Recent storms have transformed Southern California’s usually bone-dry wildlands into brilliant green landscapes, snow-capped mountains and something even more breathtaking: seldom-seen waterfalls.

Three years ago, Salem photographer Rich Horner sent me a picture that’s remained lodged in my brain. The image features a swirling creek and waterfall blanketed with a thick carpet of moss. The scene ...

Stepping onto the woodland trail, you'll first notice how the crisp air is laced with the earthy scent of damp pine and moss, a sensory reminder that this is nature at its most untamed. This is the ...