Ramona lake: A late-afternoon hike beyond.

Overlooking Lake Poway from above Ramona lake.




In our last hike of the year, we matched the previous walk up and beyond Ramona lake in Blue Sky Preserve but this time, climbing higher. (See blog before). The previous hike took place during the morning in good light but not near sunrise. The latter hike occurred in the mid-to-late afternoon, giving us the opportunity to view the contrast. Besides wonderful views, the climb is quite intense and amounts to a great workout, with additional opportunities to view the wildlife, as well as snack on an orange picked from a tree in the wilds. Sure beats cold storage. It's quite remarkable that as soon as one hits the trail, a different feeling overcomes a person or at least these two people. We used to walk daily along the sidewalks in the 'old days'. It's such a different experience in the mountains that the only commonality seems to be movement of the legs. Once a person gets into the wilds, generally, it is as if one is entering a different realm.

The only problem at Blue Sky Preserve is there is no parking along the road. However, the trail parking is, in fact, at the trail. 'Could anything be more convenient than that, you might ask?' Of course not. However, the gates close at sunset. Thus any chance of attaining a sunrise or sunset view is impossible unless one takes a taxi to-and-from the parking lot. We pushed as long as we could to remain at the peak visited, bearing in mind the time limit in effect. In the end, we ran the last mile in fading light as we strived to arrive before the gatekeeper. It could have made a wonderful afternoon a little less delightful had our car spent the night under the stars.



Quite overpowering as the sun moves low into the late afternoon and coloring changes around Lake Poway.
The sun highlights plants in foreground.




The neighborhood below Mount Woodson peak.




Looks like downtown San Diego...we're not sure.




Late afternoon, facing the Pacific Ocean.




Could be the same bird flapping about from the previous hike and blog.




Heading for the gate and hoping it's not yet locked. Gates close at sunset.




Dream location for a house...looking for a sponsor or two. Set in the valley below Woodson.



The neighborhood from Woodson peak (a different hike). Ramona lake below.(Clouds cost extra.)
Some of current pictures taken from extreme right side and higher.



Soft light toward the end of the day.




Goodnight! See you in 2017.



Cheers,


Jenni and Jeffrey