For this weeks Show Us Your California contest by @socalsteemit I headed up into San Antonio canyon to find...

Waterfalls and Rubies!

I wanted to get out and do some rockhounding so I headed up into San Antonio canyon to search for some Corundum! Corundum has both Ruby and Sapphire varieties. And you can find both in San Antonio canyon, but from what I've found only the Rubies are found in larger higher quality specimens. I parked on Mt. Baldy road and hiked down to the creek. I knew about a few outcrops with Corundum down by the creek that I'd worked before, but on this trip I wanted to explore the larger outcrops up high on the hill in the hopes of finding higher quality specimens. So I climbed up the east side of the canyon and explored a few of the outcrops. The views overlooking the canyon were really nice, but the material wasn't very impressive and the terrain was quite treacherous.

Sasn Antonio canyon

Crossing San Antonio creek

Climbing the east side of San Antonio canyon

Exploring rock outcrops for Corundum

Corundum with Sapphire

Corundum with Ruby

Views over San Antonio canyon

On my way down I did find one area where I found and collected some fairly decent Corundum specimens, but still nothing super duper exciting. I got back down by the creek and checked out a few more outcrops down there and collected a few more specimens and then I decided to take the short hike up Cascade canyon (a smaller side canyon in San Antonio canyon) to the beautiful Cascade canyon falls! I relaxed by the waterfall for awhile and the clouds decided to sprinkle on me a bit, but I didn't mind. It was all very peaceful. The sprinkles stopped after not too long and I started hiking back. On my way back I stopped at the old Boyscout camp ruins and I found that someone had tied up a cool little rope swing. So of course I had to take a swing on it before finishing my hike back to my truck. Although I didn't find any super awesome specimens I did find a few decent ones and regardless of that I had a great day out in the beauty of the mountains!!