TALES FROM THE TRAIL (AND SOMETIMES THE ROAD TOO)

Friday, January 13, 2023

No Junk Miles

I’m on winter break from work and I have no wheels. The story behind my truck is a long one and it’s emotional for me. So, I’ll skip that part of the story. The worst part, in fact, the only bad part is that no truck means no mountains on winter break.

But I am bound and determined to roam. Who needs a stinkin’ car? I don’t. I can walk out my front door and a half mile later wade in the Pacific Ocean with San Juan Creek and the Saddleback Mountains in view. In fact, times like this forces me to change my routine, my wandering routine (oddly, I get into wandering routines).

Last Friday (1/6) before the onslaught of rain, this wanderess walked a block and hopped onto the county bus – Route 1, which takes the coast (Hwy 1) from San Clemente to Long Beach. I sat at the back of an empty bus and road it south to the county line, past the last stop (Cristianitos Rd) and exited at the first stop on the northbound route. That stop was Avenida Santa Margarita, which overlooks Camp Pendleton Marine base. The trip took about 35 minutes (plus the walk to the bus stop). From there, it was a quick trek through a fast food restaurant parking lot to Trestles Beach Trail.

View of Camp Pendleton from Trestles Beach Trail:IMG_0920IMG_0929IMG_0940 IMG_0943

Trestles Beach Trail is a quick dirt path that travels beneath Interstate 5, all eight or so lanes, north and southbound. Take the trail inland, it turns into Panhe Nature Trail which takes you right into San Mateo campgrounds of which I’ve visited once and really have no desire to return.

They’ve cleaned up the graffiti on the pillars that hold up Interstate 5 since I last visited. I was kind of looking forward to seeing the artwork. Some of it is interesting and rather polished. Regardless, graffiti  or not, it’s a lovely urban stroll. And everyone on the route is super excited to be there. Why? Because they’re going surfin’!!!

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Train tracks run through all San Clemente Beaches. This may bother some. As for me, trains are nostalgic. I’ve grown fond of the train whistle that I hear from my house on foggy nights. So many times I’ve driven a cranky baby to the station so he could be soothed by the trains. Many mornings and sometimes nights I’ve sat in my truck waiting for the train to bring a son home from college. I kind of love trains.

So, back to Trestles Beach. To begin, what is a trestle? The short answer: a type of  bridge. And that’s just what you will see at this beach, only about 1.5 miles into the hike, a trestle bridge crossing San Mateo Creek.  

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IMG_8404I meandered beneath the trestle bridge and spied on ducks floating along the creek. Eventually, I took up residence on the sand and remained there for some time. The weather was chilly, the skies sunny and blue. I spotted another wanderer just like myself on the sand up the ways. I noticed he too unpacked and sat there for a while. Looked like he ate a snack and then was off, kind of meandering without urgency with a pack on his back and hiking pole in hand.

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My plan was to hike the sand, or tracks, whichever was available, to San Clemente Beach, then Calafia Beach, and from there catch the bus back home. But as with all hiking adventures, there are always some type of obstacles. On this day, the obstacles were Amtrak workers on the tracks, blocking through access.The tide unfortunately too high to pass along the sand, I slumped down onto a boulder defeated. I had to hike back the way I came, and if I was going to do that, I might as well just hop on the bus and go back home. That’s what I thought at the time anyway.

Fortunately, the hike back was long enough for me to change my mind.

One of the huts along Trestles Beach: IMG_1003IMG_1012

I made the mile trek along Avenida del Presidente, which runs parallel to Interstate Five, still a little annoyed that I could not do my originally planned hike along the sand. I peeked ahead of time using Google Maps, so I knew that I’d come to a pedestrian entrance into San Clemente State Beach campgrounds. And once I found a trail back down to the sand, my annoyance disappeared. (Trails do that!)

 Trail down to Calafia Beach:IMG_1034

I’m happy I didn’t just hike out of Trestles and go back home after being thwarted in my plans. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to explore these beautiful, kind of eerie land formations at San Clemente and Calafia beaches. What a spot! I absolutely treasure my time standing here doing nothing.  

Wasn’t the greatest of adventures (I didn’t have my truck afterall!). But I don’t regret it. Time well spent for sure.

A quote comes to mind right now from a wonderful Professor (Dr. St. Laurent @ CSUF). He once told his Humanities class (of which I sat so long ago): “Most people say, don’t just sit there, do something! I say, don’t just do something, sit there!” These words astonished me. I think about them often.

No time wandering ever seems wasted. There are no junk miles!

IMG_1042IMG_1064IMG_1069IMG_1070IMG_1081  IMG_1084IMG_1089From House of Trestles (near my bus stop for trip home):IMG_8410

7.25 miles approx. (Don’t know stats yet; haven’t downloaded watch)

Saturday, December 31, 2022

Happy New Year! (Welcome La Nina!)

