
Quarantine is good for hiking up to places where no humans are!

This is the Laguna/Borrego Escarpment close to The Holler.

It is the ridgeline of the Laguna Mountain Range in Southern California. The Pacific Coast Trail runs through here and you cross it coming up.

You are looking down from the ridgeline onto the Anza Borrego Desert, parts of which are below sea level.

Butterflies are up here enmass because the wildflowers are blooming.

The hike up is strenuous, but good exercise, and the views make it the perfect place for a quarantine picnic.
Cheers to you from a lonely view~
Wonderful way to quarantine! Great pics!
It would be fun to hike with you Gary!
Lonely perhaps, yet magnificent!
Thank you Anne. Sometimes the two are connected დ
Beautiful, yes!
Thank you Lynette დ
The perfect experience during lockdown – or any other time. Thanks for sharing it – wonderful pictures.
Thank you Margaret for your most kind appreciation & cheers to you my friend დ
What a great hike! Plus, fabulous photos.
Grazie mille Sheree დ
As Albert Camus once noted “In order to understand date world, on has to turn away from it on occasion.” You have found the perfect spot for this occasion. Hugs!!
I meant “the world” not “date world” but maybe that works too.
Exactly, dear Rebecca!! We should turn away from the world with all the commodities more frequently.)) Best regards Martina
Thank you Martina!! Hugs!!!🤗🤗🤗
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We are all in accord. დ დ
Camus was brilliant, and so are you Rebecca. Thank you for sharing დ
What a beautiful place.
It’s good to get above it all დ
Reblogged this on Musings on Life & Experience and commented:
Beautiful pictures from Cindy Knoke of the Laguna/Borrego Escarpment in California near The Holler.
Thank you my very kind friend. You are most appreciated დ
Stunning! And perfect for walking at any time, but especially during quarantine.
Exactly. The top of a tall mountain is a good place to be especially during quarantine! დ
It’s a great time to escape the world and its worries, Cindy. Even for a little while 🙂 🙂 Stay safe!
Yes we are doing tons of remote hiking during quarantine. It is very good to get away. Stay well Jo დ
Those views make you forget about the huffing and puffing bits to get there Cindy…you did walk? 😀 🤣
It is good to be reminded that humans and their progressive inventions do not dominate great swaths of the world. Thankyou for sharing that stark magnificence.
Yes!! I love the irony in this thougth and expression dor. It is good to go where people are not. It is quiet up there! დ
Laughing…. Exactly! And yes I hiked up there and made the picnic! Nothing beats a picnic with your toes hanging over the abyss!
Fabulous views! Places like this are best seen alone. xo
Yes, or with just your most special people დ
Of course! xo
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I just love discovering all these beautiful natural spots with you.
You are awesome to travel with! დ
Wow Cindy! Amazing pics. It looks a bit like our Lake District or Scottish Highlands here in the UK, but drier, the final photo really gives that away. Thank you for another brilliant post.
Thank you more for such very kind appreciation Polly & cheers to you my friend დ
simply fantastic photos. Greetings Wolfgang
Greetings Wolfgang & thank you much friend! Cheers to you დ
Good morning Cindy and many thanks for your beautiful pictures of nature, which are carrying me away to a place, which makes me feel good 🙂 All the best Martina
Your thoughtful comment made me feel good Martina, so thank you my friend & cheers დ
Amazing place! I could stay up there forever…
Exactly!!! I would to spend much more time up there დ
Ahh…what an exHILLarating experience! Breathtaking shots as always, my dear friend. Be safe and healthy! ♥ ♥ ⁽⁽(ી₍₍⁽⁽(ી⁽⁽(ી₍₍⁽⁽(ી( ˆoˆ )ʃ)₎₎⁾⁾ʃ)₎₎ʃ)₎₎⁾⁾ʃ)₎₎ ♥ ♥
Thank you & visa versa 2UX2! დ
໒( ♥ ◡ ♥ )७
Beautiful
Grazie mille დ
liebe Cindy, wieder richtig schön, vielen Dank, auch für dich alles Gute, vor allem Gesundheit, Klaus
Vielen dank mein lieber Freund Klaus und prost! დ
Splendid landscapes and lovely butterfly
Thank you Derrick & cheers to you my friend დ
I love it ! Thanks for sharing.
