This is the Engelsman Trail
Ruby was constantly looking from side to side for those hidden mountain lions.
Suddenly, a man on a bike appeared and my soft horse turned into a brick. She spooked as he rode slowly by, causing him to remark, "You ought to get your horse used to people." Well, duh ... it's the BIKE, stupid, and that's exactly what we're doing!
This is either the Wild Boar Trail or Old Cabin Trail.
The forest was very pretty and much cooler than the meadow.
It's a fairyland of young trees
The oaks remind me of something almost lace-like.
A true-to-life nature painting
Ruby, still looking out for mountain lions.
This Old Cabin trail is one of the prettiest in this park
Ivy (or poison oak) growing up the moss-covered trunk of an oak tree
Back to the meadow, we came across occasional mountain bikers, and she was less spooky with each one.
Between that last photo and this one, as we approached the Eucalyptus grove, Ruby finally found the mountain lion out in the meadow and freaked out. After regaining control, and getting back on the trail, we handwalked to the grove where she relaxed.
Even though it's not an especially hot day, and we have only
been walking, Ruby is dripping wet.
My poor, nervous horse. She's asking if we can go home now (before we're eaten).
Just a note: There really ARE mountain lions inhabiting this park. There are signs at both entrances to the park cautioning people to beware that this is mountain lion habitat, and my trail partner last week told me during our ride that she has personally seen 3 mountain lions in the meadows in the 15 years she has been riding here (but they never bothered her while she was riding either her horse or her mountain bike). It's entirely possible that Ruby really did see a lion when she spotted something in the meadow east of the Eucalyptus grove that caused her to freak out, spin and briefly dash.
We take a walk through the grass along the road.
This is either the Eucalyptus Loop or Baldwin Loop Trail.
This is a lovely group of coast live oaks.
Afternoon sun streamling through
We have been following this hiker since we came out of the woods on the Old Cabin Trail, and I think Ruby feels joined up to him. She quickened her pace so that she could keep him in sight.
We left the hiker and diverged onto the Enchanted Loop Trail on the northwest part of the park.
The trail is rocky in parts coming out of the Enchanted Loop woods.
Found the Twin Oaks Trail ... it was full of these lovely trees.
This is an overlook on the Wilder Ranch Loop Trail. Ruby scans the meadows for movement.
Fog is blanketing the coast.
Ruby hears a horse calling in the distance and returns the call.
Looking southwest, toward Monterey Bay and Santa Cruz. Those distant hills might be Monterey.
There's a storm approaching from the Pacific and some of the sets of waves are big and crashed into the cliffs.
Wilder Ranch Loop Trail and fog at the coast
Ruby, still watching out for mountain lions.
The fog is thickening and starting to move inland
Beautiful day! We didn't get eaten, had a lovely ride with only one big freak-out and two bolts and maybe a dozen little spooks, but I didn't fall off and neither of us had any injuries.