Ninety-nine days. Ninety-nine days without any measurable rain. But not a record. That was 112 days in 1929 (just before the Dust Bowl got going 
). Then a mighty 0.04 inches (1 mm) fell last Wednesday night. Huzzah! 🙂 Not enough to break the extreme drought we’re currently wallowing in. But enough to lower the temperature, clear the air of smoke, and take the stuffing out of some of the wildfires. It may even rain again tonight (it did!). Miracles! Huzzah! Then the weather is forecast to get back to dry, hot, and smokey. 😦 So time for a quick, local hike before we return to the griddle! 🙂
There are over 40 miles of trail in nearby Jacksonville Forest Park. If you really wanted to exercise your inner topologist, you could twist them all into one big 40-mile epic. Just drawing a circle seemed simpler. So I settled for a 10-miler that connects the trails on the park’s perimeter and goes around and up and down to yield a gain of around 1,500 feet: Parking Lot P1 > Rail > Ponderosa Snag > Siskiyou > Halls of Mazanita > Pipsissewa > Halls of Manzanita > Grotto > Jackson Ridge > Atsahu > Madrone Grove > Owl Hoot > Ol’ Miners > Parking Lot P1.
The LovedOne decided to stay home, clean-up the garden, and joust with the squirrels for possession of the bird feeder. The forecast was for partly sunny followed by increasing clouds with rain overnight – I got an hour of sunlight before the clouds arrived. But the air was clear and cool, the trails were smooth, and the rambling was, as usual, good exercise. I got home to find the squirrels in control of the backyard – but still unable to reach the feeder. We’re pretty sure they’ll keep trying…
BOOTS on the TRAIL 
Thanks! There are days here when I wish we had a touch of your tropical climate. 🙂
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What a beautiful trek! Thanks for sharing….hope you guys get some more rain soon 🙂
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Thanks! Yes, there was something about that small, vibrantly green oak tree nestled in a bed of dead madrone and balsam leaves that caught my eye. I have to ration my bark shots or no hike in this forest would make it farther than the first madrone. 🙂
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I liked the contrasting colors in that first shot. It highlights why fall is my favorite season. Also, since l am a fellow bark lover, I always like your madrone bark photos.
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