Oak Canyon, tucked into a relatively pristine corner of Mission Trails Regional Park just west of Santee, has come alive with a thin stream of gurgling water, owing to the recent decent (if not quite …
April 3, 2003
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Stories by Jerry Schad (RIP)
Stroll along a silvery brook at Oak Canyon in Mission Trails Regional Park.
Hike or bike oak-shaded El Moro Canyon in Orange County's Crystal Cove State Park.
Crystal Cove State Park preserves one of the last large, undisturbed parcels of open space along the Orange County coast. Besides containing a three-mile stretch of bluffs and ocean front, the park reaches back into …
March 27, 2003
Bring the kids along for a mini-hike at Stelzer County Park, tucked amid the bouldered hills near Lakeside.
Stelzer County Park features 314 acres' worth of trails, campsites, picnic tables, and a small "Nature Studies Interpretive Center" set alongside Wildcat Canyon Road northeast of Lakeside. The park's core area was designed to accommodate …
March 20, 2003
Explore native grasslands and climb Mugu Peak at Ventura County's Point Mugu State Park.
Up the coast, past Malibu and into Ventura County, Point Mugu State Park sprawls across more than 15,000 acres of ocean-facing hills, valleys, and canyons -- all of it emerald-green in the wake of the …
March 13, 2003
Seek out waterfalls and fire-following wildflowers in Anza-Borrego's upper Borrego Palm Canyon.
The remote and rugged upper reach of Anza-Borrego's most famous "palm canyon," Borrego Palm Canyon, has suddenly become much easier to explore. Last summer's mammoth Pines Fire, which originated near Julian, swept many miles north …
March 6, 2003
Bigcone Douglas-fir trees rise like ragged sentinels in Rice Canyon and East Canyon, near the city of Santa Clarita.
Tucked into the steep, north-facing slopes of the Santa Susana Mountains, just north of the San Fernando Valley, are comely Rice Canyon and East Canyon. The area containing both canyons is visible from nearby Interstate …
February 27, 2003
Scratch and sniff pungent bay leaves at Pepperwood Spring, near McCain Valley in East County.
Tucked into the fresh-scented folds of a high-desert canyon north of Interstate 8, Pepperwood Spring begins as a network of tiny rivulets issuing from damp pockets of sand. The rivulets conjoin, gather force, and divide …
February 20, 2003
Hike the Ben Overturff Trail in Monrovia Canyon Park, and visit the site of a long-abandoned resort in the San Gabriel Mountains.
Monrovia Canyon Park rests serenely in a sheltered corner of the San Gabriel Mountains, just upslope from the stately foothill community of Monrovia. Nearly three years ago in this column (April 6, 2000), I wrote …
February 13, 2003
Climb Bernardo Mountain, overlooking Lake Hodges near Escondido.
Lake Hodges has become the most popular destination for recreation within the 55-mile-long San Dieguito River Park, now taking form along the San Dieguito River watershed from the coast at Del Mar to the Volcan …
February 6, 2003
Ramble above the water's edge at low tide, from White Point to Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro.
Pressed hard and fast against the densely populated Los Angeles County community of San Pedro, the rocky ribbon of coastline between White Point and Cabrillo Beach looks out over a 20-mile watery gap separating Santa …
January 30, 2003
Check out the green, soon-to-blossom Anza-Borrego Desert vegetation on the trails near Yaqui Pass.
Throughout the Anza-Borrego Desert, the expandable tissues of native barrel, beavertail, cholla, fishhook, and hedgehog cacti may soon become as bloated as they ever get. Flush with supplies of water they can hoard for months …
January 23, 2003
Hike the west end of Santa Catalina Island, and survey the ocean from its high point.
The hike to the highest point on the west end of Santa Catalina Island -- 1804-foot Silver Peak --introduces you to its wild windward side. Spectacular views are the norm most of the way. Assuming …
January 16, 2003
Traverse border-hugging Otay Mountain -- by truck, bike, or foot -- and chat with a Border Patrol agent.
