take a hike, san diego!

balboa park trails

2009-03-29T13:25:00.001-07:00

Balboa Park is one of our favorite urban areas in San Diego. A few weeks ago while hanging out in the park, we were pleased to see the newly installed hike signage.

Now you don't need a special map or tip to find or enjoy the trails - just show up & follow the signs! But hey, if you still want one, the maps are online. And don't forget to follow the park on Twitter.

Happy hiking!

Cedar Creek Waterfall

2009-03-11T13:53:00.000-07:00

Enjoying the spring weather in San Diego, last weekend we continued our quest to take on some of the hikes that are just too hot to do in the summer. We wanted something challenging, like a mountain, but pretty, ohh! like a waterfall. We decided to take on Cedar Creek, as it promised to offer one of the best waterfalls in San Diego. It was everything we were looking for!

Trail: Ceder Creek trail (Ramona side)
Location: Ramona
Length: about 4 miles out & back
Hike time: 3 hours
Terrain: rocky, dusty path & some river crossing
Path visibility: several rather worn trails all leading down to same place
Difficulty: moderate because of the steep uphill hike up from falls
Cost: free
Highlight destination: waterfall
Beware: bring lots of water, go in morning to avoid massive groups

Getting to the trail head in Ramona is apparently a little easier from San Diego than the traditional Julian starting point for this hike. The drive only took us an hour, then we easily found the trail head at a dead end amongst several houses who get Cedar Creek as their backyard.

We arrived around 10 a.m. on the trails, which seemed to be good timing as we had a chance to enjoy the waterfall a bit privately in between the onslaught of hikers who got a slightly later start than us. Just in our 3 hours on the trail we probably came across 30 or so other hikers (if not more).

The walk down to the waterfall took us about an hour. We had the little 2 lb. dog with us again & she did great (most of the hike!). The descent is a bit steep with loose dirt & rocks, making the trip down a bit dicey at times. The wildflowers were just beginning their springtime bloom and the surrounding peaks as we descended into the valley made for quite the postcard view.

We crossed running water, rock jumping, about 3 times to get to the waterfall. I like to point out that I crossed the San Diego River, but of course it really was just a shallow rushing creek of a thing so it wasn't that difficult.

It is easy to see why the Cedar Creek trail's waterfall is dubbed the best in San Diego. With its 100 foot falls, nature puts on quite a show for hikers. There was a large group of about 8 professional looking hikers there when we arrived, and they were stationed right in front of the waterfall. We took over a boulder off to the side of the falls and ate our lunch. By the time we were done eating, they were heading back up the trail so we spent a good 15 minutes at the primo spot in front of the falls enjoying it ourselves.

You can also climb up to the top of the waterfall (no jumping down though), but with the best view being the waterfall we didn't head up that way. There was a group of about 5 people near the top of the falls during our stop.

As with any waterfall hike, the hardest part is the trip back to the car. I thought it must have been a 90 degree incline, but my trusty hiking partner insists it was only about 30 degrees at most. Sure felt straight up! You didn't really notice the utility of the excellently placed look-out rocks at each plateau until you were headed way up - that's when you use each rock formation as a resting bench for a water break. (It was early March & we went through lots of water, so make sure you bring plenty.)

Our poor pooch had just about had enough of her hike about halfway up, as on our first major stop she literally fell over to rest when she realized we weren't going to be moving anymore. It was tragically precious & of course we decided to carry her most of the way back after that. Don't worry, we had plenty of water for her too. Needless to say, she slept like a rock that night.

The trip back up to the car only took a little extra time than our trip down, as the climb took just under 1.5 hours to return to the trail head.

Even with the big groups of other hikers, this is one of favorite hikes to date. The countryside was so peaceful, the waterfall so amazing and as always the company top-notch. Try to do this hike after a big rainy season or in the spring, as many reports online say the beautiful falls dry up to barely a trickle by August.

On the way home we detoured through Julian & of course rewarded ourselves with their famous Apple pie.

Tipped Off: Jerry Schad's Afoot & Afield in San Diego.

Two Harbors Catalina

2009-03-08T13:36:00.000-07:00

The Catalina Islands just off the coast of California near Los Angeles might be one of the most relaxing tourist destinations in this area. Though their local economy is built around tourism (population less than 300), there just isn't much to do there other than enjoy the nature - be it through boating or hiking. We took this hike at Two Harbors Labor Day weekend on Aug. 30, 2008.

Trail: Two Harbors
Location: Two Harbors on Catalina Island
Length: varies
Hike time: varies
Terrain: peak with plenty of plateaus
Path visibility: clearly marked dirt path
Difficulty: moderate, increasing difficulty as you go up the coastal peak
Cost: free, but hiking pass required
Highlight destination: overlooking the two harbors for which the area gets its name
Beware: buffalo said to be on the peak, but we didn't see any; bring lots of water

The only way to get to the Catalina Islands is by boat, be it your own or ferry from the mainland (okay, so there is a small airport but I can't be bothered with facts). This restricted access makes Catalina a great getaway destination. Even though it is 100% tourist, it's very laid back with actually very little to do other than enjoy nature.

While at Two Harbors, we knew we had to hike. Apparently buffalo roam the coastal peak we hiked, but we weren't lucky enough to see any. We're holding out for the next time.

This hike was much like our San Diego-based climbs on familiar terrain of steep inclines on a dirt path, but with the most extraordinary views of the two harbors (Isthmus Cove and Catalina Harbor). After walking along a long flat, wide dirt path for a bit, we started heading upward toward the peak. There was a nice area at the bend just overlooking Isthmus Cove with a bench to rest or just enjoy the view of the harbor below.

Moving from this resting spot, the hike seemed to really begin as we took on the peak. The incline increased rather steadily and gave us a bit of a workout.

The entire hike was really like a living postcard. What else is there to say? Can't wait to go back.

We found this video online of brothers who did a variation of the hike we did - and they saw a buffalo!

Tipped off: Catalina guides online mention hiking, but there aren't a lot of details out there.

Sunset Cliffs

2009-03-08T12:39:00.001-07:00

Anytime someone from out of town comes to San Diego to visit, a must stop on showcasing this gorgeous coastal area is Sunset Cliffs. Though La Jolla Cove might receive more tourists, Sunset Cliffs in Point Loma is 20 times more spectacular. It isn't so much of an urban hike as it is a nice walk along some of the most breathtaking cliffs on this continent, but we still have to highlight it. We first took this hike together on July 17, 2008 - but have made it a staple in showing people the sights of San Diego.

Trail: Sunset Cliffs
Location: in Sunset Cliffs Park on Point Loma [map]
Length: varies
Hike time: varies
Terrain: easy walk on road, but climbing down to explore the rocks & even some of the more hard-to-reach areas (skipping across the crashing waves) highly recommended
Path visibility: clearly marked paved path, but encouraged to explore off the path
Difficulty: easy up on the trail, but be careful down by the waves
Cost: free
Highlight destination: going off path at the waterline to explore the caves and private beaches
Beware: stay back from the cliffs, wading across slippery rocks as waves come crashing in can be dangerous, & some vagrants in the less-traveled areas

Sunset Cliffs is one of those places that makes you wonder at how lucky San Diego is to have such amazing coastal places all in our backyard. Very true to it's name, Sunset Cliffs is a series of cliffs with the Pacific Ocean crashing hard against the rocks - but that intensity of nature provides such a serene and lovely backdrop to what can be a nice meandering hike.

