Thelma and I took a ride up the local mountains to drop Ace off for his week of camp at Camp Marston. There were thunder clouds in the sky and thunder in our ears when we dropped the boy off. But we had a patch of blue sky following us throughout the whole trip. We stopped on the way back home at a monument established by the San Diego Men's Honor Camp for the firefighters who lost their lives fighting the Inaja Forest Fire on November 25, 1956.
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The memorial plaque for the Firefighters of Inaja Forest Fire November 25, 1956
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You can see the BBQ and picnic tables at the bottom of this photo.
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They say it is a loop trail, but I couldn't follow it. I can see in this terrain how folks get lost! I chose to back track my trail.
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Almost to the top. Actually the top is a big granite rock on the other side of this hill.
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I've loved Manzanita since I went to 6th grade camp at Camp Marston and was given a piece to sand and polish.
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The trail provided some great views below.
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We had a dry winter this year. I am sure this hole for collecting rainwater is often times deeper
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At the top and backside of the mountain here is a gem of a find. A simple metal tube to look through at the distant mountain tops.
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The arrow lined up with the name of the peak you'd view through the tube. I think this is WAY COOL!
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A view down the backside of the mountain toward San Diego.
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A bush growing out of the rocks at the top. Typical Southern California growth.
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A view down the other side of the mountain toward the famous Dudley's Bakery. Of course we stopped and got some goods to bring home.
I had a great time and even though it is a very short hike, I am already looking forward to doing it again. The town of Wynola is up the road a bit and I'd like to wander around there so it's a good excuse for a day trip. I've uploaded a few more photos of Camp Marston and dropping Ace off to camp along with a few more of the hike we took here. You can find them here: Local Mountains |
