Here we come world

Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve was no longer officially off-limits, and the forecast was for a  beautifully cool, overcast day.   It had been quite a while since we went out on a hike together.  Through the office parks, past old satellite dish enclosures, and down into the canyon we went.

Despite the parking remaining closed, there were many others with the same idea.  Lots of runners, families with their dogs, families on bicycles, and a couple equestrians.  For wildlife, today we both got to see a deer, but no snakes, bobcats, or coyotes.  Plenty of birds, and the usual pairs of crows harassing the lone hawks but no lizards.

We walked to the waterfall and then headed up a side hill to avoid the crowds.  Early on we came across many others with something to cover their faces, but as the morning wore on, the face coverings dwindled.

The views on the way back were even more beautiful, and Jay decided to show who was  behind the camera.

Tanya suggested we see if the Sycamore Crossing was passable, and off to the other side of the canyon we went.  The effects of this year’s rain has been a particular interest of Jay’s as it has been the first time in his life where he’s walked the same trails day after day for a full year.

It was finally time for Jay to carry the backpack for a little while.  He wasn’t having any issues without it and didn’t struggle with it.  We stopped for lunch on a large rock by the pond and then back to Tanya the significantly lighter backpack went.

This is where today’s pictures in the canyon end, but we continued on to Lopez Canyon where Jay walks almost daily.  The rain has been gone for a few weeks now, and Jay has been photographing the algae bloom in the now slow moving water.  There is also a place along  the climb up old Lopez Canyon Road where the trail stays muddy the longest.

Again Jay has been interested in the sometimes dramatic effects of the rain, so here you can see pictures of land slides he took a few days earlier.

We headed back along the path next to his work, then over to the office parks to avoid walking on hard concrete, and finally home.