100 Peaks

Madison River Valley

Before arriving at Yellowstone National Park, from what I had seen before, and most recently in the Ken Burns’ documentary America’s Best Idea, I had an impression that Yellowstone was going to be a vast, chalky landscape that smelled like sulfur with steam hissing all over the place. And bison, tons of bison. Well, it was that, but it was so much more, as well.

This was a family trip, and as on many family trip, there really wouldn’t be a chance for me to range far and wide, hiking on remote trails to spectacular peaks. Therefore, as on other trips, I was making mental notes on where I would explore if I ever had the chance to backpack in Yellowstone.

This Saturday, I went to the Hawkwatch at the Wildlife Research Institute in the Ramona Grasslands. It was a great experience and Sophie really enjoyed it. We saw plenty of wildlife, including a lone coyote loping across the next field over to the north. It is held every Saturday in January and February from 9am-12pm.

Their Mission Statement:

The Wildlife Research Institute was established to create a public, non-profit organization to conduct research, and provide data and education for the wise use and management of wildlife and wildlife habitat. Further, to promote timely conservation biology through cooperative programs with agencies, industry and academia.  WRI is a land trust and manager of mitigation for sensitive habitats.

Again, the people are great and we had barbecued bratwurst. Yum.

Boulder Creek to the San Diego River Valley

San Diego River Park Foundation
PO Box 80126
San Diego, CA 92138-0126
info@SanDiegoRiver.org
619-297-7380

Their vision and goals

The San Diego River Park Foundation envisions a grand park, reaching from the mountains, all the way to the sea. It is seen as a 52-mile park that follows the San Diego River, from the foot of Volcan Mountain, near Julian, all the way to where it meets the Pacific Ocean, south of Mission Bay.

Along the way, it overlaps with other open space parks, such as Cleveland National Forest, Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve, and Mission Trails Regional Park, among others.

Ultimately, the foundation envisions a trail system that follows the river along its length and connects to the various parks and open spaces along the way.

Many of my peaks lie in their sphere of influence.

What they do

Advocacy – They have formed a coalition with like-minded organizations throughout the county to effect change in attitude and promote cleanups throughout the area.

Land Acquisition – They have researched the area and are seeking to preserve over 700 acres of land for the park. The acquisitions will be obtained through donations of people like us, much of which will be matched by grants, to which the foundation applies.

Outreach – Appear at fairs, farmers markets. They lead hikes throughout the county to educate and raise money for the cause.

Maintain the river – They have detailed plans on how to not only restore to the river to its former glory, but plans and schematics on how to keep it that way.

How you can help

You can donate to their cause, volunteer, sign up for the eScrip program, shop at their limited online store, or, like me, become a member and write about it.

San Diego River Watershed

San Pasqual Valley

San Dieguito River Park
14103 Highland Valley Road
Escondido, CA 92025
760-765-3020
sdrp@sdrp.org
Agency: San Dieguito River Park Conservancy

Beginning in 1989, the San Dieguito River Park envisioned a 55-mile hiking, biking and equestrian trail from Vulcan Mountain near Julian to the beach at Del Mar. Over the past 21 years, park officials have completed about 35 miles of the trail, along with another five miles of side trails, and other projects such as a pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Lake Hodges and lagoon restoration projects.

The San Dieguito River Park is currently in a budget crisis, as is best summarized by a SignOnSanDiego article by Logan Jenkins (from June 2010):

Bench in Daley Ranch

Daley Ranch
3024 La Honda Drive
Escondido, CA 92027
(760) 839-4680
Agency: City of Escondido
Open daily from dawn to dusk.
Free to public.

Today I had the intent to finally tackle another peak, since it’s been almost month since my last epic adventure in Anza-Borrego. It was sort of an impulse hike. I tend to keep some of the local peaks in my head as last-minute hikes in case I get a free moment. These hikes are typically fairly easy on well-maintained trails that are frequently visited by locals.

In this case, I wanted to hike Burnt Mountain in Daley Ranch. Burnt Mountain is on the Ranch’s official trail maps, but a trail is not shown to the peak. Thinking that I would either find a small use trail or simply bushwhack to the summit, I quickly packed my car up this morning and drove to the trailhead. I had seen reports of other peakbaggers summiting this peak over the last decade, so I figured there must be a way up.

Villager Peak from Rabbit Peak

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
200 Palm Canyon Dr
Borrego Springs, CA 92004
760-767-5311
anzaborrego@parks.ca.gov
Agency: California State Parks

Other Links:
The Anza-Borrego Foundation
The Anza-Borrego Natural History Organization

Encompassing 600,000 acres, Anza-Borrego Desert SP is one third of San Diego County. While mostly desert, there are a few places in the higher elevations that have some pine trees and have seasonal snowfall. A large draw for visitors is the annual spring wildflower bloom, which is especially powerful after a wet winter. There is also an extensive trail system for OHV, as well as a great variety of hiking trail of all difficulties. The area is so large that driving long distances is necessary to see the popular locales within the park, such as Fonts Point or Borrego Palm Canyon.

Storm Canyon at the edge of Garnet Peak in Mount Laguna

Laguna Mountain Recreation Area
Descanso Ranger District – Cleveland National Forest
Owen Martin, District Ranger
3348 Alpine Boulevard
Alpine, CA 91901
(619) 445-6235
Agency: Cleveland National Forest

Laguna Mountain Recreation Area is located about 45 minutes from downtown San Diego and is adjacent to Rancho Cuyamaca State Park, is part of the Cleveland National Forest, and is seated at the edge of the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Also known as Mount Laguna, it features several miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, some of it that runs along the edge of a steep drop off into the desert to the east, providing unparalleled views into the valley below. There are several large meadows that have large ponds (lagunas) that are well worth the hike.

Green Valley in Cuyamaca

Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
13652 Highway 79
Julian, CA 92036
760-765-3020
cuyamaca@parks.ca.gov
Agency: California State Parks

Cuyamaca Rancho State Park is located about 40 minutes from downtown San Diego, yet feels worlds away. I’ve been there several times, and each time I have had the pleasure of seeing wildlife, including mule deer, turkeys, woodpeckers, squirrels and a variety of other birds and reptiles. There have also been sightings of mountain lions and coyotes.

The park, which is over 26,000 acres, includes meadows, Lake Cuyamaca, and many peaks, including Cuyamaca Peak, the second highest peak in San Diego County (Hot Springs Mountain is the highest). I highly recommend it to any visitor to San Diego who is looking for a trip away from the city.