The write-up that Jerry Schad gives it in his "Afoot & Afield in San Diego," understates this urban hike greatly. He calls the trail "neglected" and overwhelmingly informal, placing emphasis on that as opposed to the absolutely amazing vistas. As he mentions, you can bring everything from kids to dogs, but both should be watched carefully especially near the cliff edges and crashing waves.

The first thing we did after parking in the small lot at the park was to make our way down to the outcropping of cliffs. Even though there were several groups there, it seemed like each of us had our own private cliff to enjoy.

Moving closer to the water, it became a little game to see what marine wildlife we could encounter. In the tide pools on the cliffs, we saw many a crab scurrying, among other types of animals.

After spending a good deal of time oooh'ing an ahhhhh'ing, we continued to make our way down the coastline. The cliffs were just amazing and what views you have of the wildflowers, waves & surfers below. There were the most amazing rock formations even out in the ocean, a good distance from the main cliffs and coastline.

Then, we came to a staircase that led us down to the waterline. This is where the urban hike can start to get a little dangerous, as you'll have to scurry over wet rocks and timing your trek against the incoming waves, but this is the part that is most worth it.

Once down along the waterline, you can explore a series of caves. We found a fabulous little "private" locals-only type beach that had about 10 people (kids included) enjoying their secret little spot there far from the touristy areas of the city. There were lots of surfers and others out enjoying sport in the ocean too.

The only words of caution for this hike deal with safety of rock-hopping against such a powerful current to get to some of the more fun areas, and a note that we did see some vagrants in the harder to access areas.

Tipped off: No one in particular, just a local favorite. Schad does a very understated write up in Afoot & Afield in San Diego.

Tijuana River Estuary

2009-03-08T12:39:00.000-07:00

In July of last year we decided to check out some of the trails at the Tijuana River Estuary. At the time we hadn't hiked in several months, and we were looking for something easy and flat and close to home. So after breakfast in Coronado, we headed down the Silver Strand to Imperial Beach.

Trail: Tijuana River Estuary (South)
Location: Imperial Beach
Length: Varies. We went about 2 miles out and back
Hike time: 1.5 hours
Terrain: flat and sandy
Path visibility: unmarked but wide path
Difficulty: easy
Cost: free
Highlight destination: mouth of the river, at the beach
Beware: some mosquitoes, some muddy spots near water

There are two main sections of the Estuary, north and south. On the north side is the Visitor Center, which is open Wednesday through Sunday, as well as several shorter, popular trails. We chose the south side for our visit, and parked on Monument Road down by Border Field State Park. There is also parking at Sunset Ave., a little further inland.

Our original intention was to head on a short loop and then down to the South Beach Trail. As we walked north on the trail toward the river, though, we slowly realized that our hiatus from hiking had apparently caused our crack navigational skills to degrade -- we had started out further east than we had thought, so we missed the short loop and instead were on the trail to the wetlands that lie about a mile east of the beach. It was a quiet, lazy weekday morning, and we decided to just go with it. In the end, we were glad we did.

The path was a sandy trail, usually several feet wide though it narrowed as we got closer to the river, through high grasses, wildflowers, tall shrubs, cacti and a wonderful variety of marshy growth. There is a national wildlife refuge here, and there was wildlife aplenty. At the bottom of the food chain (or maybe the top, since they feasted on us a bit) were the mosquitoes, but we were lucky enough to see some beautiful blue herons and a red-tailed hawk, as well as a bunch of other waterfowl that we didn't recognize.

The other common sight in the air above the estuary were Seahawks. These were not of the feathered variety, however -- these were the mechanical, rotary wing H-60 Seahawk helicopters flown by the Navy at their Imperial Beach landing field. Even with the occasional thumping of rotors overhead, the scene by the river was very peaceful as the pilots practiced their landings and the birds in the water didn't even blink at their noisier metallic neighbors.

We walked along the river toward the ocean for about a quarter mile, admiring the ducks and herons, and even saw some good-sized fish jumping. As we walked on, the sandy path began to give way to mud, so we turned back and headed the way we came. Even with the mosquitoes, it was a very pleasant, meandering hike along the vibrant, southwestern corner of the U.S.

Tipped Off:Mainly through word of mouth, but we referred to Jerry Schad's Afoot & Afield in San Diego for the different trailhead options.

Love Valley Meadow

2009-01-03T10:23:00.001-08:00

We spent Jan. 2, 2009 roaming around Palomar Mountain and took on two hikes. In the early afternoon we walked around Doane Pond and a pet-friendly road in Palomar Mountain State Park. After lunch, we headed down the mountain and stopped off at Love Valley Meadow in Cleveland National Forest for a quick hike before sunset.

Trail: Love Valley Meadow
Location: on Palomar Mountain, in Cleveland National Forest
Length: 2 miles out and 2 miles back
Hike time: 1.5 hours
Terrain: nice, rambling country road
Path visibility: very clearly marked road
Difficulty: easy
Cost: free
Highlight destination: walking through the meadow
Beware: there is not a formal parking lot, just a pull-off spot on highway 76

We had already had a great day hiking on Palomar Mountain in the state park, but after lunch we looked at the clock & though we might be able to get one more hike in before sunset.

We decided on picturesque Love Valley Meadow, on the fringe of Cleveland National Forest, as our departing hike on our way down the mountain back to the city.

The trail was really just a rambling country road, taking you a bit down the mountain into one of many of the higher (relatively speaking!) valleys.

Along the way we had plenty of spectacular views of Lake Henshaw in the valley below. Coincidentally, when we actually drove next to the lake after leaving Palomar Mountain we remarked how much bigger it looked close up.

There were plenty of sights to take in on this light hike. Looking over the ridge into the valley, you could see boulders standing out like headstones surrounded by greenery. The rocks themselves were just amazing, and I for one was happy to not have to scale rocks for once this week!

There seems to be a good deal of animal life in the valley. The official inhabitants were the cattle grazing in the meadow, but we also spotted what we decided were elk prints in the dirt.

After rounding Lake Henshaw, the road comes to a fork. Heading right will take you to a barn & grazing that livestock I just mentioned. We went left, to continue along in the meadow. This was by far my favorite part of the hike.

It was a nice rolling meadow, which inspired lots of conversation about the "olden days" before there were roads & malls everywhere. I might have made a little joke that Love Valley was far from Fashion Valley (my personal favorite mall in San Diego), but I'm not going to admit that here. It is easy to imagine what life was like 100 or more years ago when you are walking around this meadow.

The many trees, all shaped in such a way that just invites you to either sit on the elephant trunk like branches that swoop down or have a picnic beneath one of the many tall oaks, were also notable. Coming to our own personal turnaround point, a crest where the lake beneath was once again revealed, we had a nice view as the last bits of sunlight streamed through the trees.

Love Valley makes me think of of summer, but in reading up on it I get the impression that it might be too hot and too many bugs to really enjoy it during those months. Everything I've read said Love Valley is to be enjoyed best during the spring - when the meadow is green, the lake is full after a winter of rain and snow, & the flowers are just starting to bloom. There was also a note about the cool evenings keeping away the crawly things in there somewhere.

After our short hike there, though, I can't help but feel that whenever you go to Love Valley Meadow, you will have a wonderful time. Take your time, a book, a picnic, whatever - but definitely take a friend.

Tipped off: Schad's Afoot & Afield San Diego County.

