The road trip to Cleveland National Forest is an exciting experience. You will pass through great vistas, like dense forests that are not often seen near San Diego. Although it is only an hour away, the landscape is completely different, enough to make you feel as if you are in another country. We arrived at the trailhead at 7 am, rallied up and greeted each other then set out to commence our trek.
It was early morning when we started our journey. There were already other hikers present, starting their climb. It did not take long for us to figure out what makes Stonewall Peak Trail so famous. In just ten short minutes, we were pleasantly surprised with the beautiful sights, sounds and scents of the bucolic landscape surrounding us as well as the meticulously manicured trail spread out ahead of us.
We conversed with other hikers making the same trek, as we experientially took in the magnificence of our surroundings. One pleasant surprise from my hiking experience is the opportunity I have had to make new friends along the way. Then, after some cool beverages and warm conversation, we began descending Stonewall Peak with the promise that we would return here soon.
