Last weekend we went to Idyllwild. We stayed at Marion Mountain campground, which is a few miles above town (details about the campground at the bottom of the post). We stopped in at Idyllwild Bake Shop and Brew for some amazing sandwiches on homemade sourdough bread on our way up. They have a great beer selection as well, but we had Circe so we took our sandwiches to go (and honestly wouldn't have wanted to have even a single beer right before heading up the twisty mountain road). We made it to camp right at 2 pm and managed to get everything set up right before a rain storm broke out so we took advantage of the forced downtime and napped for a couple hours until it cleared up. The next morning after breakfast we hiked the Marion Mountain trail to San Jacinto peak. We didn't have time to hike the whole thing (I think it's 12 miles round trip, with a crazy elevation gain of 4,600 feet for a final elevation of just under 11,000 feet) so we allowed ourselves two hours up before we turned around. I think we made it just under 4 miles up and it was steep. Circe happily scrambled around the beginning of the trail but we tucked her in the backpack and traded off carrying duties for the rest of the hike. Once you enter the state park portion of the hike dogs aren't allowed, but we figured as long as she was in the backpack the whole time we'd be okay.
It was a perfect trip and I'd love to go back and get an earlier start so we could hike to the summit and make it back in time for 2 pm checkout. These little trips leave me feeling tired but also refreshed, so I'm glad we're making this a goal this year.
Campground details: Marion Mountain is a great little campground. The sites are close together but we checked the map and read some reviews and chose campsite 8, which turned out to be perfect. It's situated so that you have a little corner of the campground to yourself with a great view and it isn't too close to the bathrooms. There are chemical toilets and running water taps but no sinks or showers. For that reason I probably wouldn't plan a long trip (more than 2 nights) here. If you're thinking of going, check the campsite map when you choose your site but keep in mind that everything is closer together than it looks on the map. Site 9 might be better for a group with multiple tents because it has more space, although the parking situation would be tight if you didn't come in one car (true of all the sites, actually).
This is an honor system, so there is no ranger present and you don't need to check in officially. If you made your reservation online, there will be a sign posted on your campsite with the dates and you just park and set yourself up. You can also do first come first serve and use their self pay station. It's $10 per night (plus a $9 service fee if you book online). We booked online and I'm glad we did. The campground was entirely full on Saturday night and it would be a bummer to come all the way up there and have to turn around.
You do need a permit to hike the Marion Mountain trail, so if you're thinking about it make sure to stop at the ranger station in Idyllwild and pick one up.
Your photos are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteCirce looks too cute riding in her backpack. Has she been carried in backpacks since she was a puppy or is this new to her?
It's new to her, but luckily she loves it! She has arthritis in her front two legs and it makes her a reluctant walker. She's happy to roam around off leash and explore for the first part of a hike pretty actively, but she hits a wall waaaay before we're done hiking. Since we like fairly vigorous hikes, we had to figure out what to do with her! She doesn't exactly hop in the backpack on her own yet (D keeps hoping), but she gets in willingly and when we put her down and unzip her after a hike she usually just stays nested in it for an hour or two. It's hilarious to walk through the house and see her lying in the open backpack.
DeleteDo you mind telling me what kind of backpack you use for her? I keep agonizing over which one to get for my own enthusastic pup, who quickly tires!
DeleteHi, Laura! We have a super old Arcteryx that we've always used as a hiking backpack. It's not designed for holding dogs, but it works fine! I think the only thing that you really need to look for is one that unzips fully (but they all do, right?) and that has clips on each side to keep it closed. We zip her in, but since we're leaving her head free and don't want the backpack to unzip, we need the clips on each side to secure it. They ensure that the backpack doesn't just fall open.
DeleteOurs also has a front pocket and the water bottle pouches, so we can still use it to carry some normal hiking stuff.
Puppy in a backpack!! :) It looks like you had a fun trip!
ReplyDeleteLove the photos, especially with the foggy clouds! I love Idyllwild, it's one of the spots I'll miss most when we move to Reno next month. We usually go up to watch the Perseid meteor shower, Strawberry Creek Bunkhouse is a great affordable spot to stay.
ReplyDeleteI think we passed it on our way up! I'll keep it in mind in case we don't feel like camping one weekend.
DeleteWe've been living 2 hours from Yellowstone & The Grand Tetons while hubby works a temporary contract and have been doing similar one-night camping trips nearly every weekend for the past 2 months. Takes some effort and planning during the week, but it's wonderful to feel like you're on a mini-vacay over the weekend.
ReplyDeleteSo impressed that you make it out nearly every weekend! I love it, but I get no weekend chores done (grocery shopping, meal prep, cleaning) so I end up feeling like Monday is a little hectic! Hoping I can get better at planning ahead a bit so we can move seamlessly into the week after a quick trip.
DeleteOh my goodness, Rachel—a backpacked Circe? I die.
ReplyDeleteIt's been too long since I said hello to you, but I'm on a mission now to reconnect with all my blog friends of 2009, and you're on the shortlist. So...hello! It's fantastic to go back to using the Blogger reading list, seeing the names, faces, and blogs that fueled my creativity and emotional life a few years back, when blogland was perfect (or felt perfect). Do you know I still think about that garland you made from science journal pages?! And, of course, your meal planning expertise.
Anyway, I'm pleased as punch to get reacquainted with you and Heart of Light. xx
Dear Rachel, although I enjoy these last posts, I really miss a Lately post / Around the house post from you. I love it when you write about your home, domestic stuff, recipes. I hope you will maybe have some home-y posts soon.
ReplyDeleteMiss that.
Never been camping as an adult before and would live your list of things to take and how you plan for it. You're so organized with other things I'm sure you have a process. Thinking about going camping with our two dogs in the near future. Thanks
ReplyDeleteI will! I almost did it this time around, but felt like I should get another trip or two under my belt before I start talking about it. The short answer is that we have a large bin that we keep almost all the camping stuff in. So getting ready to go basically consists of putting the bin in the car, adding our overnight bags and making a quick stop at the grocery store. I'll work on the list of what goes in the bin, etc. and hopefully get it posted. Although I'm a little behind at this point ...
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