Category: Getting Outside

Stonewall Peak and Cuyamaca Rancho in Fall

@serafinahikes

So this would be my second hike in this beautiful historic wilderness park, and former rancho, with habitation dating back over 9,000 years. It was the home of the Kumeyaay tribe, and seven villages were located here. It would be my second time hiking here. I was coming on a busy weekend in fall. I drove up Hwy-79 and parked at Trout Pond trailhead, not noticing any indication of a need to display a parking pass here. There were about 5 cars parked here, and across the road. I exited my car and was just in awe of the fall colors. It had been unknown to me in planning this hike that the fall colors would be at their peak. I began hiking along the Marty Minshall Trail, heading towards the forest, which was glowing in shades of bright yellow.

A 6 mile hike in the Blue Sky Reserve and Lake Poway

@serafinahikes

Nature and wilderness are a pristine, unpolluted place to find solitude. I have a thing about hiking in and exploring ecological reserves, with their intact natural beauty, native flora and fauna. You can learn the story of a place not just by what is placed there, but from what was there all along, before any development ever took place. Several of these wild places are found throughout socal, and today I was going to explore a new one, exploring 6 miles throughout the Blue Sky Ecological Reserve.

Mount Baldy via the Backbone Trail – Summit #5

@serafinahikes

This would be Mount Baldy summit #5. It was a cool fall morning in the Cucamonga Wilderness in October as I began my hike to Mount Baldy from Manker Flats around 7:30 am. It was just below 50 degrees out and the weather was perfect. I had no planned eta on this one. However long it takes. However many breaks. If I needed to turn back I would. I was trying to be realistic, and not push too hard on this one. I began heading up Baldy Rd. towards the notch, since today I planned on summiting Mt Baldy via the Devil’s Backbone Trail. It had recently snowed here a week ago, and I had a feeling the snow had melted off along the trail just enough in the past few days, with the warmer drier conditions, to make the backbone trail safe and passable. I brought micro-spikes and a trekking pole for stability on small patches or snow or ice.

Hiking 12.5 miles to a waterfall, an Old Ranch House, over bridges and streams

@serafinahikes

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.

Chino Hills in Spring

@serafinahikes

It was a beautiful spring morning in early March. I headed to Chino Hills State Park to enjoy an early spring hike amongst the freshly greening hills.