A fire broke out at near the Visitor’s Center at Mission Trails Regional Park around 2:15pm yesterday. According to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department’s Twitter feed, the fire crested Cowles Mountain and was on Kwaay Paay Peak. The fire was 70% contained as of Sunday evening and burned 90 acres. Crews will be mopping up through the night, and Mission Trails will be closed Monday while officials investigate the cause of the fire.

So its summer, and its getting hot. Heat related illness is no joke.  Last weekend 3 hikers had to be rescued from the trail to 3 Sisters (which is only 4 miles round trip), and I’m sure you’ve probably heard that ‘Harry Potter’ actor David Legeno was recently found dead in Death Valley, apparently of heat related causes. Continue reading This Week in San Diego Hiking – July 14, 2014 →

It looks like as of Sunday the Banner Fire in Julian is 100% contained. Hooray! Cal Fire reports 2 residences and 1 outbuilding were destroyed, and a total of 217 acres burned. A huge thank you to all the firefighters and emergency personnel who put their lives on the line to protect us all! From what I can tell by looking at this map of the burn area, Volcan Mountain was well out of the way, but it looks like the Old Banner Toll Road was probably hit.

The Union Tribune has an article on the reopening of the Sweetwater Reservoir trail. A temporary solution to protect fairy shrimp which have become active in newly formed vernal pools has been put in place. Boardwalks have been built over the affected areas and will provide a protected cover for five years, by which time the trail will need to be rerouted around the affected areas.

It looks like next weekend should be a bit cooler (and hopefully less humid) than this weekend was, so start planning your hike now! If you’re up for a long one, Daley Ranch has a ten mile hike scheduled with Naturalist Bill Sherrard. Check out the City of Escondido web site for more information, or visit our Events page to find other upcoming activities.

If its still too hot for hiking, check out some of these deals you can get from Amazon Local for cooler outdoor activities (some of these deals have limited quantities available, so if you see something you’re interested in grab it fast ):

• Stand-Up Paddleboarding at Surfari Surf School starting at $25
• Whale-Watching and Nature Tour starting at $31
• Sportfishing Trip with The Long Run Sportfishing starting at $245

Regardless of the weather, Amazon has some great deals on camping and hiking gear to help you get the most out of your summer:

• $5 off 8×8 E-Z Up Shades
• Up to 50% Off Coleman Camping Gear
• Up to 40% Off Select Women’s Hiking Tops
• Up to 40% Off Select Men’s Hiking Tops
• Up to 30% Off Select Men’s Hiking Socks
• Up to 30% Off Select Camp Seating
• Up to 30% Off Select Air Mattresses & Accessories
• Save Up to 20% on BOB Strollers

Have a good week!

We are fresh back from a week visiting Sequoia National Park, and had a fantastic time. We did tons of hiking, saw loads of wildlife, and got in a fair amount of relaxing around the campfire. We’ll be posting pictures and stories from the trip over the next few weeks, so  stay tuned. If you want to be sure you don’t miss any new posts, you can sign up to receive updates via email, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+. Continue reading This Week in San Diego Hiking – June 30, 2014 →

So the house next door to ours is a rental, and we’ve seen a number of neighbors come and go. After the last bunch of tenants hurriedly left, someone from the City Attorney’s Office came around asking questions about their current whereabouts. The new family has not only an aspiring drummer, but a group of teenagers and a small child who enjoy spending hours in the backyard pool smacking each other with pool noodles and screaming loudly. Fortunately, most of the noise is drowned out by the cacophonous roar of the engine from their newly acquired dune buggy, which they periodically turn on and let idle in the driveway for no apparent reason. You might think we’re eager for them to move out, but at this rate I expect the next guy will be a serial killer.


If you have loud annoying neighbors, you should totally get out of there and go for a hike. How about an Early Morning Fitness Hike at Daley Ranch on Sunday Morning? Join Naturalist Rita Ospelt on this hike covering the east and west sides of Daley Ranch. They will follow several of the single-track trails and climb to one of the higher points—Stanley Peak. The total distance is about 10.6 miles and they will be hiking at a brisk pace. There are some steep uphill and downhill sections. The hike is not suited for children. Check out the City of Escondido website for more information, or visit our Events page to find other upcoming hikes and events throughout San Diego County.

While we’re talking fitness, we all know hiking is great exercise, but don’t ignore the benefits of full-body strength training. Hate being cooped up in the gym? Me too! Check out this great 20 minute strength workout you can do outdoors courtesy of the Sierra Social Hub.

And on your recovery day, you can kick back and check out the osprey cam. Watch osprey parents Josie and Elbert care for their 3 chicks Wynken, Blynken and Nod in their nest in Orange Beach, Alabama. This is way better than the reality shows on cable.

