From North County Times:

“RAMONA —- Four hikers suffering from heat exhaustion were rescued Saturday in Cleveland National Forest, officials said.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection workers responded at about 4 p.m. to reports that hikers had suffered heat exhaustion on the Cedar Creek trail, CalFire Capt. Daryll Pina said.

He said rescuers drove to the hikers and rescued them along with one of the two dogs they had taken on the hike.

The other dog died because of the heat, he said.

Ramona Community Emergency Response Team volunteers were at the trail head to provide shelter and water to hikers who braved the 115-degree heat reported in areas of the canyon, Pina said. He said rescuers have responded to more than a dozen heat-related injuries on the trail during the last three weekends.”

This brings me back to my rant on my hike to Cedar Creek Falls. If it’s hot, start early and bring plenty of water. Or try a more moderate trail.

Be careful out there and make smart decisions, people.

This is a beautiful area and, apart from Cedar Creek Falls, much of the area rarely gets visited. I recommend checking it out.

From: http://www.sandiegoriver.org/calendar.php (for more information)

06/05 10am National Trails Day – MEMBER HIKE to Cedar Creek Falls from Saddleback

Contact Sarah at 619-297-7380 or by email for details. This is a free guided hike for River Park Foundation members (may join at the event) to one of San Diego’s natural treasures, 80 foot Cedar Creek Falls. Followed by an open house at the River Park Foundation’s 500+ acre Eagle Peak Preserve.

Email Sarah to RSVP and for details

06/05 1pm – 3pm Eagle Peak Preserve Nature Hike

The Preserve is open! This is one final opportunity to enjoy the Spring Wildflowers at the Preserve.

A guided hike will leave at 2PM from the middle parking area. Enjoy a hike to Son 2 Peak and down to the ponds. We will stop along the way and learn about some of the flora of the Preserve. After the ponds we will head back to the trailhead. This hike is open to members and non-members. FREE. Total hike length approx. 2.5 miles. Elevation gain = 250 feet. Facilities are very primitive. You are welcome to explore the Preserve on your own.

Location: Eagle Peak Road near mile marker 8

Wendy Fry has updated her article to state that: “…detectives said Tuesday that there are no signs the death is a homicide.”

I am not sure what to believe at this point, but I am hoping it was merely a case of a small fire that got out of control, rather than something far, far worse.

In Mount Laguna, near a remote hiking trail, a body has been found that appears to have been burnt at the site. Police don’t know yet if the body is a male or female and the remains were airlifted to the Medical Examiners office.

It’s always possible that a campfire got out of control, especially with the high winds and lower temperatures this weekend, but there’s always the possibility of foul play.

No word on how long the body has been out there or any other significant details.

Map of the general location of the body

I’d hate to be out hiking and be the one to come across something like this.

Be careful out there, people.

Stairway to Stonewall

A body was found near Stonewall Peak in Cuyamaca today. The body is believed to be that of 52-year-old Joseph Roushar, (who appears to have been a local masseuse via a quick Google search) who went hiking about noon on Friday. His jacket containing his cell phone was found at around 7PM the same day. Rescuers began searching during the night and found the body at 10:45AM, about 200 feet below the peak.

I will keep my commentary to myself other than to say be careful out there.

Stonewall Peak is a fairly safe trail, especially when it is dry. There is a guard rail and it is visited often. Don’t be deterred by the occasional accident in the outdoors. Trekking poles definitely help in any sketchy situations.

From the Del Mar Times: Grand Del Mar group prepares for the Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve restoration project.

On March 24, 23 employees of The Grand Del Mar, a luxury hotel in the Carmel Valley area of San Diego, took the time to plant some native plants in an effort to help complete a large restoration project currently under way in the Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve.

Per the Del Mar Times, “the resort employees had guidance from their on-site naturalist Dylan Jones, city rangers Gina Washington and John Garwood, and Mike Kelley from the Friends of Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve.”

