It's really easy for us so-called "experienced hikers" to get complacent and think that we've got all of the bases covered. In fact, we are just as prone as anybody, perhaps even moreso, when it comes to making stupid mistakes on the trail. I got a taste of my own hubris this past weekend when …
When it comes to social media, I’ve rubbed a lot of cats in the wrong direction because I sometimes take a political stance on public land issues. The complaints all fall within the vein of: “I hike to get away from politics!” and “This is a hiking group! Keep your posts on topic!.” Every once …
As I type this, rain is coming down in sheets outside my house. In the last 24 hours, my location (southeast Carlsbad) has received over 2" of rain. Other places in the county that I follow have received similarly prodigious amounts of rain: Palomar Mountain, 9"; Borrego Springs, 2"; Julian, 5"; the Santa Rosa Plateau, …
As a New Year's resolution, I set the challenge for myself to find and hike 20 trails within 20 minutes of my home. The basic premise is to find a way to hike more and drive less. I also anticipated the secondary benefit of getting to know the trails in my area (Carlsbad) better. However, …
Continue reading "20 in Twenty: Rancho Carrillo Trails (#9)"
Within the hiking culture, one of the brightest and loveliest philosophies is the concept of "Hike Your Own Hike" (herein, HYOH). This phrase flits about our culture like a butterfly of truth and beauty. Its basic tenets underpin our most basic assumptions that "hikers are good people." You can break down the concept of HYOH …
One of the more personally enjoyable aspects of writing hiking guides is that it often elicits curiosity and interest among some people I meet. People often wonder how I got into it in the first place (a happy accident) and how I even begin to write about a place (I'll get to that). Just for …
Continue reading "Where Do Hiking Guides Comes From? Part 1: The Proposal"
I recently gave a pair of presentations at the two San Diego-area REI's about my work on the 5th edition of Afoot and Afield San Diego County. Most of the presentations I've done on the subject began with how I ended up with the project and ended with info on some cool hiking spots. With …
It's been a long, long time since I went to the beach at a low tide, kicked my shoes off, and walked barefoot along the surfline. I've never been a huge beach fan, so I tend to overlook the experience. However, after I gave a presentation at the University City library on Afoot and Afield while recommending …
I've fallen a bit behind on writing thanks to a rather nasty bout with the flu. Now that I can string two sentences together, I want to share the singular observation I gleaned from a recent sunrise hike from the Desert View Picnic Area in the Laguna Mountains. For the hike itself, I hopped onto …
On Saturday, 6/16, I joined the San Diego Hikers on a sunset hike to the summit of Cuyamaca Peak. Having seen sunsets from there before, I knew that there's really no better place in San Diego County to watch a sunset. And on this night, the sunset did not disappoint. A thick stratus of marine …
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Hiking and photography in the Southwestern U.S.
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