There were scattered moderate downpours but nothing to phase me much despite the random boulder rolling down the hill across the canyon from me. But as i hiked further, things changed. Thunder came in from the east (where the storms were coming from) and soon the roll of thunder was constant, and one rumble would start before the last one had ended. I also came to realize that under the trees it was almost as dark as night.
Since the storm was obviously not going to miss, and was obviously not the typical California storm, i headed back to the car. But the rain started, and the sky got that funny color you get before hail. I figured why risk it, and bolted the last 1/10th of the mile to the car.
I wanted to make it to the building around the corner but i didnt. I opted for the car over the eaves of a metal storage shed, and sat in the car wondering if the window would break. Once the storm let up, this is what i saw. A mudslide was pouring down the hill and the ground was covered in marble sized hail.