Valencia Peak

Montaña de Oro State Park

The highway is dotted with state parks like this one tucked away a bit south of it. Many hit it for the beach, we hit it for the peak. There are actually three other peaks as well, and while they are all a bit small, they do start from near sea level, so there is a reasonable climb. We find some parking and, well, get to hiking on the well traveled path.

Some rocky shores to the east.

The beach goers have only a patch of sand between rocky sections, although a large one.

The trail seems overly long and twisting across the flat and climbs in short bursts. We pass other trails, options for somewhat different hikes or maybe some looping. There are numerous flowers blooming, lizards sunning, and somewhere in the distance a bell buoy hits an irregular beat that becomes longer and deeper as it travels.

Gaining a little elevation brings in more coastline. (Click to embiggen.)

Checking out the peaks from among some sticky monkey flowers.

There are more and more big, blue mountains behind the nearby hills as we climb. The fog moves in as we hit the top to obscure them again.

At the top, mountains in the distance. (Click to embiggen.)

Fog trying to obscure the coast to the south.

We head down again, enjoying the sun, the fog, and the wildlife.

Down too low to see the distant blue mountains again. Now it is just hills.

A particularly colorful arrangement beside the trail.

Always fun to study the scales of the lizard.

Some very small flowers.

An early riser getting the nosh.

*photo album*


©2015 Valerie Norton
Posted 5 April 2015