At The Backroads

Sea Dahlia, Torrey Pines State Reserve

I am sorry if I had been posting here about spring flowers one after another, I guess, all these wildflowers are giving me a spring fever . And to think spring is not really my favorite season, summer is. However, I see the unique beauty distinct to each season, and I actually make the most of each season’s surprises. Even though this is a hiking blog, but reality is, I love both hiking and ocean. I love hiking, because in hiking I get to see nature’s surprises and unfolding beauty which differs each day.

Mix of Spring Wildlfowers, @ Torrey Pines State Reserve

 However, I can forget about hiking once I am in the ocean and feeling the power of the waves. And to think I am not even a surfer! I just boogie board, like a child, I find tremendous joy in being pushed hard by the waves. Also, I get unequalled joy whenever I see fishes swimming by me. However, I do not like getting into the water when the water temperature is in the 50s. I prefer warmer water, which explains why my favorite season is summer . And summer is when the water temperature gets into the 60s, for some still frigid, but for me, good enough. And summer is when I get to do two things I enjoy the most, hiking and boogie boarding. Actually, add to that two, taking pictures of nature. The priceless bonus in hiking is the wonderful set of take home pictures that capture the memories I wanted to preserve. Though boogie boarding does not give me pictures, but nevertheless, I guess, it is always that child in me that will always seek for being with the waves.

One amazing and unique thing that I love about Torrey Pines State Reserve is that this is where I can combine all my simple pleasures, hiking and boogie boarding at the ocean. I usually start my day here hiking, enjoying the scenery at the top of the bluffs.

Carpeting Wildflowers at Guy Fleming Trail

We usually do not drive to the trailheads, instead, we park outside of the park. There are free parking on North Torrey Pines Road and on Carmel Valley Road. The East portion of the Reserve protects the grove of the rare Torrey Pine trees.

The Torrey Pines @ Guy Fleming Trail

Then, as you walk westward, the trail opens towards the ocean, with the North Torrey Pines State Beach below.

North Overlook @ Guy Fleming Trail

The west slopes are exposed to the sun, and the dots of pink in the above picture are ground pinks. Yes, they are so tiny wildflowers, but if you get a closer look, they look dainty, and beautiful too.

Ground Pinks

It is the west portion of the park that is carpeted with spring wildflowers right now. The shaded portion, where the groves of Torrey Pines could be found also have spots of wildflowers, but not in a lush carpet like in the exposed slopes.

Carpet of Wildlfowers

Mix of Wildflowers and the Ocean Below

After enjoying the scenery above, we would then hike down below, taking the Beach Trail or the Broken Hill Trail, both have access to the beach.

View of Flat Rock from the Beach Trail

Badlands and Carpet of Wildlfowers, from the Beach Trail

There are several overlooks such as the Red Butte, Razor Point (closed for renovation at present) and the Yucca Overlook at the Beach Trail. All of them have nice view of the ocean.

 At the Broken Hill Trail, there are coastal poppies that line some portion of the trail.

Coastal Poppies @ Broken Hill Trail

Sea of Gold by the Sea, @ Broken Hill Trail towards the Beach

Both trails at present are lined with sea dahlias and bush sunflowers.

Sea Dahlias

 Once at the beach, after being warmed enough exploring the top of the bluffs, it is time to enjoy the ocean and be with the waves.

 

Lonely Ocean, North Torrey Pines State Beach

Okay, I am just dreaming right now of boogie boarding, in fact, I haven’t boogie boarded yet. I am still waiting for summer, at present, there are more people just walking on shore than really getting into the water. I am just enjoying the wonderful sights of spring.

North Torrey Pines State Beach

Happy Spring again, everyone.

Mix of Wildflowers on the Hill Side of I-15

San Diego County is all abloom right now. From the sides of the freeways, to well landscaped man made parks, to nature preserves and even non-formal trails along the ocean side to the inland hills and canyons and the desert in the east. Though it is hard to predict where and when will the wildflowers explode, but it is always a joy to see them explode, truly a sight to behold.