The Grand Del Mar donated 250 native plants to be planted. Similar to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, however, the area has been inundated with non-native type of mustard plant, called black mustard. In Anza-Borrego, it’s the dreaded Sahara Mustard. The mustard plants have to be removed before any new planting can proceed.

The Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve has been a special place for me since I moved here to San Diego in 2000. I’ve always lived nearby and have used it for trail running (currently almost every Friday morning), hiking with my daughter, short strolls with my wife, and epic mountain biking. I even sometimes take my lunches and eat at picnic tables there. I can get behind any attempt to make the canyon a little better.

Black Mustard

Regarding The Grand Del Mar, I have heard that the upscale Addison restaurant has a tremendous wine cellar, but I haven’t eaten there. I have, however, dined several times at the Clubhouse Grille. It is a more casual restaurant with a bar which overlooks some of the golf course. It’s rarely busy and the breakfasts are delicious. Every time that I’ve eaten there, I’ve practically had the place to myself. It’s a little oasis in the middle of Carmel Valley.

Give it a try.

Their video compression leaves a little to be desired, but it is a good introduction to the world of desert wildflowers we have here at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. From March, 2010.

03/02/2010: UPDATE: Chelsea King’s body has been found and the search has been called off.

Lake Hodges will never be the same. I will think of her every time I am there and every time I drive by it, which is very often.

These used to affect me before, but, now that I have a child of my own, my heart goes out to her friends and family.

Regarding hiking safety, I don’t know what to say. Lake Hodges was one of the areas where I felt a lone woman could be safe. There are trails like Black Mountain and Woodson Mountain, where the trails are sufficiently filled with people to deter a would-be predator. But that is what I thought about Lake Hodges.

Hopefully, putting this guy away will remove a great percentage of danger from San Diego.

I won’t say any more about this except it is tragic and pointless. There are going to be new debates about the release/punishment/rehabilitation of sexual offenders, but it is really outside the scope of this site.

Stay safe out there on the trail.

Ocotillo on the way to Villager Peak

Every year around this time, people start wanting to know if the wildflowers in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park have started blooming yet. After all, much of the park is about a 2-hour drive from most of the county and people want to know if the drive for a day-trip will be fruitful.

From what I understand, the bloom is about to be upon us. We are expecting some more rain in the park on Saturday, but the weather report indicated that Sunday, February 28th will be beautiful.

The bloom is starting right now, with a great amount in the coming week or so and should last in various forms until April. Reserve your lodging as soon as possible, since March tends to be the park’s busiest month.

The website that I always check is the Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association (ABDNHA). They regularly update their observations of the wildflower bloom situation and include recent pictures and descriptions, as well as current locations of blooming flowers.

Another resource is the Wildflower Telephone Hotline at 760-767-4684.

If you head out there, be prepared for wide weather and temperature fluctuations, lots of wind, bring plenty of water, and make sure your vehicle is sufficiently fueled, for the service stations can be few and far between.

I am not sure if I am going to be able to get out there for the peak of the blooming, but I hope you do.

Update 02/25/2010: The Anza-Borrego Desert State Park page updated their information about the Wildflowers and included a map. Scroll to the bottom and click on the PDF, or you can get it below:

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Wildflower Map (PDF – 1.71MB)

Charity Workouts

I wanted to write a quick blog about a friend of mine, Brian, who leads a workout boot camp at Balboa Park. It’s called Charity Workouts in San Diego and they workout on Sundays. The boot camp was named “Best Workout with a Purpose” by San Diego CityBeat and Brian was named Volunteer of the Quarter by Outdoor Outreach.

If you’re going to get in shape and are looking to join a fun boot camp on Sundays, you may as well do it for charity.

Details:

What: Boot camp for fitness and fun
When: Every Sunday @ 9:20AM
Where: 3088 5th Ave, San Diego, CA (Café Bassam)
Cost: Donations only ($5 is appreciated)
Why: 100% of all proceeds benefit San Diego Charities (e.g. Outdoor Outreach)
Details: www.CharityWorkouts.org
Email: CharityWorkouts at Gmail.com