A Trip to Cuyamaca State Park

We took a trip to Cuyamaca State Park, about 40 miles east of San Diego. It was ranch-like, between the desert and semi-tropical coastline, and was all in all a pleasant getaway with tons of beautiful hiking trails, horseriding paths, apple and date farms, and wildlife (we saw a huge herd of wild turkeys running across a small windy road, a large convoy of California Quails in a small gulch, and many other animals/signs of animals we couldn't identify...)

Most of these pictures were from a hike we took about 10 miles south of the town of Julian, a gold rush town built in 1870, with most of its original structures still standing. We'll be going back for the apple season in a few weeks, so no worries, we'll be sure to take plenty of pictures of the town.
























The area in which we hiked had been ravaged by a pretty intense fire in the last few years. The fire appeared to be limited to a 3-4 mile stretch along the curving route 79, as evidenced by the skeletal trees with charred black trunks. Here's one overlooking a mountain valley with a carpet of chaparral...



















It was amazing to see how life rebounds from fires. This area was like entering another world, with some kind of ivy/holly invading the burnt out trunks of old trees. We also found a few sprouts of new oaks pushing through...




















Here's Johanna and the massive valley to the south of Julian...

































The monochrome does justice to the landscape in the fire zones.... Check out the gullet on that raven!


























We'll definently be taking a trip back here in the late fall. There were two warm apple turnovers sitting in a bakery window that we didn't indulge in, and we plan on returning to claim them. Also, two horses stood in the middle of a burnt meadow, stamping and carousing around--we're going to take them for a ride.