When Southern California’s congested freeways and amusement parks, filled with screaming children, get to be a bit too much, I like to escape to the hillside trails that rise above the urban sprawl.
My hike this particular morning doubled as a training session: in a week, I’m embarking upon a six-week journey along the Camino de Santiago, in northern Spain. I’ll be walking the 483 miles, a traditional pilgrimage route, with nothing more than hiking poles and a backpack.
Sunshine, blue skies, and the hiker’s blessing--breeze, kicked off my walk in the Robert E. Ward Nature Preserve, a 15-minute drive northwest from Disneyland in the city of Fullerton. I followed the dirt trail out of a sleepy suburban neighborhood and into the tree-dotted hills. Winding through the scrub, I felt transported to the California of yesteryear, a time of ranchos, grizzly bears, and uninterrupted stretches of chaparral. The trail offers one pesky reminder of modernity: bikes zoom by on the same paths as walkers, often obscured by foliage. I quickly learned to keep my ears primed for a distant shout of “Bike on your left!” and was always prepared to jump into the brush along the trailside. (Smarter hikers than myself will check for cactus first.)
Continuing along the path, I found myself overlooking a horse show (sponsored by the Preserve’s equestrian center). I was getting kind of tired, and the combination of free entertainment and shade from nearby trees made this the perfect place for a water break. It was incredible to watch the sheer power of the horses, pounding up clouds of dust as they barreled around the ring. In fact, I encountered lots of wildlife on the trail: black-and-white butterflies, rabbits, red ants, alligator lizards, hawks, and more domesticated critters, too, like dogs and overeager toddlers.
Having enjoyed a rather lengthy water break, I was glad a little ways later to find bathroom facilities next to the tiny Laguna Lake, a popular spot for picnics and fishing. Call me crazy, but I can’t bring myself to try the behind-the-bushes technique while still in America! I made a loop around the lake and retraced my steps to the start of the hike. Google Maps assured me I’d walked 5.4 miles – not quite 483, but still good practice. It felt right to reconnect with the timeless scrub and sky of California before I leave for the Camino.