Tag: California

hiking, Off-Road

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

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

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!

Uncategorized

Paradise Mountain Trail/Hellhole Canyon Preserve

Paradise Mountain Trail is a fun trail of moderate difficulty northeast of San Diego in Valley Center. There’s a decent elevation gain and the views of the surrounding area and Palomar Mountain are wonderful. The loop isn’t too long (about 11 miles) and finding the path is easy. I chose to take the loop in a clockwise direction and started the hike off with the steepest section as I rose to about 3000 feet. The staging area has maps, vault toilets, a water fountain, and is very equestrian friendly. If you’re looking for a fun hike that doesn’t take up too much time then Paradise Mountain Trail is a fun route to check out.

The Paradise Mountain Trail is enclosed by the Hellhole Canyon County Preserve. The Preserve is open Friday through Monday during daylight hours and more information may be found here on the San Diego County website. Enjoy the photos and find the rest of them here!

Hellhole Canyon BrochureDownload
culture

Homeless in Hollywood

I don’t even remember how I stumble upon the YouTube channel “German in Venice” but it’s quite interesting and sobering at the same time.

It’s apparent to anyone that lives in California that public order, basic functions of government, and to a degree society is breaking down. I remember moving to San Diego in 2010 and can’t recall seeing so many vagrants or so much trash on the street. Now I can drive on my route along Imperial Avenue (or anywhere near downtown) and the tents extend onto the street. It’s apparent when someone is living in their car.

There was one instance where a man living in his car asked me to jumpstart his car; he left his ignition in “ON” for too long as he was using the blower too long to keep his car warm while he slept. This was about four years ago. The city of Los Angeles has passed billions in bond measures and spending and what has come out of it (2016/2019/2020)? It’s just government money, there’s always more where it came from right?

Our society feels like it’s broken but does anyone in charge really care? Do the LA city employees earning over $150k per year care about the homeless (link/archive)? Does Governor Gavin Newsom care as his royal edicts destroy businesses, jobs, dreams, and the people of California? Looking past public policy though, how much of the homeless problem is just from people giving up? I can’t help but wonder how much longer our civilization has left. Maybe I should just move to some small podunk town…

4x4, Off-Road

Rockhouse Trail

The Rockhouse Trail is an easy route that any 2WD pickup with some ground clearance should be able to complete. At about the 13 mile point the road that ends in Rockhouse Canyon turns into a hiking trail. The trail gets a little rougher past the junction for Butler and Rockhouse Canyons and the end of the motorized portion gradually becomes indistinct from the wash. Clark Valley and Rockhouse Canyon are awesome areas to visit and I’ll have to hike further up to see the rock houses and Santa Rosa Indian ruins at some point. For now, this page will only contain images from the drivable portions of the route. The video shows the trail starting from the northern end as I head south to return to S-22 just a few miles east of Borrego Springs. Be sure to look for the rest of the details, photos, and videos here on the dedicated page and enjoy!

4x4, Off-Road

Bear Valley Road (16S12)

Bear Valley Road is an easy trail located about 40 miles east of San Diego that is accessible directly from I-8. With dry conditions any 2WD truck with some ground clearance can easily pass through this trail. There are numerous trails that connect to Bear Valley Road but the only other one that the public can routinely access is Long Valley Road (16S15) which I am also including on this page. This trail is great fun if you don’t feel like driving too far away from San Diego and want to avoid getting a full blast of the desert heat during the summer. During the Winter and Spring months the trail will be closed right before and during storms. Unlike many of the trails that I have gone through I went with a rather large group. Enjoy the photos and videos and look for the rest of them here on the dedicated page!

Descanso Ranger District MapDownload

Cleveland National Forest website

4x4, Off-Road

White Mountain (3N17) Redux

Last year I went through the White Mountain trail in its entirety with a large group as a passenger. It really was nice to just sit back, relax, and take some photos. I knew that one day I had to take my own truck out on this remote and fairly empty trail. You don’t have to be worried about running into a bunch of dirt bikes or ATVs out on this trail, just other full-size vehicles. Turn-around and passing points are few and far between on this trail though so you might have to prepare to back up a fair distance. I highly recommend that you take some time to head up to this wonderful trail. Look here for the rest of the photos and videos. Enjoy!

4x4, Off-Road

Holcomb Valley Road (3N16), Spring Run

Several months ago I traversed Holcomb Valley Road in its entirety right after a winter storm and greatly enjoyed my trip. The cold weather and snow/ice present during the previous trip seemed to keep the dirt bikes and ATVs away and made the trail much emptier but it was not to be so this trip. I opted to head through this trail again during warmer months with a small group of friends on the way to the moderately difficult trail of White Mountain (photos/videos coming soon). This is an easy trail that any vehicle with some ground clearance could drive through. Look here for the full page with all of the photos and videos. Enjoy!

Here lies an abandoned Toyota 4Runner. I don’t know if the accident or rollover occurred near here or if the vehicle was simply dumped:

Here a few less somber photos:

On-Road

Another San Diego driving compilation video

It’s been quite a while since I’ve posted up about my travels, travails, and struggles along the highways and city streets (dedicated page here) of San Diego county so it’s time for another video post. It really is amazing what my little dashcam allows me to capture and share with the world. Stay safe on the roads out there and enjoy!