Hike 2015.040 -- Oak Glen Preserve

Hiked Friday, May 22. I'm more or less keeping to schedule on my hike count, but still having trouble keeping up on the posts. This hike was about two and a half months ago, but I never managed to finish the write-up.

This was my first hike here since "Humming-bird Hill" opened. I did not realize where on their property Hummingbird Hill was going to be, but it turns out I walked it the last time I was here--It's right inside the entrance, on the right.

Despite this being mid- to late-May, however, it was an odd southern California May, and, on this day, the clouds were thick and it had rained and misted for most of the morning. Not raining by the time I got there, but the flowers were, as with my previous visit, happily drizzled in water droplets.

On this hike, I did not head up to Preservation Point. To get my mileage in, I looped around the River section twice, and took the Chaparral Loop. Because of the rain earlier that day, the boardwalk was closed. My one shot of the boardwalk was from the adjacent River trail, shooting across the narrow ravine.

Most of the flower shots are either from Hummingbird Hill, or the fields with picnic tables, just northwest of Hummingbird Hill. The shot of the apple blossoms was from just across the trail and past Hummingbird Hill, as well.

This robin here was first atop the entrance sign for the preserve, then appeared several times just inside the preserve. He was very photogenic.

Blue curl sage, I think is what these guys are called.

One of many shots I took from a low angle, looking across a meadow that was sprinkled with a variety of wildflowers, including lupine and California poppies.

Apple blossoms.

Purple vetch.

Oak leaves, with little droplets of water at the leaf tips. They looked like tiny Christmas tree ornaments.

Boardwalk.

Oak Knoll Park, on the eastern end of the Preserve. Well-hidden park, if you don't already know it's there.

More lupine, this time, with a bit of the base of the mountains that are north of Oak Glen.

Same meadow as several other shots. There are a few picnic tables adjacent to this meadow, down in the preserve. Since I looped the trail twice, some sections are pictured "out of order."

Upper Pond. This pond was completely dry when I previously visited, just a few weeks before.

Tree, back along the River Trail.

Quite near the previous shot, still on the River Trail. They have a hollowed log, to make drawing water easy, if you decide you want to fill a pail and water a nearby tree.

Lower Pond, with some wild roses.