Mariposa State Forest - Paradise Hill to Mariposa Road
Exploring new places and stretches of trails was one of the original motivations for writing this blog in the first place, which is why I decided to hike further into Mariposa State Forest along the Finger Lakes Trail. My intention was to hike out to where the FLT reached the junction with the Link Trail and return the same way I came as a good-distance out-and-back. I made the mistake, however, of not looking up maps before I left my house, so I never quite made it all the way to the Link Trail (although I would later learn I came pretty close). It was a warm early spring day (highs near 60) with abundant sunshine that was very welcome after nearly 2 weeks of grey skies and general dreariness. I started my hike at a parking area just before the FLT crosses Paradise Hill Road (this is also not far from where my hike last summer in Mariposa Forest ended). Hiking eastward, I immediately traveled parallel to that open field where glimpses of distant hills can be seen.