Barnett Ranch Open Space Preserve

Decided to continue my foot rehab with another mild hike. This time I opted to explore the Barnett Ranch Open Space Preserve out near Ramona. I had driven past it several times en route to Mt. Gower or some other peak. After driving past the hoards of cars parked at the trailhead for Iron Mountain and Woodson, I pulled into the parking lot. A park ranger had just pulled in, I chatted with him for a bit before setting off.

The sun was shining, something that hasn’t happened too much recently. Thankfully a light breeze kept things pleasant. The trail is mostly a loop around the edge of the preserve.

Wildflowers were still in bloom throughout. The trail is initially a paved road that continues on to some properties off to the north and then continues on a proper dirt trail. I soon found myself taking a quick break next to a small pond before continuing on the trail, and arriving at a small water crossing. I began a short climb toward the southern end of the preserve which gave me some sweeping views of the area.

The trail would follow the small ups and downs along the hills. There are two connector trails that would return me back to the trailhead and I opted for the closest, mostly since it also is the trail to the overlooks to the south. I did not want to push my foot since I still needed to drive home so that portion of the preserve would have to wait for another trip.

Since I was out near Ramona, I decided to stop in and visit Kit Fox Outfitters. Colin was teaching a class, so I chatted with Stephanie a bit. Once I am ready to start backpacking again, going to have to take a closer look at their store. 🙂

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.

Blue Sky Ecological Reserve

It has been seven weeks since the surgery on my foot and I finally felt ready to try something more than a walk around the neighborhood. Also, my custom orthotics arrived, so I could trim them and insert them into my hiking boots. While I was recovering, I mapped out a list of hikes that would be relatively flat, somewhat interesting, and between 2-6 miles in length. I opted to do a portion of the trail in the Blue Sky Ecological Preserve. I certainly wasn’t going to make the climb up to Lake Ramona, but the out-and-back to the start of the climb seemed just what I needed to attempt.

Joining me on this sojourn was my lovely wife and our dog. We pulled into a mostly empty parking lot under the grey morning sky and set off down the wide trail.

I have hiked this trail before but always turn onto the connector trail that climbs up to Lake Poway. Today’s plan was to keep going eastward until the trail makes its turn to the north.

A few other hikers passed us as we made our way past a few remaining flowers that dotted each side. We passed the fork to the Creekside trail, but that trail doesn’t allow dogs, so we stayed on the main trail. Signs are placed along the route, letting visitors know what various trees and plants are.

Soon we reached the turnaround point, just past three picnic benches. I considered bringing my breakfast along but opted not to.

We made our way back to the car, again passing a few more folks out for their morning workout. Just before we reached our starting point, I convinced my wife to let me take the Overlook trail instead. This trail has a short climb, but my foot handled it without issue. Soon we were back at the parking lot. Our hike clocked in at 2.4 miles in just under 1 hour. The best part was the foot was feeling good.

Bernardo Mountain

It has been a couple of months since my foot began hurting after hiking Volcan Mountain, so I thought would see if it could handle some time on the trail. I needed Bernardo Mountain to complete this year’s Coast to Crest Challenge, so I decided why not? Ted and his oldest son joined me for the climb to the top. Unfortunately, the forecast was for an extremely hot day, so this meant an early start. We set off from the Piedras Pintadas Trailhead and crossed over the dry lake bed. Repairs to the Lake Hodges Dam meant much of the lake had been drained, making for some interesting scenery.

We made our way toward the mountain, the warmth of the day was already being felt. We kept a measured pace, in part to the heat, but also for my foot. The trail wrapped around the mountain, making its ascent toward the summit. Soon, we found ourselves there, sharing it with one other fellow adventurer. I took my required “selfie” at the summit and we began our descent.

The empty lake bed was quite interesting to see. Thankfully no unpleasant surprises have been discovered like in the receding Lake Mead… We returned to our cars feeling the full effects of the blazing heat. It was just past 9:30 in the morning and the thermometer was reading over 90°F! We said farewell and retreated into the air-conditioning of our cars. My foot did feel some pain, so I knew I needed more rest before my next adventure.

Raptor Ridge Trail

Decided to hike out to Raptor Ridge with my wife and dog. The parking lot had about 6 cars in it when we arrived. Rocky hopped out of the car ready to go!

We cruised along together making our way to the end of the flat section of the hike. Several groups of mountain bikers passed us. I usually have hiked this trail during the week and rarely see anyone, so it was nice to see it being used.

Anita and Rocky took a well-earned break while I began the climb up to the viewpoint. I had noticed some tenderness in my right foot after last week’s hike, and I was starting to feel it again. Once at the viewpoint, I snapped a few photos and let Anita know I was making my way back. As I descended, I could feel the pain increase. Ugh.

I made my way back along the trail, knowing that I was now looking at an extended break to let my plantar fasciitis recover. The question will be for how long? I caught up with Anita and Rocky as they were taking a break at the table near the junction with the Mule Hill Trail. Despite my foot, we all had a nice time on the trails. My final hike on this year’s Coast to Crest Challenge is going to have to wait, along with my various other hiking adventures.

Blue Sky to Lake Poway

Decided to knock out another on this year’s Coast to Crest Challenge by hiking the Blue Sky – Lake Poway Loop. There were a few spots left in the parking lot around 7:30. I grabbed my gear and headed down the Torretto Trail to connect with the Green Valley Truck Trail. Once I reached the junction with the Creekside Trail, I opted to take it this time. The last time I hiked this loop, I stayed on the GVTT. The Creekside Trail was more trail-like, as it paralleled the GVTT. If there was some flow in the creek, this little section of trail would be fantastic, but the biggest concern is the large amount of poison oak along the sides of the trail.

Once the trail reconnected with the GVTT, I continued eastward until I reached the Lake Poway Trail. Now I would start climbing up toward the lake. This time I opted to circle the lake in a clockwise manner to make sure I had a little shade as I made my way around Lake Poway.

Along the way I snapped my needed selfie for the challenge and continued on. As I neared the Lake Poway parking lot, a group of hikers asked if this was the way to the “Potato Chip”. I gave them direction and silently shook my head at their lack of preparation. A new art installation of some “big” chairs were another stop along the loop. The trail then snaked its way back down toward the GVTT. Once back on the GVVT, I cruised back to the parking lot, covering the 5.3 miles in 1:41. Three more hikes to complete the challenge!

Clevenger Canyon-San Pasqual North Trail

The North County Sierra Club has been running the 50 hikes for 50 years Challenge, where over the course of a year you hike a list of 50 hikes and earn some prizes along the way. I did not learn about the challenge until it was well underway, plus the peaks of Anza-Borrego tend to call my name during the winter. I was able to do 25 of them and earn a patch (I am a sucker for patched). But several folks were able to hike all 50! On Friday, I was able to join two of them, Yosina and Annie as they hiked up Clevenger Canyon North.

We were joined by some of their other friends at the trailhead and set off down past the graffitied boulders until we reached Santa Ysabel Creek. A trickle of water was still flowing as we crossed over and would now start our climb up the canyon wall.

Toward the summit, we spied some young turkey vultures hanging out just ahead of us. More were off to the east. They took flight once we passed, their massive wings carrying them away. Soon, we were at the summit and we took a break. The ladies broke out their signs and smiles and took their completion photo together.

After the short break, we headed back down the trail. This is the best part of the hike, not because you are headed back to the trailhead, but instead of just looking at the canyon wall, you are now rewarded with the vistas of the San Pasqual Valley.

After the short climb up from the creek, we were back at our cars and parted ways. I logged the hike at 5.3 miles with 1,490 feet of gain.

Cowles Mountain & Pyles Peak

With “May Grey” in full force, I figured an early morning hike up Cowles Mountain, and then over to Pyles Peak would be a good choice. I needed to photograph the new summit marker that now sits atop Pyles Peak, and having a nice layer of clouds to keep the sun away sounded perfect. Since Covid-19 is still an actual issue, I opted not to take the shorter (and generally crowded) route up from Golfcrest to the summit to Cowles. Instead, I planned to either take the Barker Way route or the Big Rock route. In the end, I settled on the Barker Way route, mostly since it was a bit shorter than the Big Rock route. I found a spot on the street near the trailhead, grabbed my gear, and set off.

I actually had another choice to make almost immediately—do I take the service road all the way to the summit of Cowles, or do I take the trail to my left? The trail won the coin toss. There was no actual coin tossing, as trails will almost always win for me. The trail worked its way up the south side of Cowles, passing through the chaparral. Occasional steps helped lessen the grade as I kept climbing. I passed a connector trail that I could take to rejoin the service road, but I kept going, as there was another one closer to the summit that I planned to take. The trail I was on would actually connect with the route up from Golfcrest, and I had no desire to do that. From there I followed the service road to the summit of Cowles. I had never been on the service road, and was surprised at how steep it was.

At the summit I grabbed a quick photo of the marker and continued on. The marine layer hid much of the view, plus I still had another 1.5 miles to the summit of Pyles.

I worked my way down the trail, losing about 300 feet of elevation before making a small climb and then more descent. Finally, I reached the start of the climb to the other summit. Once I reached it, two other hikers were taking a break here. I was on a work call, so I couldn’t stop and chat. I photographed the new marker and began back down.

