Tag: california hiking blog

California Desert Cave Homes? Yes, they exist.

@serafinahikes

I was somewhat skeptical when hearing about the caves of Dublin Gulch. I had passed by this way once before, on the way back from Death Valley. I had no idea what type of irishmen had inhabited these parts of the desert near Shoshone Junction. They had to be risk takers. To live and mine in a desert, you would have to be someone who goes from broke. It was either going to be an interesting desert hike, or it would be a bust. I love old ruins, and architecture, so for me this seemed like a must see.

Hiking Wild Horse Trail in the Agua Tibia Wilderness

@serafinahikes

Today I would be hiking Wild Horse Trail. I had been wanting to visit the Agua Tibia Wilderness along Hwy 79 in Temecula for some time. This rugged, beautiful, and isolated area, has several peaks to climb along with plenty of jaw dropping scenery. This wilderness area is located within rural San Diego County, about an hour from Orange County. I hiked 12 miles in the wilderness out and back experiencing my first taste of the Agua Tibia Wilderness, a place I vowed to return to again soon.

Timber Mountain via Chapman Trail

@serafinahikes

Today my plan was to take Icehouse Canyon to Chapman Trail, before hiking on to Icehouse Saddle. I had been planning to hike to Timber Mountain, one of the Three’s T’s, the last of the three I had not summited after Thunder Mountain and Telegraph Peak.

September Hikes – Sandy Beaches and Wooded Canyons

@serafinahikes

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.

I Finally Made it to Caspars

@serafinahikes

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.