Yesterday I took off for an overnight trip to Black Mountain, just west of San Jacinto Mtn, about two hours from Long Beach. I found the spot just by looking around at camping locations online, and I couldn't have been more pleased. This place was incredible. I was at the Boulder Basin campground - you go about 8 miles past the tiny mountain town of Idyllwild and then you turn off and take another 5 miles up a dirt fire road to the camp. First time my trucks ever been in 4 wheel drive. It was great.
The camp site was beautiful, full of giant boulders, a ton of woodpeckers knocking all over the place, giant pine trees and crisp air. I took a short hike up to the Black Mountain fire lookout, that's been in use since the early '60s. The view was incredible. I spent a few hours at the camp site reading the Dharma Bums, and couldn't help but picture Jack Kerouac working and living in the fire lookout, like he did one summer long ago on Desolation Peak.
I had no idea there were mountains and vistas like this within a 2 hr drive of the beach. It was raining off and on though all morning (after a pretty rough night's sleep), so instead of staying another afternoon and night in the tent hiding from the rain, i packed up early and drove back to long beach this afternoon. Great time.
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