My obsession with Vasquez Rocks first started when I discovered that it was the filming site of some Star Trek (the original series) footage back in the day. Admittedly, and I'll gladly call myself out before you do, the only Star Trek I've ever seen is the 2009 blockbuster so yeah, I'm not a die-hard fan or anything by any stretch of the imagination. However, the idea of hiking here with a vibrant yellow Star Trek shirt (shout out to my old roommate for making it happen!) was irresistibly appealing to me and it was a near instant addition to my ever so evolving Bucket List.
Well today, I'm happy to announce that I finally got to knock it off my list. I had such an awesome day roaming around Vasquez Rocks located in Santa Clarita. I went with my friend who invited one of his friends and before I knew it, we were all friends. We left around 6 in the morning to avoid peak heat, and arrived promptly at a quarter past 7. The only problem was that the park doesn't open until 8 a.m. - oops. This was a rare instance where the early birds did not get the worm, but it was quite alright because we got breakfast croissants instead.
A short drive from the Vasquez Rocks entrance down Agua Dulce Canyon Road, my friends and I stumbled upon a quaint little bakery called Mon Ami. The owner was so friendly and definitely an informative local. He asked if we were going to the rocks and playfully teased me about my Star Trek shirt. He also shared that the rocks were named after Tiburcio Vasquez, a robber who used the rocks as a hiding place from police hundreds of years ago. Of course I went home and researched it just to make sure his facts checked out, and kudos, the local bakery owner certainly knew his history.
After a quick egg and cheese croissant breakfast we were ready to head out and see the main attraction. The rock formations were fantastic! There were tons of textures, colors, and interesting things to see. One of the best aspects of the park was that nearly everything was labeled, like the archeological site pictured below. Check out that chili pepper hieroglyph!
There was very little sun coverage so remember to bring sunblock if you have sensitive skin and plenty of water to stay hydrated. There's nothing challenging about the hiking "trails" here as they are rather short. For me, this hike was all about the freedom to explore and climb rocks in a wonderfully open and scenic landscape. I deeply enjoyed taking my time to examine some of the intricacies in the rocks resulting from millions of years of erosion. I'm always so amazed with all of nature's bounty.
With my Vulcan salute held high (my best attempt at it anyway) and in the mighty words of Mr. Spock, live long and prosper my friends.
As always, thanks so much for reading.
No comments:
Post a Comment