Early in July my friend Tracy M. Schultze and I hiked to Cuyamaca Peak for sunset. We were hoping/expecting to get somewhat similar conditions like the ones Shuwen and I had when we did that hike in November 2014 (my photo of the month for November 2014) because the marine layer looked somewhat promising – but it didn’t happen.
Rancho Cuyamaca
Above a Hazy Landscape (Cuyamaca Peak)
Photos from a third hike to Cuyamaca Peak – and the first with a view of the hazy landscape to the west, below us. On previous hikes, it was either disappearing or already hidden under marine stratus (which is beautiful too, of course).
Sunset Hike to Cuyamaca Peak
Cuyamaca Peak is the second highest peak of San Diego County, at 6512 feet (1985 meters). It is easily reached via an old (and mostly paved) fire road that leads all the way up to the peak. It’s not a strenuous hike in my opinion – the road is a little steep in some spots, but there are really no difficulties whatsoever if you just find your pace and take your time. It is also the only “serious” hike at Cuyamaca Rancho where you can bring a dog, since it is on a road. Dogs are not permitted on the hiking trails there.
Tour Through Rain
“Winter storm” doesn’t have quite the same meaning here in San Diego that it would have in Germany. Temperatures are still relatively mild, precipitation is often more of a constant drizzle that gently soaks the landscape than what I would call rain. It’s interesting, but also quite unspectacular – unless you leave the more or less immediate coast and drive a little bit further east.
Winter Drive along Sunrise Highway
The diversity of San Diego County is most apparent early in the year. The low-lying coastal and inland regions of the county are lush with fresh green already, and when Spring storms bring more precious precipitation it falls as snow at the highest elevations. In the Laguna Mountains, this brings astonishing contrasts between snow-covered chaparral slopes and the arid desert regions below. The drive along the east-facing portion of Sunrise Highway is highly enjoyable then.