Santa Fe Valley Trail

Decided to hike the Santa Fe Valley Trail once again. I hiked this trail as part of the Coast To Crest Challenge a number of years back. This time I was hiking it as part of the Sierra Club North County Group’s 50th Anniversary 50 Hike Challenge. As I drove down toward the parking area, two deer darted into the nearby brush. Was not expecting to see them in the mid-afternoon.

The trailhead is shared by both the Santa Fe Trail and Del Dios Gorge Trail. I headed toward the west and onto the Santa Fe Trail. For much of the trail, it is nice and flat, I was cruising along, crossing the numerous small bridges along the way. After about 1.4 miles, the trail will begin a short climb. Thankfully, the switchbacks help ease the climb. It drops back down some, before making another climb up toward the ‘end’ of the trail. I snapped my required photo and retraced my route.

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.

Denk Tank Mountain

The North County group of the Sierra Club is celebrating its 50 anniversary. As part of that celebration, they are hosting a 50 Hike Challenge. I decided to work on this list as my backup hikes or my mid-week hikes. Yesterday was such a day. Denk Mountain is just a few minutes from work, and even on my way home. I parked near the trailhead and laced up my boots, grabbed my poles, and set off.

While it was sunny, the temperatures were not too warm as I quickly made my way up the trail. There is quite a network of trails across this mountain, so you do need to take some care at junctions to stay on the route you want to take to the summit.

At the summit, I snapped a few photos, including the one for the challenge, and headed back down. There were a few flowers dotting the sides of the trail. Judging by the tracks on the trail and the repair stand at the summit, it is safe to assume this area is favored by mountain bikers, so make sure you keep an ear and an eye out for them when you hike it. The hike was 2.8 miles in 1:07 with 663 feet of gain.

Coastal Trail

The Coastal Trail or Tidepools Trail, runs along the seaside of Cabrillo National Monument. The trail is a 1.1-mile point-to-point meander along the sandstone bluffs above the Pacific Ocean. At the south parking lot, there are toilets, and at times park rangers or volunteers staffing an informational table. This is the only trail at the National Monument that allows dogs. Usually, we can find a parking spot in the south parking lot, which is closer to where you can access the tide pools during low tide, otherwise continue driving down the road to use one of the two other parking areas at the north end of the trail.

The trail works its way along the bluffs, so except for the one tidepool access area, getting to the ocean isn’t possible. You will have some small rises to climb up and over, but most should be able to manage them without issue. There is a nice tidepool to explore when the water is right. With the opening of the Oceanside Trail, you can now safely hike down from the Old Lighthouse to this trail, making for a more worthy adventure.

Hiking in Gonzales Canyon

I decided to do this hike after work since it is just about 15 minutes from my house. My daughter decided to join me for this jaunt. We parked at Torrey Highlands Park and headed to the north end of it. From there, we picked up the Nature trail and began our descent into the canyon. The route we chose became a touch rocky; since my daughter did not have trekking poles, she had to be careful.

We chatted about our upcoming road trip to see my sister and the new school year as we made our way to the selfie spot. I pointed out the poison oak that lined the trail. We took our photo and began to retrace our path. Instead of climbing back up to the trailhead, we opted for a different route. She was not pleased with the steep hill we had to climb, but she made it. With that, my 2021-2022 Coast to Crest Challenge was complete!

Dust Devil Trail

Decided to hike the easiest of the Coast to Crest Challenge’s hike, the Dust Devil Trail with some of the family. We pulled into the parking lot in the early evening to enjoy the end of the holiday weekend. The sun was just behind the late-day clouds, as we strolled to the wildlife view spot, aka ‘selfie spot’.

The family returned the same way to the car, as it was getting close to when the trail closes. I opted to hustle around the larger loop to take in some sights. We meet back at the car almost at the same time. One more hike to go and I will have completed this year’s Coast to Crest Challenge.

Santa Fe Valley Connector trail

Once I was done with my summit of Black Mountain, I drove the short distance to the trailhead for the Santa Fe Valley Connector trail. This section of the Coast to Crest Trail was recently acquired, so I was looking forward to exploring it. The trailhead is shared with the Lusardi Creek Loop. The early morning cloud cover was burning off, so I made sure to apply my sunscreen before setting off.

The trail passes by some incredible homes before dipping down toward the Lusardi Creek. The creek is still flowing, from residential runoff, and it made for a fun crossing. A guide rope is secured to the trees to help you across. From there, the trail follows the creek for a while, before turning east.

After following the San Dieguito river for a bit, I had a small climb to reach my turn-around spot. I located my ‘selfie’ spot, with the Crosby Golf Course behind me, and took my photo. I retraced my route. The day had warmed up and I was glad I only had the short climb back to the car.

Black Mountain (via Miner’s Ridge Trail)

For the second hike on the Coast to Crest Challenge, I decided why not do the one that is almost in my backyard, Black Mountain. The recommended route was to take the Miner’s Ridge trail to the summit to snap your selfie. From the parking lot, the trail heads east for a bit before making its turn and starts climbing toward the summit.

I took a more direct route so I could also summit the ‘secondary’ summit as well. Plus, I was planning on getting in a second hike in after.

Once I reached the summit, there were numerous mountain bikers, some other hikers. I stayed long enough to take the photo and retreated from the crowds. I made my way back to the car, tossed in my gear, and headed off to the Scorpion Ridge-Santa Fe Valley Connector trail.

Bayside Trail

My final hike of the day was going to be the Bayside Trail at Cabrillo National Monument. This hike had the added bonus of stopping off at Fathom Bistro for lunch and a beer. They are located on the Shelter Island pier and serve up some tasty hot dogs and have a wonderful tap list. I drove out to Point Loma, passing my old office along the way, showed my National Parks Annual Pass, and parked. I grabbed my gear and a jacket and set off toward the lighthouse. The trailhead to the Bayside trail is just before the lighthouse along the access road. The trail follows the cliffs down to a nice view of San Diego and Coronado with several information panels along the way. I reached the end of the trail, snapped a few photos, and began my ascent. Back at the access road, I stopped and chatted with one of the park volunteers for a while. Afterward, I thought to myself this is exactly what my dad would do all the time. With three hikes done for the day, some BBQ was in order for dinner.

Lake Calavera

The second hike of the morning was to climb Calavera mountain up in Carlsbad. What is interesting about this peak is that it is actually an extinct volcano. I parked on the street and headed down toward the small reservoir/lake. Once across the dam, I began working my way up to the summit. The trail passes in front of the remains of the volcanic plug. I paused for a bit to marvel at what stood in front of me, but I did need to make this hike quick and get back to work.

The trail was a touch steep at points, so I was glad I had my trekking poles. Once at the summit I had a nice view of the area. I could see some of the rock labyrinths back down near the base of the hill. I snapped my photos and headed back down as I had a work call soon.I certainly want to come back and explore this area a bit more.

Batiquitos Lagoon

One of North County San Diego’s quiet gems is the Batiquitos Lagoon trail. This trail runs along the north shore of Batiquitos Lagoon in south Carlsbad. I found one of the few parking spots near the west trailhead, grabbed my water bottle and hat, and set off. Since this was still during Covid, the Nature Center was closed.

The trail was dotted with the occasional wildflowers, and the calm waters of the lagoon were off to the south. I passed several other hikers and runners enjoying the nice wide trail. Although the way, interpretive signs will give you insight into the wildlife that inhabit the lagoon. After about 1.5 miles, the trail comes to an end, so I made my U-turn and returned to the car. At several spots, there are some benches if you want to stop and soak in the views. This is a great trail for those who want an easy trail to enjoy some nature.