I started off this wonderful backcountry hike at sunrise. I was only the 2nd vehicle park on the road shoulder. It was a bit chilly, so I through on my rain shell to block the wind and headed out. The trail quickly ascends into the Oak shade cover and climbs quickly. I heard the telltale sign of turkeys and song birds. I was concentrating on the trail when I reached a sign warning of Bobcats. No more than 1 switchback away, I came across 3 coyotes playing on the trail, trying to nip each other's tail. They saw me and ran into the woods, where they stopped to watch me pass about 75 yards off trail. It was going to be an eventful trip.

I enjoyed popping in and out of meadows & climbing switchbacks at a steady pace, until I came to the merge of the 5 Oaks Trail. Here, I paused for some water and a small snack. I enjoyed the scenery and listened to a chorus of woodpeckers doing their thing to the surrounding trees. At this point, the hiker who had started before me came down the trail. He mentioned some great valley views, but noted that the coast was shrouded in marine layer obscuring the island views.

I picked up my sit pad and started across the only downhill portion of the climb up. This meadow is a wonderful section of the trail before you go back into shadows. I then climbed until I reached the Palomar Observatory scouting hut, where I took in the history and saw my first snow of the hike. In the folds of the land that get very little light, there were mounds of snow from the recent storms. They were all off trail, but it did show that it was not going to get super warm today. I stopped at the outlook with the visor, to identify the peaks in the distance with the sign before continuing.

At this point, I hear a group with a dog come around the corner of the trail onto the top glass land section. I completed my last climb to the top where I took pictures of the old Air Plane direction light and Geo Marker. I sat on this cool tile bench for another water break and snack before heading down to the car. I stopped to take pictures of the desert to the East, but made quick work down the trail. I ran into 3 more groups of hikers going up the trail, while speeding toward the exit. The air warned as I descended into the Valley and I removed my rain shell.

At the exit, I discovered 2 rangers doing maintenance to the trail gate. They mentioned that they were going to close the approach road do to soft shoulders and asked if I was a car on that trail. I informed them that the vehicle was there when I arrived, but that I was on the roadway up top. They thanked me for the context of the vehicle and I finished to short jaunt to the car. I took some time to message my feet and headed into Julian for a slice of pie!