Doane Pond in Palomar Mountain State Park

2009-01-03T09:24:00.000-08:00

After the new year, we wanted to continue our holiday ritual of tackling more difficult hikes outside of the city. We searched what is now simply known as "the book" & decided we'd head out to Palomar Mountain for a nice mountain hike. It turned out to be a beautiful day full of lots of surprises (some good, some not!) and two separate hikes (see Love Valley Meadow hike here).

Trail: Doane Pond and fire access road
Location: Palomar Mountain State Park
Length: 1 mile out and 1 mile back
Hike time: 1.5 hours
Terrain: snowy!
Path visibility: very clearly marked road
Difficulty: easy
Cost: $6 to enter the park for the day
Highlight destination: seeing snow in San Diego, followed by the view from the mountains
Beware: dogs are NOT allowed on any of the formal trails in Palomar Mountain State Park, and snow greatly reduces visibility or normally well-marked trails

We headed out to the mountains late in the morning on Jan. 2, 2009, amidst a heavy fog in San Diego. We had thought it would burn off by 11 a.m., but by noon we still saw patches of it. The drive to Palomar Mountain is a long one, but it got more & more gorgeous with every mile. We say this all the time when we go out on our little adventures, but we couldn't help ourselves yet again: We can't believe this is still San Diego!

Palomar Mountain State Park is nestled in high atop the Palomar Mountains, at more than 5,000 feet above sea level (possibly more but I lost count). To get there, we took highway 76 to S6 (also called South Grade Road), then following signs to Palomar Mountain State Park.

We were so surprised to see patches of snow along the drive up the mountain, then even more happily surprised once in the park to find most of the land was still blanketed with it. The roads were winding, but very easy to travel in any type of vehicle.

A not-so-fun surprise was the park's dog policy. After a long drive we were very surprised to get up to the gate & hear a park ranger tell us that dogs were not allowed on any of the trails. Luckily, they did have "legal" areas for dogs, such as walking around Doane Pond and a nearby fire access road up the mountain, but we would have been quite disappointed had we not been allowed to enter the park or take the dog out of the car at all. They gave us a special flier explaining where dogs were allowed (with map), and rational for their pet policy. Bottom line with Palomar Mountain is to just leave the pets at home so you can explore anything that you want to.

Because of the dog policy, we had to postpone our plan to hike on several of the formal trails mentioned by Schad in his book. In the end, we were happy with that decision anyway since the trails were covered in snow & it would have been very easy for us to get off course.

We walked around the beautifully frozen Doane Pond. Have I mentioned it was near 60 degrees that afternoon? After walking around the pond, we headed about 50 yards up from the pond's parking lot to a fire access road. Pets were allowed on that road, which went up the mountain with spectacular views for about 1 mile before reaching the turnaround point of the park boundary.

When we started up the snow-covered road, I was feeling pretty negative about the entire excursion and mad at myself for not calling ahead to ask about dogs. That frustration easily wore off with every step through the (sometimes as much as) 7 inches of undisturbed snow and beautiful lookout points into the valley below.

Whether I talked myself into it, I really think we had a much better hike experience up the fire access road then we would have trying to follow a formal trail in the snow.

And the views! Oh. The views.

So in the end, we had a hike full of surprises - some good like snow in San Diego, some bad like not knowing the park's dog policy - but it was an amazing & refreshing hike.

After the hike, we went down the mountain a few miles to an outpost where we had lunch at Mother's Kitchen, a quaint vegetarian restaurant.

Tipped off: Read about Palomar hikes in Schad's Afoot & Afield San Diego County, but had to forge a different trail because of their dog on the trails policy.

10 hikes to take in 2009

2009-01-03T09:08:00.000-08:00

It's not often (umm, well, ever actually) that we link to other people's lists of hikes but Peter Spiller has done a fantastic job of putting together a list of 10 hikes he thinks everyone should take in 2009.

1. Garnet Peak, Laguna Mountains
2. Arroyo Tapiado
3. Torrey Pines
4. Oak Canyon, Mission Trails Regional Park
5. Ghost Mountain
6. Iron Mountain
7. Visitors Center Loop, Mission Trails Regional Park
8. Three Sisters Waterfalls
9. Cowles Mountain
10. The Slot

Happy hiking San Diego!

Three Sisters Waterfalls

2008-12-30T12:34:00.000-08:00

Around Christmas we like to do a really challenging hike a bit further out than our normal "everyday hikes." Last year we tackled Tecate Peak, and much to our surprise this year, we found one even more challenging - but just as rewarding - with the Three Sisters Waterfalls hike. Three Sisters Waterfalls is near the upper part of the San Diego River, so it was quite a drive for us - but by far one of the most fun trips we've had to date.

Trail: Three Sisters Waterfalls
Location: upper San Diego River, near Descanso off Cedar Creek Road
Length: 2 miles out and 2 miles back
Hike time: 2 hours (we went quickly & didn't spend a lot of time at the falls)
Terrain: be ready to mountain climb as you face extremely steep cliffs for access to the falls. Also, the drive to the trail head is a windy, unpaved & very rough mountain road - 4 wheel drive vehicle recommended!
Path visibility: Dirt path relatively easy to make out on the way down to the falls, less so on the way back
Difficulty: very difficult, but worth it!
Cost: free!
Highlight destination: the waterfalls, though the surrounding mountains weren't bad themselves either
Beware: the steep descents down to the waterfalls are no joke with slippery rocks

This was probably one of our most difficult hikes. As you drive up the winding, tight country unpaved mountain road to the trail head remember that for as much as you climb in the vehicle you will descend on foot. (Note, follow these directions to get to the trail head.) The drive to the trail head took about 1.5 hours from southern San Diego. Even so, after all that time you're still in San Diego county which gives you a real appreciation for how big the county is.

Every real hiker review of this hike has talked about how strenuous this trek is - don't take that lightly. We did this hike in late December & from everyone else's experience it seems best to avoid doing this in the spring or later when it is really too hot to safely tackle this hike. In preparing, also plan to get there in enough time to allow you the 2 hours of hiking plus lots of extra time to enjoy the waterfalls all before sunset. This is not the place you want to be caught after dusk. Take plenty of water, some food & a camera.

It could not have been better weather the day we went on the hike. It was about 65 degrees at the coast & a bit warmer inland. There had been record levels of rain the preceding week (so we knew we'd have a great show with the waterfall), but waited enough days after the last rain so we wouldn't be tramping through mud the whole way. Even then, there was still some flooding on the mountain roads.

The information we'd read about the hike said that dogs were allowed, so we took my little 2 lb. dog who likes to jump rocks & climb. There were parts where the small dog had to be carried & frankly I couldn't see how a larger dog could have even of made it - so I would recommend that if you can't scale a nearly vertical cliff while carrying your dog then don't bring it.

There were 3 cars parked at the trail head when we arrived. We met all 3 groups as we made our way down the mountain and they back up. Each had varying pieces of advice for us ranging from "drink lots of water" (and the dog too!) to "use your hands when scaling the cliffs." No one thought the little 2 lb dog would make it, but she did!

The biggest difference on this mountain hike is that it occurs in reverse of what you're normally used to for a mountain. You climb down into the mountain to get to the waterfalls, which means that all the hard work is on your way back after you've been at it for awhile & are likely tired. Budget your energy accordingly.

It was very nice going down, especially seeing all the peaks of the mountain range surround you. There was no shortage of amazing views. About 10 minutes in on the trail you can actually see Three Sisters Waterfalls, albeit from very far away. If you listen closely, you can hear the rushing water as well. The first 30 or so minutes is a steady, winding decline down toward the waterfalls.

