ight now's the time to be out there. Spring has come a little early to the northern Santa Lucia this year, with wildflowers already filling the meadows, deciduous trees budding into emerald canopy over both streambank and ridgetop, cascades and rivulets of cool, clear water everywhere, and long languid afternoons trailing warmly into quiet starlit evenings. For any lover of the Ventana Wilderness to miss making a backcountry trip this time of year would be a serious blunder. Don't make any excuses - just get out there soon and renew your faith in - and commitment to - this wonderful natural treasure which we're all privileged to live near. You'll return much the better for it, guaranteed.

But on the off-chance that a few hours do happen to find you homebound and in front of the computer, we hope you'll enjoy this Spring Equinox issue of the DCQ. In it you'll find a fascinating tale in verse about the odd-couple relationship between moth and yucca, a gallery full of beautiful original artwork, some intriguing historical information and artifact pertaining to the Monterey Ranger District, an Arroyo Seco book review, and more.

So brew yourself a hot cup of coffee or pop the cap off of an icy bottle of beer and settle in for some good reading. Then get off your butt and go hiking.

- The Editors

Drawing, Indian Paintbrush, © 1995 by Anne Scott-Chambers

 
The Double-Cone Quarterly is published four times a year (in theory), on the equinoxes and solstices (or thereabout), by the Ventana Wilderness Alliance and can be perused free of charge by all who steer their browsers to the DCQ Issue Index at http://www.ventanawild.org/news/news.html.

 

Webmonkey & Co-Editor, Maps & Trails:
Co-Editor, Miscellaneous and Sundry: Boon Hughey
Co-Editor, History & Botany: David Rogers

All articles, photographs, and artwork are copyright ©2003 by their creators.
All rights reserved.