When the tree is covered in plumes, it almost looks like an apple tree in blossom.
Characteristic plume-like fruit
Grey-green leaf, about 1 inch in size, with glabrous (fuzzy) underside.
These photos taken on August 24, 2008, on the north side of the right hillside of Ronny's Swale.
This photo is from the Internet, I do not yet have a photo of the blossoms.
Mountain mahogany is a small tree or shrub to about 12 feet, usually with a single stem. (Shrubs usually have multiple stems, trees have a single stem.) It is native to the United States and northern Mexico. They have root nodules that host the nitrogen-fixing bacerium Frankia. Deer are quite fond of browsing on the leaves.
These specimens were found on the back side of Ronnie's Swale, about 50 yards farther north than you can see from the Hook. There are also several trees on the way to the Fishing Hole, just after the drift fence and before you pop out into the open rock to make the final approach.
Other photos are available on CalPhoto.