The closer you get, the steeper the decline. That is when you really start rock climbing. Be careful of loose rocks & dirt on your way down. At one point, previous hikers actually hung a little rope to make it easier to get down and up.

There aren't strong enough words to describe the fact that these descents, closer to the falls, are just about as vertical as you can get without falling off the side of the mountain.

It only took about 45 minutes until we got to the bottom & could see the waterfalls. Gorgeous! Breathtaking! Worth it all.

The hike back up actually seemed to go quicker than the hike down (that's a first), but it was certainly more difficult to manage to get up those rocks we basically slid down on the first part of the hike. The dog tackled a lot of the moderate parts herself, doing better than the humans at time, but she did get carried for the most vertical parts.

We'll definitely do this hike again - though only in the winter to avoid the horror stories of this hike we've read from others, and giving ourselves more time to explore the waterfalls & climb up to see more of them. Some people have reported even swimming in the pools, which does sound like fun.

Tipped off: Schad's Afoot & Afield San Diego County, also written about on the San Diego Reader site.

San Elijo Lagoon

2008-03-22T20:04:00.000-07:00

We hiked this trail on a pretty Saturday morning last month. Shorts weather. That's not terribly uncommon for San Diego in mid-February, but still, it's a nice reminder how fortunate those of us are who get to live here. So on a day like this, we wanted to soak up some sun and stretch our legs, and we decided to visit San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Preserve in Cardiff.

Trail: Rios Avenue Trail (map)
Location: San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Preserve
Length: Varies. We went about 2 miles out and 2 miles back
Hike time: 2 hours (we took our time)
Terrain: easy, with a couple of moderate climbs and a dodgy makeshift bridge to keep things interesting
Path visibility: Very clear, and especially wide in a few sections, but there were some branches off the main path that were a little less clear
Difficulty: easy
Cost: free!
Highlight destination: the lagoon itself, and the wildlife who make it their home
Beware: Crazy mole creatures, and (allegedly) mountain lions

This was probably one of our more leisurely hikes. We really took our time. I think "meandering" is the right word to describe our pace, and that happens to also be a fitting description of the lagoon that stars center stage when walking this trail.

We parked up at the end of Rios Ave. and after a brief moment of indecision we headed to the right of the trailhead, down an incline toward the little loop of Gemma Parks Interpretive Trail that brings you just up alongside the water.

There are some nice little signs along this part of the trail that identify all the different foliage, and we noted them as we walked. But the plantlife didn't get nearly as much attention from us as did this little guy.

We heard him scratching around in the long grass by the side of the lagoon, and when we inspected more closely, we saw his strange little nose sniffing the air just before his looooong teeth pulled some shoots of grass down into his hole with him.

We loitered outside his home for a good 10 minutes, watching him sneak further and further out, until we were able to get a decent picture of him. The surprising thing about him was his size, which was a lot bigger than we first thought when we saw his nose poking out. At first we thought he was a little field mouse or even a little bird down in the grass. But as he ventured further out of his hole, we realized he was closer in size to a well-fed gray squirrel than a little mouse. And the teeth on him! They were some choppers. He had two long buck teeth coming way down out of his face. I certainly would not have wanted to wake up from a nap in the grass with that set of ivories staring back at me.

We finally pulled ourselves away from the Mutual of Omaha moment, and proceeded on the hike. There were some ducks paddling along on the lagoon who seemed to be making better time than us. But then again, they didn't have to stop to take pictures.

After coming to the far end of the interpretative loop, we left the open sandy flats and headed into a section that was a little more overgrown. It looked like a perfect little grove to get lost in for awhile, but we pressed ahead and came to where the trail meets I-5.

We made a short leap across a little offshoot of water from the lagoon and made towards the underpass. There are a few rocks here to climb, but not to worry, someone has kindly laid a little footbridge -- in the "old wooden pallet" style of architecture -- across the trickiest part. Frankly, I was more worried about crossing this thing than I would have been just stepping over the rocks.

Once on the east side of I-5, we walked on about a mile or so further, but other than an ominous sign warning of mountain lions and a particularly playful Yorkie out for her morning constitutional with her sidekick Rottweiler (and their human), there wasn't anymore wildlife to be seen. So we headed back the way we came.

Once we passed back under the freeway, we climbed the hill to take the higher branch of the trail back to the trailhead instead of doubling back on the interpretive loop again.

This gave us a great vista of the lagoon below as well as a little shade and a pretty view of a spider web glowing in the morning sun. It was an appropriate way to finish this decidedly unhurried hike.

Tipped off: Schad's Afoot & Afield San Diego County.

Cook's Greenway Trail

2008-03-15T15:49:00.000-07:00

This post has been a long time coming, but we are better late than never on describing this hike. It was an excellent day. Historic, in fact. Superbowl Sunday. We were both in Athens, Ga. & looking for a way to get in a little exercise before the game. We came up with Sandy Creek Park and decided to take on the mother of all trails there - Cook's Greenway Trail.

Trail: Cook's Greenway Trail (map)
Location: Athens, Ga.
Length: 4.1 miles out to Sandy Creek Nature Center then 4.1 miles back
Hike time: 3.5 hours (we kinda stopped keeping track)
Terrain: easy, but lots of it
Path visibility: Much of the trail was clearly marked, including a good section being an actual boardwalk. There were many parts though that were literally hikes through the woods & we got a little off the path at one point.
Difficulty: moderately difficult but only because of the length & mud
Cost: $2 each to enter the park
Highlight destination: tie between the bubbling creek you follow most of the way & the picturesque bridges
Beware: the trail gets very muddy when it has just rained & remember to bring everything you need for a 8+ mile hike (water, snacks)

This was such a gorgeous day to be outside. Sure, San Diego gets beautiful weather all the time but asking for high 60s in Georgia during January is really a tall order. But we had it, so off we went to explore the park.

The trail was actually concieved and developed by a local UGA professor, for whom the trail is named. Professor Walter L. Cook Jr., of the UGA Forestry and Recreation and Leisure Services, was the driving force behind the construction of the trail & the layout. He began working on the trail in the 1970s and felt it was important to not only save the area around Sandy Creek but also educate park-goers about the importance of forests & all the critters within. To this end, there were some signs along the path explaining the role of beavers & other wildlife in the area but it would have been great to have more.

I knew it was a 8+ mile hike - out to the Sandy Creek Nature Center for 4.1 miles then back to Sandy Creek Park - but I don't think I really believed my hiking partner was going to be up for the entire hike. The downside of this great day is that because I didn't really think we would do the whole thing, we pretty much left the car unprepared without any water or snacks. By the end of the hike (more than 3 hours later), we were both a little grumpy & definitely tired.

You can start the hike at the Nature Center or the Park, as we did. The path is a very simple "out & back" model with a nice mix of walking by a bubbling creek, over nice little bridges and through the woods. For much of the walk close to the Nature Center, there was a great wooden boardwalk that made path visibility excellent.

The area had recently seen a lot of rain just before our hike, so there were a lot of muddy areas where it was quite difficult to pass in order to continue on the hike.

Not surprisingly, because the weather had just turned nice in Georgia, we ran into several groups of people. We saw everything from other folks on the trail alone to groups of runners (UGA cross-country team, perhaps?). The path is really made for everyone - runners, hikers and mountain bikers & we all seemed to exist nicely together on it without getting in one another's way.

