Cuyamaca Peak

My first hike in the Cuyamaca Mountains. This area was burned in one of the biggest fires in California history, The Cedar Fire of 2003. As you see, it has been 8 years since the fire and the recovery seems slow going by the looks of it. I think I have stayed away from hiking in this area because it is so badly burned but it was actually really cool to see the forest in this state. My hiking partner Rob wasn't feeling well so I drove up by myself. I met some other hikers and hiked with them most of the way. I felt safer hiking with a group up there as the mountain lions in the area have a history of being unusually agressive. Actually the 6500 foot summit that I hiked to is the site of a mountain lion attack and the woman was killed. Anyway, the views were spectacular and you can really see a big chunk of So Cal from up there. I could see the Anza Borrego Desert Mountains and the salton Sea to the east. San Gorgonio and San jacinto Mountains to the north, various mountain ranges down in Mexico, and the Pacific Ocean and the Islands of Catalina, San Clemente and Coronado to the west.