You are most welcome & cheers! დ
Wow! How fortunate you are to be able to do that.
I am always a little torn between the views at the top which show so far and the views from the valley which show tall mountains – but all the views are better when it is quiet and one is “away from it all.”
Exactly, looking up, looking down, it is being in nature that makes it all divine! Thank you დ
What a great hike. It looks beautiful from up there.
It is just stunning. You picnic with you feet dangling over the desert far below! დ
What gorgeous scenery. With views like these, it seems I run out of superlatives to describe and express appreciation of them.
Awwww, you are such a thoughtful person Liz. Thank you & cheers to you დ
🙂
Lonely, but exquisite view.
Sometimes loneliness = happiness დ
Wonderful point Cindy.
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Your shots prove you really are an artist, capable of showing the beauty of nature. Thank you Cindy for letting us see these awesome places you have captured. 🙂
You are a lovely friend. Your kindness touches my heart დ
Hi. Wide open spaces can be hard to beat. They often help to center us, I think.
Yes. They calm me down. The more I am there, the calmer I am, away from the madding crowds დ
No mountains here in Central PA to speak of so will have to live vicariously, Cindy!
You can come hike with me anytime Pam. I love the company დ
💃🙏👏
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Is it weird that I look forward to living alone in the mountains three months a year?
Really, only three???? 😉
I didn’t want to out myself as the lazy bear that I am 😄
Oh why not, you’re in good company! 😉
Haha, you’re too kind!
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Thank you for sharing your peak experience with this wonderful photo essay! The visit of the butterfly on the wildflower was particularly impressive, Cindy.
You are very thoughtful Peter and much appreciated too. Thank you! დ
Wow – what a place and what an awesome view!! Rock on, Cindy.
Smiling….I will keep on rockin Sheila! Cheers დ
I hope the view was solitary rather than lonely! Love the quiet bench in that last picture. Gorgeous place, and well worth the hike it seems. I’m envious.
Solitary is a better world. Thank you & cheers დ
Reblogged this on Ed;s Site..
Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness and it is lovely to meet you. დ
That part of the country is stunning in it’s other worldly appearance. I’m glad it’s you doing the hiking for me and letting me enjoy the view in my armchair. 😉 I would not be comfortable hiking that terrain alone. But then, I don’t hike. 😉 It’s absolutely stunning there.
Happy you joined me virtually Marlene. The view was stunnning! დ
I love climbing mountains for the great vistas you have at the top, plus the exercise! Peak experience is the perfect description Cindy. You live in such a beautiful and diverse area. I didn’t realize you were near the desert too.
We actually live in semi-desert and if we go over the nearby mountains we are in the desert. Take good care Brad & thanks for stopping by დ
Thanks. It looks like an interesting and varied region.
Yes, it is two different ecosystems colliding, with earthquake fault uplift in between…..Actually this sounds like a description of Southern California, in many more ways than one. Differences colliding, creating beauty დ
That is a lovely perspective Cindy.
I just drove through there, it was alive with blooming wildflowers!
Yes, this is one of the best wildflower seasons I have seen დ
The scenery is magnificent Cindy, wonderful photos.
Leslie xoxo
Thank you Leslie! It is good to be above it all დ
It is indeed!
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Cindy, thank you so much for these beautiful pictures.
Happy you enjoyed them Charles & be well my friend დ
Lonely but the best view, and perfect for quarantine.
It was worth the hike to see those gorgeous vistas.
Thank you for joining me virtually. You made the hike more fun! დ
Such gorgeous scenery, Cindy, but my favorite has to be the butterfly and the wildflower!
There were so many butterflies up there. Smart creatures. They go where there are flowers and no people! დ
Looks scorching! But the view is worth the effort, I’d say. 🙂
Yes. The ridgeline is cooled by wonderful winds. Cheers to you Eliza დ
Beautiful landscape, Cindy. There is no loneliness when connected with Nature.