For the true enthusiast, there was an extension loop that added a tad more than a mile to the overall hike. Unfortunately, on the way back to the car we were so tired & grumpy I think that we accidentally took an extension - thereby making our hike more like 9.5 miles.

In the end, it was a wonderful time to unplug from the world, enjoy nature & really get a chance to recharge. After the hike we had no qualms about digging in to a super huge Superbowl feast.

Tipped off: No tip on this one because I had heard about Sandy Creek Park & so we went looking for a hike in it.

bridle trail

2007-12-31T10:06:00.000-08:00

We are constant explorers of Balboa Park. We run there several times a week, & we've been known to spend an entire day every so often walking through the entire park from the archery areas to the rose garden. The park, previously called City Park before it was truly developed into what we know today, has really become a marvelous point of pride for the city. With all the museums, lush gardens, canyons, fountains, restaurants & plenty of areas to play or picnic - there really is just nothing like Balboa Park. We took this hike on a gorgeous sunny day, which happened to be the last Saturday in 2007.

Trail: Bridle Trail (map)
Location: Balboa Park (trailhead north of the bowling greens near Redwood Circle, in the park from 6th Ave & Maple St.)
Length: 1 mile (then walk back)
Hike time: about 20 minutes
Terrain: winding hills for a wide dirt path
Path visibility: Very clearly marked
Difficulty: easy - great for the whole family
Cost: free parking throughout Balboa Park or along 6th Ave. on the park - some metered spots along 5th & 6th if you have trouble parking
Highlight destination: knowing you are in the middle of the city, but surrounded by such an urban jungle
Beware: this is not the type of area you want to go in after dark - & women should always hike with a partner on this trail

This hike, more than any other Balboa experience we had, really inspired us to learn more about the gorgeous park so many San Diegans enjoy each day. Ahh, but we're getting ahead of ourselves.

We ran the park in the morning & thought it might be a good day to take on this newly rehabilitated trail. The park and volunteers had just recently reclaimed the Bridle Trail from the criminal activity/loitering last month, but this still wouldn't be the safest place to go alone. The maps of the park had recently been updated & provided a good guide for finding the trailhead (maps online still don't show it). Even so, we were a little uncertain trying to find the trail but once in the area between the bowling greens and Redwood Circle, it was very clearly marked with a sign.

You can tell that a lot of effort went into preparing this path. The brush was pushed aside for a wide dirt path, which was bordered by logs giving it a more formal feel that this really was an official path & not just some odd dirt road leading you into the depths of Balboa Park!

Along the way, it seemed especially green in some areas, leading us to think they may have planted some grass seed during the reclamation of the trail.

The path was a nice mix of rolling hills, not as steep as some of the hikes we've done lately - but nothing to shake your head at. You go pretty far down into the canyon, and then of course have to walk back upward to meet the manicured greens of the park.

Going down our first hill, we came to a fork & were a bit unsure as to whether we should go right or left. We decided to go left & that turned out to keep us going the longest. The trail isn't an out-and-back. Rather, it is a 1-mile path from one point in the park to another.

When you get down to the lowest part of the trail, you are actually walking alongside Highway 163. This is both a good thing & a bad. It's great because you really are forced to realize that you are hiking in a hidden urban jewel of unspoilt land in the middle of the city. The smell & noise & view of the cars on the highway round out the obvious "bad."

After walking along the highway (rather closely & only separated by a chain link fence) for a few minutes, you start to move your way back into the park & upward.

At one point, we had a nice view of the back of the San Diego Zoo & saw some animals taking a break from the front lines of tourists viewing.

If you wanted to run this course (as many people were doing during our early afternoon hike), you would probably want to start at the end of the trial to minimize the inclines to something a little more manageable (but challenging anyway you look at it).

After about 20 minutes of walking, we started to see the bright grass and picnic areas so familiar in the park. We were let out off the trail around 6th Ave & Upas at a nice open area with picnic benches.

We walked to the north a bit toward the more residential area, drawn by a large home with beautiful gardens. Little did we realize we had stumbled upon the home of the man they call "San Diego's First Citizen," George Marston. The Tudor-meets-Craftsman style home is now open to the public & operated by the San Diego Historical Society. We walked around the grounds a bit, peaked in some windows, then realized we were right on time for a tour. The tours appeared to be operated on the hour, cost about $5 (less for military, children, etc) & last an hour. After the tour we were in complete agreement: it had to be the best historical tour we've ever had. The man who led our small tour group took us through each room, knew everything from details about architecture to cultural details about living in 1905. What a wonderful bargain!

On way back from the trail & the Marston House tour, we marveled at the park that Mr. Marston had donated so much of his own money to develop. We looked at the grounds, the many activity areas & gardens with a new renewed sense of interest toward Balboa Park. What a great afternoon!

Tipped off: We found this hike mentioned by another San Diego hike blogger, then did some research on it & thought it sounded like a great little urban hike. Thanks for the tip, Peter!

forest trail in mount vernon

2007-12-26T17:04:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, we were both in DC & decided to use the time wisely to see if there were any great hikes in the region. After a little searching, we found we could mix tourist duties with hiking! So we jumped at the chance to walk the Forest Trail, on the historic Mount Vernon George Washington estate.

Trail: Forest Trail (no map available)
Location: Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens, Mount Vernon, Va.
Length: 1/4 mile
Hike time: 15 minutes (take your time)
Terrain: dirt road, some steps, wood bridge
Path visibility: Very clearly marked
Difficulty: easy
Cost: $13 per adult for admission to Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens
Highlight destination: realization that you are walking where George Washington once did
Beware: nothing - have a great time!

Can you think of anything better than taking a nice winter walk in the woods on the private property of President George Washington? The trail begins just off the hill where the main house sits.

At the start of the trail, you're greeted by a few cows & some historic replica farm equipment. Yeah, I'll admit it. I climbed into the wagon for a picture or two, but you won't find that evidence posted here! Walking along to the right side of this area into the trees to the trail, you cross a nice wood bridge to the thick of the woods.

And that is where it hits you.

Not only are you walking on George Washington's property, he likely walked these woods every morning to survey the land.

There were tons of signs along the way, pointing out species of plant or animal life that were present in Washington's time & a few fun quizzes as well.

The walk itself curved around various parts of the forest, but at 1/4 mile it wasn't long enough to get the heart going. This is, after all, basically a museum activity. (If you want a serious hike, you should probably do the 18-mile Mount Vernon trail, which leads hikers along the Potomac from Rosslyn to Mount Vernon.)

The forest trail ends at a farming area exhibition, which recreated a barn and various planting areas all overlooking the Potomac River.

The walk in the woods gives the estate visitors a chance to reflect on how amazing the Mount Vernon historic experience is & really walk a few steps in Washington's world.

Tipped off: We found this one on the Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens Web site when researching tourist activities in DC.

tecate peak

2007-12-26T07:50:00.000-08:00

Can you think of anything better to do on Christmas day than take a 9-mile hike up a mountain? We couldn't. After a delish meal, we made the drive out to the border to take on what turned out to be our toughest hike yet.

