GRAY'S PEAK IN FAWNSKIN

I've been to Grays peak about 5 times now. But I have never been there during the Fall season. 

Last Sunday I led a group of hikers to the summit. We met at a carpool site at 6:30am then arrived by 8:00 am. When we arrived at the trailhead it was 39 degrees. Once we reached the summit it was a cool 50 degrees and breezy. It was cold and cloudy when we started and the sun had not peaked out yet through the clouds. 

Anyways, I was mesmerized by the beautiful array of Fall colors along the trail. We were surrounded by sun-kissed leaves. Some of the trees had a fiery gold color. It was the perfect day for a Fall hike. 

Near the summit, just a few feet away is a cool rock outcropping that we were able to sit on and have lunch. We had a great view of Big Bear Lake. 

After our break and soaking in the views, we descended the trail. After the sun came out the leaves on the trees had this amazing glow. We took more pictures because on the descent the fall colors really shone through after the clouds disappeared. 

after lunch, we ate at the North Shore cafe. A very nice family-owned business with great service and food. 

I highly recommend doing the hike during the Fall season. However, the trial is closed to the public between December to April because it is the center of a Bald Eagle's winter breeding habitat. 

SANTA CRUZ SMUGGLERS ROAD TO POTATO HARBOR

This was my fourth time visiting Santa Cruz in the Channel Islands National Park. I've hiked many trails here but today I hiked with one of my hiking groups. The plan was to do an easy 8-mile loop with 1300 ft of gain. 

We landed at Scorpion Harbor and started hiking on the Scorpion Harbor Loop which eventually we connected to the North Bluff trail to the outlook at Potato Harbor. 

The steepest part is the first mile or so up to the ridge. At this time of year, the trail wasn't too pretty but the scenic ocean views made up for it. It was a clear day so Anacapa Island could also be seen. 

We spent most of the day just admiring the views and casually hiking around the island. My favorite part was Potato Harbor. It was so beautiful We took our lunch break along the bluff and could hear the seals below us. They were out of sight but made their presence known. 

Potato Harbor overlook was very scenic. The water was so crystal clear and looked as if we were on some tropical island where the waters are so pretty green and blue.

After taking pictures and soaking in the views we hiked towards the North Bluff trail over to Cavern Point, a beautiful lookout where there were two benchmarks. 

Overall, it was a gorgeous day. The boat ride to and from the Island was pretty smooth. We saw a small school of dolphins. On the Island, we saw two foxes. 

MT. LAWLOR TO BARLEY FLATS

In the first week of October, I hiked to Mt. Lawlor with Sean. It was my first time there believe it or not! I had been to Strawberry Peak dozens of times but never bagged this one. 

Anyways, I led my Wednesday hiking crew on this adventure not knowing what was ahead of me. It was also my first time going to Barley Flats from Mt. Lawlor. I had been to Barley Flats years ago with Sean but we started at the Barley Flats trail and just did an out-n-back hike. 

This time we did a carpool shuttle. We started at Red Box then went up to Lawlor and descended the ridge to Barley Flats. Everyone in my group had never been to Mt. Lawlor so it was quite a treat. This was my second summit but going all the way to Barley was a first for me. 

This was one of my favorite ridges with lots of beautiful rock formations and 360-degree views of the San Gabes leading up to the summit. 

To add, it was very interesting after descending Lawlor. The ridge had been bulldozed after the Bobcat fire. It was clear for the most part and not a lot of bushwhacking. However, it was like a rollercoaster with a few deep ruts along the way. 

After descending the final firebreak down to the Barley Flats road, we checked out the water tanks and we could clearly see the Fire station that is located higher up the road. We were the only ones in sight so we just took are time checked out the scenery. We saw a couple of deer on the way back to our cars and tons of lizards. 

This was a pretty nice loop. However, after Lawlor, it was very exposed.  

Stats: 8 miles, 1400 ft of gain. 

The descent from Mt. Lawlor to Barley Flats

Along the ridge to Mt. Lawlor

On the way to BF