Agreed. Thank you. Being lonely in nature is a spiritual experience that I love დ
Those are stunning! Love the butterfly…🦋
Happy you do & thank you! დ
Stunning views. Thank you for taking us there!
Thank you more for joining me Amy დ
What a paradise you live in! A great place to be meditative and contemplative.
Thank you Teresa. It is far from the madding crowd! დ
#5 – gorgeous swallowtail! RH
Thank you. There were so many! It was wonderful. დ
No mountains near me!
You don’t need mountains to enjoy nature’s beauty. We hiked alot in Alberta on the flats and it was gorgeous. Enjoy & cheers to you დ
That is stunning!
No need for a mask up there, but much need for a camera.
Thank you, Cindy!
Thank you Resa for joining me. You made the hike more fun დ
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Gorgeous!
Thank you and be well my friend დ
😊
Have you ever seen the air quality so clear? – Oscar
It is epic isn’t it! Such an odd thing. When humans are forced indoors in cities, and suburbs, in order to survive, nature breathes. Even here, somewhat away from all that, I have never ever seen such a variety of wildflowers bloom everywhere. I don’t know what half of them are, because I have never seen them before, even though I have lived in this general region all my life. Maybe the wild things are happy. It would be good, if something good, could come from all the pain დ
Discoveries at OUR ages!
Who’d a thunk??? 😉
Beautiful… <3 Thanks for sharing!
Love to you Bette and hope all is good with you დ
Beautiful! Warm yet?!
No. It is actually quite cool and misty. Can you believe it? First we had this Godsend late rain that lasted days. And now it is June, overcast and cool, with 40% rain in the forecast over the next few days. No wonder the wildflowers are still blooming everywhere დ
Looks like a place you could stand and be inspired. 🙂
Yes. And feel free of everything დ
Some beautiful work, CK. Not only this one but everything I have seen so far.
I was just over at your site laughing and enjoying your clever wit, so the the admiration is mutual. Thank you.
Grossartige Impressionen und wundervolle Sujets. Toll und Dank Cindy…
Sie sind ein guter Mensch Ernst.Danke, mein Freund und gut sein. დ
Mesmerising landscape. ❤
I am happy you find it so & thank you! დ
What a glorious view. The colors are so vivid. And that landscape is so lonely. As if you are in another world.
Yes. I like it up there, above all the worries and problems down below. დ
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Mucha appreciated, thank you & cheers დ
What a beautiful and impressive mountain range!
Thank you so much and very pleased you think so. Cheers to you & happy weekend დ
Wonderful layered hues. A great sense of space and freedom.You could sit and watch it change all day. Flowers are abundant here too, thanks to the wet cool spring?
Yes on all accounts and it just rained lightly last night which is most unusual. Love and prayers to you and your family. Stay safe my friend დ
That is such a beautiful place, and I love your butterfly photo
Ahhh, thanks so much for stopping by and sharing such thoughtfulness Helene დ
Lovely, lonely place. It is difficult to find that kind of tranquility today – people are everywhere. The only time like what we have right now gives us the chance to be alone.
Yes. You are right. Being alone with yourself, means you are hanging out with you own best friend. It is something to be sought for and treasured. Be well Alexander & thank you დ
Stunning photos of some gorgeous views, Cindy. I don’t think I would ever tire of the beauty. ❤️
Yes, smiling. This sort of ancient geologic beauty is more primal than we are capable of knowing, and it comforts me. Happy you felt it დ
Wow! What stunning views and marvellous photos, Cindy. These are views that are well worth the strenuous hike to see 🙂
Thank you Vicki for knowing and be well my friend დ
Oh my God that’s truly stunning. I love being in places where in my line of sight not only are there no other humans, but no other human-related things!, so that one can imagine being whisked back to hundreds or thousands years ago, with the exact view looking exactly as it is. Living in an urban concrete jungle, it’s such a treat to find myself among some wild-looking trees that I can do this. (Most times I can’t even by gazing straight up at the sky haha!) Your Holler, as we have been treated to pictures of them before, is so beautiful, Cindy! Cheers!
