This hike was on a section of the Backbone Trail through Upper Solstice Canyon, from the parking area at the top of Corral Canyon Road to the road below Castro Crest. I had planned to return via Castro Motorway, but I was chagrined to discover that the road has been closed, so it is not currently possible to do it as a loop hike. I was told by another hiker that the person who bought the antenna property on Castro Crest several years ago has a narrow slice of land that crosses Newton Motorway below the crest and refuses to allow people to cross his land without payments from the state. He has erected a massive gate with concertina wire and numerous warning signs about 24-hour video surveillance and criminal prosecution. Nevertheless, and despite the fact that there is hardly any water in Solstice Creek, there were many things blooming along the Backbone Trail, and it was a beautiful sunny day with temperatures in the mid-60's and a lovely breeze. I went back the following day to cover that section of the Castro Motorway which I had missed the day before and those pictures will be displayed on the next photo gallery. An asterisk next to the common name indicates a non-native species.

Globe gilia
Gilia capitata ssp. abrotanifolia
Polemoniaceae

Blue-eyed grass
Sisyrinchium bellum
Iridaceae

Scarlet bugler
Penstemon centranthifolius
Scrophulariaceae

Large-flowered phacelia
Phacelia grandiflora
Hydrophyllaceae

Bush mallow
Malacothamnus fasciculatus
Malvaceae

Caterpillar phacelia
Phacelia cicutaria var. hispida
Hydrophyllaceae

Redstem filaree *
Erodium cicutarium
Geraniaceae

Common eucrypta
Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia var. chrysanthemifolia
Hydrophyllaceae

Crimson spot rock-rose *
Cistus ladanifer var. maculatus
Cistaceae

San Diego County viguiera
Bahiopsis laciniata (= Viguiera laciniata)
Asteraceae
(Not native to this area, probably planted)