Rising like a rumpled pillow from the eastern extremity of Otay Mesa, Otay Mountain offers unparalleled, integrated views of the bifurcated San Diego-Tijuana metropolis, the Coronado Islands, Point Loma, and San Diego Bay. Seen on …
January 9, 2003
Survey the Santa Monica Mountains from an old Nike missile site atop San Vicente Mountain.
Perched above the San Fernando Valley on one of the more prominent bumps of the Santa Monica Mountains, the Cold War-era Nike missile site at San Vicente Mountain has become a destination for hikers, mountain …
January 2, 2003
Descend into Hell Creek and rise beyond in Valley Center's Hellhole Canyon Open Space Preserve
Eleven miles of hiking trail lace through the 1700-acre Hellhole Canyon Open-Space Preserve, east of Valley Center. The San Diego County parks department acquired this former parcel of surplus public-domain land, one of several such …
December 19, 2002
Check out the shore birds at Orange County's Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve
Long ago, extensive saltwater and freshwater marshes lined Orange County's coast between Seal Beach and Newport Beach. The sandy beaches along that coast remain, but most of the wetlands succumbed to the 20th-century tide of …
December 12, 2002
Sixty-four miles of bicycling bliss await you on Anza-Borrego's Highway S-2.
Road-biking doesn't get any better than on San Diego County's remote mountain and desert rural highways -- especially those beyond Palomar and Julian, where traffic thins considerably and the roads themselves are often accompanied by …
December 5, 2002
Southern Orange County's Caspers Wilderness Park beckons hikers with a view-rich hike on the rim of Bell Canyon.
Caspers Wilderness Park is the crown jewel of Orange County's regional park system. It is the county's largest park (7600 acres), the least altered by human activities, and the most remote from population centers. "Remote" …
November 27, 2002
Tackle severe ups and downs on the old mining track through El Capitan Open Space Reserve near Lakeside.
If you have the fortitude to tackle some killer ups and downs, try the surprisingly challenging hiking route to El Cajon Mountain, a picturesque East County landmark. Your primary destination is the 3675-foot-high point along …
November 21, 2002
Hike through the narrow cleft of Mosaic Canyon in Death Valley National Park
Death Valley's spaciousness is a big part of its appeal, but there's something here for claustrophobic individuals as well. In a few places, infrequent but powerful flash floods have carved narrow, sinuous channels into the …
November 14, 2002
Coast to Crest trail leaps closer to reality
With the opening of the ten-mile-long Mule Hill/San Pasqual Trail outside Escondido in June 2002, the projected Coast-to-Crest Trail leaped closer to reality. The coast-to-crest route, designed for hiking, biking, and equestrian travel, will eventually …
November 7, 2002
Hike to the summit of Garnet Peak for a comprehensive view of the Laguna Mountains and the Anza-Borrego Desert.
Although Garnet Peak isn't the highest peaklet along the steep eastern escarpment of the Laguna Mountains, its exposed position makes it a fine place to view both the pine-clad high country and the raw desert …
October 24, 2002
Climb Ryan Mountain for a comprehensive view of Joshua Tree National Park and environs.
Elongated Ryan Mountain rises above the boulder-studded plains of Lost Horse and Queen Valleys in Joshua Tree National Monument. The view from the top is arguably the best in the national park, encompassing the blocky …
October 17, 2002
Bag San Diego County's highest peak-Hot Springs Mountain-on the Los Coyotes Indian Reservation.
Some of the loftiest -- and loneliest -- mountain country in San Diego County lies on the 25,000-acre Los Coyotes Indian Reservation. You won't find any casino here, but you will discover San Diego County's …
October 10, 2002
Meander along the densely wooded Walnut Creek Trail at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains.
