My first hike as a newly healed woman was at the Santa Margarita County Preserve, a new trail for us.
Acquired to protect the resources and picturesque scenery of the Santa Margarita Valley, this preserve offers an outdoor escape to residents of the Fallbrook area. The 221-acre lush river corridor contains riparian and upland habitats. Raptors are a common site overhead or perched in trees. Deer and other large mammals rely on the river for their water.Two miles of non-motorized multi-use trails traverses this area rich in wildlife.And so much other natural beauty abounds.Steve discovered this amazing hummingbird nest... a first.We had learned of this trail from Hidden San Diego, so we knew there were artifacts we needed to discover. This bridge is one such treasure. This abandoned bridge runs north to south and measures approximately 75 feet in length, and 8 feet 10 inches wide. It is made of steel or iron. Identification markers are located on the bridge’s sides with numbers and its origin being Bethlehem USA. The age of the resource is unknown, but it is likely greater than 60 years old [El Capitan RMP].Since there are no longer bridges, we had to across the river in order to follow the trail. What fun, and so refreshing.This cluster of Agapanthus told me we were about to discover the last human treasure on this trail (based on the Hidden San Diego post).After the flood of 1916, William Thurber established a 640-acre ranch here, where he raised turkeys and poultry and developed a breed of guinea pigs known as cavies for pelts and meat. Historians believe these remnants of a building have been part of Thurber’s ranch.
The intriguing 1920's residence site is extremely overgrown with vegetation obscuring most of it. What remains is mainly the basement, including a staircase to it. Debris surrounding the structure includes mesh with plaster, stone rubble, plumbing pipes and electrical conduit and wire. Although once recently recorded as a structure, it has been almost entirely demolished and is now considered a historical archaeological site with limited standing structural remains.
“A river seems a magic thing.
A magic, moving, living part of the very earth itself.”
-Laura Gilpin
We saw only two other couples during our 2½ hour explore. This was an ideal place to meander, picnic and discover. We will be back.
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1 comments:
The trail looks beautiful. I bet you really showed off your neck agility on the trail by looking this way, and that, up and down, back and forth. I wish we could have been there with you!
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