BIRTHDAY HIKE – Sometime in February ☺ ☺ ☺

Went on a wonderful hike in Cuyamaca State Park with by hiking buddies, Myrna and Chris. The weather was perfect: after about 15 minutes of hiking we took off jackets and hiked in our shirtsleeves, and I in my shorts.

Chris had picked out the hike as it is one of her favorites. This was the Dyar Springs/Juaquapin Loop. It started at the Sweetwater River Parking area just North of Green Valley Falls C.G.

The first half mile the trail was quite rough due to an earlier muddy season, but then it leveled out a bit and got to be what one usually experiences. The wildflowers have started to bloom and we enjoyed the sweet smell of ceanothus perplexans, desert ceanothus; Arctostaphylos glandulosa, Eastwood Manzanita, Encelia californica, California sunflower; Lamium amplexiaule, Henbit; Paeonia californica, California peony; and Sidalcea sparsifolia, Checkerbloom.

 

DESERT CEANOTHUS/CEANOTHUS PERPLEXANS

Eastwood Manzanita/ Arctostaphylos glandulosa

Wild Peony/ Paeonia californica

Checkerbloom/Sidalcea sparsifolia

 

Henbit/Lamium amplexicaule

Here is a plant I have not yet been able to identify. Your help would be much appreciated.

There were several large meadows to walk by and we were rewarded with seeing 18 mule deer in the distance. 

Mule Deer Herd

Then we saw evidence of the cycle of life with the rib cage skeleton of a deer as well as it’s lower jaw.

At Dyar Spring we saw evidence of the harvesting of acorns by the Kumyaay with deep morteros in the nearby rocks. 

Granite Formation

Peaceful Scene

Grinding Rock

Many grinding holes

A distant view made me think of the Smoky Mountains -

To celebrate the occasion we had a dessert treat at the Descanso Junction Restaurant on our way home. They have done some remodeling since I was last there as well as upgraded the menu. We enjoyed apple dumpling (Chris), cherry pie (Myrna), and Chocolate volcano cake (NKV). They were all delicious. Sorry no pictures but they were beautiful and delicious.