The San Diego National Wildlife Refuge has released their draft Comprehensive Conservation Planning and environmental assessment for public review and comment. The preferred plan attempts to optimize species and habitat protection while expanding opportunities for public use. It does appear that the preferred proposal will result in the closure of a number of existing unofficial trails to protect sensitive habitat areas. Comments are due August 18, 2014, and there will be a public meeting held on Tuesday July 15, 2014 from 6 – 8pm at Steel Canyon High School. More information is available at the US Fish & Wildlife Service’s website.

With summer officially here, it’s time to get serious about sun protection. Amazon has a huge selection of Women’s Sun Hats on sale, including the awesome Sloggers Women’s Wide Brim Braided Sun Hat you see me rocking in many of our pictures. This hat is rated UPF 50+ for maximum sun protection, and the adjustable lanyard will keep the hat firmly on your head even through the gale force winds atop Volcan Mountain. It’s also great when you’re outside gardening or just lounging in the sun.

Save 10% OFF at DiscountMags.com! Use promo code: SPRING10
DiscountMags.com has tons of great magazines to choose from, including:

• Backpacker
• Field & Stream
• Outdoor Photographer
• Outside

and many others.

Have a good (and quiet) week!

It’s Monday and you know what that means… only 5 more days until the weekend!

Start your weekend off with a Star Party this Friday evening at Sycamore Canyon. Join the San Diego Astronomers Association and park staff at the Hwy 67 staging area for a night with the stars. Come experience the chance to view our galaxy using the same technology used by the professionals. Viewers will get a chance to see many amazing sights, depending on the time of year, which they wouldn’t normally see without the trained eye of the astronomers. Check out the County Parks and Recreation Guide for more info, or visit our Events page for more upcoming activities.


Help save El Cap! The San Diego River Park Foundation is currently trying to raise money to acquire a piece of private property on El Cajon Mountain. You can help conserve this monument of San Diego Hiking by donating or sharing their page with your friends.

You knew this already, but watch out for rattlesnakes. NBC San Diego reports a hiker was bitten in Ramona last Wednesday. Keep your eyes open and be careful when stepping over rocks or logs.

Need some new trail shoes? Lightweight water sandals from Teva and other brands are great for summer’s water activities. Amazon has great deals on a wide variety of outdoor shoes right now. I got these Teva Women’s Toachi 2 Sandals for my birthday and they are awesome for playing in rivers or hiking on the beach.

Amazon also has select premium backpacks up to 30% off, including Osprey, Black Diamond, Mountainsmith, and Camelbak.

Have a good week!

Happy Monday, Hikers! I hope everyone was able to get out this weekend and celebrate National Trails Day by getting their shoes dirty. Monday morning means its time to pretend to work while you’re actually planning next weekend’s adventure. To aid in that endeavor we are starting a new regular feature to bring you hiking news, updates, and some gear deals from around the Interwebs to help ease you back into the work week. And maybe a picture or two of somewhere you’d rather be, because why not?On to the news:

Mission Trails Regional Park has announced that Kumeyaay Lake Campground will reopen on June 13 for Friday and Saturday night camping. That’s next weekend, so head over here ASAP to make your reservations if you’re interested.

If you’re not looking for a full on camp out, consider the Owl Prowl and Skyhunters program this Saturday at Flinn Springs County Park. “Nancy Conney of SkyHunters will have live owls for you to see and learn about. After her presentation Ranger Patty will take you on a hike around the park to discover the types of owls that live in the park, and maybe catch some other cool critters.” I would totally do this if I was physically capable of staying awake past 8 pm. Check the County Parks and Recreation Program Guide for details, or explore our Events page for more upcoming hiking and nature activities.

Do you ever  stop to use one of the pit toilets at a trail head, and find someone has propped the door open with a rock or other object to let fresh air in? National Parks Traveler recently posted an educational article on why we shouldn’t leave the doors open. There are worse things than stinky toilets!

It’s less than a week until Father’s Day – if you haven’t gotten Dad a gift yet, Amazon has some great deals for Outdoorsy Dads, like the Classic Swiss Army Knife, an ALPS Mountaineering chair for relaxing around the camp fire, a Coleman LED lantern for late summer adventures, or this handy Coleman tent kit, which may lessen the quantity of 4 letter words uttered on your next camping trip:

All of these items are eligible for Amazon Prime, which means you can get FREE 2 day shipping so they’ll arrive in plenty of time for Father’s Day. You’ll also get instant streaming of over 40,000 movies and TV episodes, and a Kindle book to borrow for free each month – with no due dates. Click here for a FREE 30 day trial of Amazon Prime.

REI has 30% off select clearance markdowns on Men’s and Women’s clothing and footwear.

We’ll leave you with some Sierra Mountain goodness… have a good week!
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