Elfin Forest

There was a calm between two storm systems coming through So Cal this weekend bringing our area some much needed rain. I decided to hike at Elfin Forest Preserve. It was my first time there. I have been seeing this area from other higher peaks that I have hiked up not too far from here and I have been curious about this area. I did a combination of exploring Escondido Creek which had quite a bit of water rushing through some nicely sculpted granite and I hiked to the top of the mountain and wandered around the huge mountain top reservoir. Water is pumped up here as a backup supply for our area. It was a pretty nice hike. The trail switchbacks up the north facing slope of the mountain. Some of the ravines were very green, almost jungle like.

Hosp Grove - A Huge Eucalyptus Forest

Don't let the pictures fool you. This Eucalyptus forest is right near the city. This is not a remote hike, but, a beautiful hike indeed. It's like a small chunk of Australia transported here to the city of Carlsbad. Not much grows here other than Eucalyptus as the leaf litter from these trees poisons nearly every other type of plant. This area is also well known for Monarch butterflies migrating here to spend the winter away from their homes in the Sierras and the Rocky Mountains. More than a century ago, this forest was planted here to produce wood for railroad ties. The wood ended up cracking and splitting too easily for use as lumber. The forest was left here to become part of the landscape.

San Luis Rey River - Oceanside

Recently, The city of Oceanside plowed a section of vegetation down near the edge of the San Luis Rey River. This gave me access to parts of the river that I have never seen. It is difficult to hike to many parts of this river due to thick vegetation and areas of major growths of poison oak. In fact, many years ago, I caught my worst case of poison oak all over my body from trampling around this river in the fall season. Anyway, on this day I was able to access and visit some really beautiful areas along the river a couple or few miles downstream from where they plowed.