At the end of April, I did a 9.5 miles loop hike in the San Mateo Wilderness near Lake Elsinore. It was a cool overcast day. My favorite part of the hike was about a 2 mile section in the oak lined canyon bottom.

We stopped at the gnarly oak to enjoy a snack under its protection. I wandered around it’s limbs exploring various photographic compositions. The tree took on different characters from various angles. What creatures do you see in its twisted limbs?

As we continued up toward San Mateo Peak, I zoomed in on some interesting boulders in the chaparral.

If you want to see a few more from this hike, click here.

I visited Hollenbeck Canyon Wildlife area for my first time this spring. I liked it so much that I returned a few times since. This write-up is about all those visits. What I liked about it was the varied landscape of rolling grasslands (once farmland), wooded canyon, and chaparral hillsides.

On March 31, I was joined by Alex and Joe. Thank you to Alex for introducing me to this place on this visit. We were going mainly to photograph in a grove of oak trees, but I found the rolling grasslands equally attractive. We met at the trailhead shortly after sunrise.

Click here to see Alex’s photos from this outing and here to see Joe’s photos.

I returned to Hollenbeck a few weeks later, on April 5, with a few hiking friends. This time we did a 7.5-mile loop hike that included the Honey Springs Trail. It was a gorgeous morning as the low clouds burned away.

I returned one last time a few days ago. While on my previous visit, I captured a scene that I thought might look good at sunset. I came back this time, late in the day. To get to this spot, I approached the area through a less-used trail and hiked along a ridge. The light at the end of the day, with long shadows, is always beautiful.