Weekly Update

This Week in San Diego Hiking – October 31, 2016

20150403_DSC6134-EditSweetwaterLoopPhoto: Sweetwater River Loop in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park

Hello Hikers, Happy Halloween!

I can’t believe its almost November. I’m hoping this means that we’re finally done with hot weather and can get on with our hiking for the next six months or so.

Don’t forget next Sunday is the end of Daylight Savings Time. This is the one we like, where we set our clocks back 1 hour and get to sleep in!

Mark your calendars for Veteran’s Day, November 11, which will be fee-free day in National Parks and National Forests.

Next Sunday you can work off some of that Halloween candy by joining the San Diego Natural History Museum Canyoneers as they hike Kanaka Loop at the Santa Ysabel East Preserve. This hike starts as an easy walk on a wide firmly packed dirt trail through grasslands and wildflower meadows. After crossing Santa Ysabel creek the longer hike will climb to the upper meadow and walk the Kanaka Loop. The landscape is dotted with giant sycamores and several varieties of oak trees. This is an easy 3 or 6 mile hike with an elevation gain/loss of up to 500 feet. Visit the Canyoneers’ web site for more information, or check out our Events Page for more upcoming hikes and events.

Here’s the latest outdoors and fitness deals from Amazon:

Have a good week!

20150227Barnett Ranch_DSC6028-EditPhoto: Barnett Ranch Preserve

Cleveland National Forest, Dog Friendly, Mt Laguna, Trail Write-Ups, Under 5 miles

Kwaaymii Trail

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The Kwaaymii Trail is a very short interpretive loop right next to the Mount Laguna Visitor’s Center. While I don’t recommend driving all the way out there just for this one short hike, it’s a really nice little trail to check out next time you’re in the area. After many trips to Mount Laguna where we had seen this trailhead when we stopped to use the restroom, we decided it was finally time to hike it. We made a day of exploring some of the shorter trails in the area like the Wooded Hill Trail, the Desert View Nature Trail (write-up coming soon), and the Kwaaymii Trail. This trail would also be a good choice if you happen to be camping in the area with small kids or non-hikers who want to get out and explore a little, but aren’t prepared for a longer trail. Continue reading Kwaaymii Trail →

Weekly Update

This Week in San Diego Hiking – October 24, 2016

2016_daley_ranch_boulder_loop_dsc_9011-editPhoto: Boulder Loop Trail at Daley Ranch

Hello Hikers!

Looks like we’re back to nice, reasonable temperatures. There might even be a few light showers today!

Next Saturday, head on out to Daley Ranch for a 5 to 7 mile Discover Daley Ranch Hike. Meet Naturalist William Sherrard for a slow to moderately paced hike on the trails of Daley Ranch. The planned hike is between five and seven miles in length and will last about 2.5 to 3.0 hours. I will be happy to map out a hike for those wishing to go longer distances. Choices are hikes of 5, 7, 9, 11, 14, 16 or 18 miles in length. Visit the City of Escondido web page for more details, or check out our Events Page for even more upcoming hikes and events.

We finally have a release date for the long anticipated 5th edition of Afoot & Afield: San Diego County – March 14th, 2017! The new edition has been fully updated by co-author Scott Turner, who has re-hiked every route contained within the book  to ensure that information for each trip is fully current, as well as adding up to 30 new routes!

The San Diego River Trail has been selected as just one of 12 trails in the country for a national online voting contest from the American Hiking Society and Michelob ULTRA. Michelob ULTRA is donating a portion of their proceeds to these trails… up to $140,000! YOUR VOTE will help determine how much of this money will be spent right here in San Diego! If they receive enough votes, they will use he funds to support their volunteer Trail Team and create a new online Trail. You must be 21 or older to vote. Voting requires email confirmation. Click here to vote.

Here’s the latest outdoor and fitness deals from Amazon:

Have a good week!

