Look at the trees, 
look at the birds, 
look at the clouds, 
look at the stars... 
and if you have eyes 
you will be able to see that the whole existence is joyful. 
Everything is simply happy. 
~Osho

Still in the depths of its winter's sleep, these bushes may look barren and forlorn, but it doesn't mean nothing is happening. Though they sleep in seeming death, under the cloak of winter
inside is a miracle happening:

>> Click here for a photo of the Serviceberry bush
>> Click here for a photo of the Serviceberry fruit

These dormant and quiet Serviceberry (Amelanchier utahensis) Bushes are the same bushes that will soon produce tiny, round apple-like fruits which are sweet and succulent.

These berries served as an important food for the Native Americans and continues to be the preferred food of many of the birds and wildlife in the area.  During the Great Depression, down-and-out mountain families would grind up the edible seeds to make a kind of mealy flour. 

Take a look at the branches.  See how straight they grow?  For that reason, Native Americans used these strong and hard branches as arrow shafts.

The forest pamphlet points out that there is a mound of sticks clustered around the base of the bush.  It's the home of a resourceful packrat.  Not wanting to invade his privacy, we quietly left him alone.  Shhh. Would YOU like uninvited company?

>> Click here to see what a packrat looks like.

Further down the trail, we see a path that leads right up to this snag.  A snag is a dead tree. Come warm weather, it is teeming with life, as it is home to a whole host of insects. With the help of the insects, this snag is slowly but surely returning to the soil.   

Here's a look at the root system of this fallen pine.  These are remarkably shallow roots for such a huge tree, making the balancing acts when regally upright even more amazing. 

If you look about, you will spot Beavertail Cactus (Opuntia basilaris) in the area.  At first this seems incongruent.  What's a desert plant like this doing in the middle of the woods?

The cacti are the forest's sign that this is a transitional zone, where desert and forest plants meet as the elevation shifts from forest to high desert.  In the springtime, these prickly plants explode in brilliant purple blooms.

Click here for a photo of a gorgeous cactus bloom.

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I  Big Bear Lake