Santiago Peak

The trip begins before "the trip" begins.

My son loves nature, but of course he does; he is mine.

He loves the journey.

The getting there.

I am a talker. I LOVE to talk! I think it is because my mind is constantly spinning, turning, working. But something magical happens to me when I am out there. Out in God's country. I can't quite say it's that my mind turns off, because it doesn't. But it finds peace. I find peace.

With my son by my side, that peace is all the more wonderful. I showed him one day in early fall where the highest point in Orange County was on a walk to school. My daughter, his elder by 22 months, sister, was talking away about something. The baby, younger by 5 years, was happily listening to his big sister tell her tale.

The morning was like any other where we live. Walking to school, you can look south and there is Old Saddleback watching over our basin. I've loooked up to that mountain since I can remember. I've taught my kids his name while they rode in the running stroller over countless miles and many runs in the Back Bay of Newport Beach. My daughter used to say, "Scuttleback!"

But this morning, I asked Charlie if he wanted to go there. To the top. Not a breathe left his body before he asked the only question worth asking, "When?" I told him I'd have to check out the moon schedule and we'd plan the trip. And it was done. We were on our way. I wasn't sure if we'd go in weeks or months, many things had to line up. But I did know we were going. Definitely. We were going.

Gear selection!

Time marched on and sooner than I could plan the holidays were upon us! But, hey, this sould be cool. I could get Charlie gear for Christmas!

Christmas came and went, no gear. But my birthday is exactly one month after Christmas. I like to get my kids gifts on my birthday, so another opportunity to gear up! But, alas, still no gear!

Soon the Santa Ana's were kicking into high gear blowing and cleaning out all the yuck that accumulates in the O.C. and L.A. basin. The time was here. We HAD to head up the moutain.

Checking with a very astromonically savvy friend, for moon cycle, I really wanted to hike on a day when the moon rise was early, so we'd have some moonlight for our finish, I picked the date. However, we also had to plan around baseball, and our best bet moon wise, was definitely NOT our best bet little league wise!

But at least the date was set!

Now I needed gear for Charlie! And can I say E-bay ROCKS!!!!! I got him a Princeton Tech solo headlamp, brand new for $10, a mini-mule Camel Bak, brand new, $25, hiking boots, gently used, but who cares he'll grow out of them in a week anyway, Nike, $3! He HAD to have a knife, could be the difference between survival and dinner for a mountain lion, he was convinced! So he carried a nicely equiped Swiss Army.

Gear ready. Packs loaded up. Boots ready to be tied. We went to bed early on Saturday, May 3, after opening day for Little League and a 3:30 game - where Charlie hit a home run!

The Getting There...

We woke MUCH later than I had planned, 6 a.m. rather than 4:30 a.m. Oooppps!!! By the time we were in the car the sun was already rising over the Santa Ana Mountains.

In order for me to function, we had to stop at my most favorite place outside of nature, Starbucks! So another 10 minute delay, but well worth it. Then onto the 405 S.

I was not so diligent about gassing up my car the day before, so we had to make stop for gas once we exited El Toro Road from the freeway.

It had been years since I had actually driven out to Trabuco Canyon, and I missed the dirt road turn off onto Trabuso Canyon Road from Live Oak Canyon road. It took me about 10 minutes to figure it out, when we hit WAY developed Rancho Santa Marguerita. I turned us around immediately.

Finally we were on the dirt, definitely, in my opinion, high profile cars only, road. Slowly crawling along the creek side we were passed my many teenagers who were up WAY before traditional awakening times. But once we arrived at the trail head, I was happy to find only two other cars parked. The trail would be ours!

Journey to the top.

Images

View Santiago Peak Image Gallery - 1 Images