20160220DSC_6687-EditMt GowerPhoto: Mount Gower Open Space Preserve

Cleveland National Forest, Dog Friendly, Mt Laguna, Peaks, Trail Write-Ups, Under 5 miles

Wooded Hill Nature Trail

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Wooded Hill Nature Trail is a short, easy, interpretive trail in the Laguna Mountain Recreation Area that is perfect for a leisurely hike with the kids. While much of the Laguna Mountain area has suffered from fires, Wooded Hill and the surrounding area is still covered in mature pine and oak trees that legitimately merit the use of the word “forest”. Continue reading Wooded Hill Nature Trail →

Weekly Update

This Week in San Diego Hiking – October 17, 2016

20160326_DSC9150-EditHorsethiefPhoto: Horsethief Canyon

Hello Hikers!

I hope everyone’s been enjoying this cooler and getting some hiking in, because it looks like things are going to warm up again starting Wednesday. Come on, winter!

We are happy to report that the bald eagle that was found near death in Ramona has recovered and been released back to the wild. Awesome work by the Fund for Animals Wildlife Center!

Almost 27 miles of new trails are being added to the existing trail system on Catalina Island. The new trails will connect with the island’s existing trails and offer visitors a greater variety of hiking experiences, including shorter loops that can be done in a few hours. Ideally the trails will be completed by next summer, however weather conditions may cause delays.

Next weekend take the kids out to one of San Diego County Park’s Haunted Trails hikes. Hikes are happening at Dos Picos County Park, Oakoasis Preserve, and Sweetwater Regional Park. Check out the County Parks and Recreation Guide for more details, or check out our Events Page for even more upcoming hikes and events.

Here’s the latest outdoor and fitness deals from Amazon:

Have a good week!

20160227_DSC5756-EditMountainPalmSpringsPhoto: Mountain Palm Springs

5 miles, East County, Lakes, Lakeside, Trail Write-Ups

Lake Jennings

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Lake Jennings is a man-made reservoir located in Lakeside. While its main purpose is to provide drinking water, Lake Jennings also provides a wide array of recreational opportunities including fishing, camping, boating, bird-watching, and most importantly, hiking. While the campground is open 7 days a week, the eastern side of the lake is only open Friday – Sunday, so you’ll need to plan accordingly if you want to do this route and go all the way around the lake. Continue reading Lake Jennings →

Weekly Update

This Week in San Diego Hiking – October 10, 2016

2016Airplane_Monument_Cuyamaca_DSC6184-EditPhoto: Trail to Airplane Monument in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park

Hello Hikers!

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am over this hot weather and ready for fall! Luckily, it looks like things should start to cool off this week so relief is in sight.

Note that the staging areas in the San Diegiuto River Park are now on winter hours and gates will be closed at 6 p.m.

Next Sunday, October 16th, is the Palomar Apple Festival at Palomar Mountain State Park from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. There will be free admission to the park for the entire day, as well as games, arts and crafts, apple pressing demonstrations, apple goodies, live music and more!

CBS 8 reports that a human skull was found near Lake Hodges on Friday morning. Detectives suspect that it may belong to Marisol Lopez, who went missing last year. Some bones belonging to her were found in October of last year in the same area. A cause of death was not determined, and investigators hope that if the skull is hers that it may help the medical examiner finally determine a cause of death. Hopefully this will all result in some closure for her family.

In happier news, a bald eagle that was found near death in Ramona last month is recovering. The bird was suffering from West Nile Virus, but was found and treated early enough that it appears to be making a full recovery. It is currently being housed and cared for at the Fund for Animals Wildlife Center after being treated at the Pet Emergency and Specialty Center in La Mesa. Officials hope the eagle will be released back into the wild in a couple of weeks.

