I’m not in the mood to write about anything in my head right now. It’s not a pretty place to be. To banish that shit, I often hike, so here’s the hike from Saturday, which ironically I think put my head where it is now. Well, that and hormones and life and my plumbing. And my house. And money. And school. So yeah. Hiking is really better, even when the after effects are bad.
Oakzanita is in the Cuyamacas, just south of the Stonewall/Cuyamaca Peak area. We were a small group.
The hike is mostly through (shockingly) oaks and manzanita…oaks in the lower section, very wooded, almost chilly at times (I left long sleeves on for a while).
The fires have been through here, although some of the dead trees are just dead for other reasons…
There’s lots of brush, and because it’s fall in Southern California, mostly everything is brown and dead-looking…
Fire…
But this is the California I know and love…the California I missed when I lived in Britain, where everything is so green it’s fluorescent. The drab olive greens of a California fall.
The peak on the right is Oakzanita…funny, it didn’t seem like climbing to get there. It was a pretty easy hike, although my legs were dead from not hiking for a few weeks.
I was sick all week, so that’s what made it a challenge. The weather was gorgeous, high 60s, low 70s.
This is Cuyamaca Peak on the left, Middle Peak just to the right of it, and then Stonewall in the middle back.
Here’s most of us with Stonewall and Middle in the background…
The view to the south, where I’ll be hiking in December…there might be snow by then.
The view to the west, with the marine layer still covering most of San Diego proper.
At this point, we’re up in the manzanita and brush that covers the top of the peak.
That’s what we’re aiming for.
And from the top, sweeping views in all directions. I could live up there.
Lots of boulders line the trail to the top.
The last stand of a dying yucca, still looking at major marine layer to the west.
And the south again…
At the top, we perched on the rocks and ate lunch.
It was perfect weather…not really hot, but just warm enough that you dried off (sweat!).
I don’t get many pictures of myself…but Maritie helped out…this is to the east. Yes, I’m sweaty. I worked to get up there.
The trail back was slightly different…
We headed back on the fire road…
Where there was lots of evidence of actual fire…
The Oakzanita sign…
They planted new trees to replace those that were burned…
The fire road back…
Nicely shaded for part of it…
Hmm. Probably should have checked those warning signs out before we went.
Although I haven’t seen a lion up here for over 10 years (I know…it doesn’t mean they aren’t there). Thanks to Maritie and Watson for the people pictures.
Anyway, it was 7.6 miles, a gorgeous day. It’s my fault I hiked it mostly by myself, which is not really a good thing. It gives my brain too much room to think. But it was beautiful and I enjoyed it despite that silly brain…and hopefully I’ll get past this bump and on to the next hike.
Kathy Nida 