Tag: hiking

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
hiking, Off-Road

Pepperwood Trail

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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:

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

4x4, Off-Road

Hell’s Revenge

Hell’s Revenge is a difficult trail in the Sand Flats Recreation Area near Moab, UT. A truck that passes through this trail should have 33″ tires, one locker, some skid plates, and good suspension articulation. Some of the hardest obstacles have bypasses or may be avoided but you should be prepared for a hardcore trail (especially if it has just rained).  I opted not to drive my truck on this trail and went for a long hike. It’s a nice perspective and I wanted to walk a little of my 4,000 mile road trip. Enjoy the photos and find the rest of them on the dedicated page!

Trail Location:

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4x4, Off-Road

Cedar Creek Road

Cedar Creek Road is a trail of easy difficulty that a 2WD truck with some ground clearance should easily pass through in dry conditions. There are no hard obstacles on this trail, just wonderful views of the canyon and an easy-going drive that is close to San Diego with little risk of vehicle damage. There are also numerous hiking trails in the area for when you just need a nice, long walk outside. This trail is very picture heavy so be sure to enjoy all of the photos here on the dedicated page!

This is where the southern end of the trail starts, even though it does not show up on Google Maps. Cedar Creek Road heads north from the junction at Three Sisters Falls trailhead.

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hiking

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

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Guam, hiking

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.

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Guam, hiking

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.

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Off-Road

Grandview Point and Trail

Grandview Point offers stunning views of the Grand Canyon from the southern rim. Grandview Trail also offers incredible views as it winds down the slope to Horseshoe Mesa, or the river if you have what it takes. The hike takes quite a long time and you can never bring too much water on this hike. Down on Horseshoe Mesa are the remnants of the Last Chance Mine which used to extract copper during the early 20th century. Most of the mine shafts have been blocked at the entrance (except for one filled with bats).

The closest highway to Grandview Point is AZ-64, which takes about seven hours to reach from San Diego.

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Find the rest of the photos here!

4x4, Off-Road

Coyote One

Coyote Road One is simply a dirt road that leads to where the desert floor and mountains meet east of San Diego. The road is graded and passable by any vehicle with a few inches of ground clearance. I chose to go through on foot to more slowly take in the area. The sign at the beginning of the road may say no vehicles are allowed but it’s severely outdated. Since this area is not in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park to the north you’re also allowed to discharge firearms to your hearts content. A short hike up some of the hills and mountains leads to stunning views of the Yuha and surrounding deserts. As always, enjoy the photos and find the rest of them here!

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