California Buckeye is often seen by hikers in the SF bay area. From looking at the distribution map on Wikipedia, it does not appear to be native to southern California, though the blog post you referenced says it may appear as far south as northern LA county.
But I remember the feeling the first time I peered up at a Santa Lucia fir, or savored the views from Ventana Double Cone after thrashing through miles of brush. It's a rugged, beautiful, and harsh place at times.
Isn't it great in this modern technology-filled world when we can still see things that make us go "what is THAT ?!"
