Mount Islip via Windy Gap in Angeles National Forest

I signed up to hike to Mount Islip when I first moved to Southern California, but had to back out. When the opportunity to hike there came up again, I decided this was the time to do it. About an hour and forty-five minutes from Lake Elsinore, the trail is only 0.25 miles from Crystal Lake Cafe where the group met.

In order to park legally in Angeles National Forest, you need either the Adventure Pass or America the Beautiful Pass (Interagency one allows access to all National Parks, Forests etc.). The Adventure Pass can be bought right at Crystal Lake Cafe. If you have the America the Beautiful Pass, just place it on the dashboard (park ranger instructions) of your car. Parking was freely available at Crystal Lake Cafe at 10 AM on a Saturday morning, but I can see how it could get packed during the peak season. You can also park right at the trailhead, but we decided to just hike up there.

The trail did not wait to begin gaining elevation rapidly, and at over 5,000 ft elevation already, I knew the air was only going to get thinner. My heart was already beating fast indicating that I am not in my best hiking shape. I could say that winter was the cause of that, but really this would be just an excuse given that winter in California is not that bad at all.

As we continued the hike, the views just kept getting better and better.

There were a lot of fallen trees, some appeared to have been there for a while, others fresh from winter rains and abundant water challenging their root system.

The air appeared so clean, and only in the distance I saw smog-filled atmosphere of Los Angeles. We were way above that layer. It was a perfect day for hiking at that elevation, not hot at all.

With elevation gain, we started seeing some snow. And then more and more...

This is when I finally got to use my microspikes. I was really glad I bought them, because it was so steep that even wearing them, I was sliding in the snow. The views on top of Mount Islip were certainly worth the difficult hike through the snow.

The way back was much easier, although I was pretty tired. We only hiked 8 miles, with about 3,000 ft elevation gain, but it felt like it was more because of the snow. Regardless, my first experience hiking in snow was fun, to say the least!

El Cajon Trail, East San Diego

Toughest hike in San Diego? Bring it on! Although, I am not really sure if it truly is the toughest one, but certainly gets you all the way to the top of El Cajon mountain.

A little over 11 miles round trip and about 3,500 ft elevation gain is not a joke, especially when you are not simply going up there and descending coming back, but exchanging ups and downs throughout the whole hike.

The weather was fantastic though, so I surely would not complain today!

A nice breeze was rather welcoming, even in the morning when the temperatures were still low enough to wear a light long sleeve blazer. Very soon layers started to come off, and within the first 2 miles I was down to my last layer having nothing else to take off - this will have to do be enough to climb up top. 

The ground felt solid under my feet. My hiking companion was telling me that two weeks before, he went on the same hike, but in rain. I remember also signing up for that hiking and backing out the day before because of the weather. He said that mud was everywhere, and the whole group was almost ice skating in mixture of clay soil and water. Indeed, patience paid off this time...

There were three main hills/mountains, each would ascend rapidly and descend, just as quickly. I knew the way back was going to be tough.

Finally, as I reached the top after a rather steep and narrow path, the views unfolded.

The way down was hard, but not as hard as I anticipated. The sight of the parking lot was heartwarming!

Blue Mountain, Riverside, CA

The original plan was to hike three peaks of Blue mountain. The property is private, but many people hike there anyway. The day was rather cloudy with a slight potential of afternoon rain. It's been too long that I hiked more than a few miles, so I really wanted to get some exercise.

Together with a few other hikers, I headed uphill on what appeared to be a non-existing trail. While I enjoy hiking, I also like when the trail is well-maintained. The trail we took was not the main trail. It continued uphill with high grass (tick alert!) on both sides of the trail. The uphill became very steep to the point where I decided it was not worth it for me to continue, so I said my goodbyes to the group and headed back. The views were quite impressive regardless.

I felt a bit disappointed since my intention was to get to the top of the mountain. I started looking on the map if there is another way uphill and with the help of the Alltrails app I traced my way to Blue Mountain summit. The trail was also steep, but certainly more doable that the "off-beaten-track" trail we took originally.

The clouds were coming and going, and sun started to peek through - it was time to take off a layer of clothing. The trail was going in different directions, uphill through the small ditches created by streaming water from so much rain this winter, on the side of the mountain with a nice view on one side and on the truck trail that was wide and comfortable to walk on. There were a few clusters of wildflowers, but nothing like what I saw in Lake Elsinore prior weekend. It might be still too cold for some types of wildflowers, so we shall wait.