Walnut Creek and its associated parkland stretches through the San Gabriel Valley communities of San Dimas and Covina. A wide and well-traveled equestrian and hiking trail goes the length of the park, crossing the streambed …
October 3, 2002
Poke around Anza-Borrego's Blair Valley for evidence of historic and prehistoric human habitation.
As September grades into October and the sun swings ever lower across the southern sky, the high-desert landscape around Anza-Borrego's Blair Valley becomes comfortable enough for an early-season visit. It's warm, dry, and desolate out …
September 26, 2002
Discover a cool, riparian oasis in the high desert at Big Morongo Canyon Preserve near Palm Springs.
The two major subdivisions of the California desert (the Mojave and Colorado Deserts), plus an outlying stretch of chaparral habitat, intersect in the 4500-acre Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, north of Palm Springs. Bighorn sheep, bobcats, …
September 19, 2002
Walk or run the beach from La Jolla Shores to Torrey Pines reserve.
There are only a few places along the Southern California coastline where you can walk for miles in a single direction and hardly see any highway, railroad tracks, powerlines, houses, or other signs of civilization. …
September 12, 2002
Hike above the mists to the top of Saddle Peak in the Santa Monica Mountains.
Saddle Peak, a notable high point along the crest of the Santa Monica Mountains, consists of two 2800-foot summits: one topped by antennas and fenced off, the other one barren but viewful. Both preside over …
September 5, 2002
Climb Cowles Mountain, highest peak in the city of San Diego, by way of an eastern approach.
Cowles Mountain, whose 1591-foot summit is noted as the highest elevation in the city of San Diego, is served by more hiking routes than most people are aware of. If you tire of the popular …
August 29, 2002
Accept the day-long (or days-long) challenge of climbing Southern California's highest peak: San Gorgonio Mountain.
The barren 11.5K-foot summit of San Gorgonio Mountain, the highest elevation in Southern California, is a classic destination for San Diego hikers. The century-old Vivian Creek Trail route to the top from the south is …
August 22, 2002
Hike, bike, or skate a car-traffic-free five miles around Sail Bay in Mission Beach.
A decade's worth of improvements totaling millions of dollars have smoothed the way for pedestrians, cyclists, and skaters traveling along the curving shoreline of west Mission Bay and its upper extremity, Sail Bay. Generously wide …
August 15, 2002
Hike amid the shade of coast live-oaks at Orange County's Santiago Oaks Regional Park.
Pint-size Santiago Oaks Regional Park, in the city of Orange, was pieced together from two former ranch properties acquired by Orange County's parks department in the mid-1970s. A small Valencia orange grove and many acres …
August 8, 2002
Hike, bike, or skate Lake Miramar's paved perimeter path -- but not across the dam itself.
Not all San Diegans flock to the beaches on sunny summer days. Some gravitate toward inland recreational spots like Lake Miramar, which offers a spacious venue for pursuits such as walking, jogging, biking, and in-line …
August 1, 2002
Visit the site of the fictional MASH 4077th tent hospital in Malibu Creek State Park.
It's been said that the number of people on a wilderness trail diminishes in proportion to the square of the distance and the cube of the elevation gain from the nearest road. Perhaps that explains …
July 25, 2002
Thread your way around the giant boulders of Ramona's Cobbleback Peak better known as Mount Woodson.
Indians called it Mountain of Moonlit Rocks, an appropriate name for a landmark visible, even at night, over great distances. Later settlers dubbed it Cobbleback Peak, a name utterly descriptive of its rugged, boulder-strewn slopes. …
July 18, 2002
Hike the Idlehour Descent; lose 4000 feet as you trek down the front face of the San Gabriel Mountains toward Pasadena
The "Idlehour Descent" -- not really an idle descent at all -- is a one-way, 11-mile, mostly downhill hike through ever-changing terrain in the San Gabriel Mountains above Altadena and Pasadena. The name "Idlehour" comes …
July 11, 2002
Appreciate a cross-section of San Diego’s diverse ethnic population
Right off the 94 Freeway in San Diego's Oak Park neighborhood, a dense grove of eucalyptus trees conceals one of the more pleasant oases of the inner city: Chollas Lake Park. On any warm, summer …
July 3, 2002
Hike to the fire lookout on Vetter Mountain for a panoramic look at the San Gabriel Mountains.
