Weekdays

The trails have gotten so crowded during the pandemic, that it is best to leave the weekends mostly to others and venture out myself on weekdays. I should clarify that when I write “crowded”, it’s not amusement-park-like-crowded. It’s actually only crowded near the parking lots and in the lower canyons and easily accessible ridge lines. But during a pandemic, “crowded” of any sort is not the best choice. Generally, as soon as the climb begins, the crowds begin to thin, so I will hike weekends here and there, but right now weekdays are definitely best.

Wednesdays especially have become a favorite of mine – last Wednesday (Feb. 3) I got out nice and early, when the weather was still quite cold and walked through an empty parking lot into Aliso Canyon. I lucked out and right away caught several pictures of a road runner just milling about at the park entrance. I had practically given up on getting a picture of these birds. I had tried so many times, but they are just so quick, I always fail. Imagine my excitement to finally catch some fairly close-up shots of the bird before it darted off. Believe me, the excitement was real! I knew this hike was going to have dividends. Deeper in Aliso Canyon the fog was still hanging on, and it grew so chilly that the buff came up and over my chin and nose quite a few times. The canyon just kept giving as it always does.

Both Aliso and Wood creeks were flowing and the canyons were healthy with evidence of spring right around the corner. Deer stood off in the distance grazing grass. Ferns and moss grew thick in the shady areas, and green grass was beginning to poke up in the fields.  I spent some time at the creek crossing off Mathis remembering a blog friend who in five short days from then would pass away from cancer. I hiked up Coyote Run after that, my favorite of late, and headed straight over to Nature Loop, where I took my ritual climb to the top. And I stayed there for about thirty minutes before hiking the ridgeline back into Mathis Canyon.  In all, I travelled nearly 7 miles with 1,116’ of gain. I felt solemn and at the same time renewed.