Hello Hikers!

Don’t be alarmed by that strange wet stuff falling from the sky, apparently this is the “rain” thing we keep hearing about. It looks like the storm will continue through Monday, with rain showers throughout the county, high winds, and even snow in the mountains! The precipitation should clear out tonight, but there might be some more in the works later this week. Better late then never El Niño!

Don’t forget Daylight Savings Time will begin this Sunday. This is the time of year where we “spring forward,” and have an entire hour of our lives mercilessly taken away from us. To make up for this terrible injustice, I think we should all skip work on Monday and go hiking. Tell your boss I said it’s ok.

If you don’t want to wait until Monday, then consider bringing your favorite four-legged hiking buddy to Ramona Grasslands next Saturday for a Furry Friends Hike! Bring your dog and a dog toy to donate to the Helen Woodward Namial Shelter, and join the San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy for an easy to moderate, family-friendly approximately 4-mile furry friends hike at the Ramona Grasslands Preserve. Visit the San Dieguito River Park’s web site for more information, or check out our Events Page to find even more upcoming hikes and events.

KBPS has an article about a recent decision by the County Board of Supervisors to purchase 147 acres of open space in Valley Center near Keys Creek Canyon. The property will be managed by the County Department of Parks and Recreation and will include multi-use trails.

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Hello Hikers!

Happy Leap Day! I don’t know about you, but I think that if we have to have an extra day, it should be a holiday, especially when the weather’s this nice. It looks like we have more warm weather to look forward to, but possibly some patchy fog in the mornings. Long-range forecasts are predicting a chance of rain next week, but I refuse to get my hopes up too much.

Since it’s practically March, we have some good things to look forward to. Daylight Savings is just a couple of weeks away on Sunday, March 13th. We’ll have an extra hour of daylight to enjoy some post-work hikes in the afternoons. And March 20th is the Vernal Equinox, or First Day of Spring. I’m already seeing signs of wildflowers starting to bloom, so hopefully the advent of spring will bring some fantastic displays.

Next Saturday you can join the Friends of Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve for a Wildflower Hike on Doug Hill. Join Native Plant Society member Beth Mather for this wildflower hike on the biologically diverse Doug Hill in Black Mtn. Open Space Park. Hike is about half a mile and involves one good hill, but will be slow paced. Meet in the northeast corner of Black Mtn. Ranch Community Park on Black Mtn. Park Way at 14700 Carmel Valley Rd., Rancho Peñasquitos, San Diego 92129. Visit their web page for more information, or check out our Events Page to find even more upcoming hikes and events.

I’m still seeing lots of reports of rattlesnake sightings on trails throughout the county, so make sure you stay alert while hiking! Keep your dogs on leash and young children nearby as well.

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Have a good week!

Hello Hikers!

It looks like we have yet another week of above average temperatures in store for us, so get outside and enjoy that sunshine!

All this nice warm weather has its downsides, however. It appears that the rattlesnakes are coming out early this year. I’ve heard several reports of rattlesnake sightings from people in East County, Ramona, and Escondido. So make sure you keep your eyes and ears open when you’re out on the trails!

If you’re looking for a challenge, head on over to Daley Ranch next Sunday for an Early Morning Fitness Hike. Join Naturalist Rita Ospelt on a reverse grand tour of Daley Ranch. The hike will follow the perimeter of the Ranch on the same trails as the February 21 hike but going the opposite direction. The trail to Stanley Peak will be thrown in for an extra challenge. The total distance will be 13.9 miles and will be at a brisk pace. Expect steep uphill/downhill sections and this hike is not suited for children. Visit the Daley Ranch web site for more information, or visit our Events Page to find even more upcoming hikes and events.

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Have a good week!

Hello Hikers!

Happy President’s Day! If you’re fortunate enough to have today off, remember that it is a fee-free day in the National Forests. You can explore one of the many local hikes in Mount Laguna or  the Cleveland National Forest without having to worry about buying an Adventure Pass.

It looks like we have a few more days of summer still ahead of us. The National Weather Service is forecasting Santa Ana conditions, with high temps and windy conditions for Monday and Tuesday. It should begin cooling down on Wednesday and there’s even a chance of showers going into Thursday! While I’m certainly enjoying this great weather I’d really love to see some more rain.

Next Saturday afternoon join the Friends of Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve for a Vernal Pool Walk. Join naturalist Mike Kelly for a walk through San Diego’s most endangered habitats, the vernal pool. See and learn about the extremophiles, the endangered plants and animals that live in or around these short lived pools. Visit the pools every few weeks with us to see the amazing changes in plants and critters. Meet at 11101 Taloncrest Way, San Diego 92121 (off Calle Cristobal in Mira Mesa). Visit the Friends of Los Penqsquitos Canyon Preserve’s list of hikes for more information, or check out our Events Page to find even more upcoming hikes and events.

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Have a good week!

Hello Hikers!

Apparently summer has arrived. While it looks like the warm weather is going to continue, it should hopefully start cooling down a little bit towards the end of the week. We also have high winds to look forward to through Tuesday, so be careful if you’re hiking any exposed ridges!

Don’t forget next Monday, President’s Day, is a fee-free day for National Forest lands. You can explore one of the many trails in the Cleveland National Forest without having to worry about an Adventure Pass.

And next Sunday is Valentine’s Day! Celebrate a day early with the San Dieguito River Park Conservancy’s  Valentines at Volcan Hike and Wine Tasting/Picnic on Saturday morning. Grab your loved ones and join SDRVC and VMF for a moderate/strenuous 8-mile round-trip Volcan Mountain Valentine’s Day Hike. Take in the scenic views of the Anza Borrego Desert to the East, downtown San Diego to the south and the San Dieguito River Park to the west from the summit at Volcan Mountain. The springs that flow from Volcan Mountain form the headwaters of the San Dieguito River. Register at: http://form.jotform.us/form/51706695840159. Check out more upcoming hikes and events on our Events Page.

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Have a good week!