You blow me away Halim. Our essential self is confirmed when in nature. You do understand. Which is probably why we appreciate each other. You are a remarkable person. Thank you for being my friend.
Thank you for such a lovely compliment, Cindy. It means a lot to me and I am moved, and thank you too for being my friend!
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Thank you for showing us such a beautiful world. Your photography captures it so well.
Thank you more Jennie, for your kindness my friend დ
My pleasure!
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From a distance, the hills look rather barren, but your photos reveal the diversity of life and colour. Truly a fabulous place for hiking. (But any snakes?)
The snakes, meaning rattlesnakes, are more present at The Holler, where I live, than up there. The juveniles are out in force now here, probably due to the cessation of the draught, and they are biting dogs at the rate of one per hour said our vet, and they just bit a child who lives near. He almost died. You have to think about them all the time when you walk or hike. But when you are on a ridgeline, above the brush, they have less places to hide. My son studied rattlesnake behaviour in grad school. He knew I was terrified of them. So we drove in a car with them in plastic bins, and I watched as he set them free. They were so terrified of us. They just wanted to get away, and Matt said to me, “There are beautiful aren’t they?”
And of course they were.
did mis type when you said “lonely” view Cindy? I wondered if you meant a lovely view?
A great view none the less! I’ve always wanted to camp out in a desert! I found it very quiet!
Lovely and lonely are similar to me. A lot of people felt lonely is sad. But sometimes, as you more than most would know, being by yourself in nature, with the wild things, is lonely, and magnificent. Still that was my son in the photo, and my husband was behind us, so I wasn’t technically alone, but we were all lonely, in the face of rocks, mountains, deserts and immensity. I love loneliness like this. It is the thing that most relaxes me. Lucky you in your ‘lonely’ cabin where you have the best neighbors in the world.
Nice views Cindy. Can’t wait until we are free to walk freely again. Thanks for sharing your photos taking us away to the hills. 🙂
I so enjoyed hiking with you Marje. Be well and thank you my friend დ
Rejuvenating vistas.
Yes. It has always been necessary for me to get far from the madding human crowd. დ
Seems to be a good place to declutter the mind of everything.
🙂
Exactly. Above it all. Almost like the lucky birds, who touch earth only when they want to. I hope you are doing well my friend დ
Yes, doing well. Just busy before heading to NY for three weeks of shows.
The horses will keep running.
Glad to know,
you will too დ
Reblogged this on Smorgasbord Blog Magazine and commented:
I do like to end my evenings before switching off the computer, with images that remind me that there is peace in the world and life beyond our narrow field of vision at the moment.. Cindy Knoke provides those in these wonderful photographs taken of the Laguna/Borrego Escarpment close to The Holler where Cindy lives.. What a privilege to have a trail like this close to home, uninhabited at the moment by people, only nature.. Please head over to enjoy..
You are such a gift Sally. You are a positive force for good in this world. It truly is a joy to know you. I hope you stay safe and well დ
Thank you Cindy…and your images are just the antidote to the craziness…hugsx♥
Ahhhhh, you are an awesome friend my friend დ
That’s what I call a gorgeous slice of life <3
Nature grounds me. The weirder things get, the more I retreat into it. Hope you are staying safe and doing well my friend. Cheers to you & thank you დ
You’re blessed for your surroundings. Hanging in here, just need to be outside roaming. <3
Exactly! Stay well my friend დ
<3
Magnificent. Have a great evening.
Visa versa 2UX2 & thank you! დ
The land equivalent of a desert island. Love it.
Yes. Perfect description! Thank you დ
Really appreciated sharing this gorgeous hike on the ridgeline with you, Cindy. Photos, as always, are spectacular…I was especially dazzled by the swallowtail butterfly on the thistle flower.
