Tressles Beach

The other day I had an hour and a half left before sunset so on my way home I got off the freeway and found some parking near the hills about a mile east of the Pacific Ocean in San Clemente, California. This was my first time walking in this area. I found the trail leading through the sage scrub covered hills, then the trail dropped down to San Mateo creek through the Riparian woodland area with giant sycamore trees soaring overhead. I have hiked near the headwaters of this creek high in the mountains to the east. Here it finally reaches ocean. The trail ended at the beach where I was treated to some of the most beautiful coastline around.

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.