Trail Map
So yes, first blog in awhile. Not for lack of hiking, but for lack of feeling the want to write about the hikes. New Year’s resolution is to catch up on pictures, blogging and journaling. There you have it, resolution in writing. Sigh. So my TB Peggy bugged me on Friday to hike on Saturday, however I have been gone for 2 weekends in a row, so I felt like being lazy and wanted to say no, and just do my normal 7/8 mile Saturday walk in Huntington Beach and catch up on housework. But I said yes! So she allowed me a late start and we headed to Laguna Beach around 10:30 am. Peggy found a trail in the Aliso and Wood Canyon called Valido Trail. Couple of sites said it is easy, but the sign we found, listed it as difficult. We arrived at 22152 Paseo Del Sur in Laguna Beach, which is a house right next to the trail head.
Me and Peggy, I would put Peggy and I, but I am on the left, so that felt wrong…
We parked on the steep street and headed out at 11 am. Now this trail is only .5 miles, it T bones into the Toovet Trail on the ridge. Yes, on the ridge, which means this trail goes up steeply, hence the black diamond rating. There are some trail saving steps to aid in your ascent, but for the most part it is a hard packed steep dirt trail. Yes, we did stop several times to catch the breath.
View from trail head
My favorite! Trail steps!
At the ridge we decided to go left to see the view on the point, there are two trails, one that goes up hill and one that goes round the hill. We went up! At the top we ran into a guy with a small horse, I know, right? This horse was about the size of Great Dane. totally cute. The view up here was fantastic, less than a mile and we are already rewarded, my kinda hike!
Small horse, sorry no sizing legend
Happy Peggy after seeing the little horse
View towards San Diego
View towards Huntington Beach
View to far away adventures waiting to happen…
So after enjoying the view we turned around and headed down then up the rest of the Toovet Trail which turns into Aliso Peak Trail that follows along a street lined beautiful expensive-as-shit houses with awesome views. Once we made it up to the top, there was a nice city trail along the ridge with a expansive view of the cities below Saddleback.
The trail you see on the other side of the ridge is Aliso Summit Trail
After walking a bit along Talavera Drive, we turned around and retraced our steps DOWN to our car. Have I told you DOWN sucks! So after wandering the ridge for about an hour and 15 minutes we went on a search for food. Queue up Yelp!
Peggy found a great restaurant (more like a shack, order at window then eat outside) on the beach of Corona Del Mar called the Tackle Box. It fit our needs perfectly, outside, on the beach, and no one would care how we smelled! We ordered at the window: Lobster Roll, Shrimp Roll, Buffalo Cauliflower and Brussels Sprouts, definitely not a Jack’s or Dwight’s, no strips with cheese to be found. Food was great, view was great, company was great, weather was great. Fun day!
Tackle Box menu
Just pure yum!
PS. Noticing how my hikes with Peggy end with fantastic restaurant choices and not wine, however I am not complaining.
Stats: 11,570 steps for 3.53 miles; 101 flights of stairs; about 75 stair steps (including the ones to get down to Corona Del Mar beach; 2 stringray stings (not us) – “Hike More Worry Less” – Author Unknown