My favorite hike on Gaskill Peak for a TC FTF
3cds wanted to get another Terracache this week, so we met along Japatul Valley Road and he drove his truck up the rough tangle of roads that goes through the Carveacre "development." When we got the the access to the Forest Service Road, there was a gate across the road with "No Trespassing" signs . . . Bummer! Right next to the gate is a sign for the National Forest Boundary, so we found a place to pull off the road and then we bushwhacked back to the road.
The reason the road is now closed is because two new homes, on incredible view lots, are being built. Now that they have their building permits, they have to improve the road and they have had to use some really heavy equipment to move the boulders and smooth out the road that used to be a challenging and techinical 4WD access to the ridge.
Once we got up to the ridge, the awsome views opened up on all sides. I kept stopping to take picture after picture, even though I have taken pictures on all my other trips up that wonderful trail.
In that picture, you can see Bell Bluff, the challenging peak both 3cds and I have conquered, although at different times. That would be my favorite hike in the county if it wasn't such a long, boring slog through previously-burned chaparrel to get to the base of the peak. It was sure fun to be on top of that peak playing around and among all the huge boulders.
Behind Bell Bluff, way off in the distance, is Mt. Palomar. Closer in, and to the left, is Viejas Mountain, the location of my first Geocache FTF.
We were there a bit after ten in the morning, so my pictures didn't come out as well as they would have if I had been on that trail a couple of hours earlier. This awesome view to the south hardly resembles what I really saw from the ridge.
On all my other hikes up this trail, I don't remember stopping here to get this particular view of Lawson Peak.
Further up the trail, looking to the east, you can see the terrible devastation of last summer's Horsethief fire. Because we have had very little rain this winter, there isn't any new green growth on those scorched hillsides.
The new Terracache is about 89 feet away from my "On the way to Gaskill Peak." It is TC47W, "Barrett Lake View" by Travelita. As she was looking for a place to put her cache, she accidentally found my cache . . .
3cds spotted the "cammo" on her small container before I did, so he was the true FTF. He took the "Fermented juice of the agave" as his FTF prize; I took the money! I'll have to buy at Starbuck's again the next time we are in town.
It was a really wonderful day. I had a great time, and I even got home in time to clean up and get ready to drive to La Jolla to see a free movie, "The Italian." Now that gas prices have come down a bit, it doesn't quite cost me the price of a movie ticket to drive to San Diego to take advantage of a free KPBS movie pass . . .
The reason the road is now closed is because two new homes, on incredible view lots, are being built. Now that they have their building permits, they have to improve the road and they have had to use some really heavy equipment to move the boulders and smooth out the road that used to be a challenging and techinical 4WD access to the ridge.
Once we got up to the ridge, the awsome views opened up on all sides. I kept stopping to take picture after picture, even though I have taken pictures on all my other trips up that wonderful trail.
In that picture, you can see Bell Bluff, the challenging peak both 3cds and I have conquered, although at different times. That would be my favorite hike in the county if it wasn't such a long, boring slog through previously-burned chaparrel to get to the base of the peak. It was sure fun to be on top of that peak playing around and among all the huge boulders.
Behind Bell Bluff, way off in the distance, is Mt. Palomar. Closer in, and to the left, is Viejas Mountain, the location of my first Geocache FTF.
We were there a bit after ten in the morning, so my pictures didn't come out as well as they would have if I had been on that trail a couple of hours earlier. This awesome view to the south hardly resembles what I really saw from the ridge.
On all my other hikes up this trail, I don't remember stopping here to get this particular view of Lawson Peak.
Further up the trail, looking to the east, you can see the terrible devastation of last summer's Horsethief fire. Because we have had very little rain this winter, there isn't any new green growth on those scorched hillsides.
The new Terracache is about 89 feet away from my "On the way to Gaskill Peak." It is TC47W, "Barrett Lake View" by Travelita. As she was looking for a place to put her cache, she accidentally found my cache . . .
3cds spotted the "cammo" on her small container before I did, so he was the true FTF. He took the "Fermented juice of the agave" as his FTF prize; I took the money! I'll have to buy at Starbuck's again the next time we are in town.
It was a really wonderful day. I had a great time, and I even got home in time to clean up and get ready to drive to La Jolla to see a free movie, "The Italian." Now that gas prices have come down a bit, it doesn't quite cost me the price of a movie ticket to drive to San Diego to take advantage of a free KPBS movie pass . . .
posted by Miragee at
10:40:00 AM
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