Valley View Trail

I was looking for a local trail in Ukiah to hike yesterday. In Los Angeles, it seemed that you could drive to the base of any mountain and eventually you would find a park or a trail head that would take you into the back country. I tried that strategy yesterday, although the mountains to the west of town seem to be completely claimed by landowners. Signs of no trespassing, and territorial claims were everywhere. These mountains are completely off limits to the common man. As I drove through one of the neighborhoods, I asked a lady walking down the sidewalk if she knew of any local trails. She recommended the cow mountain recreation area, so that is where I went. I found the Valley View trail and decided to explore a bit. The trail was just like many I have walked in Southern California. Vegetation was mostly manzanita, scrub oak, and chamise. The lighting was pretty terrible for photos. It was a good trail for solitude as well as a physical workout. I hiked about an hour or so before turning around due to gunshots. Somebody was hunting, or more likely taking target practice, because there were shots every 5 seconds or so. Bullets were ripping through the air in every direction it seemed. I decided to retreat down the mountain rather than get struck by some stray bullet.