(11/30/05) Bruce and I were stunned on our Rabbit Peak scout trip. All the trip reports and pictures I've come across so far on this hike have been lack-luster at best. We scouted the hike up to Villager Peak last Sunday and I've got to say, this hike is an unsung beauty. I was expecting a mundane variety of plant life and instead was surprised with beautiful natural desert gardens. It made you wonder if a famous landscape architect had his hand up there, but you knew that the only one who could create something so beautiful was Mother Nature.

The views were astounding. At the top of Villager Peak, you can see San Gorgonio, San Jacinto, Santa Rosa, Agua Tibia, Palomar, Laguna, Cuyamaca, San Ysidro, Chocolate, and the Little San Bernardino Mountains. Coachella Valley sported a gorgeous quilt of farms in front of the burgundy glow of the LIttle San Bernardino Mountains at dusk. Some of the drops along the trail went down thousands of feet. In fact one section of the trail slid down the mountain. Hopefully nobody was around when that took place. The most amazing sight was that of the Salton Sea which was a brilliant blue.

We started the hike late so we had to hike part of it in the dark. Every now and then we were inclined to stop, turn off our headlamps, and gaze at the magnificent star show above us. The Milky Way was prominent against the moonless sky. Venus was so bright, it cast its light on a surrounding cloud.

I am really looking forward to the backpack trip. I wouldn't pass up the chance to sleep under the stars on Villager Peak, especially after Bruce has agreed to do an astronomy lesson.

It's not too late to sign up. It's going to be an amazing trip!

For more information about San Diego's Perfect Pace, visit their website at www.perfectpace.com.