My husband and I on our drive up, we were greeted by a group of boar and a herd of cows. We started our hike in a cloud on a brisk misty morning. Not too bad and then BAM all uphill! Oh my it was a butt burner! It seemed to go on forever. We were begging for the clouds to stay as we appreciated the cool crisp air. Not too many people on the trail, just the way we like it. We heard and spotted woodpeckers along the way. We made it to Mt. Sizer, not really a mountain. More like the highest point on the ridge. One of the most lack luster hikes but better than being indoors. Now the down hill! Oh my was it a thigh buster! So much down hill. The sun was out but not too hot. Made our way through various environments; chaparral, meadow, pine forest (oddly enough) and the classic oak forest. Seeing the evidence of the burn just a year or two prior. A Monarch butterfly graced us with her beauty as she fluttered about. Then BAM, uphill again! UGH! LOL. As we are making our way up the hill for whatever reason swarms of gnats decided to literally “bug” me and apparently follow me. I of course forgot my hiking bug head net. Rookie mistake, one that I should not have made. What seemed like 5 miles later, I found myself free from the swarm! Phew! It felt like it was going on forever. Were we going to make it out before nightfall? Luckily we had all the provisions and supplies one would need for an epic hike. Yes, made it to the wide open space that was 1.7 miles left to the parking lot. WOOHOO! We finally made it. As our reward, we were greeted by a pack of deer. This was a doozy of a hike! We enjoyed our day in the mountains of what was once our home.