Hot Day in Cuyamaca

We had a slow start to our Saturday morning and headed out a little too late to Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. It was easy to be mistaken about the weather; we live closer to the ocean and woke up to an overcast morning, as is the norm in June. Inland, however, it's a different story, and getting to the park around noon after a long drive made for a hot and dry experience. Although there were two families ready to hit the trails, most sat in the shade near their tents to wait out the heat. 

We paid $8.00 at the ranger station to enter the park. One of the rangers had lost her earring in the restroom, and though we tried to help, we could not find it. She continued to look for it outside and took it all in stride.

 I've been to this park before, on a week-long field trip in early spring. Back then, the weather changed each day of the week: the first day was summery; the next was spring-like and perfect for hiking; the next was chilly and overcast, and it snowed on the last day. 

Today, we enjoyed the brief walk in the shade under the oak and manzanita trees. 

What I didn't know was that most of the trails, some of which are absolutely beautiful and travel along cool streams, do not allow dogs. Some are strictly for hikers; others are horse trails. We saw about 30 riders and horses getting ready to go on one of the trails this late morning, but our dogs were limited to only one trail in the park. So, after the ranger gave us our instructions, pass, and map, we parked and headed out, not on the trail, but on the hot asphalt road that would eventually lead to the dog trail. 

Many of the trees bore the marks of a recent fire, and although the area was not as green as we had hoped, it still offered a rugged beauty.  

This particular area of the park also allows for camping, so we saw numerous tents and lots of families with young kids and their dogs. This was not so surprising, since it is one of the great American rites of childhood to go on a camping trip. It was all very sweet but a little crowded when all we wanted to do was walk in nature. We did see a few birds, including what seemed to be hawks flying high above the trees. 

The firehouse outside the entrance had a sign advising people that they were in the process of using control fires, and that we should not call the fire department if we happened to spot a fire. Thankfully, we didn't see any fires, controlled or otherwise.

Unprepared for the heat and the restricted access, we turned around, hiked the mile or so back to the car, and headed home, exhausted. Hiking in Cuyamaca is something we might try again in cooler weather. For the rest of the summer, though, we'll probably stick to coastal destinations, unless we are up and about very early in the morning.