Though the bloom this year is not as great as last year, but I noticed that the wildflowers this year are more diverse in terms of plant specie and color display.  I will be sharing in this post some trails I visit often for enjoying and photographing wildflowers.

1. At Torrey Pines State Reserve

Mix of Wildflowers on Guy Fleming Trail

Torrey Pines State Reserve  is definitely more than just a beach. If you click on this link, it will bring you to my previous post about the many things you can do at the Reserve, which of course includes hiking on the top of the bluff.

Mix of Wildflowers at Torrey Pines State Reserve

We went hiking here this morning trying to beat the rain. Notice the very dark clouds that signal the coming of the rain. It is like a surprise to me since I was on this same trail about 2 weekends ago, and there were just few blooms then.

Stunted Torrey Pine and Mix of Wildflowers

Torrey Pine has 8 miles of branching and connecting trails on top of the bluff, the individual trails are usually short, with maybe the Broken Hill to Beach trail as the longest,

 Broken Hill taken on a Sunny Day

but one can combine always the different trails to make for a longer hike. If you park on Carmel Valley Road and walk the extra mile to the entrance of Torrey Pines State Reserve, there are a lot of bush sunflowers and you can even take

 

Bush Sunflowers

 the little trail there amongst the bush sunflowers.

2. Lake Poway

Surprisingly, Lake Poway showcases more diverse bloom right now than 2 or 3 weeks ago when I said that ” I see more colors on the hills going to Ramona Dam.” We took the Lake Poway to Ramona Dam trail yesterday, which is a total of 6 miles round trip and 1200 ft change in elevation. There were just wildflowers everywhere. 

 

Blue Canterbury Bell and Poppies

Some wildflowers I saw were blue and purple lupines, blue and purple Phacelias, blue canterbury bells, poppies, ground pinks, mustards, wild hyacinths, owls clover, and a lot more. A lot more, because actually, I do not know the name of the other wildflowers .

Mix of Wildflowers on the Hills

For hiking description, please click here to go to my previous post.

3. Blue Sky Ecological Reserve to Ramona Dam

Rainbow of Colors

This is a 5 mile round trip hike with 800 ft gain in elevation. For more information, please click here to go to my previous post.

4. Anza Borrego Desert State Park

Desert Sunflowers On Henderson CanyonRoad

Perhaps by now, the wildflowers along the Henderson Canyon Road are gone, since when we were there last weekend, we saw a lot of caterpillars already devouring the wildflowers. Also, the desert had been getting warmer temperatures. However, the other parts of Anza Borrego Desert State Park are just starting to bloom, especially at the higher elevation. We hiked the Borrego Palm Canyon Trail last weekend,

 

Brittlebush and the Palm Oasis @ Borrego Palm Canyon

and it seemed that the brittlebush and other wildflowers were still fresh. There were also diverse display of wildflowers in the trail, but the majority would be the brittlebush which seemed to be scattered everywhere.

Brittlebush Scattered on the Borrego Palm Canyon Trail

Brittlebush Scattered on the Creekside of Borrego Palm Canyon

We saw a lot of desert big horn sheep on our hike last weekend ( March 15) , however, they were kind of too far from us that though I have pictures, but none is clear enough . Borrego Palm Canyon is a 3 mile round trip hike from the trailhead or 6 mile roundtrip hike from the Visitor Center. There is not much change in elevation in this trail, but the trail is very rocky for the most part. There were also a lot of wildflowers mixed with the cacti at Cactus Loop Trail. Also, the desert lily seemed to be scattered everywhere, especially on the road going to Salton Sea and Font’s Point.

Desert Lily

For more information on Anza Borrego Desert Park, please visit the park website at http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=638

After the coastal, inland valley, and desert wildflowers are gone, it still is not the end of wildflower viewing since the mountain wildflowers will follow sometime in April and May. Happy trails and Happy spring everyone.