In Black Canyon water has amply illustrated its mindless yet artistic ability to sculpt stone. Every once in a great while, a great gush of sediment-laden water tears through the canyon bottom, carving and polishing …
April 9, 1998
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Stories by Jerry Schad (RIP)
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Water splashes over small waterfalls at Black Canyon near Ramona.
Enjoy bird and wildlife watching in the desert at Agua Caliente County Park's Squaw Pond
With nothing civilized around it for miles, Agua Caliente County Park/Campground feels like a true oasis amid the vast and desolate dry lands of the Anza-Borrego Desert. Tucked against the skeletal Tierra Blanca Mountains, the …
April 2, 1998
Adobe Creek Falls – series of cascades through a narrow little gorge
Just north of San Diego State University, the runoff shed by some 15 square miles of chaparral-covered hillsides and suburban streets placidly crosses under ten lanes of Interstate 8 west of College Avenue. Then it …
January 2, 1997
Villager and Rabbit peaks remain difficult and remote hiking destinations
Spotted with weather-beaten piñon pines, Villager Peak in the southern Santa Rosa Mountains rises nearly a mile above the lowlands of Anza-Borrego Desert. Serious “peak baggers” from around the state are drawn to its summit, …
October 24, 1996
San Diego County’s highest point, Hot Springs Mountain, is 6533 feet
Some of the loftiest — and least-visited — mountain country in San Diego County lies on the 25,000-acre Los Coyotes Indian Reservation. San Diego County’s highest point, Hot Springs Mountain, with an elevation of 6533 …
July 6, 1995
Never Run from a Mountain Lion
As one who roams the backcountry quite a bit for this column and for other projects, I was shocked, saddened, and a little unnerved to learn of last December’s fatal mountain lion attack on birdwatcher …
June 22, 1995
Iron Mountain has become San Diego County’s second most popular hike
North County’s Iron Mountain thrusts its conical summit nearly 2700 feet above sea level, well above any low-lying wintertime haze over the coast and suburbs. On many a crystalline December day, the summit offers a …
December 1, 1994
The Elsinore Fault, Mercifully Quiet
Like a subterranean knife-wound, the Elsinore Fault slices across the heart of San Diego County’s backcountry, promising an earth-shaking jolt or two during the next few millennia. Sputtering movements over geologic time along its opposing …
September 29, 1994
Garnet Peak Trail
Although Garnet Peak isn’t the highest peaklet along the 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 below. …
December 2, 1993
Mount Israel Recreational Area
Outdoor recreational opportunities in North County took a quantum leap recently with the opening of the Mount Israel Recreation Area in the Elfin Forest/Harmony Grove area near Escondido. A cooperative effort of the Olivehain Municipal …
May 6, 1993
Bike Along San Diego's Very Low-Traffic S-2
Several factors conspire this time of year to make the bicycle ride down the whole length of Highway S-2 one of the easiest, most carefree and exhilarating experiences you can have in San Diego County. …
April 8, 1993
San Diego light pollution making Venus-shadow observations tough
The cloud-mantled planet Venus reflects 76 percent of the sunlight falling on it. Less than one-billionth of the light that bounces away is intercepted by Earth. Most strikes Earth’s day side, but some falls on …
February 11, 1993