First Hike of the Summer

I got out for my first hike of the summer yesterday, June 23. I was feeling quite lazy in the morning. I certainly didn't want to drive far, especially being that I didn't even get out of house until 12:30 pm. So I decided on a lackodasical hike through Wood Canyon. June Gloom was gone for the day, so fearing the sun, I thought that Wood Canyon could give me the shade I would probably need. 

My feet didn't hit dirt until 1:00 pm, and the weather was completely bearable the entire 8.35 mile hike. I took all of the detours along Wood Canyon on the way out. And on the way back took Wood Canyon all the way to my truck parked off of Pacific Park in Aliso Viejo (by Canyon View Park). I got a cool ocean breeze for practically the entire hike. It was glorious!

The canopy is haunting in Wood Canyon:

First detour -- Wood Creek Trail, a fairtale single track that moves up and down the slopes along the creek:

 View into Wood Canyon from Wood Creek Trail:

 Wood Creek Trail is dark and spooky in places, a hidden gem in Aliso/Wood Canyon Wilderness Park:

Poison Oak along Wood Creek Trail (you can pretty much find it everywhere in Wood Canyon):

 Second detour -- Coyote Run Trail, another lovely single-track with lots of shade:

Coyote Run Trail without the shade, but still plenty of cool breezes:

Detour number three, Dripping Cave (Aka Robbers Cave):

And then detour number four, an old time favorite -- Cave Rock: