Seven Bridges

When I had my neck issue five years ago, one of the first outings after I recovered was a portion of the Seven Bridges hike. Now after my cervical fusion, it seemed fitting to do this hike again, and hopefully this time I could complete all seven bridges! We found parking near the Spanish Arts Village, and after a fellow dog owner lent us a couple of poop bags (as we forgot ours at home), we crossed our first bridge over Park Boulevard. We then continued north along Park, until we made the short turn onto University and over its small bridge. Then we headed northwest along Lincoln Avenue until we turned south on Vermont, and across our third bridge.

Back along University Avenue, we made a pit stop at Starbucks for a beverage, then continued west to First Avenue. Next up was the Spruce Street Suspension Bridge. Neither Anita nor Rocky enjoyed this one. Once we made it across, we continued onto the Quince Street Bridge. The construction down below in Maple Canyon was quite evident. Next up was the First Avenue Bridge, which also spans Maple Canyon. We continued along First Avenue until we reached Laurel Street and turned eastward back toward Balboa Park. Workers were finishing cleaning up from the Race for Autism that occurred earlier in the day. We crossed the famous Cabrillo Bridge that spans the 163 and into the park. With that, we soon found ourselves back at the car. Overall the neck felt pretty good…

Del Mar Mesa Preserve

I found parking at the end of the cul-de-sac under the shade of a tree. Since I normally don’t hike in the mid-afternoon, I had to stop and think about wanting the car to stay cool for my return. When hitting the trailheads in the early morning, that isn’t usually the first thing you think about. I wanted to get out on the trails one more time before I headed into the hospital to have surgery to fuse two of the vertebrae in my neck. So, why not take a stroll through Del Mar Mesa Preserve? We have had some rain recently, and the vernal pools might be filled. I passed the gate and headed south toward the signboard. A notice cautioned users of the preserve not to disturb the pools on the mesa. I started down the service road for the power lines. Off to the west, shimmering in the afternoon light, was one of the catch ponds for Deer Canyon Creek. As I neared the bottom of the canyon, the trail split. Straight ahead, the service road continued up the canyon and is affectionately known as “Cardiac Hill”. To the left, a trail would follow the side of the canyon until it reached “Tunnel #4”. Being midday on a Wednesday, I did not expect to encounter many, if any, mountain bikers, as this is a popular place for them to ride. The trail followed the side of the canyon for a bit until it dipped down and crossed the flowing steam. Once safely across, I was about to start hiking through Tunnel #4. A sign cautioned hikers to be aware of bikers coming down the trail. I don’t hike with headphones, but if one does, this would be where you put them away and keep your ears open.

The trees formed a lovely shaded canopy over most of the trail. It doesn’t take long to figure out how this section of trail got its name. The trail works its way up a side canyon toward the mesa at a much gentler grade than Cardiac Hill. Finally, you break from under the cover of the canopy and stand atop Del Mar Mesa. Before me stood a grove of eucalyptus trees. If you have ever driven on Hwy. 56 near Camino Del Sur, and saw some trees clustered together off to the south, these are those trees. I took a quick water break and looked around. Off to the east, the preserve is completely closed to protect the habitat back there. So, I followed the trail to the west, and there I saw my first of several vernal pools. The water was the color of my wife’s coffee after she put her creamer in, but darting around were tadpoles! I watched them for a bit before heading on.

I came to a junction. The trail heading west is probably the entrance route we will recommend in the book, as there is a park nearby for water and restrooms, as opposed to starting from where I did. The other trail leads back across the mesa, then down Cardiac Hill. As I headed northward, I passed several more pools that almost filled the service road, but there was enough room to the side to properly pass them. I worked my way down the hill until I again reached the stream I had to cross. This time the gap was a bit wider. I made it partway across, but the front of my left shoe did get a little soaked. I followed the service road back up to where I started and called it a wonderful day on the trails.

Update: The surgery went great and should be back on the trails in a month or two!

I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. In 2019, I became the third person to complete the San Diego 100 Peak Challenge. Not stopping with that accomplishment, I set my sights on the harder San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list, which I completed in 2021. In addition, I have conquered several Six-Pack of Peaks challenges (SoCal, San Diego, Central Coast, and Arizona-Winter). Beyond attempting the San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list a second time, I am looking forward to exploring new summits and new adventures across the southwest.

Tecolote Canyon

A bit of a marine layer hung in the air as I pulled into the parking lot. That was fine as I planned to cover over 6 miles on this hike. I was here early in part to finish up with enough time to drive out to Cabrillo National Monument and hopefully be able to go to the actual top of the Old Lighthouse. The trail was a well-maintained service road. The University of San Diego, and its blue-domed church, stood above the canyon to the south. A work crew was out removing weeds. I chatted with them a bit before continuing on my way.

