Hiking Blackstar Canyon with Rise Bar

full disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

When the new year starts I always have a hankering to head outdoors. Yes, I fall victim to the New Year New Me mantra. I envision myself hiking, eating clean, hitting the gym and becoming a new healthier me. This year I hit a brand new low and…haven’t really started yet. There’s always February, right?

BUT I did manage to go on a hike on the very first Saturday of the new year. Way back in the early days of this blog I wrote about a guided hike I took with the Irvine Ranch Conservancy. It was a ton of fun and this year I resolved to take more advantage of their programs. In addition to guided hikes they also offer access days to wilderness areas normally not open to the public. To start the new year they offered a day in Blackstar Canyon and my friends and I made sure to go.

Blackstar Canyon

We decided to get there bright and early when it opened at 8am. It was fuh-reezing and we needed some energy for our trek so we fueled up with some Rise Bars. Remember when I told you about Rise Bar?

Rise Bars

Well this Irvine based brand (do I detect a theme?) has introduced two new flavors to their line of protein bars – Lemon Cashew and Sunflower Cinnamon. These vegan bars have just a few basic ingredients and are a hearty energy source. And they taste good, too! They were the perfect snack for our outing.

We headed off into the morning sun and discovered a world of frosted beauty.

Blackstar CanyonBlackstar Canyon

All surfaces were covered in a thin dusting of frost and our breath was visible before us. The air was clean and crisp and it was hard to imagine that this was Orange County. The land of freeways and shopping malls was minutes away but it felt like we had stepped into a whole different world.

Blackstar Canyon Blackstar Canyon Blackstar Canyon

Sometimes it feels like Southern California is one vast sea of asphalt. It’s nothing but city and commerce and folks stacked on top of each other fighting for their own patch of personal space. But it’s not. Just drive a little and you’re surrounding by nature whether it’s a canyon a desert or a mountain. It’s awonderland of natural beauty and I’m glad I spent the first weekend of the year immersed in it.

For more information on the Irvine Ranch Conservancy click here.

To purchase Rise Bar product click here.

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