One of my favorite places to go in Orange County, Ca is Santiago Peak.
It's elevation is 5280, the highest point in O.C. It's not easy getting to it other than by hiking, mountain bike, horseback, motorcycle, or 4wd. The nearest paved road is about 10 miles in any direction. By 4wd it takes between 75-120 minutes depending on which forest roads are open. Most of my visits I rarely see more than 3-4 other people.
I wish I had some pictures of a clear day, but a clear day in O.C. is very rare. Most clear days come after heavy rain, which closes the forest roads.
The general area looks like
with different vegetation dependent on altitude.
In the center of this picture
you can barely make out Catalina Island.
This is approximately the same setup, taken in March 2004 on day when the marine layer was not as bad.
You can see the outline of Catalina, and most of south O.C. The airstrip on the right is the old El Toro Marine base, and the water inlet is the Back Bay at Newport Beach. I am not sure which reservoir is on the left of photo.
Looking towards Los Angeles just before sunset
Sundown, and time to begin the journey back down.
Message edited by author 2004-07-07 01:12:00. |
