Hello Hikers!

In case you missed the update last week, today is free entrance to all National Parks as well as National Forests. That means no Adventure Pass is required if you want to do any hikes in the Cleveland National Forest, plus there is free entry to Cabrillo National Monument today.

And if you’re ready to start planning next weekend already, consider a stroll at Oakoasis Preserve on Sunday morning. The Oakoasis Sunday stroll will provide a moderately challenging walk the whole family can enjoy. Bring a half gallon of water per person, sturdy shoes, a hat, sunscreen, and snacks to get you through a nice 3 mile loop featuring fantastic overviews of San Vincente Reservoir. Be prepared for a few hundred feet in elevation change that will challenge your skills. Meet at the Oakoasis parking lot at 8am. For more information, visit the San Diego County Parks & Recreation Activity Guide, or check out our Events Page for even more upcoming hikes and activities.

CBS News 8 has a quick video report of a hiker rescue on Cowles Mountain last Thursday. The hiker apparently suffered some kind of medical problem on the trail. Other hikers called 911 and the afflicted hiker was transported via pickup truck to an ambulance at the bottom of the mountain. Hope he/she is recovering!

The City of Poway is discussing plans to add additional parking spaces at Lake Poway. The parking area at the Lake often fills up on weekends, in no small part due to the popularity of the hike to Potato Chip Rock (Mount Woodson). No final decision has been made, but it looks like the preferred option will add 91 spaces.

The Union-Tribune reports that the Forest Service is planning to cut the number of daily permits issued for day hikers at Cedar Creek Falls. Permit sales are rarely maxed out, however, so it doesn’t sound like the new limit will have a terribly adverse affect on hikers. The permit system was instituted several years ago after a series of incidents in the area, including numerous unprepared hikers requiring rescue, problems related to alcohol and drug use, and the death of young man cliff-diving into the pool.

We’ve still got lots of great deals running at Amazon this week. Some of these deals end this week, so don’t wait if there’s something you’ve been looking for:

• Up to 30% Off Select Water Bottles & Hydration Gear
• Up to 40% Off Men’s Cold Weather Boots
• Up to 50% Off Select Backpacks & Bags
• Up to 40% Off Men’s Hiking and Trail Shoes and Boots
• Up to 20% Off Select Outdoor Gear
• Up to 40% Off Women’s Cold Weather Boots
• Save at Least 25% on Helly Hansen Apparel
• Up to 40% Off Women’s Hiking and Trail Shoes and Boots

New Sierra Trading Post customers can get $10 off their first order here!

Have a good week!

Hello Hikers!

Yet another Monday is upon us. I’m very appreciative of the rain we’ve been getting, but it would be slightly more convenient if we could arrange to have it rain during the week when I’m stuck at work, and the weekends could be nice and clear. Someone want to take care of that for me? Thanks!

I hope that in spite of the drizzly weather on Sunday everyone had a chance to get out and hike. So far, the forecast for the next week looks perfect. If you’re trying to decide what to do next weekend, consider heading out on Saturday with the San Diego Natural History Museum Canyoneers to explore Indian Hill in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.  This is an intermediate 6 mile hike (plus extra challenges) with elevation change of up to 1000 feet. Hike through hillsides of teddy bear cholla and barrel cactus to the remains of a primitive 1912 railroad camp. Directions: (Anza-Borrego Desert State Park) From I-8, exit on S2 (Imperial Hwy.) at Ocotillo. Go northwest (left) on S2 for 8.7 miles, turning left onto Mortero Wash. Meet the Canyoneer host there. They will consolidate into 4WD or high-clearance vehicles to reach the trailhead. No facilities. Check out the Canyoneer’s web page for more information, or visit our Events Page to see all the other activities that are going on.

Other awesome things going on next weekend include Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday the 19th. Hopefully you’ve got the day off, because  this is the first FREE National Park Entrance Day for 2015. This is some great desert weather right now, so you might want to consider a day trip to our nearest National Park Joshua Tree. If that’s too long of a drive for you, you could go to Cabrillo National Monument to look for whales (we’re in the middle of peak migration season) or hike the Bayside Trail. It’s also a free day for National Forest entry, which means no Adventure Passes are required.

Hopefully you’ve got some Christmas money or gift cards leftover, because Amazon has some great deals on hiking gear this week:

• Up to 50% select backpacks and bags (Includes some High Sierra, Gregory, and Osprey packs, among others.)
• Up to 30% Off Select Water Bottles & Hydration Gear
• Get Outside: Up to 20% Off Select Outdoor Gear
• Up to 40% Off Women’s Hiking and Trail Shoes (Merrell, Vasque, Keen, and more!)
• Up to 40% Off Men’s Hiking and Trail Shoes (Salomon, Vasque, Lowa, and more!)

Looking for even more deals on gear? Save up to 40% on past seasons Columbia Gear only at Altrec.com!