It was lovely to have you come along & thank you! There were two colors of tiger swallowtails and monarchs up there, lots of them. I think due to the late rains. It was lovely დ
Oh Cindy, your photos make me what to load up and take off to found such a beautiful place. Love how you got the green in the foreground to pop out so nicely with the rugged mountains in the background, beautifully captured 🙂👍.
You and I see alike John. How cool is that! I love looking at your birds. I can see how much they trust you. Remarkable დ
The butterfly is a great capture.
Grazie mille დ
Wonderful views and pics of what looks like a great place to ‘quarantine’ calm and peaceful. Makes me homesick for the mountain property we owned northwest of Fort Collins, Co. in Glacier View Meadows, before we sold it a year ago. Your pics are always so uplifting and right now we all need that with all the chaos and uncertainty in these times and in this world. Wanted to let you know also that after some serious deliberation I decided to keep my old blog site and hopefully continue as long as I can. But, I did need to correct my link and make changes to it . It had been jemj47reflcetions.com but now is corrected and renamed as follows: https://jem47reflections.com I needed to drop the j in the link as it referred to my former married name. I was able to keep all the old posts and features the same so hopefully can pretty much just pick up where I left off. I have recently posted: “My friend was black,” which you can find there now; a story from my childhood memories. Stay well, stay safe and God bless and hope to see you around again. 🙂
I was so hoping you wouldn’t go! I would have so missed your uniquely brilliant, courageous, Christian thought. You embody the spirit my friend. We need you here.
Thank you. Your words of encouraging positive support Spurs me on.😊👍
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Ótimo texto 👏👏👏
Obrigada! დ
Dear Cindy, thanks for bringing us on this gorgeous hike. I’ve always loved the wonderful colors to be found in rocks, but the greens, and the beautiful lighting… these photos are spectacular. Hugs on the wing.
Hugs back to you kind lady & hope you are safe and well დ
That shot of the butterfly is gorgeous, Cindy.
Ahhh, thank you Robert. Very happy you enjoyed & thanks for stopping by! დ
I love that kind of capture. You do splendid work.
Thank you sincerely Robert, means a lot to me დ
Thank you Cindy for the like. 🙂
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Wow wow wow
Ahhh, thank you very much დ
Maybe a lonely view, but what a beauty! And to know it’s possible to even do something like this, in times like this, is wonderful! Thank you, Cindy! ❤️
Thank you more for your lovely thoughts Felipe, they are much appreciated. Take good care my friend დ
Seems you have been exploring the local peaks and looks grand. Here we have explored our overgrown boundaries but thankful for the space unlike many. Slowly emerging now, think still half chrysalis but love your swallowtail. We have them here but haven’t seen any yet. Stay well.
Yes, nature and space are a luxury I crave especially during times like these. Stay safe and well my friend and thank you for stopping by for a chat დ
So many questions–how do you get such crisp shots of birds, butterflies, and such? [We have lots of bird visitors, but they don’t remain still long enough…]. And how do you manage to find time to respond to all the comments?!
You are very kind. Patience and practice helps a lot…. smiling. Thank you Chandra for your thoughtful words and be well my friend დ
No worries about ‘social distancing’ there.
Looks absolutely beautiful and so free.
Yes. I have always loved getting far from the madding crowds, now more than ever. Thank you for stopping by Mary & cheers to you დ
What stunning views from up there, and I love the shot of the yellow swallowtail on the lavender thistle! I have never heard of the Laguna Mountain Range before and we travel to Southern CA a lot, or at least we did before the corona virus! I always appreciate the beautiful, out-of-the-way places you show us! Thank you.
Thank you so much for joining me on our virtual hike Kathy! You make the experience better. Cheers to you & stay safe დ
This view is so awe-inspiring!
Thank you very much and I am happy you enjoyed. Stay safe and well დ
Thankyou for reading my post, Cindy. 🙂
It is always my pleasure my friend დ
Thank you Cindy. 🙂
I love much the colors, the scenery seems like a movie from Cecil B. DeMille.
Thank you and I am happy you enjoyed. I bet Cecil may have filmed in this area. დ