Mission Creek Preserve and Indian Trail Loop

Two hikes, two days, high desert... Why not?

I booked an AirBnb and a cat sitter, and headed to a usually hot Desert Hot Springs area. The weather forecast looked great, mid 70's on Saturday and 60's on Sunday - perfect hiking weather! The first hike was behind a gate. As I turned from the highway, the road became dusty and unpaved. My car did not like the washouts, but slowly and steadily we approached the gate where our fearless hike leader unlocked it and told me to drive another mile and a half towards the parking lot.

I parked and saw the rest of the group already set up for the night with tents and other backpacking gear. There was an option to camp at the site, but because I was too late to register for camping (oh, and I am so fond of camping...), I opted for an warm and clean AirBnb.

We started to hike Mission Creek Preserve Trail around 10.30 AM, a bit too late for my liking. Most of the hike was on the flat ground with some elevation gain in the middle and loss at the end as the trail ended at the narrow river (or was it a stream?).

The landscape at the top was truly incredible. Desert-like dried grass appeared even dryer with lack of rain. "How could there be any water here?", I wondered. And there it was...

The Pacific Crest Trail ran along the trail we were hiking. I felt a sense of accomplishment. This was not the first hike where I have hiked the PCT.

We stayed by the river for half an hour and ate lunch before returning back to the camping site and trail head where we left our group to go to the AirBnb.

We had dinner at Kimi Grill Japanese Restaurant. Sushi, seaweed salad and a hot sake completed this wonderful day. We finally were ready to go to our rental.

I had a few concerns about this AirBnb rental. Rarely do I book a place with few reviews, but I decided to give it a shot. Unfortunately, the house I rented seemed like it had ongoing construction, no stove, or any kitchen supplies among other issues like missing furniture and an unresponsive host. I spent an hour and a half on the phone with AirBnb arguing that the rental did not match the description. It was quite a disappointing experience that I even had to do it making me reassess my favoritism of this rental platform vs VRBO that I might try next time.

Finally, we found a boombox, played rock music and danced shaking off any negativity caused by the whole situation. We decided to stay at the rental for the night instead of moving to the hotel.

In the morning, we drank some coffee using the only two mugs provided by the host and after breakfast in town we headed to the trail head of Indian Trail Loop.

The hike was a shorter one, only 6.5 miles with about 1,000 ft elevation change. The views were different even though we were pretty much in the same area.

Ruins...

We were not able to climb the main mountain because our hike leader had to return to civilization, but the views were still pretty great!

Such a relaxing weekend (minus the AirBnb ordeal). I so enjoy hiking!

Los Penasquitos Canyon in San Diego

Another weekend, another hike... Los Penasquitos Canyon trail hike was posted on Meetup multiple times, but I never went because of how easy it appeared to be. It was indeed easy. With less than 300 ft elevation gain (mostly flat), this trail goes through the wooded areas of the canyon for the most distance with a bit of open space close to the so-called waterfall (not really a waterfall, but large rocks with water - stunning nevertheless).

Hiking this trail alone or in a smaller group is best because you get to enjoy the sounds of birds and animals around you.  In a large group, this was less enjoyable due to noise pollution.

I actually heard coyotes way in the distance right in the middle of the day, the sound that would make me shiver had it been nighttime.

Parking was rather easy, and while some people on AllTrails mentioned that there is a $3 fee, we were not charged anything.

Everything is so green now in the middle of January after all the rain, so it was really enjoyable to see life unfold all around.

Open space near the so-called waterfall

Overall, I enjoyed the hike. I would come back to explore different trails in the future.

Viejas Mountain Trail - South Approach

Two hikes in two days! It's been a while since I've done that last time. The night before I was a bit hesitant whether I wanted to do this hike or not because of several reviews stating that Viejas Mountain Trail - South Approach was quite a bit steep. I've done several hikes that were steep and remembered how difficult it was going downhill, especially on loose gravel. In the morning, however, I woke up refreshed and somewhat determined. I grabbed my backpack that was still unpacked from the hike the day before and after a delicious cup of coffee headed to my car.

The drive seemed to be long, the perception of time is really an interesting thing... I arrived at the trailhead and parked behind a white Tesla. "This is a good sign," I thought to myself. The group was already there, and within 15 minutes we were on our way ascending the first mile. As AllTrails recorded, we gained over 1,000 ft in just mile 1.

Because of the quick elevation gain, the views were fabulous from the very beginning. Initially, polluted by traffic noise, but as we progressed along the trail further into the mountain, even that faded and later disappeared.

The trail became less steep after the first mile, but remained rocky. In some areas, I had to do some rock scrambling just to be on the safe side as the trail was only somewhat defined. Overgrown with shrubs, the trail in some areas was rather brutal to the legs that were not covered with pants (not mine, this time!). No rattlesnakes though! Still too cold for them, but I would anticipate in this terrain it would be something to look out for on a warm day.

There were two fake peaks. As you approach the top, you think that this must be it, but it isn't... And you continue... Until you reach another and realize that it is not the top either... And so you move one until you reach the final destination.

Eagle Rock via PCT in Warner Springs, CA

Warner Springs is a small rural town in San Diego County about an hour away from the city and about the same from my place. Together with a women's hiking group, I explored Eagle Rock trail that is also part of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). It was not a difficult hike, but at the turnaround point promised a view of a rock resembling an eagle.

I parked by the local community center and after discovering that I left my keys by my car (who does that?) and successfully retrieving them from the same spot I dropped them at, I joined the group to begin the hike on time. The trail started out pretty flat and easy as we were surrounded by tall trees and happy-looking cows.

As we continued the hike, the trail became less shaded, not an issue for current weather conditions, but probably a bit exposed for a mid-day summer hike. Soon shrubs and bushes disappeared, and I found myself in the middle of an open field surrounded by the power of wind. It felt like I jumped into the desert without any warning or transition from the forest.

The pile of rocks in the distance seemed like our destination, and in fact, it was, covered in small dots, dozens of people. I guess it's similar to the Potato Chip rock - a line of people taking pictures of themselves so that they check off another item on their "to do" list.

The Eagle rock did look like an eagle, and below is the only photo I could take, people-free!

Because of the wind, the group did not stay there long and we hiked back. I could not help but to take a photo of the PCT sign. I hope to cover more of that trail at some point... In the meantime, I will just continue to do day hikes.