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.

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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.

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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.

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After a visit to my dentist (no cavities), I stopped at San Elijo Lagoon and strolled around the lagoon and some of the trails there. The Visitor Center was closed due to Covid-19. But I have since been back when it was open and it is quite nice. For the more adventurous, you can hike down to the other side of the lagoon and explore Annie’s Canyon.

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Like Black Mountain, this trail is almost in my backyard. While I have hiked it numerous times, I respected the rules of the San Diego County Parks’ Tour Our Trails Challenge and hiked it again. I really did not feel like taking many photos beyond the required one at the waterfall. I will say, if you have never hiked it, please do so.

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Recently, the County of San Diego’s Parks and Recreation department created a Tour Our Trails challenge. They even printed “passport” books to log your hikes. Since I have been focused on two other challenges (San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peaks and the 2020-2021 Coast to Crest Challenge), I had not started on these hikes. The 15 hikes are grouped into three categories; easy, moderate, and hard. I needed to pick up something from a fellow hiker who lives in the South Bay, so I decided to do a quick stroll through part of the Sweetwater Summit Regional Park. 

Each hike has a designated photo opp, and for this hike it was Morrison Pond. I pulled into the parking lot and grabbed my gear. Just then, four horseback riders were just returning from their ride. I set off along the trail to explore the park a bit before viewing the pond. I easily crossed the trickle of water that is the Sweetwater river and headed east for a while. Once I reached the junction with another trail, I headed back toward the pond. 

Along the way, I passed a couple of families enjoying the trails. This is a great place to bring your little ones, as the trail is nice and flat. I circled around the pond, enjoying the view for a bit. I then returned to the car and finished my errand. I am looking forward to the other 14 hikes, especially the ones I have never done.

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Ever since March, I have been exploring some of my local peaks. One peak, Torrey Pines State Park High Point (that’s a mouthful), has been on my list for a while. This ‘peak’ sits within the extension to the state park, and had been closed for some time due to Covid-19. The extension has several trailheads to start from, but I opted for the trailhead closest to the high point near the school, & set off along the Red Ridge Trail. It passes by several multi-million dollar homes before entering the state park. The trail was nice and flat, and as I made my way to the end, a few Torrey pines lined the trail. According to Peakbagger, the actual high point was located in a section that was beyond the roped off area. Close enough for me. The view from the end of this little trail was lovely. I had a sweeping view of the lagoon and Torrey Pines SP.

With the knee feeling good, I set off toward the D.A.R. viewpoint. I followed the trail down into the gully, then turned up to go back up another trail to climb up to the viewpoint. The sun was setting over the Pacific Ocean. While I could have done something closer to my house, I wanted to enjoy the sunset over the water. 

I then began working my way back to the car, and decided to take an alternate route back. I wanted to take the Gully Trail, but I discovered it was closed. I debated returning the same way I had come, or loop back through the streets. Since I was close to the streets, I decided to take that route. As I returned to my car, the trailhead was filled with cars, some were probably folks I passed along the trails, but others were just sitting there enjoying a spectacular view. 

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Decided to start this year’s Coast to Crest Challenge with the hike that is almost behind my house, the Lusardi Creek Trail. I have done this trail several times, but this time I decided to use the challenge’s start and finish spot off Camino Del Sur. I typically start from the Black Mountain Sports Park when hiking this trail. I hit the trail just before sunrise, critical since we are having yet another heatwave. I carefully crossed the flowing creek and headed east into the rising sun.

As I approached where I would leave the canyon, I pulled up the annotated AllTrails map. It had me ascending via the Lusardi Creek Trail. I could see a slightly less used trail branching off and I started down it, but after about 20 yards or so, it began to fade away. I returned to the junction and decided I must have misread my map. So, I headed along the other fork. After I felt I had traveled enough for any GPS issues, I rechecked my position, and I was not on the route that AllTrails was showing. I looked at the route, saw the terrain and topo lines, and ventured upward.

Working my way carefully upward, I am thinking I must have done something wrong. I knew I did not have far to go and I am comfortable traveling cross-country. I located the other trail and cruised down it to the selfie spot. Part of me thought about just walking the quarter mile back home and getting the car later, but I really wanted to see if I could find that missing trail from this side.

I worked my way back along the main trail, looking for any signs of a trail. Nope, there was nothing to be found, so I followed the service road I normally use back down into the canyon and eventually back to the car.

Once I was home, I started looking further into this. I knew something was amiss with the route. I pulled up the track again on my phone and on my computer. They were showing two different routes. Crazy! In chatting with Susie, who did it the day before, we discovered she also had AllTrails display the route up Lusardi Creek Trail. Never fear, it seems the issue has been corrected, but it is a good tale of doing your research before hitting the trails.

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Nestled along the south side of San Elijo Lagoon is a small sandstone slot canyon, known as Annie’s Canyon. This short hike out to explore is perfect for a quick family outing. There are several possible routes to it; we opted to start from the North Rios trailhead and hike along the south shore of the lagoon. Those looking for a longer hike could start at the San Elijo Lagoon Nature center on the north side of the lagoon and hike over from there. A new bridge under the I-5 will also soon allow access to this hike as well.

We walked along the trail, enjoying the lagoon and its wildlife. We passed the junction that leads up to Holmwood Lane. Following the trail eastward for about 1/4 of a mile until we came to Annie’s Canyon. The route is a one-way counter-clockwise adventure through the narrow sandstone slot and up the metal ladders to the overlook. If you choose not to venture into the canyon, continue eastward then take the trail up to the viewpoint.

Those who squeeze through the canyon, are rewarded with a unique experience. For quite some time this canyon was closed to the public due to the tremendous amount of vandalism that occurred here. But through a lot of hard work and dedication, volunteers cleaned it up and the canyon was reopened to the public. 

After climbing the ladders you will reach the viewpoint giving you a chance to look down into the canyon some. Once done taking in the views, head back down toward the lagoon and back to your trailhead.

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I had a nice walkabout this morning. Decided to keep it local and go visit some of the peaks that show up on Peakbagger’s Near By list. I parked near the Chili’s and headed down Cara Way.

Soon, the Los Peñasquitos Creek Arch Bridge came into view, and then the Cara Knott Crime Victim’s Memorial Oak Garden. I paused to reflect on all the names here before I continued on.

Leaving the road, the route became a single track as it works its way around the pumping station. The path followed Peñasquito creek for a bit before making its way to the top of Peak 590.

I gazed at Van Dam peak and tried to find less-traveled routes to the summits. I decided to make the trip a loop, so I took the east path down the hill. I soon found myself back at Scripps-Poway Parkway. Along the way, I did encounter a few mountain bikers, a couple of runners, and one hiker.

Next on the list was Miramar Benchmark, so I crossed under the 15 and entered Canyon Hills Open Space. I headed up the service road to the summit. It was straightforward forward walk up the wide dirt road. I meet two walkers along the way. As I neared the summit, the first of two picnic benches were found.

At the summit, some Aqueduct elements stood at the summit. I found one mark, but the real marks were not located.

I grabbed a few photos and headed down. All in all, a nice 5 miles.

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