Trail: Tecate Peak (map)
Location: Tecate Mountain on CA side of US/Mexico border
Length: around 9 miles (up & down)
Hike time: 1.5 hours up, just over an hour down
Terrain: gravel road with some steep incline/decline and loose rocks at places
Path visibility: Very clearly marked
Difficulty: difficult
Cost: free
Highlight destination: summit: you did it!
Beware: we have lots of tips about timing of hike & what to bring so check it out below

For Christmas, we wanted a longer hike & a great adventure. We could not have picked a more appropriate trail. After a relatively early Christmas feast, we set out for the US/Mexico border to take on 3880+ feet high Tecate Peak (on the California side).

According to our hike book, there is a lot of history associated with this location. Indian tribes used to climb to the summit for peace conferences. The Kumeyaay Indians also believed that the granitic boulders emanated holy powers.

The drive out to the peak took about 45 minutes, in Christmas traffic (that means no one was on the road). The drive itself was worth the journey. As we got further and further away from downtown San Diego, the terrain started looking closer to something out of sci-fi than urban SD! The boulders lining the roads and sitting atop burned out hills from the recent fires reminded both of us of Hollywood's version of another planet.

The directions from Schad on getting to the hike were great, so consult his before making this drive. About 1.6 miles after turning on to Highway 188, you will see an unpaved road on the right - it is just in front of the "International Border 15,000 feet" sign. Take that right. Then, be prepared for some serious off-roading for 2.8 miles. We're not talking smooth, often-traveled gravel roads here. There are patches of road with lots of big loose rocks on the thin one-car-at-a-time road.

If you feel like you are exceptionally close to Mexico it is because you are! You drive right along the border fence for sometime, pass several industrial lights they turn on toward the border at night & we saw border patrol as well.

You feel like you're almost driving up the mountain, because well, you are - until you get to the gate blocking the road. The gate was open when we went & even though Schad said to park beneath it there was a nice extra bit of road that looked good for parking right inside the gate so we did that with no problem (gate was still unlocked after dark when we got back to the car).

Next we looked for the trailhead. Trailhead? There is no official trailhead! You park at the gate & go. The entire journey is along this inclined mountain road that was constructed in 1958, which has restricted traffic. We didn't see one person or another car the entire hike. Save a few ATV engines humming in the distance, you would think we were the only ones out there.

It was about 4.5 miles up, and took us 1.5 hours to to top. There are way too many details for a single blog post, so I'll just try to cover the highlights.

The boulder and rock formations were the most amazing sites. Some were granite, some with red splashed on the side, and almost all were the most remarkable shapes and perched in the most peculiar positions along the mountain side. These are true landmarks & I was surprised how well I was able to remember them on the way down.

Sadly, the fires this fall had definitely been here (pdf of Harris Fire), as we saw several burned out areas and could almost trace the path of the blaze.

We noticed animal footprints along the road. Comparing what we saw to pictures of tracks online, I think they might have been from a coyote. We saw traces of our little friend all the way up, but never actually encountered anything.

Not far into the hike, you really get a great view of the twin cities of Tecate. On the California side it is much more rural than the Baja California side in Mexico. We were able to see the famous brewery on the Mexican side, & spotted a lake further off in the distance. Once at the top of the peak & on the other side of the mountain, we even swear we saw past Imperial Beach to the ocean. It was simply breathtaking!

At this point, the winds were pretty strong. We took a moment to enjoy the setting sun & look out over the surroundings, but knew we needed to get down as quickly as possible to make the most of the remaining light. This was our biggest mistake with this hike: we started too late in the day for such a long hike.

We ran about a mile down from the summit because the path was pretty solid with very little loose gravel to cause any falls. What fun! After that, it started getting a little dark so we slowed it down to stay safe.

Going down was almost as amazing as going up. Looking at the path before us, I was struck by how long & sharp the incline of some of the sections were. I did that? Wow! It was a remarkable chance to review your hike & a great moment to reveal in the pride of having made it to the top.

Even though it was challenging & we made a few poor decisions on this hike, it was worth it. If you know you can handle a hike of this caliber, put this one at the top of your list!

Based on our hike, there a lot of little tips we would give to anyone else trying this hike out:

use a truck or other 4-wheel drive vehicle to get out there because the road leading up to the trail is not pleasant
go in the morning, we went in the late afternoon & had the sun in our eyes the entire way up
wear lots of layers because it was a gorgeous 70 or so in San Diego but much cooler at the trailhead then very windy in spots along the sides of the mountain
give yourself enough time to get up - probably budget 4 hours for the hike itself
don't be caught on the mountain after dark. We started down the mountain right at sunset (we just really wanted to make it to the top against better judgment!) and we ended up walking in pitch darkness for more than 40 minutes - resulting in me taking several spills & I was lucky enough not to really get anything more than a scrape
don't go after heavy rains because there was a good deal of mud along the roads without having seen much rain, it would only be worse after a big rainfall
this is better as a hike than a mountain bike excursion - I've seen pictures of people on the mountain on their bikes & after doing it I just don't know how that is possible. The inclines were a nice 15 degrees up in most places, but going up in long sections especially near the top. Also, the thought of riding a bike down this uneven, loosely graveled road seems dangerous too.
take your cell phone - about 1/3 or the way up you might switch to a Mexican cell tower, but I still had great reception if something went wrong

Tipped off: We found this one in our trusty hiking book, new edition (May 2007) of Jerry Schad's Afoot & Afield in San Diego County. Schad has another, very similar write-up online we found after the hike.

bayside trail

2007-12-23T16:11:00.000-08:00

It was a clear December day right before Christmas -- so what better thing to do in sunny San Diego than take a hike! We paged through the hike book in Starbucks in the morning & found an old classic: the Bayside Trail in Point Loma at the Cabrillo National Monument. With views of the San Diego Bay, downtown skyline, Silver Strand, NAS North Island - and heck, we could actually see all the way down to Mexico! - it seemed like the perfect choice for a gorgeous, clear winter day.

Trail: Bayside Trail (map)
Location: Point Loma
Length: 2.4 miles (out & back)
Hike time: 15 minutes down, 20 minutes up
Terrain: gravel winding road
Path visibility: Very clearly marked
Difficulty: easy - great for the whole family & lots of benches along the way for enjoying the view
Cost: $5 to park (good for a week of unlimited entries though!)
Highlight destination: the view takes it all! City, mountains, ships, naval aircraft landing, seeing all the way to Mexico - wow!
Beware: the museums & the lookout points before the trail are busy

Save this hike for a clear day. Sure, it is great any time of year, any type of weather ... but on a clear day you can really see it all. Unobstructed views of the mountains in the distance, the city skyline, the bay ... the list of what you can see on a clear day is too long to name.

We started at the visitor's center, where they had some educational presentations going on for the kids, complete with the presenters in colonial clothing. We breezed past this straight to the overlook point on the other side. It was just breathtaking! I can't gush about it enough. From the naval station right in front to being able to see all the way back to the mountains, I just don't know that there is a better view of everything the city has to offer than this! Don't worry if you forget your binoculars, they have stationary ones there for you.

Next, we moved over to that actual Cabrillo National Monument statue. This statue of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo lies on one the smallest national monuments in the nation (only 144 acres). Facing inland with his back to the spectacular view, it is was almost as if he was ready to explore more of the land that has become San Diego.

The walk toward the trailhead leads us to one more tourist stop: the Old Point Loma Lighthouse. This was the first lighthouse we had both seen close up & toured. There were great displays of how lighthouses worked in the olden days reflecting a small lamp and magnifying that light out to the seas, keeping sailors from crashing into land. We were able to go into both the assistant keeper's quarters and the lighthouse itself. It was really interesting & worth the stop prior to the hike. Of course, it was busy but if you're patient you can read all the signs & get a good look at the displays.