In the meantime, usual "golden" hills in California are transformed by rain to luscious green mountains. Everywhere you look, you see rich green cover, so pleasing to the eye.

As I reached the top of the mountain, I saw a large rock covered in flowers and inscribed with RIP items. I guess this was someone's memorial, maybe this person liked to come to this spot, and now his friends and family come here to remember him.

The sun was shining brightly when I got to the top, it was nice and warm, but the clouds seemed angry, so I decided not to play with fate and start my descend.

Attempted Vernal Pool Trail

Tired of constant rain in the area, I decided to go on a hike nearby to Vernal Pools. I anticipated it was going to be muddy and was prepared for it wearing my hiking boots. I arrived at the trailhead and found out that to go on the trail cost $4. I did not think I would need any cash, so I did not brought any. Luckily, a couple behind me offered to pay. What a nice gesture!

I was excited to see the pools as I read multiple reviews prior to coming on this hike stating that the pools are really full at this time of the year after so much rain.

What I did not anticipate was insects... Hundreds, no, thousands of mosquito-looking insects swarming everywhere near a body of water. I don't think I have seen so many insects in the same place at the same time. Hurriedly, I walked toward the main pool, about a mile from the start of the trail. Insects were unavoidable at that point. I was determined to walk on the little bridges, so I almost ran towards the Vernal Pool.

As enjoyable as it could have been, it was not. I quickly took my pictures and videos and headed to the main trail. As it turned out the trail was partially closed, so I headed back to the nearest fork where I could potentially give another trail a shot.

Transpreserve Trail was right near the beginning of the trail. I did not seem buggy and appeared relatively dry. Not for long though. Because of the rain the day before, the ground was really soaked. It was so muddy that at some point I decided it was not meant to be a good day for a hike and turned around. The views I captured were really nice. You could have sat under a tree enjoying the peace and quiet of nature, but nature also includes insects, and they were everywhere.

I think I will come back here, this time with cash, headnet and probably when it is dry for at least a few weeks...

Lake Elsinore, Dana Point and Laguna Beach - Brief Trip

A few weeks ago I finally decided to go to the beach, even if for a little while. This would be the first time since I moved to Inland Empire that I managed to get out. My first stop was on the side of the road to take a few pictures of Lake Elsinore and enjoy the views.

Incredible views just in your own backyard!

The drive over the mountains on twisty roads was a bit long, and as I reached the 1000 Steps Beach and parked on the side of the road, I was a bit sleepy. The hike down the steep staircase woke me up a bit. Narrow stairs demanded focus and careful positioning of the feet.

The view that opened up at the bottom of the staircase was worth it.

It was a bit crowded right at the bottom of the stairs, but if you walk a bit further, people were only randomly seen. Since I didn't plan to stop for a long time, I spent 15 minutes enjoying the sound of the ocean and went back up. The walk upstairs was a bit more challenging than downstairs, and a bit out of breath, I was heading to Heisler Park.

Parking by Heisler Park was a bit of a challenge, and once I found a spot, $2.50 was an hourly parking rate right next to the park. The park was absolutely worth it. So well taken care of, Heisler is a piece of art merged with the natural beauty of the beach. Walkways through carefully planted palm trees and tropic vegetation with occasional signs to relax and enjoy the moment were truly inspiring.

I wanted to get gelato and found an amazing shop just in a small alley of Laguna Beach. Gelato Paradiso turned out to be a hidden gem. For $5 with Yelp check-in, I enjoyed 3 scoops of different flavors of gelato in a delicious waffle cone. This was even better than some gelato I tried in Italy a few months ago!

On the way back, I stopped at a local thrift shop, but disappointingly did not find anything I liked. Driving home I took the toll road 73 and did not realize that it was a toll road until the entrance sign. Still hoping that I won't get a ticket in the mail :(

Wildflower Season in California

Last year I went to see spring wildflowers. It was April. Living in Southern California offers this luxury earlier than that. After a series of showers, the ground is finally getting satisfied with the amount of water, and with that wildflowers are starting to bloom everywhere!

Only 10 minutes from my apartment, there is a lightly trafficked trail up and through the mountains, but right now hundreds of people stop by to photograph the beauty of spring poppies. Walker Canyon Road Loop is accessible straight from the access road parallel to I-15 - what a convenient location! As I was driving to buy groceries today, I decided that on the way back I will stop and at least glance at the flowers. I ended up hiking about two miles. 

The weather was humid and rather warm, the sun was slightly peeking through the dense cloud cover, it was going to rain later that night. In the meantime, I took a couple of pictures promising myself to come back and complete the loop when the temperatures drop.