inglorious wanderer

Having completed  Coast to Crest Trail Challenge  and the Ramona Trail Challenge , I thought I might as well do the  5-Peak Challenge . The best time to hike Mission Trails in during spring  when it is cool and wildflowers are in bloom, like the orange bush monkey flower in photo. As I have learned the first time I did the challenge, Kwaay Paay means chief or leader in the Kumeyaay language.  According to Ruth Alter, an archaeologist, the Kumeyaays are the first indigenous people to live within and make use of the lands that became the Mission Trails Regional Park. The marker at the South Fortuna summit is fairly new, it must have been installed in the recent year. The marker introduces South Fortuna as the lowest of the five main peaks. South Fortuna being part of the same mountain shared by North Fortuna is separated by a 910-foot saddle. Nobody really knew why the Spanish friars called the mountains "fortuna" which means luck or fortune. ...

This census-designated town in the northeastern part of San Diego county got its name from a novel written by Helen Hunt Jackson titled " Ramona ". To this day, Ramona remains as idyllic as it has been described in the novel. "A short distance off was another ridge or spur of the mountain, widening into a plateau. This was covered with acorn-bearing oaks; and under them were flat stones worn into hollows, where bygone generations of Indians had ground he nuts into meal. (p. 243)" The Ramona Trail Challenge is an  annual invitation  to see and experience the beauty of Ramona. For 2019, the Ramona Chamber of Commerce  is challenging  outdoor enthusiasts to get outside and explore  six designated Ramona trails on foot, bike or horseback and complete  the six trails by  June 1, 2019. The challenge included trails ranging from 3.3 miles to 10.3 miles to a  difficulty level ranging from easy to strenuous. The total ascent is from an elevat...