Vetter Mountain lies within Angeles National Forest's Charlton-Chilao Recreation Area -- a gateway of sorts to the high country of the San Gabriel Mountains. Here, Angelenos heading up Angeles Crest Highway from the west first …
June 27, 2002
Ascend Palomar Mountain the back way via the old Nate Harrison Grade
The 21st Century journey up Palomar Mountain is perhaps too easy, notwithstanding the nauseatingly curvy South Grade Road that leads expeditiously to the top. With extra time, you can always revert to an earlier and …
June 20, 2002
Circle Wilacre Park and visit Coldwater Canyon Park in the Santa Monica Mountains above San Fernando Valley.
A 129-acre island of open space in the midst of Studio City's more lavish residential areas, Wilacre Park (the former estate of silent-movie star Will Acres) offers a wide-ranging view of San Fernando Valley and …
June 13, 2002
Jamul's newly opened Hollenbeck Canyon Wildlife Area offers a new opportunity for hiking and horseback riding.
The acquisition of approximately 3500 acres of Daley Ranch property near Jamul last year by California's Wildlife Conservation Board led to the establishment of the Hollenbeck Canyon Wildlife Area, now being managed by the California …
June 6, 2002
Climb San Jacinto Peak the easy way, with a generous headstart via the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.
San Jacinto Peak ranks a close second after San Gorgonio Mountain on the roster of Southern California high points, but its more sharply defined and imposing bulk makes it instantly identifiable from almost anywhere. Upon …
May 30, 2002
Published May 23, 2002
At least a dozen Native American villages existed in the Cuyamaca Mountains until about a century and a half ago. These were the mountain villages or summer camps of the Kumeyaay tribe, who divided their …
May 23, 2002
Climb Mount Baden-Powell, the second highest massif of the San Gabriel Mountains.
Named in honor of Lord Baden-Powell, the British Army officer who started the Boy Scout movement in 1907, massive Mount Baden-Powell stands higher than any other mountain in the San Gabriel Mountains -- except for …
May 16, 2002
Ramble along the Sweetwater River in the fledgling San Diego National Wildlife Refuge.
The little-known-so-far but ecologically significant San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex includes two units of coastal marshland along San Diego Bay, plus a much larger unit of inland territory near Jamul. Assuming that certain private …
May 9, 2002
Visit the Peter Strauss Ranch, a would-be Disneyland in the wilds of the Santa Monica Mountains.
The 65-acre Peter Strauss Ranch, now a postage-stamp patch of open space within the gerrymandered Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, was purchased from its former owner, actor and producer Peter Strauss, in 1983. In …
May 2, 2002
Cycle-tour the back roads of Santa Ysabel and Mesa Grande.
At an elevation of over 3000 feet, the rolling upland known as Mesa Grande is more reminiscent of Central California's coast ranges than San Diego County's typical rock-ribbed foothills. Through the heart of Mesa Grande …
April 25, 2002
Climb Strawberry Peak for an inclusive view of the Front Range of the San Gabriel Mountains.
Strawberry Peak's 6164-foot summit claims the honor of being the highest elevation in the "Front Range" of the San Gabriel Mountains -- the range closest to the San Gabriel Valley and the Los Angeles Basin. …
April 18, 2002
Navigate through boulders and pinyon pines to the mile-high summit of Whale Peak in the Anza-Borrego Desert.
If you've put off a visit to the local desert this season due to poor wildflower prospects, it's not too late, or too hot, for a rewarding visit to Whale Peak. This gently swelling summit, …
April 11, 2002