Here’s the latest outdoor and fitness deals from Amazon:

Have a good week!
20160331_DSC0156-Tijuana_River_ValleyPhoto: Tijuana River Valley Regional Park

Product Review

Product Review: Fenix CL30R Camping Lantern

Fenix CL30R camping lantern in boxThe Fenix CL30R camping lantern is more than just a light source. The lantern can also be used as a power source to charge your USB powered devices, including cell phones, tablets, and MP3 players. Just connect your device to the lantern’s USB output port and press the power button to charge your device. You can even use the light while your device is charging, although this will obviously consume your batteries faster. I love having items that serve multiple uses, especially for camping when I don’t want to haul around more stuff than is absolutely necessary.fenix-cl30r-camping-lantern-at-campsite

While the CL30R isn’t well-suited to backpacking (it weighs nearly 20 ounces with all 3 batteries installed), it is a fantastic addition to your car-camping equipment. I love the fact that it runs on rechargeable Lithium-ion batteries so I don’t need to buy expensive and environmentally unfriendly disposable batteries. The Li-ion batteries can be charged within the lantern itself so you don’t need a separate charger (although you can get one if you want).

It uses a standard mini USB cable (one is included with the lantern), which was perfect for us as it’s the same cable that our Android cell phones use. We were able to use all our existing cables and car chargers with the lantern and not need to worry about managing additional cables. An LED indicator on top of the lantern shows you the lantern’s current charge.

Fenix CL30R camping lantern charging a cell phone

The lantern has 5 different brightness levels, ranging from the low “eco” mode, perfect for finding your way to the bathroom in the dark without tripping over a log, to the powerful “turbo” mode, which emits a supernova-like 650 lumens with a 115-feet illumination diameter. Seriously, turbo mode is like broad daylight. I think you could safely guide ships into harbor with this thing.

In addition to the 5 output levels, there’s a “flash” setting that can be used to signal for help in case of emergency. Outside of camping, the lantern would be a valuable addition to your car or home emergency kit if you keep it charged.

The Fenix CL30R camping lantern is solidly built with a rugged, plastic exterior that will stand up to dirt and abuse while camping. It is also highly water resistant and cold-resistant so it can be used in all manner of weather conditions. It has a handy metal handle that can be used for hanging the lantern inside your tent, as well as a tripod mount so you can have steady light when needed.Fenix CL30R camping lantern provides reading light

For me, one of the best parts about camping is that I get away from all the electronic gadgets that clutter up modern life so I can focus on enjoying nature. But its nice to keep my phone charged for emergencies, and we always need a light source now and then. The Fenix CL30R camping lantern conveniently and reliably provides both these functions with one simple device. And for me, less stuff means more enjoyment.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the CL30R camping lantern for free from Fenix in consideration for a gear review.

6-10 miles, Birding, Coast to Crest Trail, Dog Friendly, Escondido, Lakes, North County, San Dieguito River, Trail Write-Ups

Lake Hodges

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Lake Hodges is one of San Diego’s many water reservoirs, created in 1918 when the San Dieguito River was dammed. In addition to storing water, Lake Hodges is an important habitat for resident and migratory birds. The hills surrounding the reservoir are primarily coastal sage scrub, and are also home to the coastal cactus wren, who nest in exclusively in prickly pear cactus. Continue reading Lake Hodges →

Weekly Update

This Week in San Diego Hiking – October 3, 2016

2016_Twin_Peaks_Poway_DSC_8378-EditPhoto: Twin Peaks
Hello Hikers!

Welcome to October! The cooler weather the past couple of days has been nice, but unfortunately it looks like things will be warming up again towards the end of the week. Hopefully we’ll have fall eventually.

We were hiking at Lake Hodges on Saturday when we spotted a rescue chopper land on the south side of the lake. Turns out it was for a hiker who had broken her ankle. We are relieved to hear it was nothing more serious and hope she makes a full recovery!

The San Diego Union Tribune reports that SDG&E will begin replacing thousands of power poles and transmission lines throughout the Cleveland National Forest. Wooden poles will be replaced with steel poles, and some overhead lines will be buried in Laguna Mountain Recreation Area and Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. The goal is to harden the existing power infrastructure and make it less likely that power lines can start a wildfire or power poles are destroyed if a wildfire burns through the area.

Here’s the latest outdoor and fitness deals from Amazon:

Have a good week!

20160710_DSC6116BlueSkyPhoto: Blue Sky Ecological Reserve to Ramona Dam

Hiking trails in and around San Diego County