While in Idyllwild this past weekend I visited the Idyllwild Historical Society Museum and enjoyed their climbing display shown here. It lists every climbing route developed for Tahquitz Rock since 1936. The 5.8 route from 1937 was the most difficult in the U.S. at that time.
Links: Museum website
Mission San Juan Capistrano was founded on October 30, 1775 by Father Lausen, becoming the seventh of twenty-one missions in Alta California. This pic shows its beautiful fountain along with Father Serra’s/Native American boy’s statues in front of the Great Stone Church.
links: Mission San Juan Capistrano
This pic is from a few weeks ago when we were out looking for wildflowers in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area. We had just turned off of the 78 onto Buttes Pass Road that goes to The Slot and Hawk Canyon.
Links: The Slot Hawk Canyon Desert Lily
This pic shows a closeup of a beavertail cactus flower from Desert Garden in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (on the way to Coyote Canyon). Photo credit goes to Jack Springer who was with me on this outing.
Links: previous related post
While hiking Torrey Pines State Beach at low tide we found this interestingly shaped rock in the tide pools. You can imagine two eyes and nostrils. We thought it looked a bit like the head of a porpoise, or maybe of an alligator. What do you see?
This past weekend I attended The Adventure Portal’s “Run to the Sun” event at Trona Pinnacles near Ridgecrest. Over 100 groups of overlanding enthusiasts were on hand to make new friends, learn new skills at three excellent training seminars, and explore the interesting topography. This pic shows the area where I was camped as seen through a hole in one of the rock formations known as “the portal”.
Links: The Adventure Portal
I recently took a hike along Torrey Pines State Beach from the north end parking lot down past Flat Rock to Black Beach. This pic is just to the south of Flat Rock. Pretty nice views!
An interesting site between the Pumpkin Patch and Arroyo Salado campground in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is 5 Palms. I think they look pretty regal sitting up on the hill.
While recently hiking the Clevenger Canyon South Trail, I came across this rather large rattlesnake coiled in the middle of the trail. I was looking upward toward a large boulder in the distance and did not see the snake until that chilling telltale rattling sound reached my ears. From that point forward I kept my eyes on the trail ahead! This was but one of three snakes we saw on this hike, but was by far the largest and most dangerous.
Links: Clevenger Canyon South Trail
This beavertail cactus, at Desert Garden in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park on the way to Coyote Canyon, was creating quite a stir with photographers lined up to snap a pic. It was pretty spectacular!
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