Category: hiking

hiking, Off-Road March 18, 2024

El Cajon Mountain

El Cajon Mountain is a moderately difficult hiking trail that is about 11 miles round-trip with steep grades on the last half of the trail. Parking is available directly on CA-67 or a lot which will have varied times based upon sunset. There is very little shade throughout this trail and you will want to bring a lot of water with you. The trail is closed in August due to excessive heat and the temperature can vary greatly as the elevation changes. We felt pretty cool as we got near the top and felt the wind more. Anything you look up online about this trail says that you will need six hours but you can finish it in four if you’re in good shape. The pictures are a mix of an October hike alone (warm, clear day) and a February trek (cloudy and cool). Enjoy and find the rest of the photos on the full page here!

El Capitan County Preserve

hiking, Off-Road January 29, 2024

Cedar Creek Falls

Cedar Creek Falls is an easy trail that is about six miles round-trip and can be accessed from Ramona to the west or Eagle Peak Road from the east (this entrance requires a vehicle with some ground clearance). The starting elevation from Thornbush Rd in Ramona is 1830ft with the bottom of the falls at 915ft. I went with a small group of friends on a mild winter day which grew more crowded as the day wore on. A permit is required from the US Forest Service with each permit covering up to five people for $10. Alcohol and diving from the cliffs are prohibited. When we started at about 0830 there were no park rangers present but there was someone at the trailhead when we came back at about 1100. The water was nice and cold when I jumped in. Enjoy and find the rest of the photos on the full page here!

hiking, Off-Road August 11, 2022

Combs Peak

Combs Peak is a steep and rugged out-and-back trail that only lasts for a few miles. It is accessible from the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in northern San Diego county. If you aren’t interested in hiking the entire PCT you can take CA-79, to Chihuahua Valley Road, to Lost Valley Road where it intersects with the PCT. The trail is ill-defined at the beginning and there are no markers telling you where to start. I almost walked right past it to head to Riverside County instead. As I mentioned the trail is extremely steep and there are many loose rocks. There’s just enough of a trail to not get lost on your way up. I happened to head out right after a summer thunderstorm passed through and was blessed with reasonable temperatures and stunning views. I highly recommend this short gem of a trail!

Find the rest of the amazing photos here and see you on the trail!

hiking, Off-Road May 28, 2020

Pepperwood Trail

There is still much more I have to explore along this trail but the Pepperwood Trail winds through an amazing area of land in the McCain Valley. I happened to take two sets of photos on different days near the end of a very wet spring and winter which offered a large array of plant life and flowers for the area. The contrast between the Laguna Mountains to the west and Colorado Desert to the east is stunning and I really need to stop being lazy and take this trail all the way down Canebrake Canyon. I started off near the Cottonwood Campground which is a very fine year-round campground with vault toilets and firepits. The Pepperwood Trail is easily accessible from McCain Valley Road and is a short drive from I-8. I will traverse more of this fine trail soon but for now, enjoy the photos and look for the rest of them here on the full page!

Cottonwood Campground location:

BLM campground information and BLM Routes of Travel for Eastern San Diego County Map (PDF)

hiking February 6, 2019

Kwaaymii Point

Kwaaymii Point lies along the Pacific Crest Trail and just to the east of Sunrise Highway (S-1). The vast views of the Anza-Borrego Desert are stupendous from this vista point and must be seen to be believed! I took this short little trip on Christmas Day and it happened to be snowing and quite cold. It was a veritable Winter Wonderland while I happened to be in the area. I didn’t go for a long hike here so there isn’t too much more for me to type up except for this: enjoy the photos and find the rest of them here on the full page!

Location

Guam, hiking September 8, 2018September 8, 2018

Fadi’an Point and One Thousand Steps Trail

The One Thousand Steps Trail is a short hike with a relatively quick elevation change that can easily be done in less than 30 minutes. Multiple areas along the trail have been filled in with concrete steps in the steepest sections but don’t trust the associated handrails to support your weight. This is a hike that everyone who drops by the island should do. You don’t need to bring several liters of water, don’t have to deal with much mud, don’t need any special gear, and can fish at Fadi’an Point if the tides are right. I hope that you enjoy all of the photos and you’ll find the rest of them here!

Starting Location.

Guam, hiking September 4, 2018September 4, 2018

Sella Bay Overlook and Trail

The hike to Sella Bay from the Overlook point is of moderate difficulty and can be done in less than three hours if you don’t stop for too long to take photos. It was raining when I started this hike and the soil and clay were extremely slick. Everything you wear will be soaked by the time you are done with this hike whether it rains or not (sweat, river water, seawater, rain, take your pick). It doesn’t take too long, the views are stunning, it’s not too trashed since there is some difficulty in getting there, and it’s not as dangerous as the Cetti Falls trail is.

I took photos on my way back to the trail head so all of them will start in the bay. I didn’t very many good photos from the top of the overlook on this day. Once the skies finally started to clear I just wanted to drain my boots of water and change out my socks (oh yeah, bring some extra socks). If you ever happen to stop by the island this is a trail that I would highly recommend. I hope that you enjoy the photos and you’ll find the rest of here them on the full page! Starting location.