Gallery

Quick run on the Pacific Crest Trail.
September 08 (Hot as Hell!)

-Blackberry

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Random photos from my adventures on the Appalachian trail from March 08 - August 08

-Blackberry

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Woodson Mountain, Poway, CA

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San Pasqual Valley is located east of I-15, south of Escondido, north of Rancho Bernardo and Poway. It is an agricultural preserve largely owned by the City of San Diego. The San Diego Wild Animal Park is located in the San Pasqual Valley, as is the San Pasqual State Battlefield Visitor's Center. The San Dieguito River Park has many projects planned or underway in the San Pasqual Valley.

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A buddy of mine and I decided to go check out the hike downhill to three sisters waterfall, one of San Diego’s better places off the beaten path. Below are some photos on the way to the falls.

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Arroyo Tapiado has some of the most extensive mud cave formations found anywhere in the world. Dwight Carey did his thesis in the 1970s on this area. He explored and named many of it's features. There are at least 23 mud caves that have been mapped out. More details can be found at Socal Trails - Arroyo Tapiado

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Acquired in 1973, Wilderness Gardens Preserve is the oldest County Parks and Recreation open space preserve. Located in the picturesque San Luis Rey River watershed, the preserve offers over 4 miles of easy to moderate hiking trails and is known as a birdwatcher's paradise. The preserve staging area provides picnic tables, portable restrooms and quick access to the trail system. The main trail is the most popular trail and provides access into the preserve interior. The Alice Fries trail is a .5 mile single track trail that meanders near the San Luis Rey River. The Upper Meadow Trail provides a wonderful overview of the preserve and San Luis Rey River corridor.

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Photos from the 2010 Pacific Crest Trail Kick Off at Lake Morena. Bonus photos of the trail from Lake Morena to Mt Laguna Campground. Event went on for several days and featured safety talks, gear tents (I bought my Lunar Duo!), and food to feed a town!

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A hike up to the summit of Alta Peak. This park is amazing. I have never seen so many animals including a few black bears!

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Close to the California mainland, yet worlds apart, Channel Islands National Park encompasses five remarkable islands (Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Miguel, and Santa Barbara) and their ocean environment, preserving and protecting a wealth of natural and cultural resources. Isolation over thousands of years has created unique animals, plants, and archeological resources found nowhere else on Earth and helped preserve a place where visitors can experience coastal southern California as it once was.

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The six-mile-long Big Laguna Trail, high in the Laguna Mountains, wends its scenic way over gently rolling hills and grassy dales, never dipping below 5400 feet of elevation nor rising to more than 5900 feet. By combining the Big Laguna Trail (BLT) with a four-mile segment of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) as mapped here, you’ll complete a loop hike of ten miles with lots of varied scenery.

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It was a flower filled day on the Palm Canyon Trail at Anza-Borrego State Park. We came out here to check out the small window in which the flowers bloom out here. We were not disappointed. At the very end of Palm Canyon Trail there is an Oasis, with a flowing stream, wonderful palm tree forest and well too many people! Still worth the hike, the flowers were amazing.

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Ellies Trail winds around the mountain adjacent to Iron Mountain. It never summits anything, but instead follows a steep walk around the ridges near the area before dropping into a valley and out to 67. It is a fun hike, with great views of Ramona Lake, make sure to bring a hat, water and sunscreen. We never found any shade along this walk.

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Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is located within San Diego city limits and yet remains one of the wildest stretches of land on our Southern California coast! Because of the efforts and foresight of the people in this area, 2000 acres of land are as they were before San Diego was developed -with the chaparral plant community, the rare and elegant Torrey pine trees, miles of unspoiled beaches, and a lagoon that is vital to migrating seabirds. One can imagine what California must have looked like to the early settlers, or to the Spanish explorers, or even to the first California residents here, the Kumeyaay people. There are 8 miles of trails, a visitor center, and guided nature walks on weekends and holidays.

