Are there hot springs on Hot Springs Mountain? The mystery remains. . .

It was an absolutely beautiful day – sunny with a few wispy clouds to make the photos interesting, and cool enough for comfortable hiking.  The woodlands were splashed with the gold of black oaks amid the green of live oaks and incense cedars.  I really love this trail; in fact, I think it’s my favorite in the county.  The trail endpoints – the old fire tower and the actual summit that entails scaling a huge boulder via a ladder and climbing webbing – have jaw-dropping spectacular views.  Just one caveat:  the climbing webbing is old and frayed and needs to be replaced because it’s sketchy; it is noticeably shorter than when I last climbed it about 1 1/2 years ago, and there are broken-off pieces on the ground.