Ramona, CA: Cedar Creek Falls Trail

Ramona, CA: Cedar Creek Falls Trail

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My expectations for the Cedar Creek Falls Trail were low as I’d read about crowds and litter here. Hiking in the off-season has it’s perks – no crowds and no litter – yay!  (The trade off, just the damp shadow on the rock tracing where the 80 foot water fall flows.)   Otherwise, I was very pleasantly surprised. The terrain is perfect for trail running if you can handle a consistent ~ 2 mile descent, followed, of course, by the consistent ascent. My knees can’t take the downhill anymore, but I sure enjoyed the run back up.

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In the summer the temps can climb to 115 degrees so heat stroke and dehydration are concerns. Not the place to take your pooch or that friend who hasn’t worked out in recent memory  – there have been several deaths. Also, people have been seriously injured for  jumping off the rock into the shallow pool (duh). Those who live in this area of Eastern San Diego are accustomed to the hum of helicopters flying in to pick up the pieces. There were some cross country high-school boys risking it while I was there. Showing off for their girlfriends. Boys will be boys and survival of the smartest applies here.

Distance: 6 Miles Round Trip for this out & back

Rating: Moderate to easy if you are in shape, difficult otherwise

Permit needed.

Gift ideas for your adventure traveler

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Waxing nostalgic…When I was a kid, my Mother used to hand my brother and me the Sears Christmas Wish Book. She’d give us both magic markers and tell us to mark everything we wanted Santa to bring us for x-mas. We spent hours mesmerized by the glossy, colorful 600 page tome, poring over 200 plus pages each bursting toys galore. Even after we knew that Mom was Santa, there was still a certain sense of excitement every year as we huddled together over those dazzling pages.trying not to circle every toy. It was so hard to decide. Once the presents were delivered, we were always confused. We didn’t recall  circling Yahtzee, or Rack-O…Later, we realized it was just one of our Mother’s schemes to keep us occupied for endless hours.

sears-wishbook

Today, do parents send their kids to the web to create their wish list shopping carts? For fun, I went window shopping online at Amazon and “circled” some items. I’ll start with some stocking stuffers and keep adding as I browse and hear back from you. What’s the best travel adventure gift you’ve ever received? And what’s on your wish list this year?

Stocking stuffers

$5 and under

mad-libsThe Mad Libs WORST CASE SCENARIO Survival Handbook: Travel Fun for all ages on a road trip, in the tent, or by the campfire. : )

 

mosquito-netMosquito Head Net

Sure wish I had this when I was hiking in Yosemite. The face flies were so brutal I nearly turned back. Other hikers did. Luckily, once you get above 8k feet they drop off. This could be the best $2 bucks you’ll ever spend.

$10-$20

survival-bracelet_TECH-P 5 in 1 Multifunctional Paracord Bracelet with Compass Flint Fire Starter Scraper Whistle Your mom would want you to have this survival bracelet.

 

lifestrawLifeStraw Personal Water Filter Your mom would want you to have this one too. Warning, this does not does not filter out viruses, but is good in a pinch.

bandanaKalily Headband Bandana 16-in-1 sports & casual headwear with UV protection.Be sporty and stylish, even with sleeping bag head.

ultra-lightweight-foldable-backpckFoldable, Ultra Lightweight Packable Backpack

Handy for travel and day hikes

headlampWaterproof Headlamp with rechargeable batteries, AC charger and car charger 

bear-sprayBear Spray

I prefer the one without the holster. Ideally, you should have it on the ready and carry it in your hand.

sleeping-bag-net

Mosquito Net for 1 sleeping bag  I really enjoy camping out under the starts without a tent. Unfortunately, so do the bugs. Here’s a solution.

 

Other ideas

Gift certificates to their favorite outdoor store

Airline tickets or points

State Park Passes

 

 

Washington’s Beacon Rock Trail: a shortie with sweet views

Washington’s Beacon Rock Trail: a shortie with sweet views

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Geological origins

According to some experts, Beacon Rock or  Che-Che-op-tin, which means the navel of the world, is the second largest, free-standing monolith in North America.  (Supposedly approaching the ranks of El Capitan, Devils Tower, Uluru/Ayers Rock, and other notables.) Composed of Basalt, it is the core of an ancient volcano. Through the ages, massive floods carved their way through the Columbia River Gorge and through the volcano, leaving only the core of Beacon Rock in their wake.

The trail

The Beacon Rock Trail was built directly onto the side of the rock, and ascends to the top of the rock (850’ elevation) by way of 52 switchbacks. Along the way there are sparkling panoramic views of the Columbia River Gorge, the Bonneville Dam, and the Pierce Wildlife Refuge. The “peak” area is small and doesn’t offer much in the way of scenery. It’s a short and relatively easy ~1.6 mile out and back with a 680 foot elevation gain. There’s  a fair amount of traffic as it’s right off Highway 14, perfect for a quick run up and down. (Of course, I happened to hit it at high noon on Washington’s hottest day in a record-breaking heat wave. Dangerous for pets or anyone not up to extreme temps.)

The story behind the trail

The story goes that the United States Army Corps was going to cannibalize the rock for material to build a jetty at the mouth of the Columbia River. In 1915, philanthropist, Henry Biddle, bought the rock for $1, and together with Charles Johnson, built the trail over the next 3 years. After Biddle’s death, the family offered to make it a state park. Washington initially declined, but accepted the offer after Oregon expressed interest.

 

Details

Located near Stevenson, WA off of Highway 14

Discover Pass must be purchased and displayed in your car.

 

Raleigh, NC: Bucolic biking on the Neuse River Greenway Trail

Raleigh, NC: Bucolic biking on the Neuse River Greenway Trail

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Borrowed my sister’s sweet Orbea tri bike for an out and back cruise on the Neuse River Greenway Trail. Bucolic beauty, tame riding (flat), and deer sightings along the river and over 7 bridges (2 suspension bridges) through wetlands and countryside. (I coaxed the little guy out of the brush so he could join his peeps on the other side of the path.) It’s an easy, paved, multi-use, 27.5 mile trail. I turned around at the 25 mile marker as I had to get back. This trail is part of Raleigh’s Capital Area Greenway System, and notably, also a portion of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail,  a 1,150 mile hiking trail that crosses North Carolina through the Great Smoky Mountains and concludes in the Outer Banks. (Perhaps something to add to my “to do” list though from the little I’ve seen, my preference would be to bike it over hiking it…)

 

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The downside

Posted trail speed limit is 10 mph, which is ridiculous for road bikers. I went on a weekday afternoon when there weren’t many walkers or casual bikers so I broke the rule. If I lived there, it would drive me nuts not to be able to ride the trail at realistic road bike speeds. Of course, safety is of the utmost importance, but how can you have a decent mileage path that allows bikes and expect people not to exceed 10 mph? (Heck, I ride 14 mph on my mt. bike on the road.)  It’s a big deterrent to this cyclist. Perhaps the sentiment is if you’re  a real cyclist, you’ll ride on the road. I don’t know about you, but I get more than my fill of riding on the road in California so anytime I have a chance to ride and not worry about cars, I’m all over it. I’d be working with city council and bike advocates to change the rule or adopt some measure to establish designated times or days when road cyclists can ride at speed. All that being said, once you get the 25 mile marker, the roads look very rideable with minimal car traffic. You could probably make your own century ride out of it.