Category: Journal Entry

November Hiking Recap

@serafinahikes

For everything there is a season, especially hiking. When I think about hiking in November, several things come to mind. This is a time of year when the seasons change hands, when the temperatures finally start to cool and the first rain of the season may occur. Nights may dip into the low 50’s and morning dew covers the grass in the morning. I love hiking during this time of the year, watching the leaves begin to turn golden. I managed to get in 22 hikes in November, and hike to 4 peaks. So as far as hiking goes, November delivered!

2 Peaks in a Day: Mount Lewis and Mount Williamson

@serafinahikes

I knew this trip to SR-2, may very well be my last this season, and the road past Mt Baden Powell, may very well be closed again. I was headed for Mt Williamson, and potentially was going to extend the hike along Pleasant View Ridge on to Pallet Mountain. That would make it a 10 mile day. But another option lingered in my mind, to check out some of the shorter hikes along SR-2 I had skipped over, such as Mount Lewis. It was my second time driving past Wrightwood, along SR-2 since the fires a year ago. I had been up this way in July, to hike to Mount Baden Powell. At that time, the road was still closed beyond Vincent Gap, but no longer. I could now drive the entire length of SR-2 if I so desired, well past Mount Islip, and onward further.

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.

Getting Lost in Mount Gower Preserve – 10.5 miles in the San Diego Backcountry

@serafinahikes

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.