Once done at the lighthouse, we were ready to start the hike. It was 3:45 p.m. & the sign at the trailhead said the trail closed at 4 p.m., but we kept on & never felt rushed by the rangers on site. The walk from the lighthouse to the trailhead was a short five minutes down a little winding paved road & we didn't count that as part of the official hike.

At the trailhead, the path changes to gravel. Parts of the path are heavily eroded, but the park has that part roped off well for hiker safety. The trail descends about 300 feet & it is all scenery all the way.

Besides the view, which I'm not sure I could say anything more than "breathtaking" & "amazing" about, there were so many neat little things along the way. For instance, we came up on a bunker built into the cliff. Inside the bunker was a mobile search light used during both World Wars that they could quickly roll out to the edge of the cliff on tracks to look at approaching vessels. This was just one illustration of many that drove home the fact that this area was an excellent strategic element in coastal defense.

This park doesn't really need 4 unique museum-like information centers (visitor center, 2 light house buildings, military museum) because the view is the real star, but having those there really add to the experience. Take it slow. Don't be put off by the crowd on clear days & you could honestly spend hours there.

After the climb back up, we decided to head a few minutes away to watch the sun set over the Pacific. It was a perfect sunset, with the sun disappearing in a blink, ending a lovely hike I hope to do many times again.

Tipped off: My hiking partner has been here before & I briefly visited (just for the view, not the hike) back in 2003. We really got jazzed about the hike after looking in the new edition (May 2007) of Jerry Schad's Afoot & Afield in San Diego County for a "perfect on a clear day!" hike. It did not disappoint!

cowles mountain

2007-12-15T10:00:00.000-08:00

This post has been a long time coming, because we hiked this trail during summertime. We had decided we wanted to see the sunset from the highest point in the city of San Diego, and getting our hike on was part of the bargain.

Trail: Cowles Mountain from Golfcrest Drive (map)
Location: Mission Trails Regional Park
Length: 3 miles (out & back)
Hike/run time: 45 minutes up, 20 minutes back down
Terrain: Dirt path, some rocks, some stairs
Path visibility: Clearly marked
Difficulty: Moderately steep -- it is a mountain, after all
Cost: free parking at corner of Navajo and Golfcrest
Highlight destination: The top! Can't beat the view!
Beware: Lots of traffic on the path, and coming down can be tricky

After parking in the street (the lot was full) we started making our way up. We knew we had pushed our luck by getting there only about 35 minutes before sunset, so we tried to limit our sightseeing as we headed up. Still, after only 10 minutes or so you can't help but notice how beautiful the view of the city below is from the mountainside.

There were lots of other people already heading up the mountain ahead of us. They had obviously planned a little better to reach the summit in time for the sunset. But we were undaunted. We set a pretty good pace up the trail, which was fairly steep and full of switchbacks. We didn't have as good a pace as some of the runners on the trail, though - it was pretty impressive to see them tackling the hill at speed, and it even looked kind of fun in a masochistic way. Kind of a natural, rugged version of Rocky running up the steps in Philadelphia.

The trail itself actually heads up to a shoulder on the southeast side of the mountain, and then levels out and slightly descends before heading up the main summit where some radio towers and various antennas are perched. We had not had much verticality in our hikes before this, so we felt pretty good about really climbing a mountain ... well, the kids running up and down the path beside us kept us from being too proud of our feat, but still, there was no arguing that we were gaining some altitude.

Our diligence and urgency paid off. The sun set a little bit later atop the 1,591 ft peak than scheduled at sea level, so we arrived at the top just in time to see a the sun touching the top of the Pacific beyond what must have been La Jolla, and then slowly sliding down into the sea. It was a gorgeously clear day, and looking down at the little houses spreading out towards the city skyline, all the way to the Coronado bridge, we felt very lucky to be enjoying the panorama of America's Finest City as the sky turned colors from a deep blue behind us to a bright gold in front of us.

We stayed for a little while at the top. Drank some water. Took photos. Basked in our success. Then decided we better head down before it got too dark. The path isn't exactly treacherous, but I certainly wouldn't want to descend it blindfolded. Short of a full moon, it would be a less than pleasant trek down at night.

As we reached the bottom it was just getting uncomfortably dark, so we were glad we didn't stay too long on top. But this was one of our favorite hikes, and we're hoping to repeat it early in the morning on the Winter Solstice, which local native Americans used to mark on this mountain annually.

We're probably not ready to run up the mountain yet, but the view alone definitely makes it a goal worth working towards.

Tipped off: We first saw this hike in the entertainment section of the Union-Tribune's Web site, in the Best Of San Diego section, where San Diegans vote on their favorite things around the city.

rose canyon open space park trail

2007-11-25T14:42:00.000-08:00

The day after Thanksgiving, we decided to make sure we kicked off our holiday season in a healthy direction so we went in search of a good urban hike, but not too far from home to stay away from holiday traffic. We wanted to avoid hikes that were "great on clear days" because ... well, it wasn't a clear day. We choose Rose Canyon Open Space Park Trail because it was close & thought it might make a good run/walk combo.

Trail: Rose Canyon Open Space Park Trail (map)
Location: University City, near University City High School on Genessee
Length: 3 miles (out & back)
Hike/run time: 18 minutes out, 40 minutes back
Terrain: country road, no incline but lots of small rocks
Path visibility: Clearly marked (but it just looks like a dirt road)
Difficulty: easy as pie -- suggest running half of it!
Cost: free parking at high school or on Decoro
Highlight destination: tattered bridge - picturesque!
Beware: rocky road - don't trip!

This was a great path for our first run/hike combo because it was very easy & really just like running down an old country road. It was cloudy & a bit cool with light wind when we started (in the high 50s, low 60s), but we warmed up after we started running.

The trail itself is nothing special - it could have been the time of year (late autumn) but there wasn't much vegetation other than lots of brush & chaparral lining the road. There weren't many birds (in fact they all seemed confined to a single tree near the beginning of the trail). And frankly, it was perfect for a quiet run - if you're looking for a less urban scene that is close in SD & easy to get to.

There were several groups of people that we ran into - a family walking a dog (the dad had a saw - we didn't ask!), bike riders, other runners, a few hikers. I imagine that with how bumpy the road was it would only be good for a mountain bike or something that can handle that type of terrain, but it definitely seemed well-suited for all beginners or those looking for a light hike experience. It would certainly make a great walk right after a big dinner!

We enjoyed much more of the scenery after our turn-around point - when we stopped running & started walking back. We got to really enjoy the little tattered bridge, the small ravine beneath & even saw some wild squash growing on the side of the path!

The biggest benefit of the trail is that in the canyon you can really feel like you are in the middle of the country -- far from the urban life of San Diego! Looking up the sides of the canyon was amazing & there were lots of little surprises around we found on the way back. It is also a great location that is quick & easy to get to. The downside is the rocky terrain for runners or bikers (I know it doesn't look that way in the pics, but trust me!) - you just have to keep your eyes looking down more than around so you don't fall so you end up missing some of the smaller pleasures of the canyon. Also, the trail is right next to railroad tracks so every now & again you are taken out of your "country road fantasy" & reminded of where you are.

I think if we went on this path again, we'd approach it the same way we did it this time: a quick run out & leisurely hike back.