And if you’re looking for some healthy snacks to take along on your hikes, check out Vitacost.com. If you sign up through this link, new customers can get a coupon for $10 off their first order of $30 or more, plus free shipping on all orders over $49. My favorite are Luna bars, (Chocolate Peppermint Stick? Yes please!) but they’ve got tons of other good trail snacks too.

Have a good week!

Happy New Year Hikers!

It’s been a great start so far to the new year. Did anyone else get out to play in the snow? We did a short trip to Cuyamaca on New Year’s Day to hike down to Green Valley Falls. We had a great time, but it was a good thing we went out early since traffic in the afternoon was a nightmare. We left Cuyamaca around noon and saw eastbound traffic on 8 was backed up all the way from 79 to El Cajon! Yikes.

It looks like we should start seeing some warmer temperatures over the next week, so it should be perfect for some outdoor adventures. Ready to start planning next weekend’s hike? How about a Wildlife Walk along the Santa Helena Trail at the San Elijo Lagoon Saturday morning? Access the heart of the East Basin where you can view westward over the lagoon from an elevated mesa. Through patches of coastal sage scrub and grasslands, we hike west to find remnant salt-tolerant plants and coast cholla. Bring binoculars to scan for shorebirds probing the mud, and raptors preying from above. Trailgoers might see a patient Great Egret uncoil its neck in a quick snap to catch a fish. Visit the San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy calendar for more information, or visit our Events Page for even more upcoming hikes and activities.

NBC 7 has a report about a creeper who’s been hiding in the bushes and following women around the path at Lake Miramar. Apparently, the man has been identified and police have spoken to him, but since he hasn’t actually committed a crime there isn’t much that can be done about him at this point.

On a completely unrelated subject, Amazon has SABRE Pepper Spray on sale this week, and its eligible for FREE super saver shipping when you spend $35 or more.

If you’re looking to get some new hiking gear for your best friend, check out Wag.com. They’ve got all kinds of packs, collars, leashes, travel bowls, and more to help your four-legged hiking partner out on the trail. Right now, new customers can get 25% off their first order using the code SKRA2183.

Have a good week!

Hello Hikers!

Can you believe 2014 is almost over? We’ve had a fantastic year here at hikingsdcounty. We’ve written up over 30 hikes, acquired close to 200 Facebook followers, and over 100 Twitter followers. We’re all about helping people discover all the great places to hike in San Diego, so thank you everyone for following us and sharing with your friends!

We’re looking forward to sharing even more hikes with you next year. We’re aiming to add some more longer, 10+ mile hikes in the new year as well as some gear reviews and other fun goodies here and there. If there’s anything you’d like to see, please leave a comment and let us know.

What are your plans for the New Year? If you want to start the year off right, check out one of the First Day Hikes from California State Parks:

• Anza-Borrego Desert State Park: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm. New Year’s Day Resolution Hike: Hike Alcoholic Pass!. Join Volunteer Naturalists Ron & Peg Poitras to experience and discover the prehistory, history, and present-day journey of those who have used this trail for food, water, work, and fun. This is a 4 hour excursion into the pass. Meet at the north end of DiGiorgio Road. This is a strenuous but relatively short hike, bring water, snacks and wear hiking boots. more info
• Anza-Borrego Desert State Park: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. Hike Borrego Mountain West Butte. Join Volunteer Naturalists Mary Ekelund and Paul Larson for a moderate 3-mile (roundtrip) hike to the top of one of our smaller peaks, but with great views! There will be some walking on narrow ridges and scrambling on rocks toward the summit. Meet just off Highway #78 at the intersection of Buttes Pass Road, 1.5 miles east of Borrego Springs Road. more info
• San Onofre State Beach: 11:00 am. San Mateo Campground to Trestles. Meet at the San Mateo Campground and hike to the Trestles to take in the views on this moderate four-mile hike. We will also hike on the sand to Church Surf spot to eat a snack and take photos. After our snack return on the inland trails back to San Mateo Campground. This hike is open to all ages, but trail is steep in some places and may be challenging for little legs. Please bring water, hat, sunscreen and stable shoes for hiking. Leashed dogs allowed on paved trails, but not on the beach at the Trestles. Rain will cancel. Call (949) 366-8503 to check for post-rain cancellation. more info

As always, visit our Events page to find even more upcoming hikes and activities.

Torrey Pines has had some excitement this past week. On Friday, two hikers were stranded and required rescue after going off trail and finding themselves stuck on a cliff ledge.  Then, on Saturday, NBC 7 reported a hiker fell off a cliff near the gliderport and fell 30 feet – his condition was unknown at the time of writing, but the article should have updates as they’re available.

If you didn’t get what you wanted for Christmas, then check out the Under Armour Post-Holiday Outlet Event. You can get free shipping on orders over $25 with code SHOPUA25

New Sierra Trading Post customers can get $10 off their first order by signing up here.

Save Up to 60% Online and In Stores now at the Eddie Bauer Semi-Annual Sale.

Have a good week!