PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: CHRISTMAS ON PALOMAR MOUNTAIN

East County News Service

December 26, 2016 (Palomar) – Lori Saldaña originally posted these fairy tale-like Christmas morning images on Facebook, with a message reading, “A very Merry Christmas morning to all. Here is my very So Cal Christmas view: snow on the ridge above, trees all around, sun in the valley below. May you enjoy the day with loved ones doing what brings you joy!”

The newsflasher and bottom left image is taken through a frosty windowpane at Harrison Serenity Ranch, a retreat on Palomar Mountain at an elevation of 3,500 feet.  The top two images show a ridgeline higher up on Palomar Mountain, around 4,000 feet elevation, in the Cleveland National Forest near Palomar Mountain State Park.

Ice-encrusted dead trees, still standing after a wildfire, are scattered among new growth—images of past and present combined in a winter wonderland scenic vista.