The sun felt warm on my face.  The air was cool and there was just enough of a breeze that I opted for a wind shirt.  I walked away from the car and soon put feet to dirt. It was a comfortable feeling heading out on this path, a place I had visited over a dozen times this year, in each of the four seasons, on my first hike in three months. 

There is more I want to say about Crystal Cove State Park’s backcountry, how El Moro Canyon has changed, how civilization has encroached on it, and yet, despite all the challenges, it still retains a bit of wildness, and, when viewed in certain places, at the correct angles, there is the  illusion of open spaces. (A longer article will be forthcoming.)

The ease of access, while at times a curse, makes the park my default training site.  The proximity to the city also means I never lack for a choice of eateries when the day is done.  Today though, all I wanted was to stroll under blue skies, to look down on the ocean, to gaze out over the canyons to the local mountains, to feel alive again outside.