The trail turned northward and followed the Tecolote Golf Course. The flatness from the beginning of the hike was now replaced with some short ascents and descents. Wildflowers dotted the trail from time to time, as did connecting trails to the neighborhoods or power line towers.

The trail once again made an easterly turn, mostly leaving the golf course behind. While there is a way to link up with the northern portion of Tecolote Canyon, I was planning to stay on the southern portion. The trail now was no longer mostly a service road, but a trail that worked its way back and forth over Tecolote Creek. Thankfully, the water was low enough to allow me to cross. Finally, I reached the trail’s end at Genesee Avenue. One does need to be a bit mindful, as this section does have some poison oak.

While working my way back, I ran into a gentleman with a full Osprey Backpack. I asked him, “Training for something?” He replied he was headed to the Grand Canyon for a few nights. I wished him the best of luck and told him how jealous I was. I started to pass a few more folks, some out walking their dogs, some out for a bike ride.

As I got back to the trailhead, the garden next to the visitor center was open, so I took a quick look around, I wanted to get out to the lighthouse, so I did not linger. I logged the hike at 6.4 miles with about 387 feet of gain, and 5 water crossings.

Pt. Loma Lighthouse

I tossed my gear in the car and headed out to the lighthouse. I scored a ticket and soon found myself standing atop this historic building. The lens is incredible to see up close, but oh… the views from the top!

Shepard Canyon Loop

I wanted to explore another urban trail, so I returned to my old neighborhood and decided to hike Shepherd Canyon. I opted to link up North Shepherd Canyon to East Shepherd Canyon, then onto a trail that would skirt Mission Trails Regional Park and back to the start. I parked on Portobelo Street, right near Sheperd Canyon Mini Park. The trail dropped down into the canyon and headed southwest. It always amazes me how quickly the sounds of the neighborhood disappear and the sounds of nature emerge. The trail reached Villarrica Way after a short bit, and I crossed over to continue on the North Shepherd section. I continued along the trail until it reached Antiqua Boulevard. This was the southern terminus for this portion. But at the corner of Santo Road and Antiqua Boulevard, was the entrance to the East Shepherd Canyon trail. I crossed the street at the stoplight. A bit further south along Santo Road was the entrance to West Sheperd Canyon, but I would explore that another day.

I entered the canyon and learned that this part of the trail is also a nature plant trail. Along the first portion of the trail are about 22 signs that will help you identify the plant life. These information panels were installed about a decade ago by a local Girl Scout Troop. Originally, they were black with silver lettering, but exposure to the weather has stripped the black away. To learn more about this project visit shootingforsilverstars.wordpress.com.

Some of the local residents were out enjoying this wonderful trail. The stream was flowing just a bit, and it meant a few easy water crossings. I came to the turnoff to see Dishwasher Pond. A couple of benches were here to sit and enjoy the canyon view.

I continued on until I climbed out of the canyon and back onto Portobelo. While I could have followed the street back to the car, I was not done exploring. Just past the church, I crossed the street and picked up a trail heading east. Side trails would link to the houses nearby.

Soon the surrounding houses ended as I crossed over into MTRP. A few trails led off into the park, but I headed north until the trail turned west alongside some condos. From there I cruised along until I exited back to where I had parked. This was a lovely loop that should be in a book.

Navajo Canyon Trail

Continuing my exploration of some of our urban trails, I decided to hike the Navajo Canyon Trail. This short hike is tucked away in one of many little canyons near SDSU. I found some parking near the trailhead, grabbed my gear, and headed over to the signboard. Since the weather is starting to warm up, a warning about hiking with your dog was posted. The trail was fairly wide at this point, and the drainage was flowing with some run-off from the recent rains. As I left the trailhead, the sounds of cars faded away. Instead, the occasional chirps from the various birds filled the air.

I soon started to have some simple water crossings, and at one point had to shift to hiking along a narrow path above the stream bed to avoid the water flowing along the rocky main section. There were a couple of side trails, but they were marked as access paths to the utility poles.

As the trail neared its end, there was a small climb to the trail’s end at a church’s preschool. From here, you are provided with a nice view of the canyon you just hiked through. There is another portion of the trail (an additional 0.2 miles) that you can continue hiking on, or simply turn around at this point. I opted to continue, so I walked past the preschool and then past their parking lot, to where the trail picked up again. The trail dipped down and across the drainage, then ended at Carthage Street. With the full trail done, I then retraced my route back to the trailhead. As I drew near the start, a family and their dogs were just heading out. I logged this hike at 2.5 miles, with a nice gain of 250 feet.

