During March 2016, I hiked 9 times, covering 92 miles and gaining 19,300' of gain. Where I lacked in quantity, I made up for in quality, as my average distance for each hike was 10.2 miles. Three major hikes and one moderate hike accounted for the majority of the miles I put in. On my two …
“Guys, where’s my food?” Just as I was putting the last odds and ends into my pack, I realized that I could not find the food that I had packed for the trip up to Dawns Peak. The trip had already gotten off to an inauspicious start, as I spilled a gallon of water that …
Every year, usually around April or September, I set up some kind of challenge to push myself to do something that usually involves me hiking a lot more than I normally would. Usually, the challenge involves hiking 30 times in 30 days, which is a sure fire way to get on the trail more often. …
If you spend any time on social media, you have seen countless list articles highlighting the "BEST HIKES IN (PICK A LOCATION)." They've popped up like mushrooms after rainstorms in the last few years, and it seems like everybody is chipping in. I myself have indulged in writing a few of these articles here, here, and here. They …
Continue reading "The Best Hikes in San Diego (That Almost Nobody Ever Hikes)"
I love the Palomar Mountains. When faced with that question of "what is your favorite hike," I always try to demure and say that it's like picking a favorite child. But let's be honest here. I do have a favorite child, and it is Palomar. It doesn't matter if it's the State Park or Cleveland National …
Stroll through any corner of San Diego County on a warm spring day, and you'll likely encounter a potent cocktail of intoxicating scents no matter where you go. The relatively unsung olfactory experience of the county's open spaces often proves to be the chief pleasure on many hikes, with hundreds of different plants releasing their …
Note: I reference a number of agencies in this piece. I’ve kept the agencies and workers in question anonymous so as not to break confidence. You’re scrolling through your Instagram over your morning coffee, and you see it: the Goat Canyon Trestle. Some acquaintance you barely know is standing in the middle of the tracks a hundred …
Since December of 2014, I have been conducting field work for a full revision and update of Jerry Schad’s hiking guide, Afoot and Afield in San Diego County. With one hike remaining (Dawn’s Peak/Peak 6582), I estimate that I have now hiked over 1600 miles of distinct trail and terrain in the county, with about …
Continue reading "On Hiking “Afoot and Afield in San Diego County”"
The San Felipe Hills section of the Pacific Crest Trail wanders, meanders, and squiggles its way through 24 miles of the San Felipe Hills between Scissors Crossing and Montezuma Highway. This segment has a reputation for being hot, difficult, monotonous, and even dangerous. There are no natural water sources, there is no shade until just …
Continue reading "Trip Report: Pacific Crest Trail: Scissors Crossing to Warner Springs"
Over the course of fieldwork for Afoot and Afield, I've accumulated tens of thousands of photographs in galleries covering nearly every hike in the County. I've put the highlights into this collection of photos as a means of supplementing the black and white images in the book. Find the galleries here. The fact that the …
Continue reading "Afoot and Afield in San Diego Photo Galleries"
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Hiking and photography in the Southwestern U.S.
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