The towers atop Cowles loomed to the south and I climbed back toward them. So far my neck, which had been giving me issues, was feeling ok. Once back at the Cowles summit, I snapped a few more photos. In case you are wondering, crossing back over a summit does not count as a new ascent.

I followed the service road back toward the connector, but instead of completely retracing my route, I opted to stay on the service road all the way down. Once back at the car I tossed my gear in and headed home. The peacefulness of the hike let me explore some ideas around a new interface design I am creating at work. Sometimes it is best to step away from the screens to give yourself some time to focus. I logged my hike at 5.8 miles in 2:39 and over 1,764 feet of net elevation gain. Now to finish that trail guide…

South Fortuna*

Since all the construction blocked my access from the West Fortuna Staging area last week, I decided to use the southern approach. This route crosses the San Diego River, since we hadn’t had any rainfall in some time, I knew it would be safe to cross. This is not a route to take if there is any real water flow. Sadly, this crossing can be deadly.

Once safely across, I began the steep climb to connect with the Suycott Valley Trail and then dropped back down to link up with the South Fortuna Trail. From there I started climbing up toward the infamous “South Fortuna Stairs”.

At the base of the stairs, I took the photos I needed for the trail guide I am writing for SoCal Hiker and headed back. I really had no desire to summit this peak again, as I had been there since the new summit marker was installed. The return to the car went quickly, and a few more folks were milling around the river as I crossed back over.

North Fortuna

I needed to think through a presentation I was making the next day, so I figured a nice hike would help me focus. Since I needed some photos for some trail guides I am writing, I decided to hike up the Fortunas in Mission Trails. I wanted some better photos of the “infamous” South Fortuna stairs and the new summit marker atop North Fortuna. As I neared the parking lot, I remembered there was some construction happening on this side of the park, courtesy of the San Diego Water District. I looked over the map and realized that I wasn’t going to have an easy route to get to the South Fortuna stairs, but I still had a route to North Fortuna.

I crossed the bridge into the park and headed north toward the Rim Trail. Clear signs warned me about various closures and detours. Cruising along the trail, I could see two work areas, to the northwest and southeast. The work was supposed to be done in early 2022, but construction is rarely on time. I reached four corners and had a decision to make – I could take the Suycott Valley Alternative Trail to connect to the Fortuna Saddle Trail and then the summit, or I could take the Shepherd Ridge Trail to approach the summit from the north side. Since I had never done North Fortuna from the north side, my choice was an easy one.

I had passed a few folks on the trail, but as it was about 4 pm on a Thursday, I did not expect to see many. The trail took me northward, getting closer to the northern edge of the park and the 52 freeway. The evening commute was starting to pick up. The trail connects briefly with the Perimeter Trail before turning southward to begin the real climb up North Fortuna.

While it wasn’t the South Fortuna Stairs, I did have a small section of stairs to assist me. After crossing a false summit, the real summit was just a short bit away. I snapped my photos and took a short break before continuing southward toward the saddle.

I took the saddle back down to the west until it reached Suycott Valley Alternative Trail. Normally, I would stay on this trail, but the construction closure prevented that. As I made my way on the trail back toward Four Corners, it was clear that this trail was heavily favored by mountain bikers, and was glad I was here on a weekday. I would not recommend this trail on a weekend. Once back at Four Corners, I retraced my route to the car. Just before I started the short climb from Four Corners, two mountain bikers came screaming down the wide trail, reaffirming my thoughts about weekend use. As I made my way back to the car, I passed several more mountain bikers. Back at my car, I saw that both sides of the street were now packed. This route was 5.75 miles with 1,112 feet of elevation gain.

Heller’s Bend

One of the things I tried to do, while working on the San Diego North County Sierra Club’s 50 for 50 Challenge, was to hike trails I have not hiked before. Since I was only doing half of them to earn the patch, I could be afforded that luxury. My wife had made plans with some friends for Mother’s Day morning and would not be home until the afternoon. My son had come home for the weekend from Arizona, and joined me in a couple of short hikes I needed to do. The first hike was Heller’s Bend.

Once we found enough space to pull off the road (there is no set parking for this hike) we set off. Technically, this is the “Karen Tucker Preserve at Heller’s Bend”, but that is quite a mouthful. It is managed by the Fallbrook Land Conservancy, which also manages several other hikes and preserves in the area. We followed the paved road down and across a small creek. Oaks hung over the path, giving us some nice shade. The road then made a few small turns before beginning to head southward. We climbed up the steep road that served as our way up toward a small ridge.

At the top, two benches allowed my son to take a breather, while I chose to explore around the area. The paved portion of the trail ends here, with a nice vista of Fallbrook. The trail did continue, but I didn’t feel the need to take it. We carefully worked our way down back to the car. I logged the round-trip at just under a mile, but with a nice 286-foot gain.