Winter Is My Favorite Time of Year to Visit
By Margaret Magnus
People often ask, "When is a good time to visit Meher Mount?" I always say the wintertime. It is is my favorite time of year.
The weather is crisp, but generally not too cold. The air is clear - the fog of summer is gone. The skies are bright blue. And there is a special "winter" light on the land.
The Views at Avatar’s Point
A VIEW FROM AVATAR'S POINT overlooking the Heritage Valley and Oxnard Plain and the Pacific Ocean. (Stephanie Ervin photo, January 2014.)
I can sit for hours at Avatar's Point in the warm winter sun and enjoy the spectacular views over the hills and valleys. On these clear days, you can see a number of the Channel Islands.
The Hillsides Turn Green after A Rain
BABA'S TREE in winter with the green meadows in the foreground. (Wayne Myers photo, February 2013.)
Winter rains (the only time it rains in Southern California), turn the hillsides and meadows a magical green. It is a welcome change from the browns of late spring and summer.
Winter also gives visitors a great opportunity to catch a sunset before Meher Mount's closing time. There's the famous "pink moment" on the Topa Topa Bluffs. This is created when the sun sets at the opposite end of the Ojai Valley creating a rosy glow on the rocky bluffs.
At the same time, to the West the sun sets behind oak-forested mountains casting its light on the Pacific Ocean and Channel Islands.