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Lake Hodges has become the most popular recreation destination in the 55-mile-long San Dieguito River Park, now taking form along the San Dieguito River watershed from the coast at Del Mar to the Volcan Mountains near Julian. Trails along the Lake Hodges shoreline have long been popular, and now a route up Bernardo Mountain is attracting attention as well. In 2002, the bulk of the mountain was purchased for inclusion in the park, so now travelers can reach the top without leaving public land. The view from the top of the mountain encompasses much of the sparkling surface of Lake Hodges and includes a glimpse of the ocean.

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El Monte Park is one of the original County parks. The spectacular rocky face of El Cajon Mountain rises high over this 88-acre park, dominating the other mountains that encircle this valley. There are plenty of recreational opportunities, including a ball field and play areas. Seven reservable picnic areas make every size picnic easy to arrange. The "Wedding Tree" in the meadow offers a great spot for a wedding and the "Oak Grove" at the far end of the park is a private wedding location.

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Los Peñasquitos (meaning little cliffs) Canyon Preserve lies between Rancho Peñasquitos and Sorrento Hills to the north and Mira Mesa to the south. Stretching approximately seven miles from the I-5 and 805 merge to just east of I-15; it encompasses some 4,000 acres of both Peñasquitos and Lopez Canyons. The Preserve is jointly owned and administered by the City and County of San Diego. Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve attracts people with its natural beauty and rich natural resources both today and in the past. Native American history within the Preserve dates back as far as 7,000 years ago. Remains of the prehistoric culture can still be found. More recently the area was part of the first Mexican land grant in San Diego County. The historic Santa Maria de Los Peñasquitos Adobe (ca. 1823) operated by the County of San Diego located at the east end of the Preserve off Black Mountain Road on Canyonside Park Driveway, has been restored and tours are available for school groups and the public. For more information, please call the County Park Rangers at (858) 484-7504. The ruins of another adobe, the El Cuervo (ca. 1857), sit at the west end of the Preserve.

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Scarcely more than a stone’s throw from the beaches of Del Mar, Crest Canyon is a pleasant walk through coastal sage scrub that can seem a world away from the hustle and bustle of a busy life.

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"Often seen, rarely climbed" ....that about sums up El Cajon Mountain, a great climb in eastern San Diego County. Everything ranging from a easy Class 1 hike to a Class 3 scramble to a large 5.11 wall is found here, and is a jewel for climbers. However, the fact that the mountain is nearly completely surrounded by either private property or an Indian Reservation, the trailhead is difficult to find, the valley below is often quite hot, and there is little or no vegetation(fires sweep through Bi-annually), all contribute to this being a rarely-if-ever climbed mountain for locals. The wonderful views from the top ( the Ocean to the West, mountains to the East, Mexico to the South) combined with great exposure, make it worthwhile. Don't underestimate this climb. Though the mountain is only 3675 ft high, there is plenty of elevation gain. The El Cajon Mtn trail has almost 4,000 feet with the ups and downs of the trail. The South Arete climbs 3000 feet in less than 2 miles.

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Delicate spring flowers in this rugged terrain may surprise you. The “Way Up” Trail earned its name because of its uphill tread.

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Hellhole Canyon Preserve is a 1,907 acre preserve that offers 13.5 miles of moderate to advanced trail opportunities. An equestrian friendly staging area has ample trailer parking, vault restrooms, potable water, an ADA look out point and small amphitheater. The main trail descends from the staging area to the riparian zone astride Hell Creek. Here hikers will find a reprieve from the sun as mature Sycamore and oak trees line the creek bed. The trails beyond Hell Creek began to challenge hikers as they rise out of the creek bed and transition into the chaparral plant community. As the trail continue on into the preserve interior they wind up Rodriguez Mountain and become more advanced, but the serenity and views are worth the effort. On a clear day the Pacific Ocean can be seen from the top of Rodriguez Mountain. The preserve is home to a wide variety of plant life and animals, with dawn and dusk being the best time to spot wildlife.

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Blue Sky Ecological Reserve is a 700-acre oak-lined canyon flanked by coastal sage scrub and chaparral-covered hills. The Reserve is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. Brilliant colors of wild flowers on the hillsides in spring, the songs of birds, and the tree-lined creek provide an inviting escape for a nature walk.

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