Dean's Mini Adventure ~ Borrego/Red Rock Trail Hike

Earlier today, I was feeling the urge to go someplace new, take photos, explore, go on an adventure somewhere I haven't been before.  I opened up Google Maps and scoured the nearby area until I spotted it: Whiting Ranch and the Red Rock Trail!  After a quick bit of research and looking at some pictures, I decided, "This is it!!  This is where I wanna go!"  A few hours later, I was on my way.  It was thirty or so minutes away.  Not bad at all~

I got there, parked at the Ralph's as several reviewers on Yelp suggested, and marched off!  Accending a hill for five or so minutes, up perhaps seventy feet in elevation, I thought to myself, "Wow, this is a pretty nice place!!  There was even a cute bunny hopping along the path already, and I just started~"  I got to the top and what do I find; a park full of kids playing soccer, and the school behind it...  I went completely the wrong way...  I asked a local about my intended destination and they pointed me in the right direction, back down the hill, and a little further up.  The monument above greets visitors and towers over near the entrance.  All around, I found signs like this; CAUTION, MOUNTAIN LION COUNTRY!!  HAHAHA!!  The simultaneous emotions of thrill and of fear sunk in for a moment; this is an adventure!!

Every little bush that rustled, every slight movement in the distance, the warning signs triggered an awareness in me, alert to everything.  However, it soon became apparent, I'm not seeing any mountain lions here!  Bikers whizzed by at almost regular intervals, hikers were all over the place!  Meh, still fun~

I came across a pair of prints, they must be deer prints~  Though, I'm not skilled at this sort of thing in the least, they could be anything, really.  Along, the hike continued.

The native flora and fauna are truly beautful, coloring the environment in a warm palette of hues.  Trees, cacti, grasses, flowers loomed all around as birds chirped, flies whizzed by, bugs crawled around, and rabbits hopped along.  I also loved the shapes the path before me created~  Such nice lines~

After a mile or so, I came across a fork in the road.  There was a big directory with some seating area, but instead of consulting its map, a couple of friendly, resting bikers offered directions.  Which way is the Red Rock Trail?  Why, just over to the right, follow the sign, you can't miss it~  I eventually arrived in the canyon, and sights were simply stunning!  The sands below my feet gradually turned a shade of red, and the formations of the rock walls created new, wondrous shapes~  Simply beautiful~  But you know what?  My phone was about to die, the last people I saw (those two bikers) were over half a mile away, and the sun was quickly setting, meaning light was soon to become scarce!  So instead of venturing further in, I took in my surroundings one last time, breathed a deep breath, adjusted my persperation-drenched shirt, and turned around.

I got the rest of these shots on the return hike.  You know, on the way there, it was really kicking my butt, but heading back, I found myself just a bit more energetic, even though my leg was getting sore.  And as a tip to the photographing hiker; turn around once in a while.  Sure, looking ahead at all the beautiful things in front of you is really nice, but oftentimes, its just as nice facing the other direction, and looks completely different than the scene you had just passed by.