The top of Palomar Mountain is home to the Palomar Observatory. Three large telescopes, the 200-inch Hale telescope (which can be seen from many distant mountain tops), a 60-inch telescope, and the 48-inch Samuel Oschin telescope are currently used for ongoing research. The Observatory has been in operation since the mid 1930’s, and has been involved in numerous discoveries, including the discoveries of dwarf planets Sedna and Eris, 178 supernovae, and 13 comets. Continue reading Observatory Trail→
It was yet another ridiculously hot weekend, so we decided we’d head up to the mountains to try and escape the worst of it. Perusing our “to-hike” list, we found this loop in the Laguna Mountain Recreation Area that appeared to have a decent amount of tree cover to help keep us cool. Continue reading Agua Dulce Loop→
It had been a long time since we’d made it up to Daley Ranch for some hiking, and were feeling like we were long overdue for another visit. The weather hadn’t been particularly conducive to peak bagging, especially in Escondido, but we decided to suck it up and make an early start so we could tackle Stanley Peak. The day turned out to be warm, but not unbearably hot, so with an ample supply of water and sunscreen we were adequately prepared for the adventure. Continue reading Stanley Peak (Daley Ranch)→
Originally planned to be part of the Torrey Pines Preserve, Crest Canyon is a small open space park nestled among the residential developments of Del Mar. The canyon is now part of the San Dieguito River Park, and offers a beautiful showcase of coastal sage scrub, chaparral, and some magnificent and rare Torrey Pine trees. Continue reading Crest Canyon→
This year, the August full moon had the courtesy to not only occur on a Saturday, but at a very convenient time of approximately 7:20 in the evening. Not to be outdone, the sun was scheduled to set just a few minutes earlier. We knew we had to take advantage of this celestial concurrence and settled upon Garnet Peak as our vantage point. Garnet Peak offers beautiful panoramic views under even the most ordinary of circumstances, so we were confident the evening would not disappoint. Continue reading Garnet Peak→
Originating from a spring on Volcan Mountain in Julian, the waters of Santa Ysabel Creek combine with other streams and creeks to form the San Dieguito River. This watershed traverses a 55 mile corridor across the county, eventually flowing into the Pacific Ocean at the San Dieguito Lagoon in Del Mar. Eventually, the Coast to Crest Trail will span that full distance, but as of now it exists as a series of non-contiguous (but ever-growing) series of trail segments. Continue reading San Dieguito Lagoon→
Ever since we had hiked the Kanaka Flat Loop at Santa Ysabel East earlier this year, we’d had it on our list to explore the rest of the Santa Ysabel Preserve. Normally this area wouldn’t be my first choice for an August hike due to the heat, but one weekend the forecast was calling for particularly mild temperatures, so we grabbed the cameras and headed out. Continue reading Santa Ysabel West Preserve→
If you enjoy viewing the sculpted sandstone and rare trees at Torrey Pines, but don’t like the crowds and high parking fees, you need to check out this hike. Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve Extension was acquired in 1970, 11 years after the main Torrey Pines Reserve became an official State Park. Local conservation groups, concerned about the destruction of rare Torrey Pines north of Penasquitos Lagoon, garnered national media attention and managed to raise the funds necessary to acquire and establish the extension. Continue reading Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve Extension→
Cuyamaca Rancho State Park and the Laguna Mountain Recreation Area are two of my favorite hiking spots in San Diego County. Not coincidentally, they happen to be right next to each other. Both of these areas feature long miles of accessible trails where one can find a quiet solitude that is hard to come by in much of the county. This nearly 13 mile hike connects both areas together in a long, but beautiful journey that showcases some of the best of each park. Continue reading Laguna to Cuyamaca→
Cowles Mountain is the tallest point within the City of San Diego, and one of the most popular hikes in the county. There are several different routes up the mountain, the most popular being the southern route starting at Golfcrest and Navajo. Previously, we’d written up the route from Big Rock Park in Santee, and decided today we’d check out the eastern route from Barker Way. Continue reading Cowles Mountain via Barker Way (Mission Trails Regional Park)→
