EISPIRATEN

Cecelia and I did a loop around Rubio Canyon on Monday. We started at the Loma Alta Trailhead by the debris basin and connected with the Gooseberry Motorway to the Lone Tree Trail at the electrical towers. The Gooseberry is overgrown with mustard and fountain grass. The trail crew will be clearing it over the next month or so. The Lone Tree also needs attention but I won't be able to deal with it for a few months.

After a snack on West Fuji we decided to continue up the ridge to Mt. Muir.

(On West Fuji)

(Near Panorama Point)

(On Mt. Muir)

From Muir we headed to Inspiration Point for lunch. It was a nice day with some cloud cover through late morning. The temperature was initially a bit chilly for my shorts and t-shirt but it soon warmed up as the sun broke through the clouds.



We weren't feeling Castle Canyon so we descended via the Middle Sam Merrill. Neither of us had been on the upper half of it in years. It was in great shape.



We passed under the old fox farm location where you can see the fences and rusted barrells. I noticed an old bottle and scrambled up the slope to fetch it.



It still had part of the cap attached. Maybe an old soda bottle, but it doesn't appear to be a Coke or Pepsi.

There was a new sign at Sunset Point.



And a new "restoration area" sign at what I think is Grizzly Point.



From here we continued down the Merrill with a brief stop at Echo Mountain, which also has some new signage.



I found one of my favorite flowers, the matilija poppy.



Then we headed back into Rubio via the recently cleared lower Old Echo Mountain trail which starts from the power lines on the Merrill.

I just identified the bottle as a 1920s ketchup bottle from the Owens Bottle Company.

I was on the Sam Merrill trail a few months ago, it's a great walk - nice to get away from the crowds and just hear your own footsteps and some birds.
I wondered what the old building remnants were up there, thanks for clearing that up!