Guides and Trips
Trips
Lake to Lake Loop, John Muir Wilderness
Mono Hot Springs, California, United States
Backpacking | 28 miles
Backpacking | 28 miles
A Sierra Club National trip, this was an excellent backpack mostly along the John Muir Trail/PCT. It's not a pure .GPX, as I counted our Ferry ride across Lake Edison, and I ran out of batteries during one section.
Began with helping lead a Nature Walk on the Azalea Glen Loop trail, then continued on up to the Azalea Spring, then on to Lookout Fire Road, which goes all the way up to the top of Cuyamaca Peak. The highest half mile or so is beautiful, lots of Douglas Fir and Incense Cedar trees, you really feel like you're in a forest.
On the final day of trail work on a project for CDT Montana, we finished up the trail and then hiked along the Continental Divide Trail to put up several signs.
This was a week-long volunteer trail work project for CDT Montana. Each day, we did this hike in the morning to get up to where we were working on the trail along the Continental Divide.
An afternoon 4-miler to celebrate my last day of freedom before going back to work. More people there than I've ever seen before, including a group panning for gold in the stream at what I call "The Crawdad Spot,", and another family set up for the day at the Memorial Bench, with a tree swing and other toys. A beautiful hike as the afternoon sun cast shadows on the lush green grass...
Decided to double-loop Upper Otay to get some fresh air, some exercise, and...oh yeah, to geocache! At the beginning of the hike, I resolved to geocache on the way back, and then promptly forgot all about it until I was almost halfway looped back. No matter...it was still fun to find some caches after a long hiatus, and it's always a pleasant hike here. Geocaches I found: GC325QA, GC343M0, GC3436Q, and GC22EN8....
Revisited Elfin Forest with friends that were eager to see it, we took The Way Up trail. Nice and warm and fairly humid, it was a good workout heading 1.5 miles uphill for about a 1k gain. Had some nice cool snacks at the picnic area next to Olivenhain Reservoir (thanks Dave!), then went a little farther uphill on the Lake Hodges Overlook trail to another vantage point. On the way down,...
A volunteer hike for CRSP, the Azalea Loop Trail was surprisingly lush and verdant. The Azaleas were blooming along the trail next to the spring, but they don't look like they'll last for long. No matter, plenty of other wildflowers still blooming along the trail, with butterflies, bees and birds happily playing among them. Just about a perfect hike.
We started early due to the projected 89 degree high for the day, so when we arrived at the trailhead, we were treated to a beautiful, mist-shrouded view of the hill we were about to climb via "The Way Up" trail. Lots of switchbacks, so it isn't TOO bad, but...it got sunnier and warmer as we climbed. Made it to the top, at the Ridgeline trail, and wandered over to the picnic...
Most Cuyamaca Hikes since 05/03/09.
Wow, what an unexpectedly beautiful hike this was! This was a volunteer hike for CRSP. We started along the Falls Fire Road, after taking a look at the very full and lush Green Valley Falls. Then we went uphill on the South Boundary Fire Road which, after the uphill part, afforded some spectacular views to the west. From South Boundary, we took the Pine Ridge trail, which was very scenic. Pine Ridge...
Beginning at Arroyo Seco Trail Camp, I went up the Arroyo Seco trail until it joined the West Side trail. Quite a few spots overgrown with Ceonothus, but I could still get through. Then I took the West Side trail across a beautiful meadow to Burnt Pine trail. Burnt Pine has several switchbacks up through the meadow, then you're in a shady Incense Cedar forest, then finally in high chaparral and Manzanita...
Volunteer hike for CRSP, with another volunteer named Steve. Nice and chilly, 40 degrees, which was delightful weather for a hike. Good times.
Our hike back out to the trailhead from camp. For some reason, my track for the trip IN did not save.
The day hike we took on our Noble Canyon Backpacking trip.
Sweetwater Reservoir Riding and Hiking Trail
Bonita, California, United States
Geocaching | 4.6 miles
Geocaching | 4.6 miles
The day after a big winter storm, I was expecting it to be muddy, but I didn't expect what it really was...muddy doesn't even begin to describe it. Quicksandy is closer, Soupy even closer..probably a combination of all three. The trail was a muddy, quicksandy soupy quagmire. THAT being said, it was still a relatively pleasant hike. Trekking poles helped immeasurably, and I got a good workout with the added pounds of...
San Diego Hiker and I had planned to hike Oakzanita (the long way,) but as we got up to Cuyamaca, it was snowing fairly hard, with several inches of snow on the ground. So we scratched the Oakzanita idea and went for the further south option of Merigan Fire Road. Which was perfect...we were able to park, and there was a bit of snow at the trailhead. But the further north we...
Volunteer hike for CRSP. Beautiful day to hike, sunny and just enough of a breeze to make it occasionally cool and always interesting. Very green and lush in the park right now, and all the creeks are as full as I've seen them. It's a wonderful time right now to visit and hike.