IMG_0873Happy New Year (& what a freakin’ year it’s been)! Time is an amazing thing – the years now just fly by. And so the passing of one year to the next doesn’t mean much to me. Every day is a start over day, not just the first of the year. So grateful that I know that!

One of my best Christmas gifts this year was a hike this past Wednesday (12/28), out to Black Star Canyon with my husband. We got in just after the rains and before another good storm. After picking up a couple sandwiches late morning, we packed them into one of my favorite spots.  After a good long rest in the “village”, we trekked through thick mud to explore Hidden Ranch while on our way to scout out another trail I’d heard about, a single track that leads up to The Divide, about a quarter mile past the KSOX Doppler Radar Tower (so I hear). Trail was located (for another day).

Gorgeous day out! On the way back, my husband picked up a rock that caught his eye. To my amazement, it was the same rock I had picked up a couple weeks back. I had to pull out a picture from my phone as proof – otherwise he would have never believed me. I took the finding as a good sign.

The sky was black when we finally made it out of the canyon, a full hour after sunset. No hauntings on this night, though if I had been without my spouse I would have been spooked for sure in a pitch-dark Black Star Canyon.

Looking forward to more cold winter, rainy weather here in California. La Nina is coming! Looking forward, I hope to explore new places in 2023. We’ll see. I’ll do what I can. I’ll be wandering one way or another for sure, I know that because that’s what I do!

IMG_0844IMG_0849Baker’s CrossIMG_0854Toyon BerriesIMG_0861Re-packing after lunch in the villageIMG_0886Creek crossing in Hidden Ranch areaIMG_0899Heading homeIMG_0889IMG_0905IMG_0911

12.1 miles, elevation gain about 3,800’

Thursday, December 22, 2022

The Awesomeness of Solitude

Last Saturday, December 17, I took my usual hike of late – 10 miles, 5 out and 5 back on Black Star Canyon Road. No permit required for parking, no off-roading or windy mountain driving. Perfect for what I need right now. I’m easing back into it.

The dirt truck trail up Black Star Canyon was surprisingly empty for a Saturday morning/afternoon. I came upon several cyclists and one hiker that I spoke with briefly, but for the most part, I found myself completely alone. The awesomeness of absolute solitude on a lonely mountain road never ceases to amaze me. It feels like the utmost freedom – freedom to feel and think and question. Freedom to not think at all and just be in the Now. The solitude of a long lonely road brings me immeasurable peace. Thank God for that.

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Saturday, December 17, 2022

Price Tag: One Favorite Hat

IMG_0669Last Friday, December 9, I set off into Black Star Canyon after running some morning errands. Even with the late start, the weather was still nice and cold -- low 50s F, just how I like it. Perfect hiking weather. Coming to an end of a much needed extended fast, I decided to hike up to my favorite secret spot of late, to break my fast. The hike was more strenuous than usual being in in this state. This is exactly what I intended -- I mean, what better way to end a fast then by really pushing myself to get to a serene spot. And then to take the first bite of a cracker, the most wonderful tasting cracker in the world, while looking over the canyon. I can’t beat that. How much would I pay for such an experience? Lots. But I have no money. That’s okay, it only cost me my favorite hat. ;)

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At the base of the canyon, I realized that I dropped my favorite hat. I had an idea where it probably happened. There was no way I was willing to make the trek back. I was bummed for a bit until I asked myself this: If you were offered today’s experience in the mountains and were told that it would cost you that hat, would you do it? Yes. Yes, I would.

10 miles lovely miles.

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Thursday, December 8, 2022

Out of Hibernation

IMG_0532December 3rd, my youngest son’s 18th birthday, I took a nice ten mile hike up Black Star Canyon, to one of my favorite easy to get to, out in the open, secret places. What’s the occasion? Nice cold weather was the occasion. It was time for me to come out of hibernation. I am awake! What a great hike to celebrate awakening. After a day like that I wondered (out loud) why I’m not out there every single day! I get that much peace from the trip. I felt so full of joy at one point that I burst into a spontaneous run. I stopped myself from that silliness pretty quickly though since it’s been a while. I’m not practiced – last thing I need is a face plant. My arms only recently recovered from the last fall in December 2021. (Excuses, excuses).

I love Black Star Canyon. Yes, the base is well travelled and in places vandalized with spray paint. That’s sad. And yes, it’s mainly all truck trail (with a few single track turn offs available here and there). Once you make that turn 2.5 miles in and start the climb, there’s so much to see up there, even close to the road. Black Star Canyon is a beautiful place with a huge local history (which explains the legends of its haunting). On that note, I do find Black Star Canyon haunting, but not by ghosts. 

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