Tipped off: We first saw this hike in the new edition (May 2007) of Jerry Schad's Afoot & Afield in San Diego County. Schad's write-up made this hike sound a bit nicer than it was (we barely heard any birds, let alone the canyon alive with woodpeckers & I'd hardly call the hike as a whole picturesque), but we still had a good time.

william heise desert view trail

2007-09-30T09:04:00.000-07:00

After an afternoon of apple picking in Julian, Calif. yesterday, we decided to check out a hike in the Cuyamaca mountains which promised a great walk in the pine woods and spectacular views of the Cuyamaca and Lunguna mountains, Anza-Borrego Desert & Salton Sea.

Trail: Desert View Trail (map)
Location: Julian, Calif. - just over an hour northeast of San Diego
Length: 2.25 miles
Hike time: 45 minutes up, 40 minutes down
Terrain: steep incline. Seriously - how was it that it felt like 85% of the entire hike was going straight uphill?
Path visibility: Mostly clearly marked - but we took a wrong turn on what we thought was part of the trail on the way down but that didn't delay us much.
Difficulty: moderately difficult - probably not for kids (but other trails in the park would probably be fine)
Cost: $3 to park
Highlight destination: Glen's View in the northeast corner of the trail
Beware: poison oak overgrown into path & sometimes hard to pass ... and SNAKES!

This was a great hike that I'm glad we did. It was a gorgeous warm autumn day (around 70 degrees) & even a little chilly in the shade. Heh. That didn't last long once we made our way from the car to the trail.

We went up the trail taking the eastern approach. Let me tell you, that was smart because it meant we went up the short route & down the long. Trust me, this is not cheating. Five minutes into the hike we were taking on some of the steepest inclines I've ever done.

There is no way to escape the sun, so bring water & any cover you might need (sunscreen, hat).

It took us about 45 minutes to get to the promised vista at the top of the mountain - Glen's View. It was gorgeous. In one direction you could see mountains & enjoy what you had just climbed then to the other you could make out the desert in the distance. It wasn't clear enough to see the Coronado Bridge, but they had a neat contraption up there pointing out what was where. It was a much different experience than the San Diego urban hikes because much of the surrounding areas have been left alone & are undeveloped.

The hike was a good mix of walking through the shaded woods & exploring an exposed mountainside. It is hard to believe that 70% of the park was destroyed by the big Cedar Fire in 2003. That was more than 700 acres of the park. Even now, 4 years later, there is evidence all around of the fire. It didn't get everything though, we actually saw a tree still growing leaves that was charred on the outside but was still healthy once you scraped into the bark.

There is a lot of regrowth all around - sage, oak, pine trees, poison oak, lizards jumping ... and yes, snakes!

Even though some people think I am over-reacting .... well, YOU try being the one that a snake lunges and hisses at. This is what happened: I was following my sandal-wearing hiking partner and looked down at the path. A little baby snake! So I yelled ahead, "snake! Watch out!" Then I realized the only way to safety was to PASS the snake. At that moment, the little harasser lunged at me (just like on the Discovery Channel) and hissed. I swear I saw little fangs. My fearless parter plots a way to get me out of this position as the snake slithered sideways back into the brush, letting me safely pass to freedom. We looked him up online later & think it might have been a western yellow-bellied racer. Only mine had fangs. I know, that doesn't sound dangerous but you try being the one under attack then get back to me.

Tipped off: We first saw this hike online & then bought the new edition (May 2007) of Jerry Schad's Afoot & Afield in San Diego County at a local bookstore which got us motivated to actually do the hike after a day of eating apple pie & caramel apples.

torrey pines beach trail

2007-09-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

The Torrey Pines beach trail was my first hike (ever!) & it remains one of my favorites to date. We first went to Torrey Pines together on June 30, 2007. We haven't been back on the trail itself, but started going to Torrey Pines for a morning run on the beach then enjoy the waves in the afternoon nearly every weekend during the summer since that hike.

Trail: Started on Razor Point Trail then picked up Beach Trail (map)
Location: Torrey Pines
Length: Razor Point is .7 miles, Beach is 3/4 miles
Hike time: not recorded
Terrain: steep incline at times but not winding
Path visibility: paths marked but a little confusing as to which one we were on
Difficulty: easy
Cost: $8 to park
Highlight destination: the Pacific Ocean is the show-stealer here: there are too many highlights to name but overlooking the ocean below & arriving down at the beach are at the top
Beware: lots of runners whizzing by on path

We arrived at Torrey Pines in the late morning & had planned to make a day of it. We drove all the way up to the top to park. I don't think we would do that again because after a long day of hiking & beaching, you still have to go all the way back up to get the car. So take our advice & park in the normal lots when you first pull in - then walk up the mountain road (consider it a warm-up hike) to get to the trail start.

We stopped in the information house to get maps & see what trails were available. They told us that they had just opened the beach trail, so we wanted to try that. Later we saw a park ranger who said the steps down to the beach were new & wanted to know what we thought of them. For steps they were good, I guess. I don't think much of steps unless I fall through them, personally.

The trails are a little confusing to me. You start on one trail & then can connect to others so you're mixing & matching your hike. That is great because it adds diversity to a place I could honestly hike every week, but a little confusing the first time you do it.

What isn't to love about this hike? Mountain views, beach views, cliffs, little caves, it has everything. There are plenty of lookout points to stop at and enjoy the scenery. And, in the summer, it seems there are plenty of other hikers to take your picture if you want!

That brings us to the traffic issue: there were a lot of people on the path in the summer, which can be annoying when you're trying to "get away" & enjoy nature. I'm not even going to address the idiots who talk on their cell phones while hiking (seriously) - but what is up with that? We also saw rangers walking along the trails too during our hike. One park ranger actually (rather audibly) said "trail eroder!" to runners on the path as they ran down the trail to the beach. Of all the people we encountered on the hike, the runners & loud talkers were the most annoying. But there were plenty of times when we had a stretch of the trail to ourselves so it didn't overshadow the experience.

Now back to the good aspects of the hike, which totally outnumber any complaints.

From above, the water looks amazing & serene. Once you actually get down to the beach, it becomes wonderfully wild with the waves crashing against the rocks. And, yes, it can be a little dangerous if you want to walk down the shore past the big flat rock toward Point Loma. My advice: take your shoes off & wait for the tide pools to lower then jet across as quickly & safely as you can. That rock acts as a barrier between the tourists & a more secluded beach. Just don't walk too far or you'll get an eyeful at Black's Beach.

We wore our swimming suits under our hiking gear so we would be ready for a refreshing swim after the hike. So after we walked around on the beach, we made our way back toward the more populated area. We came across cabanas & chairs set up with waiter service! The cabanas cost about $100 a day and offer waiter service (including lunch, if desired) but the chairs set up next to them are free.

We had lunch at the beach, read, swam, boogie boarded then went home about 5 hours after we got there. Like I said earlier, we had left the car all the way at the top near the trail entrance so it was quite an exhausting trek up that hilly road after a long day in the sun.

The bottom line is that Torrey Pines is a San Diego favorite for a reason. The location and cost put it far enough away from tourists & it is a great family-orientated fun beach.

Tipped off: My experienced hiking partner told me how great it was ... no secret in SD!

hello world. now go take a hike.

2007-09-30T08:58:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our hiking blog. We'll hike anywhere, but mostly spend the days exploring sunny San Diego. There are too many hikes, too many vistas, too many awesome pictures already snapped to not start cataloging it all here.

Happy hiking.