Get Outside and Explore
I drove up to Crystal Lake Recreation Area from Hwy-39, parking at the Islip Ridge trailhead. After climbing up to four peaks a year ago, to “The Four Hawkins,” I was back again in a beautiful alpine wilderness, standing deep within a giant granite bowl. But there was one more adjoining peak I had not climbed, Mount Islip, which is included in the Sierra Club’s Hundred Peaks section.
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.
I planned to hike from Little Yosemite Valley, passing Nevada Falls and Ililouette Falls, on my way to Glacier Point. On the way up from Nevada Falls on the Clark Trail and the Panorama Trail, there was so much beauty along the climb. It grew tougher, the more the temperatures warmed.
I felt ready to hike to Half Dome solo, the silhouette of which was visible from down below at Little Yosemite Vally. But I needed to have coffee and breakfast before any decisions were made. The bugs were out and about early on. Aside from that, the river was peaceful, and serene, with a massive granite hillside towering above it.
Serafina Hikes 