CASTLE CRAGS PENSTEMONS
Castle Crags Penstemons
Pacific Crest Trail
2023
Fiber, needle-felted wool
16x20 inches
Nearly 1700 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail are in California. By the time
thru-hikers reach the northern part of the state, they often develop a case of
the “NorCal Blues,” as they miss the Sierras and may be uninspired by the
less-challenging terrain. When I instead got to experience the region at the
beginning of a 1200-mile section hike, I found beauty all around me. One of
my favorite days of hiking in northern California was the day I passed
through Castle Crags State Park, where I encountered the flowers I recreated
in this felting.
“Castle Crags Penstemons” recalls the clear air of early summer, the
crunching sounds of walking along stone trails, and the understated beauty of
ridgetop gardens, where bursts of color may be found wherever there is a
patch of dirt amid the rocks.
