Saturday, April 11, 2009

Today will be tomorrow. (Updated with pictures)

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND ONE

Like a good trail, life has its unexpected twists and turns. This afternoon I am leaving to go out of town and will be in a place without internet access until tomorrow evening. I will update both today's and tomorrow's hike on Sunday evening.

Until then you can content yourself by going back to the beginning and reading ALL of my adventures over again.

Happy Easter! (Update below)

We went to my father in law's house near Garner Valley for Easter. He lives about 1 mile from the PCT and has numerous trails in his area to choose from. Today I chose the Ramona Trail.

Ramona is a book by Helen Hunt Jackson, that was written 1884. I know the basic plot and have actually seen the Ramona Pageant in Hemet although I've never read. I think it's more of a chick book, a really old one. If you want to, you can read more about it here.

As far as the trail goes, it starts right off of Hwy 74 in the middle of Garner Valley. It climbs up the side of Thomas Mountain. When we left the desert the weather was warn, sunny and beautiful.

When I get to the trailhead, not so much. It was cloudy, windy and just a wee bit nippy.

The Ramona Trail is a well maintained trail that is open to hikers, equestrians and mountain bikes although today I see no one.

There is a section near the bottom that is eroded a little and is probably the steepest part of the trail. Most of the trail is not steep enough and sort of meanders up the hill.

I did see some flowers coming out, though. The Manzanita were just coming out.

And this white flowers that I'll identify when I get a better flower guide. I think it's some kind of scrub oak.

This Indian paintbrush

You always know you're having a good hike whenever you draw blood. I've had a lot of good hikes this year as my legs and arms will testify.


Up near the top of the trail I actually run into snow although it's sparse and not a big problem. The only problem is I have no one to throw any at.

I don't know why they call this Tool Box Springs unless they were referring to the toolbox that was required in install this spigot. I get a noisy reminder that the spring is near a campground when someone starts doing some target practice, thankfully not in my direction.

I wonder who decided to rename the trail for the downhill. Ramona going up; Romona going down. I'll have to check my map and make sure they have it right.

I pass a couple of widow makers that have me watching the trees on the way down.

As the clouds clear out a bit I get a nice view of Mount San Jacinto. The Ramona/Romona Trail is a nice moderate hike and except for the occasion gunfire, very peaceful.

2 comments:

Till said...

Widowmakers? What were they?

Hal Summers said...

Those pine cones were humongous! They must have been a foot long and weighed a couple of pounds. If one fell on my head I'd be done.