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

STRAWBERRY PEAK VIA MOUNTAINEER'S ROUTE

 On Wednesday I hiked to Strawberry Peak via mountaineer's route. The last time I hiked this route was in 2016. The trail was in good shape. I have a friend who is currently doing maintenance work so it was looking very nice. 

The last time I was there, I remembered the Poodle Dog bush was overwhelming along the ridge. Also, the ridge was mostly clear and easy to walk through. However, this time there was a large section along the ridge that was overgrown with thorny bushes. Not hard to navigate but a bit challenging to avoid and getting impaled by the yuccas. Ouch!

We took our first break at Josephine Saddle. Then we headed up the mountaineer's route. As I mentioned earlier the terrain was not quite the same as before.  However, no more Poodle Dog except for a very tiny bush yay!!!!!

Ascending the class 3 rock scrambling was just as fun as I remembered. It was a clear day and the views were amazing! I took my time to soak in the views. I did manage to find one lonely purple flower hidden in between the rocks. 

At the summit, we ate lunch and took the obligatory summit photos. Someone brought Strawberries to share. I signed the register and noticed an old Eispiraten sticker which was cool. 

We descended the trail going back to Red Box.. The route was clear and not as slippery as I remembered it. 

All in all, it was a perfect day. 

Stats: 8 miles, 2300' gain