day.
All this work for a stupid flower.
The bloom is still going. Magenta, white and deep purple flowers nicely accent the yellow grasses.
This is back at the peak, still no Tiburon lilies anywhere to be found.
Hope I find some this time.
Wait, is this it? Finally, the Tiburon Mariposa Lily! Kind of hard to find at first-- they look
a lot bigger in the macro shots. But this makes it all worth it!
Once I saw one of them I started noticing them all over the place. I took a whiff and they have a very
subtle perfume aroma. Here's one in early bloom.
Paying last respects to the petroglyphs before heading home.
Now that that's done it will probably be a little while before I make it back here.
Ahhh, the last few moments of mountain biking innocence...