Get Outside and Explore
Fall is here in California and October is the perfect time to hike near Big Bear Lake. I headed up the wide paved road to the Butler Peak Fire Lookout. The road is also a popular OHV route, and I started to be passed by multiple off-road vehicles. The landscape was dry and parched, characteristic of fall in California, but brightened by the flecks of color, as the leaves changed their shade.
Today I would be hiking another short section of the PCT, bound for Pacifico Mountain, elevation 7104 ft. It was my first time hiking from the trailhead at Mill Creek Summit, to the peak. I knew there were several other peaks, a short distance from Pacifico, such as Granite Mountain, and Roundtop. Hiking to Pacifico Mountain is no easy feat, since it has over 2300 feet of gain. There is a PCT hiker friendly campground right at the peak.
I had hiked through Los Penasquitos Canyon once before, and was here for a second time. I was here a few years ago and this long, yet not so strenuous hike served as training for my solo thru hike backpacking the Trans Catalina Trail over 3 days.
The hike began downhill from the newly opened Chantry Flats parking area. It has been closed since last year, when the devastating fires wiped out the area. The parking area sits around 2150 feet, and the falls sit around 1700 feet in elevation so I would be hiking deep into a canyon along a sun exposed path. There are a series of flood control dams and spillways throughout Big Santa Anita Canyon, along this hike. A man named Wilbur Sturtevant established a trail camp here in 1893. The cabins such as Robert’s Camp and Hogees Camp were built in the early 1900’s here.
The hike to Mount Gower sit's deep within in the backcountry of San Diego, in rural Ramona, CA. This area is the site of many popular hikes such as Cedar Creek Falls. It also is prone to becoming notoriously hot, especially in the canyons. Aside from the potential for suffering heat exaustion, having a run-in with rattlesnakes, and the other wildlife which frequent the area. To minimize my chances of encountering snakes, I had chosen to hike here during a cooler month of the year, early in the morning. This does decrease, though not eliminate the chances for snake encounters.
Serafina Hikes 