On a trip to Stonewall Peak in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, my friend Janet and I encountered such beautiful wildflowers and greenery, even in the midst of the drought in southern California.
The roundtrip mileage is only 4 miles, and it is a fairly easy trail that is very well marked. The only drawback, the trail goes straight upward, all the way to the top! In the heat, that can be a little difficult. I brought my spray bottle and cooled down in the mist.
Here is Janet, about to be swallowed by a giant rock!
Along the way we had such gorgeous views of Lake Cuyamaca, valleys, purple mountains in the distance and a few trees.
When you get towards the top of the peak, a stone staircase gives you the courage to keep going.
Windy at the top, much cooler and easy to climb.
A 360 degree view of Cuyamaca Rancho State Park is the reward for those who push on and don't give up. Very windy at the top, but fun. We ate our lunch, sitting on a small bumpy ledge, and just basked in the view.
This was my first time returning to the Laguna Mountains, after the 2007 wildfires burned through southern California. Many living things survived the siege and new growth is blooming everywhere.
That would be me, a tired but happy hiker at the top of Stonewall Peak. I have had a rough go this last year, but as of this week, I am officially in remission, a full-on, breast cancer survivor!!!!!
So happy, so grateful to God, so wonderfully looking forward to life.
The spectacular view of Lake Cuyamaca from the top of Stonewall Peak, in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park in southern California.
One last look at the Laguna Mountains, dead trees, huge boulders and a bit of green! God bless you all and may God give you the strength to survive!