I had no goals other than to stretch my legs and to be NOT WORKING, so I headed W on CA2,
then took the cutoff to CO7,
following that through the oak forest,
to where there's usually a view of Hood - but not today.
Above Rowland Lake, I took CO8 up to Atwood Road and headed back E on that to complete the loop.
I've long admired this tree growing on the crest of Rowland Ridge as a piece of natural sculpture.
Rather than head back to the TH above Catherine Ck on the County Rd Tr, I went XC a little to the E of the road and followed the ridge down. This probably not something I would have done in the summer given the possibility then of poison oak and aggressive ticks. But today, not a problem.
After about 0.5 mi, I intersected the end of an old road,
followed that back to the County Rd Tr, then past the arch
and a pretty active Catherine Ck
to the TH. A good short, restorative hike - a little wind in the morning, a decent amount of sun, and only a few brief showers on the way back. Obviously too early for flowers - only saw a few remnant grass widows - but this area is hard to beat as a mid-winter hiking destination. 5.8 mi RT, 1000' EG.