Florida Canyon

With my wife and daughter away in Arkansas, I took advantage of that and decided to hike Florida Canyon in Balboa Park. This is all part of my effort to explore more of our urban hikes in San Diego. Somehow, I found parking near the Spanish Village on a Sunday. I grabbed my gear and headed to the pedestrian bridge near the fountain. I took a quick look around the Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden before heading through the Desert Garden and into the trail. The paved trail works its way down Florida Canyon and the road. I crossed over Florida Road and re-joined the trail.

I headed east until I reached a junction that took me up a draw toward the top of the mesa. The trail was moderately busy, walkers, runners, and mountain bikers were all out enjoying the nice spring day. Once on the mesa, I looped around until I reached the trail that would take me back down another draw to rejoin the trail that parallels the road. I then crossed Florida Drive and began hiking back up the switchbacks toward the start. Partway up, I spotted two hikers heading down with packs larger than one would need for this simple trail. I asked if they were training for something, and they replied they were off to Spain shortly to hike the Camino de Santiago. We chatted a bit about their upcoming adventure before parting ways. I reached the cactus garden and crossed back over Park Boulevard. Now, cars were circling for a parking spot. I tossed my gear in and headed home. There is another section of the canyon I plan to come back to and explore at a later date.

Dictionary Hill

With the storm that blew through the day before leaving a light dusting of snow on the mountains and the flowers blooming out in Anza-Borrego, neither of those destinations sounds appealing for a hike, so I decided to finally hike Dictionary Hill. This peak is tucked away in Spring Valley, so the drive to the trailhead was very similar to the one I made the day before when I hiked Steele Canyon. I parked the car at the end of the road, gathered my gear, and set off. I stopped at the trailhead signboard to check if there was anything I needed to know about. There were several posts about dealing with coyotes, so I guess that was a local issue. The trail passed under some eucalyptus trees and a small stream flowed past. I flowed the trail westward, first up a small hill, then along the stream bed. Signs pointed you toward the summit, so finding my way was not very difficult.

The trail now turned south and began its climb in earnest. After a bit, the grade eased and I could enjoy more of the views rather than my footing. Some plant restoration was occurring along this section. Up the hill to my right was a water tank, which I knew sat a bit below the summit. The trail reached a crest and the Sweetwater Reservoir was now visible to the south. I spotted another trail sign further up the mountain, ignoring the service to the water tank. As I was making my final push to the summit, a large coyote did in fact cross the road. It was about as big as my Australian Cattle Dog. Thankfully, no road runners or ACME products were spotted.

Soon I found myself at the summit. The actual top of the mountain is a small butterfly preserve, so entry onto it is not permitted. The summit did give me some sweeping views of southern San Diego. I took one of the other trails down from the summit as part of my research, but after rejoining the trail I used during my ascent, decided that doing this peak as a simple out-and-back was the best choice. I passed a few more people making the climb to the summit. This was a nice neighborhood hike.

Lusardi Creek Loop

I decided to hike the Lusardi Creek Loop after work. The Black Mountain Sports Complex was quiet since it was the day before Thanksgiving and found a parking spot in the shade by the trailhead.

I made my way down the utility road until I reached the turn-off to the Lusardi Loop Trail. I passed a nice bench, perfect to take a nice breather, and just admire the views. The trail reconnected with the utility road, which I took as far as under the bridge. The creek was flowing, mostly from urban run-off.

I retraced my route, this time taking the other branch of the loop upon my return. Soon the sports complex came back into view. This was a great little hike with just enough to get your heart pumping.

Black Mountain (via Nighthawk Trail)

Decided to get a few miles in and hike Black Mountain, again. I decided to take the Nighthawk trail up from Hilltop Park this time, as I had not done this route in a while.

A mild Santa Ana was blowing, so I was mindful of my hat not blowing away as I worked my way up the trail.

I snapped a few photos at the summit, then headed back down. A few folks were making their way up, some on foot others on their mountain bikes. Soon the parking lot came back into view and back at my car. A nice start to Thanksgiving week.

Santa Fe Valley Trail

The past two times I had hiked this trail were after work. Since I was working from home this morning, I decided to do it bright and early. I pulled into the empty parking lot just after 6:30 a.m., grabbed my gear, and headed toward the trail. The skies were overcast as I cruised along the trail with the groundskeepers working the nearby golf course.

The trail crosses quite a few small bridges as it follows the San Dieguito River. Then the trail reaches the other element known for the switchbacks that carry you up from next to the river and toward a hill above it. You certainly are rewarded with some nice views after making the short climb. I snapped my challenge photo and retraced my route. Just one more hike and the 2023-2024 Coast to Crest Challenge will be complete.