Get Outside and Explore
I paid a visit to Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, located in eastern San Diego County, on the fringe of the Laguna Mountain Wilderness. If you're looking to get away from it all in the wilderness, the trails along Hwy 79 here are some of the least trafficked in the county. My goal was to climb to Cuyamaca Peak (Elev 6512 ft), one of the highest peaks in San Diego County. This peak is listed on the Sierra Club’s Hundred Peaks List, in the San Diego Section.
The month of October is one of my favorite times of year to hike. I would hike up to Josephine Peak (5561 feet) in early October with my two hiking buddies. The weather was a bit on the cool side in the morning, and so it would be just about perfect temps for this hike, hovering between 50 and 70 degrees that day. This peak is located within the San Gabriels, a National Monument and mountain range, located northeast of Los Angeles.
Wood Canyon and Wood Creek Loop: I love this canyon, and its woodsy vibe. I wound my way along Wood Creek Trail and onto Coyote Run. Along the way I had a run in with a large Southern Pacific Rattlesnake, which coiled as I passed it, causing me to jump out of the way. It was maybe 4 feet from the trail, under a tree branch. It had a humongous girth, for a juvenile, evidenced by the rattles in their tails.
It was a short hike in comparison to my past hikes, but my longest one all summer, and had me feeling optimistic about the road ahead. I arrived in Caspars off Ortega Highway in the late morning around 10:45 am. It was not a particularly hot day in late August, so I would end up being fine with the late start. The temps would climb to the upper 70’s though.
At this time I was feeling pretty good, and looking forward to enjoying my summer, looking forward to several more backpacking trips, in August in the Sierra once more and in September, exploring the Desolation Wilderness. It was July 6th and I ventured out on another hike on one of my favorite local trails, just… Continue reading It’s Mid July in Socal
Serafina Hikes 