Here's a fact:

Go for a hike without your camera, and you're guaranteed to see some sweet views. Ones you want to take pictures of.

Here's another fact:

The Mugu Peak and La Jolla Valley trails in Pt. Mugu State Park have some sweet views. I'm not kidding. That place is amazing.

I cruised up for an Easter Sunday hike, and was treated to a beautiful, green grassland, amazing wildflowers, towering ocean views, and some pretty decent exercise.

The loop trail I took covered approximately 5 miles with elevation gain of about 1200', this according to the excellent trail description at Modern Hiker.

That 5mi/1200' number is deceptive, however, as 2/3 of the elevation gain happens in the first 0.7mi. The first 15 minutes of this hike had my calves screaming for mercy (they got none). While that may have had something to do with the toasting of my legs I did in the weight room on Saturday, I think I'd be feeling this section regardless.

Once past the initial grade, I was treated to a sweeping vista of picturesque, tall, green grass, with mountains all around. Boney Peak is particularly prominent to the NNE. As my camera is currently enroute to Canon for repair, I made an effort of capturing the scene with my cell phone, though it doesn't do it justice.

Looking north across the grasslands toward Boney Peak

As I walked across the grassy plain, I saw blooming wildflowers of just about every color - white, red, orange, blue, purple, and yellow. At times the grass was shoulder-high. I felt like I could have been in the African savannah, with an okapi or lion about to jump out. Maybe that's why I jumped about 3' in the air when some dude came jogging up the path behind and startled me. Fortunately he was one of only about a dozen folks I saw all day, despite beautiful, sunny, 70 degree weather.

The songbirds were chirping, lizards were running about along the path, and best of all there was a beautiful silence interrupted only by the sound of the wind blowing through the tall grass. The only issue I ran into was some poison oak. And when I say some, I mean a lot. Massive bushes, some of the biggest I've ever seen. Evidently this is prime habitat. Fortunately, the poison oak forests were concentrated in just a few spots along the trail, and with some caution I think I avoided any contact.

The second half of the hike climbed up to Mugu Peak, and along the way provided some great views of the Pacific below, and out to Anacapa and Santa Cruz islands. There was a fair amount of marine haze, so Catalina wasn't visible, though I'm sure on a clear day one could see her as well as the Palos Verdes peninsula.

After the steep descent back to the trailhead, I took a little walk on the beach, and finished with a ceremonial pumpkin tossing. Watching the little gord slowly float out to sea, the significance of the moment struck me. Some say this day is one of resurrection, and indeed I think I experienced a certain rebirth, or at the very least, rejuvenation. Good stuff.

Aloha.